Chapter Eight

Power and politics in organization

 Power
• The ability to get someone to do something you want done or the
ability to make things happen in the way you want them to.
• Power refers to a capacity that A has to influence the behavior
of B, so that B acts in accordance with A’s wishes.
• The essence of power is control over the behavior of others. Power
is the force you use to make things happen in an intended way,
whereas influence is what you have when you exercise power, and
it is expressed by others’ behavioral response to your exercise of
power.
• Managers derive power from both organizational and individual
sources. These sources are called position power and personal
power, respectively.
 Positional Power
• The following are bases/sources of positional power:
• Reward power: is the extent to which a manager can use extrinsic
and intrinsic rewards to control other people. Examples of such
rewards include money, promotions, compliments, or enriched jobs.
• Although all managers have some access to rewards, success in accessing
and utilizing rewards to achieve influence varies according to the skills of
the manager.
• coercive power :is the extent to which a manager can deny desired
rewards or administer punishments to control other people. It a Power
founded on punishment instead of reward. For example, a manager may
threaten to withhold a pay raise, or to transfer, demote, or even
recommend the firing of a subordinate who does not act as desired.
• The availability of coercive power also varies from one organization and
manager to another. The presence of unions and organizational policies
on employee treatment can weaken this power base considerably.
 Cont...
• Legitimate/lawful power, or formal authority: represents a
special kind of power a manager has because subordinates
believe it is legitimate for a person occupying the managerial
position to have the right to command. If this legitimacy is lost,
authority will not be accepted by subordinates. It stems from
the employees values or beliefs that the “boss” has a “right of
command” to control their behavior. For example, the boss may
have the formal authority to approve or deny such employee
requests as job transfers, equipment purchases, personal time
off, or overtime work.
• Informational power: Is a power that stems from controlling
access to information. In most organizations, the “right” to
know and use information is restricted and confined by a
series of rules and regulations.
 Personal Power
• Personal power resides in the individual and is independent of that
individual’s position.
• Bases of personal Power are:
• Expert power: is the ability to control another person’s behavior through the
possession of acknowledge, experience, or judgment that the other person does not
have but needs. Expert power is relative, not absolute.
• Rational persuasion: is the ability to control another’s behavior because through the
individual’s efforts, the person accepts the desirability of an offered goal and a
reasonable way of achieving it. Much of what a supervisor does day today involves
rational persuasion up, down, and across the organization. Rational persuasion
involves both explaining the desirability of expected outcomes and showing how
specific actions will achieve these outcomes.
• Referent power: is the ability to control another’s behavior because the person wants
to identify with the power source. In this case, a subordinate obeys the boss because
he or she wants to behave, perceive, or believe as the boss does. This obedience may
occur, for example, because the subordinate likes the boss personally( Role- model e.g.
My role- models OM teacher) and therefore tries to do things the way the boss wants
them done. In a sense, the subordinate attempts to avoid doing anything that would
interfere with the pleasing boss–subordinate relationship.
 Power and Leadership
• Power is ability to get things done even when others resist
• Leadership is about getting people to want to get things done and
enabling them to do it.
• Behavior of powerful leaders
– Delegate authority not only responsibility
– See people’s talents as a resource
– Change people’s working conditions
– Get resources and information for work group
– Take risks, are entrepreneurs.
– Press for innovations
– Share power widely
– Help develop people to reach their aspirations
 Cont...
Behavior of Powerless Leaders
• Supervise closely
• Do not delegate authority/but only responsibility
• Often distrust subordinates
• See people’s talents as a threat belittling them, fear
• Stick to the rules
• Do not take risks; risk averse
• Strongly focus on the work
• Protect his or her territory
 Tactics to gain Power
 Bargaining: is the use of negotiation through the exchange of benefit
or favor; eg. collective bargaining b/n labor and management
 Friendliness: a person can gain power over another person by
flattery(sweet talk) , creation of goodwill, acting humble and being
friendly.
 Coalition: when two or more persons or groups combine their
efforts and energy for a common vested interest/goal.
 Co-optation : A group gives some of its important positions to members
of the other groups or include them in its policy- making committee. This
reduces criticisms and threats from other groups
 Reason: a person can use reasoning to gain power. Reasoning consists
of use of facts and data to make logical or rational presentation of
ideas. To make decisions.
 Assertiveness: the use of direct and forceful approaches, pointing
the rule needs compliance.
 Higher Authority: some managers gain the support of higher levels
 Major Techniques of Organizational politics practices
Restricting access to information: Although people don't always engage in outright
lying and falsification, they may be inclined to control others' access to information
in ways that enhance their own power. For example, people may withhold
information that makes others look bad, avoid contact with others who are expected
to press them for things they don't want to say, and so on.
Cultivating a favorable impression: People interested in being highly influential tend to
go out of their way to engage in some degree of image building – attempts to
enhance the goodness of one's impressions on others. This may take the form of
associating oneself with others' successful accomplishments and drawing attention
to one's own successes.
Developing a base of support: To successfully influence others, it is often useful to gain
the support of others in the organization. With this in mind, managers may "lobby"
for their ideas before they officially present them at meetings, and "call in favors"
they have done for others in the organization.
Blaming and attacking others: A commonly used political tactic involves finding a
scapegoat— that is, someone to put blame on for some failure or wrong doing.
Explaining that something is really someone else's fault, making another "take the
fall," for it—until the truth comes out, of course.
Aligning with those more powerful: One of the most direct ways to gain power is by
associating oneself with those that are higher in power. This may be done by finding a
more powerful person to serve as one's mentor.
 Tactics of gaining political power
Social Exchange: relies on the powerful norm of reciprocity in society, where two people in
a continuing relationship feel a strong obligation to repay their social “debts” to each
other.
Alliances/coalitions: two or more persons join in a longer-term power group to
get benefits that they usually desire.
• Form around people inside and outside the organization
• Those believed important to person’s position
Identification with Higher Authority: gaining special privileges by becoming
identified with a powerful figure in the organization.
Selective Service: giving service selectively to gain support, often by bending the rules.
Power and Status Symbols: acquiring power and status symbols that imply that you are
an important person in the firm.
Power Plays: aggressive tactic involving grabbing of power from others.
Networks: joining or forming interest groups that have a common objective. The group
operates on the basis of friendships and personal contacts.
Co-optation: get support by putting possible opponents on a task force or advisory
board.
Reciprocity: It is good to help others. Accordingly, recognize those members of the
organization who will be more powerful in future. Help them so that they reciprocate
the same when you need their support.
 Ethical Issues of political behavior in Organizations
• Utilitarian view: according to this view using power and
political behavior to serve only one's self-interest; and use of
excessive organizational resources to reach a personal goal is
unethical.
• Sense of justice strongly argues for fair treatment
• Giving preferential treatment to someone to build a sense of
obligation is unethical.
• Using power and political behavior that violates another
person's rights is unethical
• A political tactic such as co-optation can violate others' rights
• Co-opted individual, unless he or she understands the goal of the
political actor, has not consented to such influence.
 Guidelines for ethical political behavior
– Distinguishes organizational statesmanship from "dirty
politics"
– Behavior should serve people outside the organization,
beyond the single political actor
– Individuals should clearly know intent of actor; give free
consent to be influenced.
– Right of due process should not be violated while the
political behavior unfolds
– Administration of policies should allow fair treatment
of all affected people