Power and Political

Behaviour
Lecture 1

Dr. P. David Jawahar

Power, Influence, and Authority
Power – the ability to influence another person
Influence – the process of affecting the thoughts, feelings, and behaviour of another
person
Authority – the right to influence another person
Authority does not always seem to have the Power!
Zone of Indifference – the range in which attempts to influence a person will be
perceived as legitimate and will be acted on without a great deal of thought
Enlarging this Zone of Indifference is accomplished with power (ability) rather than
authority (right)

DR. P. DAVID JAWAHAR

Interpersonal Sources/Forms of Power
1. Reward Power (ability to control rewards)
2. Coercive Power (ability to cause unpleasant experience)
3. Legitimate Power (based on positional and mutual agreement)
4. Referent Power (based on interpersonal attraction/admiration)
5. Expert Power (based on specialized knowledge/skills that are sought after)
Information Power is a new addition

Contingencies of Power
6. Substitutability
7. Centrality
8. Visibility
9. Discretion
DR. P. DAVID JAWAHAR
 Using Power Ethically
Examining power related behaviours
1. Does the behaviour produce a good outcome both inside and outside the organisation?
(criterion of utilitarian outcomes)
2. Does the behaviour respect the rights of all parties? (criterion of individual rights)
3. Does the behaviour treat all parties equitably and fairly (criterion of distributive justice)
Two Faces of Power
Personal Power Vs Social Power
Characteristics of successful power users
4. Belief in the authority system
5. Preference for work and discipline
6. Altruism
7. Belief in justice
DR. P. DAVID JAWAHAR
Intergroup sources of power
Sources of Power
1. Control of critical resources
2. Control of strategic contingencies (other groups’ dependency in order to complete
their tasks)

Gaining control of strategic contingencies

1. The ability to cope with uncertainty
2. High degree of centrality
3. Non – substitutability

DR. P. DAVID JAWAHAR

Power Analysis
Types of Alienative Calculative Moral
Power/Type of
Membership
Coercive
X

Utilitarian
X

Normative
X

DR. P. DAVID JAWAHAR

 Symbols of power and powerlessness
Kanter’s Symbols of Power Korda’s Symbols of Power
• Ability to intercede for someone in trouble • Office furnishings
• Ability to get placements for favoured employees • Time power
• Exceeding budget limitations • Standing by (more people inconvenience themselves for our sake)
• Procuring above-average raises for employees
• Getting items on the agenda of meetings
• Access to early information
• Having top managers seek out their opinions

Kanter’s Symbols of Powerlessness

• Overly close supervision
• Inflexible adherence to rules
• Tendency to do the job themselves
• Trying to protect their turf
• Budget cutting
• Punishing
• Top – down communication

DR. P. DAVID JAWAHAR

Political Behaviour in Organisations
Organisational Politics is not necessarily negative
Organisational Politics are central to managing
As people try to acquire power and expand their power base, they use various tactics
and strategies. Some are sanctioned (acceptable to the organisation) and others are
not
Political Behaviour refers to actions not officially sanctioned by an organisation that
are taken to influence others in order to meet one’s personal goals.
Influence Tactics
• Pressure • Ingratiation

• Upward appeals • Rational persuasion

• Exchange • Inspirational appeals

• Coalition • Consultations

DR. P. DAVID JAWAHAR

Political
Key Dimensions
Skills
1. Social Astuteness
2. Interpersonal Influence
3. Networking Ability
4. Sincerity
Managing Political Behaviour
5. Open communication
6. Clarify expectations about performance
7. Participative management
8. Encouraging cooperation
9. Managing scarce resources
10. Providing a supportive organisational climate
DR. P. DAVID JAWAHAR
Managing the Boss
Make sure you understand your boss and her context, including:
•Her goals and objectives
•The pressures on her
•Her strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots
•Her preferred work style
Assess yourself and your needs, including:
•Your own strengths and weaknesses
•Your personal style
•Your predisposition towards dependence on authority figures
Develop and maintain a relationship that:
•Fits both your needs and styles
•Is characterized by mutual expectations
•Keeps your boss informed
•Is based on dependability and honesty
•Selectively uses your boss’s time and resources
DR. P. DAVID JAWAHAR
Sharing Power: Empowerment
Jay Conger defines Empowerment as “creating conditions for heightened motivation
through the development of a strong sense of personal self-efficacy”
The dimensions of empowerment are:
1. Meaning – is a fit between the work role and the employee’s values and beliefs
2. Competence – is the belief that one has the ability to do the job well
3. Self-determination – is having control over the way one does his or her work
4. Impact – is the belief that one’s job makes a difference within the organisation
Empowering others:
5. Express confidence in employees and set high performance expectations
6. Create opportunities for employees to participate in decision making
7. Remove bureaucratic constraints that stifle autonomy
8. Set inspirational or meaningful goals

DR. P. DAVID JAWAHAR