1. Influence, Power, and Politics in
Organizations

2. Organizational Influence, Power, and
Politics
Social Influence refers to attempts (whether
sucessful or unsuccessful) to affect in a desired
fashion.
Power refers to the potential to influence another.
Organizational Politics refers to uses of power that
enhance or protect one’s own or one’s group’s
personal interest .

3. Relationship Among Social Influence,
Control, Power, and Politics
Organizational
Politics
Use of power for
personal interest
Capacity to exert
influence
Social Influence
Successful
Unseccessful
POWER

4. Tactics Of Social Influence
• Rational persuasion
• Inspirational appeal
• Consultation
• Ingratiation
• Exchange
• Personal appeal
• Coalition
• Legitimating
• Pressure

5. Type of Power
• Reward power and coercive power : an individual’s
capacity to control valued reward and punishments,
repectively
• Legimate power : the recognized right of individuals
to exercise authority over others because of their
position in an organizational hierarchy
• Referent power : individuals who are liked and
respected by others can get them to alter their
actions in accord with their directives
• Expert power : control based on skills and knowledge

6. Measuring Individual Power Bases
Legitimate
Reward
Information
Coercive
Expert
Referent
Charisma
Persuasive
Position
Power
Personal
Power

7. The Resource – Depedency Model
•
Resources needed
Resources controlled
Important Resources
Production
department
Accounting
department
Marketing
department
Unimportant Resources

8. Strategic Contingencies Model
Capacity to reduce
uncertainty
High organizational
centrality
Nonsubstitutable and
indispensible activities
Subunit
Power

9. Organizational Politics
organizational politics : actions not officially
sanctioned (approved) by an organization taken to
influence others to meet one’s personal goals.

10. Political Tactics
1. Controlling access to information
2. Cultivating a favorable impression
3. Developing a base of support
4. Blaming and attacking others
5. Aligning oneself with more powerful other

11. Playing Political Games in Organization
• Authority games
- Insurgency game → lower-level managers →to resist formal authority
- Counterinsurgency game → upper-level managers → to counter resistance to formal authority
• Power base games
- Sponsorship game → any subordinate employee → to enhance base of power with superior
- Alliance game → Line managers → to enhance base of power with peers
- Empire building → Line managers → to enhance base of power with subordinate
• Rivalry games
- Line vs staff game → Line managers and staff personnel → to defeat each other in the quest for power
- Rival camps game → Any groups at the same level → to defeat each other in the quest for power
• Change games
- Whistle-blowing game → lower-level managers → to correct organizational wrongdoing
- Young turks game → upper-level managers → to seize control over the organization

12. Some Techniques to Limit Effects of
Political Behavior
• Clarify Job Expectations
• Open the Communication Process
• Be a Good Role Model
• Do not Turn a Blind Eye to Game Players

13. The Ethical Implication of
Organizational Politics
Managerial values exist that undermine integrity,
such as :
• Bottom-line mentality : a focus on short-term profit
maximization
• Exploitative mentality : selfishly using others for
one’s advantage
• Madison avenue mentality : convincing others that
one’s unethical action are actually moral

14. Guidelines For Determining
Ethical Action
ETHICAL
Question 1
Will the political tactics promote
purely selfish interest (as opposed
to also promoting organizational
goals?
UNETHICAL
Question 2
Does the political activity respect
the rights of the individuals
affected?
Question 3
Does the activity conform to
standards of equity and justice ; is
it fair?
yes
yes
yes
no
no
no

15. Societal Norms VS Organizational
Counter norms
VSSocietal Norms or Ethics Organizational Counter norms
Be open and Honest
Follow the rules at all cost
Be cost - effective
Take responsibility
Be a team player
Be secretive and deceitful
Do whatever it takes to get the job done
Use it or lose it
Take credit for your own actions; granstand
Pass the buck