POWER AND INFLUENCE CHAPTER 6

IN THE WORKPLACE
Learning Outcomes

• At the end of this chapter, students will be able to:

• Define power.
• Describe the bases of power.
• Identify the causes and consequences of political power.
 What is Power?
• Power refers to the ability of A to influence the behavior of B to
get what A instruct and wishes B to do.
• Power is also about the relationship which B has over A.
• Therefore, should B have to rely heavily or be too dependent on A,
that shows that A’s power over B is strong and very significant.
• The next important aspect of power is whether or not there are
alternatives available in a situation for B. Should there be other
offers available elsewhere, A will lose control or power over B and
A is now less important to B
Stephens Robbins & Timothy Judge 18th edition of Organizational
Behaviour
Two Factors of Power

1. Influence – The person with power influences other people.

2. Dependency-The more people depend on you, the more power
you have over the other person. The level of dependency would
be based on what alternatives are available as well as how
important the person is to you.
Bases of Power

POWER

FORMAL PERSONAL
Formal Power – Coercive power

• Coercive power- happens when a person who has control over a

situation imposes penalties on his or her followers should they fail
to fulfil the instructions given.
• The penalties imposed vary and can be in terms of verbal abuse,
demotion risk of being overlooked for important projects,
possibility of losing one’s job and, sometimes, promotion being
delayed.
Formal Power – Reward power

• Reward power can be created if the leader has the

ability and power to reward or share positive
values with the followers.
• The benefits or rewards which he can share can be
either financial or non-financial rewards.
• E.g. Financial rewards are pay raise and bonuses
• E.g. Non financial rewards could be recognition for
a job well done, praise in public.
 Formal Power – Reward power

• Several requirements for the reward power to be

effective:
1. Rewards given match the needs and wants of the
followers
2. The followers have trust and belief that the leaders
are able to give the reward when the task is
completed
3. The reward given is proportionate to task completed
by the follower. Should the reward not be
compatible or sufficiently valuable to the followers
compared to the effort required to complete the
task, that reward power as a pulling factor does not
work.
 Formal Power – Legitimate power

• Legitimate power is a combination of both

coercive and reward power. It is derived from the
position the person holds.
• The person who holds legitimate power is a
person who sits in a position of formal authority
to control and use organizational resources.
• Leader possesses when the followers believe that
the leader has “the right” to instruct them and
that is the obligation of the employee or follower
to follow the instruction given.
 Personal Power – Expert power
• Expert power is a person who obtains special skills or
knowledge, or is an expert in certain areas. Having the special
skills, knowledge and expertise allows one to be in control.
• Expert power is the ability to influence other people based on
the expertise and knowledge which one has.
• An experienced member of a team can be recognized as
having expert power even though he or she is not a manager
or supervisor.
• Employee are gaining expert power due to their expert
knowledge. This is because the employees’ knowledge is the
means of production and the knowledge is outside the control
of the organization.
• A person has expert power when a person or work unit has the
ability to manage and advise on uncertainties. Uncertainties
and sudden changes would have a business impact on the
business and work process may impact the productivity.
 Personal Power – Expert power

Three (3) general strategies for organizations to

face uncertainties:
• Prevention- prevention is the most effective
strategy to prevent environmental changes from
happening.
• Forecasting-This is an area where trendsetters or
marketing specialists gain power by assisting an
organization with predicting changes.
• Absorption-Absorption happens when people in
power are able to absorb, handle and sail through
a situation when uncertainties happen.
 Personal Power- Referent power

• Referent power refers to the ability of a leader to

influence a follower because of the follower’s
loyalty, respect, friendship, admiration, affection
or desire to gain approval.
• This situation happens when followers like and
respect the leader
• The recognition of having referent power is also
due to a leader’s strong interpersonal relationship
skills and charisma.
• A leader leads by example and relies heavily on
trust. Therefore, it takes quite a while for a leader
to develop referent power.
 Power Tactics

• Power tactics are ways by which individuals translate power bases

into specific actions. Individuals influence other people to do
things they want them to do.
• 9 well-defined tactics used to influence people in this manner:
1. Legitimacy
2. Rational persuasion
3. Inspirational appeal
4. Consultation
5. Exchange
6. Personal Appeal
7. Ingratiation
8. Pressure
9. Coalition
Power Tactics

LEGITIMACY
Based on authority position and within the grounds of organizational
rules and regulations.

RATIONAL PERSUASION
• Request or instruction based on facts and logical arguments.

INSPIRATIONAL APPEAL
• Uses emotional commitment which motivates a person’s needs
and wants.
Power Tactics

CONSULTATION
• Guides and assists a person in making decisions on how and what
to do.

EXCHANGE
• Exchange of rewards for tasks done.

PERSONAL APPEAL
• Seeks for assistance based on friendship and loyalty.
Power Tactics

INGRATIATION
• Uses flattery, praise and friendly behavior before making a request

PRESSURE
• Takes advantage of demands, threats and issues of warning

COALITION
• Seeks the aid of other people to persuade, support and reason out
with the target
Factors that influence political behavior

individual

organization
Factors that influence political behavior

• The individual
Employees who are highly self-monitoring, have high locus of control and high
need for power would be involved in political behavior. Individuals believe that
they are able to control their environment and themselves in any situation.
• The Organization
Organizational resources tend to decline and should any possibilities for
promotion in the workforce arise, politicking is more likely to happen. Other
situations which encourage organizational politics would be situations where
decisions are made based on uncertain or ambiguous evidence.
Effect of organizational politics and work
effectiveness
• Different employees react differently to organizational Negative effects
politics. Some accept it as a norm whereas some resist the
practice.
• Organizational politics create positive and negative
impacts, depend on how the organization uses and
implement it.
• Negative effects- tension, dissatisfaction and low morale
• Positive effects- improved employee performance and Positive effects
motivation
• Manager need to be sensitive to their surroundings and
work atmosphere which they create while managing the
organization.
• If the employees are negatively affected by organizational
politics, the manager needs to change the way he manages
the organization.
End of Chapter 6 t