When someone in your organization says, “it is really getting really political around

here.’What do you think? What do your instincts tell you? How

do you respond?

Organizations are arenas in which different interests and groups compete for

power and scarce resources

Political Frame

Five propositions summarize the

perspective of the political frame:

• 1. Organizations are coalitions of various individuals and interest groups.

• 2. There are enduring differences among coalition members in values, beliefs, information, interests, and perceptions of reality.

• 3. Most important decisions involve the allocation of scarce resources - who gets what.

• 4. Scarce resources and enduring differences give conflict a central role in organizational dynamics and make power the most important resource.

• 5. Goals and decisions emerge from bargaining, negotiation, and jockeying for position among different stakeholders.

Metaphor: The Jungle

• Organizations are coalitions of various individuals and interest groups which/who compete for resources to get things done .

Similarities Between the Jungle and an Organization

• There are different animals in the jungle, some stronger and more powerful than others and with varying and similar needs and different ways to satisfy those needs.

• There are enduring differences among coalition members in values, beliefs, information, interests, and perceptions of reality.

Similarities Between the Jungle and an Organization

The Jungle• Scarce resources

and enduring differences give conflict a central role in how animals in the jungle co-habitate or survival.

Organizations• Scarce resources

and enduring differences give conflict a role in organizational dynamics and make power the most important resource.

Similarities Between the Jungle and an Organization

The Jungle• Struggles emerge

when animals fight for territory, sex, to protect themselves and sometimes their young, and to survive.

Organizations• Goals and

decisions emerge from bargaining, negotiation, and jockeying for position among different stakeholders.

• Politics is too often understood to mean amoral, scheming and unconcerned about the common good.

Individuals and organizations make mistakes in attempts to influence when they misread this understanding

A fixation on politics can become a cynical, self-fulfilling prophecy that reinforces conflict and mistrust while sacrificing opportunities for rational discourse, collaboration, and hopeIt’s can be thought of as simply a capacity to influenceA metaphor: It’s water behind a dam: it can destroy (flood) and/or create energy or be used to irrigate to sustain life.Only when used has it an ethical dimension and can it “mean” good or bad.

A fixation on politics can become a cynical, self-fulfilling prophecy that reinforces conflict and mistrust while sacrificing opportunities for rational discourse, collaboration, and hopeIt’s can be thought of as simply a capacity to influenceA metaphor: It’s water behind a dam: it can destroy (flood) and/or create energy or be used to irrigate to sustain life.Only when used has it an ethical dimension and can it “mean” good or bad.

Power is neutral; it is not of its nature, bad.

Position or vested power

Personal characteristics

Expertise-special skills or knowledge

Expertise-special skills or knowledge

Holding rewards others want

Personal Sources of Power

Political Frame Questions

1. Are there high levels of ambiguity and uncertainty?

2. Are confl ict and scarce resources signifi cant?

3. Are you working f rom the bottom up?

I f the answer is yes, political f rame analysis may be more helpful than others.

Political Frame Questions

4. Are individual commitment and motivation essential to success?

5. Is the technical quality of the decision important ?

If the answer is no, political frame analysis may be more helpful than others

Political Skills• Agenda setting• Mapping the political terrain• Networking and building formal

coalitions• Building bases for support• Bargaining and negotiating:

learning how to manage relations with both allies and opponents

• Managing change; using power

Mapping the Political Terrain

• Determine informal channels • Identify agents of influence• Analyze the possibilities for both

internal and external sources of influence

• Anticipate the strategies that others are likely to employ

Networking and Building Coalitions

• Identify relevant relationships • Assess who might resist, why, and

how strongly (where will the leadership challenges be)

• Develop, wherever possible, relationships with potential opponents to facilitate communication, education, or negotiation

Bargaining and Negotiation

in the Political Frame• Bargaining is central to all decision

making in an organization.

• Negotiation is needed whenever two or more parties with come common interests and others in conflict need to reach an agreement.

• In short, it’s the exploration to find shared interests.