What are power and influence?

What are the key sources of power and

influence?

What is empowerment?

What is organizational politics?

Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 12-2

Power The ability to get someone to do something

you want done.

The ability to make things happen in the way

you want.

Influence Expressed by others’ behavioral response to

the exercise of power.

Interdependence Employee’s are closely connected with the

individuals in their workgroup, those in other

departments they work with, and their

supervisors.

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Legitimacy – an understood and unwritten

set of social mores and conventions that

serve to maintain societal order.

Obedience – tendency for individuals to

comply and be obedient—to switch off

their emotions and merely do exactly

what they are told to do.

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Acceptance of authority (‘consent of the

governed’) is the concept that subordinates

will accept or follow a managerial directive

only if the subordinate :

Understands the directive.

Is mentally and physically capable of carrying

out the directive.

Believes the directive is consistent with

organization’s purpose and personal interests.

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Zone of indifference

Range of requests to which a person is

willing to respond without subjecting the

directives to critical evaluation or judgment.

Psychological contract – unwritten set of

expectations about a person’s exchange of

inducements and contributions with an

organization.

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Two primary sources of power:

Position

Derives from a person’s position in the

organization.

Personal

Resides in the individual.

Independent of that individual’s position.

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TYPES OF POSITION POWER

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Legitimate power

The extent to which a manager can use

subordinates’ internalized values or beliefs

that the “boss” has a “right of command”

to control their behavior.

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Reward power

The extent to which a manager can use

extrinsic and intrinsic rewards to control

other people.

Coercive power

The extent to which a manager can deny

desired rewards and administer

punishments to control other people.

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Process power

The control that a manager

has over methods of

production and analysis.

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Information power

The access to and/or control of

information.

Representative power

The formal right conferred to an individual

by the firm to speak for a potentially

important group.

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Expert

Rational Persuasi

on

Coalition

Ability to control another’s behavior through the possession of knowledge, experience or judgment.

Ability to control another’s behavior because of accepted desirability of an offered goal and a way of achieving it.

Ability to control another’s behavior because the person wants to identify with the power source.

Ability to control another’s behavior indirectly because of a reciprocal obligation to you or the larger group.

Referent

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Building influence

Power-oriented behavior is action directed

primarily at developing relationships in

which other people are willing to defer to

one’s wishes.

Downward, upward, lateral.

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Build Position Power› Demonstrate to

others that work unit is relevant to organizational goals (centrality).

› Demonstrate to others the ability to respond to urgent organizational need (criticality).

Managers make part of their job responsibilities unique.

Managers may expand their network of communication contacts and also increase task relevance.

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Build expertise

through advanced training and education.

Participate in professional associations, and early stages of projects.

Enhance likeability

by creating personal appeal in relationships with others.

Includes pleasant personality traits, agreeable behavior patterns, and attractive appearance.

Enhance political savvy by learning ways to negotiate, persuade.

Understand goals and means that most are willing to accept.

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Which personal power would you likely

use to request a promotion?

a. Coalition

b. Rational persuasion

c. Expertise

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Ways that managers increase the

visibility of their job performance in

organizations

Expand contacts with senior people.

Make oral presentations of written work.

Participate in problem-solving task forces.

Send out notices of accomplishment.

Seek additional opportunities to increase

personal name recognition.12-20Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Controlling decision premises

Defining a problem in terms of your own

expertise in solving it.

Stating goals and needs clearly and

bargaining effectively.

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Strengthening influence techniques through:

Reason - use facts and data to support a logical

argument.

Friendliness - use flattery, goodwill and favorable

impressions.

Coalition – use relationships, with others, for support.

Bargaining – use exchange of benefits as a basis for

negotiation.

Assertiveness – use direct and forceful approach.

Higher authority – gain higher level support for

requests.

Sanctions – organizational rewards/punishments.12-22Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Empowerment

The process by which managers help others

to acquire and use the power needed to

make decisions affecting themselves and

their work.

One view considers power to be something

that can be shared by everyone working in

flatter and more collegial structures.

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Changing position power Moving power down the hierarchy alters the

existing pattern of position power.

Changing this pattern raises the following

important questions:

Can “empowered” individuals give rewards and

sanctions based on task accomplishment?

Has their new right to act been legitimized with

formal authority?

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Power as an expanding pie

The key is to change from a view stressing

power over others to one emphasizing the

use of power to get things done.

Requires leader support, training,

coaching, individual supervision and clear,

re-stated definitions of roles and

responsibilities.

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Two traditions of organizational politics:

Machiavellian – focuses on self interest and the

use of nonsanctioned means philosophy.

Art of creative compromise among

competing interests - view that states the firm

is more than just an instrument for

accomplishing a task or a mere collection of

individuals with a common goal.

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Effects of organizational politics

Enhances the achievement of organizational goals

and survival.

Can serve a number of important work functions.

Provides a mechanism for circumventing

inadequacies and getting the job done.

Helps identify problems and move ambitious,

problem-solving managers.

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The Politics of Self Protection

Avoidance – employee must risk being

wrong or where actions may yield a sanction.

Working to the rules

Playing dumb

Depersonalization

Stalling

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Redirecting accountability and

responsibility

Passing the buck

Rewriting history

Redirecting (scapegoating, blaming the

problem on someone or some group that has

difficulty defending itself, and blaming

problem on uncontrollable events,)

Escalating commitment12-30Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Defending turf is a common political

dynamic when:

Managers seek to improve their power

attempt by expanding the jobs their groups

perform.

Competing interests exist among various

departments and groups.

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Agency theory

Suggests that public corporations can

function effectively even though their

managers are self-interested and do not

automatically bear the full consequences

of their managerial actions.

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Key arguments of agency theory

All of society’s interests are served by

protecting stockholder interests.

Stockholders have a clear interest in

greater returns.

Managers are self-interested and must be

controlled.

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Types of controls instituted for agents

Pay plan incentives that align the interests

of management and stockholders.

The establishment of a strong, independent

board of directors.

Stakeholders with a large stake in the firm

take an active role one the board. 12-34Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Resource dependencies

The firm’s need for resources that are controlled by

others.

The dependencies increase as:

Needed resources become more scarce.

Outsiders have more control over needed resources.

There are fewer substitutes for a particular type of

resource controlled by a limited number of outsiders.

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Organizational governance

The pattern of authority, influence, and

acceptable managerial behavior

established at the top of the organization.

12-36Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.