Power, Influence, and Politics

Phillips & Gully (2012)

PowerA person or group’s potential to have an effect on another’s behavior

Need for PowerWanting to control and influence others

Leadership Motive PatternA high need for power and a low need for affiliation

Types of Power Legitimate: Power due to the position of authority held Reward: Power due to control over rewards Coercive: Power due to control over punishments Expert: Power due to control due to knowledge, skills,

or expertise Informational: Power due to control over information Referent: Power due to control because subordinates

respect, admire, and identify with the leader Persuasive: Power due to the ability to use logic and facts

to persuade

Position PowerLegitimateRewardCoercive

Personal PowerExpertInformational ReferentPersuasive

Rewards are only motivating to those expecting to receive them.

Consistent ethical behavior can increase your power.

When Is Each Type of Power Appropriate?Leadership is more effective to the degree that followers’ behaviors toward the leader’s goals are voluntary and not coerced

Acquiring and Using PowerAbuse of Power—using any type of power to demean, exploit, or take advantage of another to do something they later regret

Because coercive power decreases motivation and commitment, it is rarely

used by effective leaders.

Table 10-2Are You Powerful? _____ 1. I don’t think that my department/area would

function well if my job wasn’t done properly. _____ 2. If I were to leave, my manager would have a

difficult time finding someone with my skills and abilities as a replacement.

_____ 3. It seems that a lot of other people in this department/area depend on me to do my job well.

_____ 4. My manager knows that I do things in my job that not very many other people can do.

_____ 5. My manager depends on me a lot. _____ 6. My manager is aware that I have pretty unique

job-related skills and abilities.

Developing positive relationships and performing well can increase your power.

Empowerment Sharing power with employees and giving them the

authority to make and implement at least some decisions

How Subunits Obtain PowerResource ScarcityCentralitySubstitutabilityUncertainty

Influence Influential people have power but not all

powerful people have influence Influence tactics: how people translate

their power to affect the behavior of others

Role of national culture in influence effectiveness

Influence is more effective than power in affecting others’ behaviors and attitudes.

Influence Tactics

Coalition tactics Consultation

Exchange Ingratiation

Inspirational appeals Legitimating tactics

Personal appeals Pressure

Rational persuasion

Responses to Influence Attempts

Commitment Compliance Passive resistance Active resistance

For the most success, match the influence tactic you use to the context and to the

person you are trying to influence.

Influence Persuasion Skills Upward Influence Ingratiation Exchange Rationality Assertiveness Coalition formation Upward appeals

Four Upward Influence Styles Shotgun

TacticianBystanderIngratiator

Organizational Politics Organizational Politics A social influence attempts directed at those who

can provide rewards that will help promote or protect the self-interests of the actor

Common Political Tactics in Organizations: Controlling information Controlling lines of communication Using outside experts Controlling the agenda Game playing Image building Building coalitions Controlling decision parameters Eliminating a political rival

The core of effective politics is influencing others through persuasion, generating

support, and inspiring trust.

Table 10-4Political Skill Inventory _____1. I spend a lot of time and effort at work networking with others. _____2. I am able to make most people feel comfortable and at ease around me. _____3. I am able to communicate easily and effectively with others. _____4. It is easy for me to develop good rapport with most people. _____5. I understand people very well. _____6. I am good at building relationships with influential people at work. _____7. I am particularly good at sensing the motivations and hidden agendas of

others. _____8. When communicating with others, I try to be genuine in what I say and do. _____9. I have developed a large network of colleagues and associates at work who

I can call on for support when I really need to get things done.

Organizational Politics Causes of Political Behavior

Conflict is at the core of organizational politics Because political behavior is self-serving, it has the

potential to threaten the self-interests of others When a perceived threat is followed by retaliation,

conflict arises Uncertainty increases political behavior

Managing Organizational Politics

_____10. At work, I know a lot of important people and am well connected.

_____11. I spend a lot of time at work developing connections with others.

_____12. I am good at getting people to like me. _____13. It is important that people believe I am sincere in

what I say and do. _____14. I try to show a genuine interest in other people. _____15. I am good at using my connections and network to

make things happen at work. _____16. I have good intuition and am savvy about how to

present myself to others. _____17. I always seem to instinctively know the right

things to say or do to influence others. _____18. I pay close attention to people’s facial

expressions.

Conflict and resource scarcity are at the core of organizational politics.

Impression Management The process of portraying a desired image or attitude to

control the impression others form of us

Self Monitoring Having a high concern with others’ perceptions of us

and adjusting our behavior to fit the situation

Nonverbal cues are most indicative of deception and impression management.

Table 10-5Detecting Impression Management Behaviors

Elevated speaking pitch Speech errors Speech pauses Negative statements Eye shifting Increased pupil dilation Blinking Tactile manipulation Leg fidgeting Less hand gesturing

When used properly, power, influence, and politics are essential tools for managerial success. When used improperly, power, influence, and politics can undermine trust, result in unethical behavior, and create a toxic organization. Understanding these tools and how to use them effectively will help you to be a more successful manager.

Discussion Questions-Have you ever tried to influence your boss to do

something? What upward influence tactics did you try? Were you successful? Why or why not?

-Are office politics bad? Why or why not?-How do you use impression management at work?