POWER AND POLITICS

1
POWER AND POLITICS

• Power is a natural process in any group or
  organization
• Power a capacity that A has, to influence the
  behavior of B so that B will act in accordance
  with As wishes
• The element of power potential and dependency
• Leaders use power to attain groups goals so
  power facilitates this achievement
• Source of power coercive (based on fear),
  reward (based on the ability to distribute
  rewards), legitimate (based on someones position
  in a formal hierarchy), expert (based on
  expertise, knowledge, or special skills),
  referent (based on desirable resources or
  personal traits)

2

• Dependency importance, scarcity,
  nonsubstitutability
• politics power in action, the influence to the
  decision maker within an organization
• Factors contributing to political behavior
  individual and organizational (see exhibit 12-5)
• Impression management to get positive
  impression from others
• Defensive behavior to protect self interest

3
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

• The awareness of what things are done around
  here to provide stability to an organization
• Organizational culture a common perception by
  the organizations members
• The characteristics to give a composite picture
  of the organizations culture innovation and
  risk taking, attention to detail, outcome
  orientation (result versus process), people
  orientation, team orientation, aggressiveness,
  stability (status quo versus growth)

4

• So the organizational culture is how the
  employees perceive the above listed
  characteristics
• As a system of shared meanings different
  individuals will describe the organizational
  culture in similar terms
• Dominant and subcultures
• Strong culture can act as a substitute for
  formalization
• The threat major barrier to change, diversity,
  acquisition and merger
• Keeping the culture alive leaderships roles,
  selection, top management, socialisation