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12-1

ChapterChapter

Power, Politics, and EmpowermentPower, Politics, and Empowerment

1010

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12-2

Power and InfluencePower and Influence

• Power – the capability to get someone to do something• It is the potential to influence

• Influence – the exercise of that capability• It is a transaction in which Person B is

induced by Person A to behave in a certain way

• It is power in action

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12-3Where Does Power Come From?

Where Does Power Come From?

Interpersonal Power• Organizational Power

• Legitimate Power• Reward Power• Coercive Power

• Personal Power• Expert Power• Referent Power

Interpersonal Power• Organizational Power

• Legitimate Power• Reward Power• Coercive Power

• Personal Power• Expert Power• Referent Power

Structural Power• Resources

• Decision-Making Power

• Information Power

Structural Power• Resources

• Decision-Making Power

• Information Power

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12-4Characteristics of Organizational Authority:Characteristics of Organizational Authority:

1. It is invested in a person’s position

2. It is accepted by subordinates

3. Authority is used vertically

1. It is invested in a person’s position

2. It is accepted by subordinates

3. Authority is used vertically

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12-5Subordinate Responses to Different Sources of Interpersonal Power (1 of 2)

Subordinate Responses to Different Sources of Interpersonal Power (1 of 2)

• The use of legitimate or reward power will typically result in compliance• i.e., subordinates will obey your requests, but are

unlikely to exert more than the minimal effort necessary

• The use of coercive power may result in resistance• i.e., subordinates may only pretend to comply with

your requests, and they may openly resist

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12-6Subordinate Responses to Different Sources of Interpersonal Power (2 of 2)

Subordinate Responses to Different Sources of Interpersonal Power (2 of 2)

• The use of expert or referent power frequently results in commitment• i.e., subordinates are likely to exert high levels of

effort to accomplish what you ask, perhaps even exceeding what you requested

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12-7

Structural Power (1 of 2)Structural Power (1 of 2)

• Power is frequently prescribed by structure within the organization

• Result from the nature of the organizational social system rather than from attributes of an individual

• The structure of an organization is the control mechanism by which the organization is governed

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12-8

Structural Power (2 of 2)Structural Power (2 of 2)

Formal Power• Organizational structure

creates formal power and authority• i.e., by specifying certain

individuals to perform specific tasks and make certain decisions

Formal Power• Organizational structure

creates formal power and authority• i.e., by specifying certain

individuals to perform specific tasks and make certain decisions

Informal Power• Structure significantly

impacts informal power• i.e., through its effect on

information and communication flows within the system

Informal Power• Structure significantly

impacts informal power• i.e., through its effect on

information and communication flows within the system

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12-9Symptoms and Sources of Powerlessness

(1 of 2)

Symptoms and Sources of Powerlessness

(1 of 2)Position Symptoms Sources

First-line supervisors(e.g., manager)

Supervise too closely; fail to train subordinates; not sufficiently oriented to the management team; inclined to do the job themselves

Routine, rule-minded jobs: limited lines of communication; limited advancement opportunities for themselves and their subordinates

Staff professionals(e.g., corporate lawyer, human resources specialist)

Create islands and set themselves up as experts; use professional standards as basis for judging work that distinguishes them from others; resist change and become conservative risk takers

Their routine tasks are only adjuncts to real line job; blocked career advancement replaced by outside consultants for non-routine work

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12-10Symptoms and Sources of Powerlessness

(2 of 2)

Symptoms and Sources of Powerlessness

(2 of 2)

Position Symptoms Sources

Top-level managers(e.g., chief executive officer, vice president)

Short-term horizon; top-down communication systems emphasized; reward followers to think like the manager; do not welcome bearers of bad news

Uncontrollable lines of supply; limited or blocked lines of information about lower managerial levels; diminished lines of support because of challenges to legitimacy

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12-11

EmpowermentEmpowerment

• Process of enhancing feelings of self-efficacy among organizational members,• through the identification of conditions that

foster powerlessness, and• through their removal by both formal

organizational practices and informal techniques of providing efficacy information

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12-12Reasons Empowerment is not Universally Embraced:Reasons Empowerment is not Universally Embraced:

1. Managers fear the loss of power, control, and authority

2. Employees are not able to make responsible decisions

3. Empowering employees was attempted before and it failed

4. Sharing proprietary information means leaking ideas, plans, and knowledge to competitors

5. Not everyone wants to be empowered

1. Managers fear the loss of power, control, and authority

2. Employees are not able to make responsible decisions

3. Empowering employees was attempted before and it failed

4. Sharing proprietary information means leaking ideas, plans, and knowledge to competitors

5. Not everyone wants to be empowered

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12-13

Learning to leverage empowerment as

a means to strengthen the capabilities

and commitment of employees is one of

the most important challenges facing

managers today.

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12-14Increasing Your Effectiveness in Empowering Others (1 of 2)

Increasing Your Effectiveness in Empowering Others (1 of 2)

• When you delegate responsibility, make certain you are also delegating authority to go along with it

• Be prepared to give up your managerial “parent” role and assume a “partner” role

• Assure your subordinates through words and deeds that it is OK to make mistakes

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12-15Increasing Your Effectiveness in Empowering Others (2 of 2)

Increasing Your Effectiveness in Empowering Others (2 of 2)

• Information sharing is important• Empowered employees must have sufficient

information to be able to see the “big picture”• Provide training opportunities so employees can

develop skills to successfully perform new job responsibilities

• Performance feedback is particularly important for newly empowered employees

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12-16

Interdepartmental Power (1 of 2)Interdepartmental Power (1 of 2)

• Strategic contingency theory focuses on subunit power

• Strategic contingency – event or activity of crucial importance to completing a project or accomplishing a goal

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12-17

Interdepartmental Power (2 of 2)Interdepartmental Power (2 of 2)

• The power differential between subunits is influenced by the:

• degree of ability to cope with uncertainty

• centrality of the subunit

• substitutability of the subunit

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12-18

Coping withuncertaintyCoping withuncertainty

CentralityCentrality

SubstitutabilitySubstitutability

Poweracquiredby subunitand powerdifferentials

Poweracquiredby subunitand powerdifferentials

Preventing market share decline by product development

Providing accurate future-based predictions

Absorbing problems from other units

Being in an urgent or immediacy position

Being located at center of work flow

Possessing needed skills or expertise

Possessing only talents that are available to complete job

A Strategic Contingency Model of Subunit Power

A Strategic Contingency Model of Subunit Power

CONTINGENCY EXAMPLES

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12-19Political Strategies and Tactics (1 of

2)Political Strategies and Tactics (1 of

2)

• Individuals and subunits continually engage in political behavior, i.e.,:• Behavior that is usually outside the legitimate,

recognized power system• Behavior that is designed to benefit an individual or

subunit, often at the expense of the organization in general

• Behavior that is intentional and is designed to acquire and maintain power

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12-20Political Strategies and Tactics (2 of

2)Political Strategies and Tactics (2 of

2)

• As a result of politically oriented behaviors, the formal power that exists in an organization is often sidetracked or blocked

• Political behavior results in the displacement of power

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12-21

Political Game Playing (1 of 2)Political Game Playing (1 of 2)

• Political games are played at all organizational levels by both managers and non-managers

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12-22

Political Game Playing (2 of 2)Political Game Playing (2 of 2)

• Games are played to:1. resist authority (insurgency game)2. counter the resistance to authority (counterinsurgency

game)3. build power bases (sponsorship game and coalition-

building game)4. defeat rivals (line-versus-staff game)5. bring about organizational change (whistle-blowing

game)

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12-23

Impression ManagementImpression Management

• The actions individuals take to control the impressions that others form of them

• It is universal• A significant part of behavior in organizations is

motivated by the desire of organization members to be perceived in certain ways

• Stems from political influence tactics

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12-24Using Power to Manage Effectively (1 of 2)

Using Power to Manage Effectively (1 of 2)

1. Recognize that there are multiple interests in virtually every organization

2. Know what position relevant individuals and groups hold with respect to issues important to you

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12-25Using Power to Manage Effectively (2 of 2)

Using Power to Manage Effectively (2 of 2)

3. Understand that to get things done you must have power, and in the case of those who oppose you, you must have more power than they do

4. Recognize the strategies and tactics through which organizational power is developed and used