1. POWER AND POLITICS
POWER
POWER IS POTENTIAL ABILITY OF A
PERSON OR GROUP TO INFLUENCE
ANOTHER PERSON OR GROUP
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2. TYPE OF POWER
TYPES OF POWER ARE DESCRIBED IN TERMS OF
BASES OF POWER AND POSITION V/S PERSONAL
POWER
(A) BASES OF POWER
1. LEGITMATE POWER
LEGITMATE IS GRANTED BY VIRTUE OF ONE’S
POSITION IN THE ORGANIZATION.
2. REWARD POWER
REWARD POWER IS THE EXTENT TO WHICH A
PERSON CONTROLS REWARDS THAT ANOTHER
PERSON VALUES.
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3. 3. COERCIVE POWER
COERCIVE POWER IS THE EXTENT TO WHICH A
PERSON HAS THE ABILITY TO PUNISH OR
PHYSICALLY OR PSYCHOLOGICALLY HARM
SOME ONE ELSE.
4. EXPERT POWER
EXPERT POWER IS THE EXTENT TO WHICH A
PERSON CONTROLS INFORMATION THAT IS
VALUABLE TO SOME ONE ELSE.
5. REFERENT POWER
REFERENT POWER EXISTS WHEN ONE PERSON
WANTS TO BE LIKE OR IMITATES SOME ONE
ELSE.
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4. (B) POSITION POWER V/S PERSONAL POWER
1. POSITION POWER
POSITION POWER RESIDES IN THE POSITION,
REGARDLESS OF WHO IS FILLING THAT
POSITION.
(LEGITIMATE, REWARD AND SOME ASPECT OF
COERCIVE AND EXPERT)
2. PERSONAL POWER
PERSONAL POWER RESIDES IN THE PERSON
REGARDLESS OF THE POSITION BEING FILLED.
(EXPERT, COERCIVE AND REWARD)
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5. POSITION AND PERSONAL POWER
HIGH
MODERATE STRONGEST
OVERALL OVERALL
POWER POWER
POSITION
POWER WEAKEST MODERATE
OVERALL OVERALL
POWER POWER
LOW
LOW PERSONAL HIG
POWER H
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6. THE USES & OUTCOMES OF POWER
SOURCE OF TYPE OF OUTCOME
LEADER
INFLUENCE
COMMITMENT COMPLIANCE RESISTANCE
REFERENT LIKELY IF REQUEST IS POSSIBLE IF POSSIBLE IF
POWER BELIEVED TO BE REQUEST IS REQUEST IS FOR
IMPORTANT TO LEADER PERCEIVED TO BE SOMETHING THAT
UNIMPORTANT TO WILL BRING HARM TO
LEADER LEADER
EXPERT LIKELY IF REQUEST IS POSSIBLE IF POSSIBLE IF LEADER
POWER PERSUASIVE AND REQUEST IS IS ARROGANT AND
SUBORDINATES SHARE PERSUASIVE BUT INSULTING, OR
LEADER’S TASK GOALS SUBORDINATES ARE SUBORDINATES
APATHETIC ABOUT OPPOSE TASK GOALS
TASK GOALS
LEGITIMATE POSSIBLE IF REQUEST IS LIKELY IF REQUEST POSSIBLE IF
POWER POLITE AND VERY OR ORDER IS SEEN ARROGANT
APPROPRIATE AS LEGITIMATE DEMANDS ARE MADE
OR REQUEST DOES
NOT APPEAR
PROPER
REWARD POSSIBLE IF USED IN A LIKELY IF USED IN A POSSIBLE IF USED IN
POWER SUBTLE, VERY PERSONAL MECHANICAL, A MANIPULATIVE,
WAY IMPERSONAL WAY ARROGANT WAY
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COERCIVE VERY UNLIKELY POSSIBLE IF USED IN 6LIKELY IF USED IN A

7. GUIDELINES FOR USING POWER
BASIS OF POWER GUIDELINES FOR USE
REFERENT POWER TREAT SUBORDINATES FAIRLY
DEFEND SUBORDINATES’ INTERESTS
BE SENSITIVE TO SUBORDINATES’ NEEDS, FEELING
SELECT SUBORDINATES SIMILAR TO ONESELF
ENGAGE IN ROLE MODELING
EXPERT POWER PROMOTE IMAGE OF EXPERTISE
MAINTAIN CREDIBILITY
ACT CONFIDENT AND DECISIVE
KEEP INFORMED
RECOGNIZE EMPLOYEE CONCERNS
AVOID THREATENING SUBORDINATES’ SELF-ESTEEM
LEGITIMATE POWER BE CORDIAL AND POLITE
BE CONFIDENT
BE CLEAR AND FOLLOW UP TO VERIFY UNDERSTANDING
MAKE SURE REQUEST IS APPROPRIATE
EXPLAIN REASONS FOR REQUEST
FOLLOW PROPER CHANNELS
EXERCISE POWER REGULARLY
ENFORCE COMPLIANCE
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BE SENSITIVE TO SUBORDINATES’ CONCERNS

8. REWARD POWER VERIFY COMPLIANCE
MAKE FEASIBLE, REASONABLE
REQUESTS
MAKE ONLY ETHICAL, PROPER
REQUESTS
OFFER REWARDS DESIRED BY
SUBORDINATES
OFFER ONLY CREDIBLE REWARDS
COERCIVE POWER INFORM SUBORDINATES OF RULES
AND PENALTIES
WARN BEFORE PUNISHING
ADMINISTER PUNISHMENT
CONSISTENTLY AND UNIFORMLY
UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION BEFORE
ACTING
MAINTAIN CREDIBILITY
FIT PUNISHMENT TO THE INFRACTION
PUNISH IN PRIVATE
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9. ORGANIZATION POLITICS
ORGANIZATIONAL POLITICS ARE ACTIVITIES
CARRIED OUT BY PEOPLE TO ACQUIRE, ENHANCE
AND USE POWER AND OTHER RESOURCES TO
OBTAIN THEIR DESIRED OUT COMES. (IT IS
CLOSELY RELATED TO POWER IN
ORGANIZATIONAL SETTINGS).
ORGANIZATIONAL POLITICS ARE PERVASIVE IN
MOST ORGANIZATIONS. BUT IT GAINS POWER
HENCE RATHER IGNORING OR TRYING TO
ELIMINATES, THE MANAGERS SHOULD USE
FRUITFULLY FOR CONSTRUCTIVE GAINS.
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10. MANAGERIAL PERCEPTION OF POLITICAL BEHAVIOUR
(A SURVEY ANALYSIS)
STATEMENT MEAN STANDARD STRONG
SCORE DEVIATION OR
o MODERATE
AGREEMEN
T %
A THE EXISTENCE OF WORKPLACE 1.59 0.71 93.2
POLITICS IS COMMON TO MOST
ORGANIZATIONS
B SUCCESSFUL EXECUTIVES MUST BE 1.75 0.88 89.0
GOOD POLITICIANS
C THE HIGHER YOU GO IN ORGANIZATIONS, 1.99 1.10 76.2
THE MORE POLITICAL THE CLIMATE
BECOMES
D ONLY ORGANIZATIONALLY WEAK PEOPLE 2.21 1.17 68.5
PLAY POLITICSB
E ORGANIZATIONS FREE OF POLITICS ARE 2.34 1.09 59.1
HAPPIER THAN THOSE WHERE THERE IS A
LOT OF POLITICS
F YOU HAVE TO BE POLITICAL TO GET 2.37 1.13 69.8
AHEAD IN ORGANIZATIONS
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G POLITICS IN ORGANIZATIONS ARE 2.57 1.14 55.1

11. STATEMENT MEAN STANDARD STRONG
SCORE DEVIATION OR
o
MODERATE
AGREEMEN
T %
H TOP MANAGEMENT SHOULD TRY TO GET 2.67 1.23 48.6
RID OF POLITICS WITHIN THE
ORGANIZATION
I POLITICS HELP ORGANIZATIONS 2.76 1.13 42.1
FUNCTION EFFECTIVELYB
J POWERFUL EXECUTIVES DON’T ACT 3.87 1.15 15.7
POLITICALLYB
O
score: 1-Strongly agree; 2-Slightly agree; 3-neither agree nor disagree; 4-
slightly disagree; 5-strongly disagree.
b
Reverse scoring
Survey result of 428 managers of different organizations
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12. A MODEL OF ETHICAL POLITICAL BEHAVIOUR
DOES THE PBA (POLITICAL BEHAVIOR
ALTERNATIVE) RESULT IN THE EFFICIENT NO
OPTIMIZATION OF THE SATISFACTIONS
OF INTEREST INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE
ARE THERE OVERWHELMING
ORGANIZATION?
FACTORS THAT JUSTIFY SUB-
YES YES OPTIMIZING THESE GOALS AND
SATISFACTION?
NO
DOES THE PBA RESPECT THE RIGHTS
OF ALL THE AFFECTED PARTIES? REJECT PBA
NO
ARE THERE OVERWHELMING FACTORS
YES YE THAT JUSTIFY THE ABROGATION OF A
S RIGHT?
NO
DOES THE PBA RESPECT THE
CANONS OF JUSTICE? REJECT PBA
NO
ARE THERE OVERWHELMING
YES YES FACTORS THAT JUSTIFY THE
VIOLATION OF A CANON OF JUSTICE
NO
ACCEPT PBA
REJECT PBA
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13. MANAGING POLITICAL BEHAVIOUR
REASONS FOR AND POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF
POLITICAL BEHAVIOUR
RESOURCES POLITICAL POSSIBLE RESULTS
BEHAVIOUR
AMBIGUOUS GOALS PERSONAL GAIN DISGUISED
AS PURSUIT OF GOALS
SCARECE RESOURCE PURSUIT OF MAXIMUM
SHARE OF RESOURCES
TECHNOLOGY AND PERSONAL GAINS VIA
ENVIRONMENT UNCERTAINTY
NON-PROGRAMMED PAROCHIAL DECISION
DECISIONS MAKING
ORGANIZATIONAL PURSUIT OF POLITICAL ENDS
CHANGE DURING REORGANIZATION
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14. TECHNIQUES OF POLITICAL BEHAVIOUR
OPPORTUNITIES POLITICAL POSSIBLE
FOR POLITICAL TECHNIQUES
RESULTS
BEHAVIOUR
• CONTROLLING INFORMATION
• CONTROLLING LINES OF COMMUNICATION
• USING OUTSIDE EXPERTS
• CONTROLLING THE AGENDA
• GAME PLAYING
• IMAGE BUILDING
• BUILDING COALITIONS
• CONTROLLING DECISION PARAMETERS
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