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Power and politics
1. 12
C H A P T E R
T W E L V E
Organizational Power
and Politics
2. Suggested topics
Describe a time when you had to deal with
“organizational politics”.
Describe a situation where you saw
evidence of power or influence being used
in an organization
Describe a time when someone influenced
you to act a particular way or do a particular
thing that you would not of otherwise done.
6. The Meaning of Power
Power is the capacity of a person,
team, or organization to influence
others.
– The potential to influence others
– People have power they don’t use
and may not know they possess
– Power requires one person’s
perception of dependence on
another person
Southland Times, New Zealand
7. Why does having power matter?
With power you can…
Intercede favorably on behalf of someone in trouble
Get a desirable placement for a talented subordinate
Get approval for expenditures beyond the budget
Get items on and off agendas
Get fast access to decision makers
Maintain regular, frequent contact with decision
makers
Acquire early information about decisions and policy
shifts
8. The goal?
Overcome feelings of powerlessness
Convert power effectively into interpersonal
influences in ways that avoid the abuse of
power
10. Relationship Among Social Influence, Power,
and Politics
Capacity to
exert influence
Organizational
politics
Use of power for
personal interests
Power
Successful
Social influence
Unsuccessful
11. Power and Dependence
Person B’s
counterpowe
r over Person
A
Person
B
Person
A
Person A’s
power over
Person B
Person
B’s Goals
12. Types of Individual Power: A
Summary
Individual Power
Position Power
• Legitimate power
• Reward power
• Coercive power
Personal Power
• Referent power
• Expert power
13. Model of Power in
Organizations
Sources
Of Power
Legitimate
Reward
Coercive
Expert
Referent
Power
over Others
Contingencies
Of Power
14. Legitimate Power
One’s structural position
The power a person receives as a result of
his or her position in the formal hierarchy of
an organization
15. The Limits of Legitimate Power
The Caine Mutiny illustrates
the limits of legitimate power
in organizations. Captain
Queeg (Humphrey Bogart,
seated left) asked his crew to
do more than they were
willing to follow, so they
staged a mutiny.
Archive Photos
16. Reward and Coercive Power
Power that achieves compliance based on
the ability to distribute rewards that others
view as valuable
Coercive Power: the opposite of reward
power: the power that is based on fear of
negative results.
19. Referent Power
Influence is based on possession by an
individual of desirable resources or personal
traits
The desire to please…
20. Information and Power
Control over information flow
– Based on legitimate power
– Relates to formal communication network
– Common in centralized structures (wheel pattern)
Coping with uncertainty
– Those who know how to cope with organizational
uncertainties gain power
» Prevention
» Forecasting
» Absorption
23. Consequences of Power
Sources
of Power
Expert
Power
Referent
Power
Legitimate
Power
Consequences
of Power
Commitment
Compliance
Reward
Power
Coercive
Power
Resistance
24. Sexual Harassment and Power
Harasser stereotypes the victim as subservient
and powerless
Harasser threatens job security or safety
through coercive or legitimate power
Hostile work environment harassment
continues when the victim lacks power to stop
the behaviour
25. Office Romance and Power
Co-workers believe that employees in
relationships abuse their power to favour
each other.
Higher risk of sexual harassment when
relationship breaks off.
26. Organizational Politics
Attempts to influence others using
discretionary behaviours to promote
personal objectives
– Discretionary behaviours — neither explicitly
prescribed nor prohibited
Politics may be good or bad for the
organization
27. Extent to Which Political Activity is Likely (range 0-3)
Organizational Politics: More Likely at
the Top
(1.22)
Political activity
is perceived to
increase at higher
organizational levels
1.3
1.2
1.1
1.0
.9
(1.07)
(.73)
.8
.7
(.50)
.6
(.54)
.5
.4
.3
(.18)
.2
.1
Production and Clerical and Technical and
Lower
Middle
Upper
blue collar
white collar professional management management management
Organizational Level
29. Impression management
Conformity: agreeing with another’s opinion to get their
approval
Excuses: Explanations of a predicament-creating event aimed at
minimizing the apparent severity of the predicament
Apologies: Admitting responsibility for an undesirable event
and simultaneously seeking to get a pardon for the action
Acclamations: Explanation of favourable events to maximize the
desirable implications for oneself.
Flattery: Complimenting others on their virtues in an effort to
make oneself appear perceptive and likeable
Favours: Doing something nice for someone to gain that
person’s approval
Association: Enhancing or protecting one’s image by managing
information about people and things with which one is
associated.
30. It was
John’s fault
You
scratch my
back…
Attacking and
blaming
I thought
you
knew…
Creating
obligations
Types of
Organizational
Politics
Cultivating
networks
Look who
I know…
Controlling
information
Forming
coalitions
We agreed
that…
32. Conditions for Organizational
Internal
Politics
Perceived
locus of
alternatives?
control
Personal
Characteristics
Deceit is
appropriate
Conditions
Supporting
Organizational
Politics
Tolerance of
Politics
It works here
Scarce
Resources
Zero-sum
rewards
Complex and
Ambiguous
Decisions
Democratic
decision making
33. Political Antics Top the “Most Unethical
List”: Survey Results
Potentially
Situation
Gender discrimination
in recruitment or hiring
Arrangements with vendors
leading to personal gain
Nonperformance factors
used in appraisals
Gender discrimination
in compensation
Not maintaining
confidentiality
Using discipline
inconsistently
Gender discrimination
in promotion
Sexual
harassment
Allowing differences in pay
due to friendships
Hiring, training, or promoting
based on favouritism
political
behaviours
(22.6)
(23.1)
(23.5)
(25.8)
(26.4)
(26.9)
(26.9)
(28.4)
(30.7)
(30.7)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Percentage Responding with a 4 or 5 on a five-Point Scale
Measuring Degree of Seriousness (where 5=“very great”)