Power, Politics, and Influence Chapter 7 Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publisher, Copyright 2002 7.1

Power, Politics, and Influence

Chapter 7

Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publisher, Copyright 2002

7.1

Chapter Overview

• Politics and Power

• Groups as Social Context

• Group Characteristics and Influence


7.2

Politics and Power


7.3

Political Conflicts

When individual members of an organization use their power to pursue personal (rather than organizational) agendas


7.4

Power

A has power over B to the extent that he can get B to do something B would not otherwise do.

(Dahl, 1957)


7.5

Theory of Social Exchange

Social behavior is an exchange of goods, material goods but also nonmaterial ones, such as symbols of approval or prestige. Persons that give much to others try to get much from them, and persons that get much from others are under pressure to give much to them. The process of influence tends to work out at an equilibrium to a balance of the exchanges. (Homans, 1958)


7.6

Slack

Any overabundance of a resource that decreases an individual’s or group’s dependence for it on any other individual or group (Nohria & Gulati, 1996)

• Stockpiles

• Alternative Sources


7.7

Structural Sources of Power

• Reward Power - The capacity to dispense rewards

• Coercion Power - The capacity to dispense punishments

• Task Interdependence - Power that accrues naturally to a particular role in an organization

• Legitimate Power - Authority; the right to give orders


7.8

Personal Sources of Power

• Expert Power - Possession of valuable information or status

• Referent Power - Power stemming from the desire of others to imitate or be accepted by an individual


7.9

Power Tactics

ExchangeExchange PressurePressure IngratiationIngratiation

RationalPersuasion

RationalPersuasion

InspirationalAppeals

InspirationalAppeals

PersonalAppeals

PersonalAppeals

ConsultationConsultation Legitimate Tactics

Legitimate Tactics

CoalitionTactics

CoalitionTactics


7.10

Coalitions

A collection of individuals who have banded together, thereby combining their individual sources of power


7.11

Consequences of the Use

of Power

• Perceptions of Power Users

• Addictiveness of Power


7.12

Groups as Social Context


7.13

Social Comparison Theory

We check the accuracy of our perceptions and judgments by comparing them to the perceptions and judgments by others around us


7.14

Conformity

Occurs when an individual engages in a behavior or admits to a belief that the group encourages, even though the individual believes that behavior or belief is incorrect or inappropriate


7.15

The Asch Study: Which Test Line Matches the

Target?

Target Line

Test Lines


7.16

A

B

C

Social Facilitation

When the mere presence of other individuals spurs an individual to exert greater effort


7.17

Social Loafing

When individuals decrease the amount of effort they put into a task—loaf—while doing that task with other people


7.18

Group Characteristics and Influence


7.19

Group CohesivenessGroups are more cohesive when the group’s goals are compatible with the individual goals of the group’s members, the group members support each other, and the group’s leader encourages effective participation by all group members.


7.20

Possible Channels of Communication (by group

size)Number of

Group MembersPossible Channels of Communication

2 1 3 3 4 6 5 10 6 15 7 21 8 28 9 3610 45


7.21

Documents

Power, Politics, and Influence Chapter 7 Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publisher, Copyright 2002 7.1