Power and Power and PoliticsPoliticsPower and Power and PoliticsPolitics

The Meaning of Power The Meaning of Power The Meaning of Power 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

Power and DependencePower and DependencePower and DependencePower and Dependence

PersonPersonAA

PersonPersonB’s GoalsB’s Goals

PersonPersonBB

Person B’s Person B’s counterpower counterpower over Person Aover Person A Person A’s Person A’s

power over power over Person BPerson B

Model of Power in OrganizationsModel of Power in OrganizationsModel of Power in OrganizationsModel of Power in Organizations

PowerPowerover Othersover Others

ContingenciesContingenciesOf PowerOf Power

Legitimate

Reward

Coercive

Expert

Referent

SourcesSourcesOf PowerOf Power

Sources of PowerSources of PowerSources of PowerSources of Power

Legitimate PowerLegitimate Power

Reward PowerReward Power

Coercive PowerCoercive Power

Expert PowerExpert Power

Referent PowerReferent Power©Topham/The Image Works

Legitimate powerLegitimate powerLegitimate powerLegitimate power

It is an Agreement among organizational members that people in certain roles can request certain behaviours of others

Reward powerReward powerReward powerReward power

This is derived from the person’s ability to control the allocation of rewards valued by others and to remove negative reinforcements

Coercive powerCoercive powerCoercive powerCoercive power

This is the ability to apply punishment.

This need not flow downwards only

Expert powerExpert powerExpert powerExpert power

It is an individual’s or work unit’s capacity to influence others by possessing knowledge or skills that they value

Unlike legitimate, reward and coercive power (originates from the position) this power originates from within the person

Referent powerReferent powerReferent powerReferent power

People have this power when others identify with them, like them, or otherwise respect them

Information and PowerInformation and PowerInformation and PowerInformation and Power

Information is power

Greater the control over information flow greater the power

Information helps in coping with uncertainty

•Prevention

•Forecasting

•Absorption

Contingencies of PowerContingencies of PowerContingencies of PowerContingencies of Power

ContingenciesContingenciesof Powerof Power

SubstitutabilitySubstitutability

CentralityCentrality

DiscretionDiscretion

VisibilityVisibility

PowerPowerover othersover others

SourcesSourcesof Powerof Power

SubstitutabilitySubstitutabilitySubstitutabilitySubstitutability

Refers to the availability of alternatives

More the alternatives more the substitutability

More the substitutability lesser the influence

IncreasingNonsubstitutability

ControllingControllingTasksTasks

ControllingControllingKnowledgeKnowledge

DifferentiationDifferentiation

ControllingControllingLaborLabor

Increasing NonsubstitutabilityIncreasing NonsubstitutabilityIncreasing NonsubstitutabilityIncreasing Nonsubstitutability

CentralityCentralityCentralityCentrality

The degree and nature of interdependence between the power holder and others

Greater the centrality greater the influence

DiscretionDiscretionDiscretionDiscretion

This is the extent of freedom given to exercise judgment or make decisions without referring to a specific rule or receiving permission from someone else

Greater the discretion greater the influence

VisibilityVisibilityVisibilityVisibility

The extent of visibility of the power held

Greater the visibility greater the influence

Networking and PowerNetworking and PowerNetworking and PowerNetworking and Power

Cultivating social relationships with others to accomplish one’s goals

Increases power Expert Referent Visibility and centrality contingencies

Office Romance and PowerOffice Romance and PowerOffice Romance and PowerOffice Romance and Power

Co-workers believe that employees in relationships abuse their power to favor each other.

Higher risk of sexual harassment when relationship breaks off.

Influencing OthersInfluencing OthersInfluencing OthersInfluencing Others

Influence is any behavior that attempts to alter someone’s attitudes or behavior

Applies one or more power bases

Process through which people achieve organizational objectives

Operates up, down, and across the organizational hierarchy

InfluInfluenceenceTacticsTactics

Silent Silent authorityauthority ExchangeExchange

Information Information controlcontrol

PersuasionPersuasion

Types of Influence TacticsTypes of Influence TacticsTypes of Influence TacticsTypes of Influence Tactics

Forming Forming coalitionscoalitions

Upward Upward appealappeal

Impression Impression managementmanagement

AsseAssertivenessrtiveness

Two Faces of PowerTwo Faces of PowerTwo Faces of PowerTwo Faces of Power

Personal Power used for personal gain

Social Power used to create motivation used to accomplish group goals

Successful Power UsersSuccessful Power UsersSuccessful Power UsersSuccessful Power Users

Have high need for social power

Approach relationships with a communal orientation

Focus on needs and interests of others

belief in justice altruism

belief in the authority system

preference for work & discipline

Power Analysis: A Broader ViewPower Analysis: A Broader ViewPower Analysis: A Broader ViewPower Analysis: A Broader View

Organizational Power

Coercive Power - influence through threat of punishment, fear, or intimidation

Utilitarian Power - influence through rewards and benefits

Normative Power - influence through knowledge of belonging, doing the right thing

Power Analysis: A Broader ViewPower Analysis: A Broader ViewPower Analysis: A Broader ViewPower Analysis: A Broader View

Organizational Membership

Alienative Membership - members feel hostile, negative, do not want to be there

Calculative Membership - members weigh benefits and limitations of belonging

Moral Membership - members have positive organizational feelings; will deny own needs

Etzioni’s Power AnalysisEtzioni’s Power AnalysisEtzioni’s Power AnalysisEtzioni’s Power Analysis

Type of Membership

Typ

e of

Pow

er

Alienative Calculative Moral

Normative

Utilitarian

Coercive

SOURCE: Adapted from Amitai Etzioni, Modern Organizations (Upper “Saddle River, N. J.: Prentice-Hall, 1964), 59-61

Kanter’s Symbols of PowerKanter’s Symbols of PowerKanter’s Symbols of PowerKanter’s Symbols of Power

• Ability to intercede for someone in trouble

• Ability to get placements for favored employees

• Exceeding budget limitations

• Procuring above-average raises for employees

• Getting items on the agenda at meetings

• Access to early information

• Having top managers seek out their opinion

Kanter’s Symbols of PowerlessnessKanter’s Symbols of PowerlessnessKanter’s Symbols of PowerlessnessKanter’s Symbols of Powerlessness

First-line Supervisors• overly close supervision• inflexible adherence to rules• do job rather than train

Staff Professionals• resistance to change• turf protection

Key to overcoming powerlessness: share power & delegate decision making

Top Executives• budget cuts• punishing behaviors• top-down communications

Managers• assign external attribution - blame others or environment

Korda’s Power SymbolsKorda’s Power SymbolsKorda’s Power SymbolsKorda’s Power Symbols

Power - there are more people who inconvenience themselves on your behalf than there are people on whose behalf you would inconvenience yourself

Status - a person’s relative standing in a group based on prestige and deference

AccessTime

Furnishings

Political Behavior in OrganizationsPolitical Behavior in OrganizationsPolitical Behavior in OrganizationsPolitical Behavior in Organizations

Organizational Politics - the use of power and influence in organizations

Political Behavior - actions not officially sanctioned by an organization that are taken to influence others in order to meet one’s personal goals

Effective Political CharacteristicsEffective Political CharacteristicsEffective Political CharacteristicsEffective Political Characteristics

What characteristics do effective political actors

possess?

Influence TacticsInfluence TacticsInfluence TacticsInfluence Tactics

Consultation

Inspirational appeals

Rational persuasion

Ingratiation

Coalition

Exchange tactics

Upward appeals

Pressure

Upward Influence: the boss

Downward Influence: an employee

Lateral Influence: a coworker

Managing Political BehaviorManaging Political BehaviorManaging Political BehaviorManaging Political Behavior

•Maintain open communication

•Clarify performance expectations

•Use participative management

•Encourage cooperation among work groups

•Manage scarce resources well

•Provide a supportive organizational climate

Sharing Power: EmpowermentSharing Power: EmpowermentSharing Power: EmpowermentSharing Power: Empowerment

Empowerment: sharing power in such a

way that individuals learn to believe in their ability

to do the job!

Empowerment’s DimensionsEmpowerment’s DimensionsEmpowerment’s DimensionsEmpowerment’s Dimensions

Meaning - fit between the work role and the employee’s values and beliefs

Self-determination - having control over the way one does one’s work

Impact - belief that one’s job makes a difference within the organization

Competence - belief that one has the ability to do the job well

E2s

Guidelines for EmpoweringGuidelines for EmpoweringGuidelines for EmpoweringGuidelines for Empowering

Express confidence in employees

Set high performance expectations

Create opportunities for participative decision making

Remove bureaucratic constraints that stifle autonomy

Set inspirational and meaningful goals

Employee Empowerment GridEmployee Empowerment GridEmployee Empowerment GridEmployee Empowerment Grid

Point DMission Defining

Point BTask Setting

Point ESelf-management

Point CParticipatory

Empowerment

Point ANo Discretion

ImplementFollow-up

Alt. Choice

Alt. Eval

Alt. Dev

Problem Id.

Problem Id. Alt. EvalAlt. DevAlt.

ChoiceImplementFollow-up

Decision-Making Authority over Job Content

Dec

isio

n-M

akin

g A

uth

ori

ty o

ver

Job

Co

nte

xt

Amitai Etzioni, Modern Organizations, 1964, pp.... 59-61. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.

Using Power EffectivelyUsing Power EffectivelyUsing Power EffectivelyUsing Power Effectively

•Use power in ethical ways

•Understand and use all of the various types of power and influence

•Seek out jobs that allow you to develop your power skills

•Use power tempered by maturity and self-control

•Accept that influencing people is an important part of the management job