Power & politics

National College OF business administration & economics WCC

GUIDED BY:PROF. TAFZIL

HUSSAIN

PRESENTED BY :ABAID MALIK

SAAD-UR-REHMANALI RAZA

FARIA ANWAAR

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIORS T E P H E N P. R O B B I N S

E L E V E N T H E D I T I O NW W W . P R E N H A L L . C O M / R O B B I N S© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc.

All rights reserved.PowerPoint Presentation

by Charlie Cook

POWER AND POLITICSChapter 13

ORGANIZATIONAL

BEHAVIOUR

GROUP 2

TOPICSPower Bases of power Power TacticsGender harassmentPoliticsCauses & consequences Employee responsesImpression management Defensive behaviour

Roll No. 04020810

NAMEABAID MALIK

SAAD-UR-REHMANALI RAZA

FARIA ANWAAR

13–4NCBA&E

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIORS T E P H E N P. R O B B I N S

E L E V E N T H E D I T I O NW W W . P R E N H A L L . C O M / R O B B I N S© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc.

All rights reserved.PowerPoint Presentation

by Charlie Cook

“POWER TENDS TO CORRUPT;

ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY”

CHAPTER LEARNING OBJECTIVES1. Origin of word politics2. Define Power & Dependency3. Contrasting leadership & Power4. Describe the five bases of power in organisations.5. Dependency: The Key To Power6. Power Tactics.7. Preferred Power Tactics by Influence Direction 8. Discuss the role of power in Gender harassment.9. Politics: Power In Action10.Politics in eye of beholder.11. Causes & consequences of political behaviour.12.Employee responses to organizational politics13. Impression management (IM) & its techniques14.Defensive behaviour

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ORIGIN OF WORD POLITICS

The word politics comes from ancient Greece.Its root is the word “polis”, which began to be used

about 2,800 years ago to denote a self-governing city (city-state)

POLIS – city-state POLITES – citizen POLITIKOS – politician POLITIKE – politics as the art of citizenship and

government POLITEIA – constitution, rules of politics POLITEUMA – political community, all those residents

who have full political rights13–7NCBA&E

A DEFINITION OF POWER

POWERA capacity that A has to influence the behavior of B so that B acts in accordance with A’s wishes.

DEPENDENCYB’s relationship to A when A possesses something that B requires.

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POWER AND DEPENDENCE

PersonA

PersonB’s goals

PersonB

Person B’s counter power over Person A

Person A’s power over Person B

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CONTRASTING LEADERSHIP AND POWER

LEADERSHIP– Focuses on goal achievement.– Requires goal compatibility with followers.– Focuses influence downward.

RESEARCH FOCUS– Leadership styles and relationships with

followers

POWER– Used as a means for achieving goals.– Requires follower dependency.– Used to gain lateral and upward influence.

RESEARCH FOCUS– Power tactics for gaining compliance

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Bases of Power

FORMAL POWER

CoerciveReward

Legitimate

PERSONAL POWER

Expert

Referent

BASES OF POWER

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BASES OF POWER: FORMAL POWER

• COERCIVE POWERA power base dependent on fear.

• REWARD POWERCompliance achieved based on the ability to distribute rewards that others view as valuable

FORMAL POWERIs established by an individual’s position in an organization; conveys the ability to coerce or reward, from formal authority, or from control of information.

• LEGITIMATE POWER

The power a person receives as a result of his or her position in the formal hierarchy of an organization. 13–12NCBA&E

Bases of Power: Personal Power

Expert PowerInfluence based on special skills or knowledge.

Referent PowerInfluence based on possession by an individual of desirable resources or personal traits.

Power that comes from an individual’s unique characteristics – these are the most effective

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Dependency: The Key To Power

The General Dependency Postulate– The greater B’s dependency on A, the greater

the power A has over B.– Possession/control of scarce organizational

resources that others need makes a manager powerful.

– Access to optional resources (e.g., multiple suppliers) reduces the resource holder’s power.

What Creates Dependency– Importance of the resource to the organization– Scarcity of the resource– Non-substitutability of the resource

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Power Tactics

Influence Tactics:• Legitimacy• Rational persuasion• Inspirational appeals• Consultation• Exchange• Personal appeals• Ingratiation• Pressure• Coalitions

Power TacticsWays in which individuals translate power bases into specific actions.

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Preferred Power Tactics by Influence Direction

E X H I B I T 13–1

Upward Influence Downward Influence Lateral Influence

Rational persuasion Rational persuasion Rational persuasion

Inspirational appeals Consultation

Pressure Ingratiation

Consultation Exchange

Ingratiation Legitimacy

Exchange Personal appeals

Legitimacy Coalitions

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Factors Influencing the Choice and Effectiveness of Power Tactics

Sequencing of tactics– Softer to harder

tactics works best. Skillful use of a tactic

– Experienced users are more successful.

Relative power of the tactic user– Some tactics work

better when applied downward.

The type of request attaching to the tactic– Is the request

legitimate?

How the request is perceived– Is the request

accepted as ethical? The culture of the

organization– Culture affects user’s

choice of tactic Country-specific cultural

factors– Local values favor

certain tactics over others.

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Power Tactics: From Most to Least Popular

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Gender Harassment: Unequal Power in the Workplace

Gender Harassment Unwelcome advances, requests for Gender favors, and other verbal or

physical conduct of a Gender nature.» OR

Any unwanted activity of a Gender nature that affects an individual’s employment and creates a hostile work environment

• Overt actions, like unwanted touching, are relatively easy to spot• Subtle actions, like jokes or looks, can cross over the line into

harassment Gender harassment isn’t about Physical relation – it is

about abusing an unequal power relationshipHarassment can damage the well-being of the individual, work group, and organization

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Steps for Managers to Take to Prevent Gender Harassment

Make sure a policy against it is in place. Ensure that employees will not encounter retaliation if

they file a complaint. Investigate every complaint and include the human

resource and legal departments. Make sure offenders are disciplined or terminated. Set up in-house seminars and training.

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Politics: Power in Action

Political BehaviorActivities that are not required as part of one’s formal role in the organization, but that influence, or attempt to influence, the distribution of advantages or disadvantages within the organization.Legitimate Political BehaviorNormal everyday politics.

Illegitimate Political BehaviorExtreme political behavior that violates the implied rules of the game.

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Politics Is in the Eye of the Beholder

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Causes and Consequences of Political Behavior

Factors that Influence Political Behavior

E X H I B I T 13-413–23NCBA&E

POLITICS IS A FACT OF LIFE IN ORGANIZATIONS

“People who ignore this fact of life do so at their own peril”

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Employee Responses to Organizational Politics

Most employees have low to modest willingness to play politics and have the following reactions to politics:

E X H I B I T 13-513–25NCBA&E

Defensive Behaviors

E X H I B I T 13-6

Defensive Behaviors

Avoiding Action• Over conforming• Buck passing• Playing dumb• Stretching• Stalling

Avoiding Blame• Buffing• Playing safe• Justifying• Scape-goating• Misrepresenting

Avoiding Change• Prevention• Self-protection

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Impression Management (IM)

The process by which individuals attempt to control the impression others form of them

IM Techniques– Conformity– Favors– Excuses– Apologies– Self-Promotion– Enhancement– Flattery– Exemplification

E X H I B I T 13-7

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Summary and Managerial Implications

Increase your power by having others depend on you more.

Expert and referent power are far more effective than is coercion.– Greater employee motivation, performance,

commitment, and satisfaction– Personal power basis, not organizational

Effective managers accept the political nature of organizations.

Political smartness and IM can result in higher evaluations, salary increases, and promotions.

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THANK YOU

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