What is Power

1
What is Power?

• The ability of one person to affect the behavior
  of someone else in a desired way

2
Organizational Politics

• Activities taken within organizations to
  acquire, develop, and use power and other
  resources to obtain ones preferred outcomes in a
  situation where there is uncertainty or a lack of
  consensus

3
Rational Versus Political Models of Organizations
4
Strategic Contingencies That Influence Horizontal
Power Among Departments
Dependency
Financial Resources
Centrality
Department Power
Nonsubstitutability
Coping with Uncertainty
5
Determinants of Position Power
6
Model of Power and Influence

• Sources of Personal Power
• Expertise
• Reputation
• Personal characteristics
• Network connections
• Information

• Sources of Position Power
• Centrality
• Criticality
• Flexibility
• Visibility
• Relevance

POWER OF AN INDIVIDUAL
Selection of proper strategy to influence others
Assertive responses to inappropriate influence at
tempts by others
Increasing authority via upward influence
INFLUENCE OVER OTHERS
7
Tactics of Influence

• Reason use of facts, data, or logic
• Values appeal to personal or general
  principles
• Emotion appeal to targets feelings
• Bargaining exchange of resources or favors
• Ingratiation humbleness, flattery or
  friendliness
• Assertiveness forceful demands or threats
• Sanctions use of rewards or punishment
• Coalition getting support from others
• Higher authority getting support from superiors

8
Usage of Power Tactics From Most to Least Popular
Sanctions is omitted in the scale that measures
upward influence.
9
Power and Political Tactics in Organizations
Tactics for Increasing the Power Base
Political Tactics for Using Power
1. Enter Areas of high uncertainty 2. Create
dependencies 3. Provide resources 4. Satisfy
strategic contingencies
1. Build coalitions 2. Expand networks 3.
Control decision premises 4. Enhance legitimacy
and expertise 5. Make preferences explicit, but
keep power implicit
10
Impression Management Tactics

• Behavioral Matching
• A subordinate tries to imitate her boss's
  behavior by being modest and soft-spoken because
  her boss is modest and soft-spoken.
• Self-Promotion
• An employee reminds his boss about his past
  accomplishments and associates with coworkers who
  are evaluated highly
• Conforming to Norms
• A worker stays late every night even if she has
  completed all of her assignments because staying
  late is one of the norms of her organization
• Flattery
• A coworker compliments a manager on his
  excellent handling of a troublesome employee.

11
Dirty PoliticsIn the Eyes of the Beholder

• Dirty Politics
• Kissing up
• Apple-polishing
• Coopting
• Coalition building
• Scheming
• Covering your rear
• Creating conflict
• Blaming others

• Effective Management
• Positive reinforcement
• Demonstrating loyalty
• Negotiating
• Facilitating teamwork
• Planning ahead
• Documenting
• Encouraging change
• Fixing responsibility

12
Factors Influencing Political Behavior

• Individual factors
• Personality
• Organizational investment
• Perceived job alternatives
• Expectations of success

Favorable outcome ? Rewards ?
Averted punishments
Political behavior Low High

• Organizational factors
• Uncertainty
• Scarce resources
• Interdependence
• Low trust
• Ambiguity
• Unclear evaluation system
• Zero-sum reward practices
• Participative decision
• making
• High performance pressures
• Self-serving senior managers

13
Ways to Create Power

• Develop and nurture a network of connections,
  especially with powerful allies
• Manage your public image
• Understand how power is distributed and executed
  within the organization
• Choose appropriate tactics of influence
• Build coalitions
• Know how to sell important issues

14
Effective Organizational Politicians

• Understand how power is distributed and how
  politics operate within their organization
• Understand the priorities perspectives of
  different parties and adapt their behavior
  accordingly
• Consciously work on maintaining a positive image
• Use a wide range of power bases and influence
  tactics, and know when to use which ones
• Have a clear set of ethical standards to guide
  their political behavior