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Power and Political Behavior By : edhole

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Learning Goals

• Describe the nature of power in organizations and ways to build power

• Discuss the relationship between power and politics in organizations

• Describe the bases of power and ways of building power in organizations

• Understand political strategies and political tactics• http://www.edhole.com


Learning Goals (Cont.)

• Do a political diagnosis

• Describe international differences in political behavior in organizations

• Discuss the ethical issues surrounding organizational politics

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Chapter Overview

• Introduction

• Power

• Political behavior

• International aspects of political behavior in organizations

• Ethical issues about political behavior in organizations

Introduction

PowerPowerDark and gloomy?

Bright and cheery?

How do you perceive power?

Introduction (Cont.)

PoliticalBehaviorPoliticalBehavior

How do you perceive political behavior?

Introduction (Cont.)

• Political behavior pervades organizational life

• Focuses on developing and using power in an organization

• Often gives power to people who do not have it from their organizational position

Power

• Power: ability to get something done the way a person wants it done

• Includes the ability to gather physical and human resources and put them to work to reach a goal

• Essential to leadership and management functions

Power (Cont.)

• More than dominance: a capacity to get something done in an organization

• Central feature of political behavior• Unavoidable presence in organizations

Power (Cont.)

• Facets of power– Potential power: one party perceives another

party as having power and the ability to use it– Actual power: the presence and use of power– Potential for power: person or group has

control of resources from which to build power

Power (Cont.)

• Power relationships: moments of social interaction where power manifests itself

• Dimensions of power relationships– Relational: social interaction between people

and groups– Dependence

• Reliance of one party on another party• High power when valued results not available

elsewhere– Sanctioning: use of rewards or penalties

Power (Cont.)

• Power and authority– Different concepts although a person can have

both– Authority usually flows from a person’s

position in an organization– Power can accrue to people at any level

Power (Cont.)

Reporting relationships Lateral relationships

Cross-functionalrelationships

Power flows

Power (Cont.)

• Power dynamics– Dynamic not static; rises and falls for people

and groups– Shifts in environment can change power of

person or group• Marketing: successful product--power goes up; lose

market share--power goes down• Technology: as it increases in importance, people

who know it become more powerful. The opposite happens as importance of technology drops

Bases of Power

• Bases of power: aspects of formal manage-ment position and personal characteristics– Organizational bases of power: sources of

power in formal management position– Personal bases of power: sources of power in

a manager’s personal characteristics

• Accumulate to a total power baseSee text book Figure 15.1

Bases of Power (Cont.)

• Organizational bases of power– Legitimate power

• Derives from position• Decision authority

– Reward power• Tie positive results to a person’s behavior• Organization’s reward system and policies


• Organizational bases of power (cont.)– Coercive power

• Tie negative results to a person’s behavior

• Organization’s reward system and policies

– Information power• Information control

• Information distribution


• Organizational bases of power (cont.)– All management positions have some

organizational basis of power

– Minimally have legitimate power

– Reward and coercive power depend on organi-zational policies about rewards and sanctions

– Assume the power in the position but it stays after person leaves the position


• Personal bases of power– Referent power: positive feelings about the

leader. Related to charisma– Expert power: technical knowledge and

expertise– Flow from the attributes and qualities of the

person– Strongly affected by attribution processes

Power, Leadership,and Management

• Essential to leadership and management

• Much more than dominance

• Capacity to get things done

Power, Leadership,and Management (Cont.)

• Behavior of powerful leaders and managers– Delegate decision authority– See people’s talents as a resource– Can change people’s working conditions– Get resources and information for work group– Take risks


• Behavior of powerful leaders and managers (cont.)– Press for innovations– Share power widely– Help develop people

ResultsHighly effective

Increases total power of the work groupIncreases people’s promotion opportunities


• Behavior of powerless leaders and managers– Supervise closely– Do not delegate decision authority– Often distrust subordinates– See people’s talents as a threat– Stick to the rules


• Behavior of powerless leaders and managers (cont.)– Do not take risks– Strongly focus on the work– Protect his or her territory

ResultsIneffective

Low total power of work groupDecreases people’s promotion opportunities

Which do you prefer:powerful

orpowerless

leader or manager?


Building Power

• Six major sources of power

• Sources are related to bases of power described earlier

• Political diagnosis, described later, is an important step in building power

Building Power (Cont.)

• Knowledge, skill, reputation, professional credibility (expert and information power)

• Political network– Formal or informal– Often based on position in a communication

channel– Important in lateral relationships

• Create perception of dependence: control of scarce resources


• Work activities (legitimate power)– Extraordinary– Visible– Successful at high-risk activities

• Charisma (referent power). Especially important in lateral relationships


• Power base of the work unit– Coping with uncertainty– Unique function– Changes in external environment– Centrality in work flow

Human resource management departments that becomeexpert in affirmative action, equal employment opportunity,

and workforce diversity can increase their power.

Attribution of Power

• Ascribing power to people at any level

• May not be same as actual power

• Attribution based on– Personal characteristics– Context of the person

Attribution of Power (Cont.)

• Personal characteristics– Formal position: status and authority– Technical knowledge– Central position in a communication network

• Context of the person– Physical context– Group or project membership– Member of a coalition

Political Behavior

• Getting, developing, and using power to reach a desired result

• Often appears in situations of uncertainty or conflict over choices

• Often happens outside accepted channels of authority

Political Behavior (Cont.)

• Unofficial, unsanctioned behavior to reach a goal

• Build bases of power

• Use political behavior– Affect decisions– Get scarce resources– Earn cooperation of people outside direct

authority


• Ebbs and flows with the dynamics of power

• Two characteristics: power and influence

• Directed at reaching organizational goals or individual goals

• Plays an important role in lateral relationships

• Rarely have formal authority in such relationships


Power InfluencePoliticalprocess

Characteristics of political processes


• Political behavior and lateral relationships– Line-staff

• Many entry positions– Marketing– Human resource management– Information systems

– Competition for resources: money, people, equipment, office space

– Interdependence in work flow. Especially modern manufacturing

Political Maneuveringin Organizations

• Political maneuvering– Political strategy

• Plan to reach a goal using specific political tactics• Goal: organizational or personal

– Political tactics• Builds power base• Uses power

Political Maneuveringin Organizations (Cont.)

• Political strategy – Specifies combinations and sequences of

political tactics– Includes plan for responding to changes in the

political context– People at all levels can develop and use a

political strategy– Not written; usually tacit


• Political strategy (cont.)– Used in

• Resource allocation

• Choice of senior managers

• Career decisions

• Performance appraisals

• Pay increase decisions


• Political tactics – Decision making processes

• Selectively emphasize decision alternatives

• Influence decision process in favor of self or work unit

– Use outside expert or consultant. Power is equal but wants to shift another level

– Control the decision making agenda: often done when person does not want change


• Political tactics (cont.) – Build coalitions

• Form around people inside and outside the organization

• Those believed important to person’s position

– Co-optation: get support by putting possible opponents on a task force or advisory board

Political Diagnosis

• Help understand the loci of power

• Identify type of political behavior likely to happen in an organization

• Usually done unobtrusively by observing behavior and making subtle inquiries

Political Diagnosis (Cont.)

• Areas of diagnosis– Individuals

• Identify powerful people and politically active people

– Assess amounts of power

– Assess ways they likely will use their power

– Assess their political skills


• Areas of diagnosis (cont.)– Coalitions

• Alliance of people who share a common goal

• Widely dispersed in organization

• Try to affect decisions


• Areas of diagnosis (cont.)– Political networks

• Affiliations, alliances, coalitions

• Control information flow and resources

• Identify major influences in the network

The Dark Side ofOrganizational Politics

Organizationalpolitics

Deception Lying

Intimidation

The Dark Side ofOrganizational Politics (Cont.)

• Deception– See the Machiavelli quotation on page 293– Trick another party into picking wrong decision

alternative– Personal goals more important than

organizational goals

Manager does not want change andasks for an endless series of studies


• Lying– Intentional misstatement of the truth– Trying to mislead other party– Distorts information in favor of the liar– Can have long-term negative effects if

discovered

“There will be no layoffs.”


• Intimidation– Direct or indirect pressures on a person by

someone with power over the person– Restrict communication of person with others– Isolate from others– Includes sexual harassment of anyone

Imply withholding a promotion unless . . .

International Aspects of Political Behavior in Organizations

• People from different cultures hold different beliefs about power and power relationships

• Some cultures see a directive and autocratic use of power as correct

• Other cultures define a consultative or democratic approach as correct

• Different individuals within those cultures have different beliefs about power relationships


(Cont.)• The Philippines, Mexico, India, Singapore,

Hong Kong: value a directive use of power• Workers ascribe power to a directive

manager and weakness to a consultative one• Consultative-oriented managers at a

disadvantage in power-directive cultures


(Cont.)• Scandinavian countries, Israel, Switzerland,

Austria, and New Zealand– Expect managers to involve workers in

decision-making process– Directive manager would not be well accepted

by workers in Scandinavian organizations– Manager has high power in home culture; little

power in Scandinavian cultures


(Cont.)• Cultural orientation to uncertainty and

power– Workers in Greece and France expect managers

to maintain low levels of uncertainty– Manager who cannot keep uncertainty low has

little power and influence over his workers– Workers in Denmark and the United States

have higher tolerance for uncertainty


(Cont.)• Cultural orientation to uncertainty and

power (cont.) – Nonmanagers in those countries expect

managers to make risky decisions– Ascribe high power to risk-taking managers;

low power to those who avoid risk– Degree of power ascribed to managers affects

their ability to affect others with political tactics


(Cont.)• Individualistic orientation and power

– High individualistic: United States, Australia, Great Britain, Canada, the Netherlands

– Low individualistic• Many South American countries• Value family ties and conformity to social norms

– South American workers expect managers to look after them

– Managers who show interest in subordinates' private lives enjoy high power

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Ethical Issues About Political Behavior in Organizations

• Utilitarian view: using power and political behavior to serve only one's self-interest is unethical

• Political behavior that uses excessive organizational resources to reach a personal goal is also unethical


(Cont.)• Suggest any political strategy is unethical

– Does not serve goals of the organization or– A larger group of people than the single

political actor

Ignoring equipment maintenance to push products througha manufacturing process for personal gain is behaving unethically


(Cont.)• Using power and political behavior that

violates another person's rights is unethical

• A political tactic such as co-optation can violate others' rights

• Co-opted individual, unless he or she understands the goal of the political actor, has not consented to such influence


(Cont.)• Sense of justice strongly argues for fair

treatment

• Giving preferential treatment to someone to build a sense of obligation is unethical

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(Cont.)• Guidelines for ethical political behavior

– Distinguishes organizational statesmanship from "dirty politics"

– Behavior should serve people outside the organization, beyond the single political actor

– Individuals should clearly know intent of actor; give free consent to be influenced




(Cont.)• Guidelines (cont.)

– Right of due process should not be violated while the political behavior unfolds

– Administration of policies should allow fair treatment of all affected people

