The application of ethics in power and politics

The Application of ethics in power and politics to manage conflict within

the organisation.By : Shah Aafreen Mohammed Amin

Learner of MCOM (BUSINESS -MANAGEMENT)

Name of institution: kj somaiya college of science and commerce.

Subject –Organisational behaviour

What is organisational power and politics?

Organisational Power refers to the possession of authority and influence over others.

Power is a tool that, depending on how it's used, can lead to either positive or negative outcomes in an organizationOrganizational politics

is the process of using an informal network to gain power and accomplish tasks to meet a person's wants or needs.

Organizational politics may be a positive practice when it is to promotethe interest of organisation. However, it can also be negative when people promote self-interests

“When you mix people and power, you get politics.”

Two managers at the same level in an organization may not be equal in terms of their power and influence,One manager may be more influential because he or she is well liked and respected by subordinates and superiors. In addition, he or she may understand the politics of the organization and how to “play the game.”influence

Organizations are filled with employees who are trying to succeed. However, simply being a dedicated, hard-working employee is usually not enough.EXAMPLE:

Thus success in the workplace demands that an individual not only be competent in task and functional skills, but also in political skills.

Why politics is not a dirty word in organisation?

Politics is the power to influence others towards getting the work done .According to marry parker follet: “Management is the art of getting work done through others “Same role is play by the politics in the organisation.A positive politics is very much essential for the healthy growth of the organisation.A positive politics enables the managers to lead their subordinates in their work towards achievement of overall goals of the organisation rather than gaining self interest.A positive politics helps to gain the achievements and progress of an organisation by co-ordinating the efforts of different departments towards achievement of organisational goals,A positive politics helps in maintaining good personnel relationships.

What is ethics of power and politics?

UTILITARIANISM:An individual’s action must bring maximum

good to maximum people.

RIGHTS:An individual’s action must respect the rights

of other parties.

JUSTICE:An individual’s action

must conforms to standards of equity

and justice.

ETHICS OF POWER AND POLITICS CAN BE PRACTICED WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL BEHAVE ETHICALLY BY SATISFYING THE FOLLOWNG CRITERIA:

When does the conflict arise in the organisation?

Conflict is a 'clash of interests, values, actions, views or directions. Conflict situations arise because of fear, force, fair or funds.

Fear is an imaginary concern for future. Force of any kind initiates and concludes conflicts. Fair is the sense of fairness, which determines the moral values of an individual.

Interpersonal conflicts arise because of differences in personality, perceptions, status and ideological and philosophical outlooks.

Other causes of conflict can be communication gaps; personality differences; substandard performance; disputes over approaches, responsibility and authority; lack of cooperation; or competition for limited resources.

Power, organizational demands and worth are three important elements of conflict. Power is the capacity and means to make people work. Organizational demands relate to job performance expectations. Worth is the self-esteem of an individual.

How to manage conflicts by application of ethics in power & politics?

Conflict is unavoidable in every organisation,the managers & organisation can choose to see conflict as inherently negative by destroying it at every opportunity or inherently positive by leveraging conflict to bring positive change.

Following are the few areas of application of ethics in power & politics to manage conflict by looking conflict inherently positive:Positive Perspective:

Accept conflict as a natural growth process and influence your company culture to view constructive conflict positively. Conflict can be an asset to your small business if it is handled properly.

RESULTS:It can help your organization to learn from its mistakes and identify areas of needed improvement. Innovation can be inspired from creative solutions to internal or external conflicts, and new ways of thinking can emerge.


Grievance Procedure:Create a formal grievance procedure for all employees. Let employees

at all levels of your organization know that their voices will always be heard, and respond promptly and reasonably to employees .

RESULTS:This can prevent bad feelings from festering and growing into resentment and bitterness. Conflict is best handled quickly and openly. If your company culture is sufficiently friendly toward constructive conflict, your staff should see the value of letting their complaints, ideas and issues be heard.

Equal Voices:Give all parties to a conflict an equal voice, regardless of their

position, length of service or political influence. Conflict participants can become defensive if they feel they are being marginalized or are going through a process leading to a predetermined outcome.


RESULTS:It can be tempting to take the word of managers over front-line employees, or to take the word of a loyal employee over a new employee, but remember that your most trusted associates are not necessarily infallible. Go beyond simply giving everyone an equal chance to speak; give their arguments an equal weight in your mind when mediating a conflict.

Resolution Participation:Involve all parties, if possible, when drafting conflict resolutions. The

theory of Management By Objectives (MBO) states that employees are generally more committed to goals that they have helped to create. The same holds true for conflict resolutions. There is more than one side to every conflict, and all sides should benefit from conflict resolution.

RESULTS :Seek resolutions that will prevent the conflict from occurring again, rather than simply delaying a repeat occurrence.

A Thematic Analysis Of 5 Case Studies.

Research students of 2 universitiesPlymouth Graduate School of Management, Plymouth University,UK.iROWE, University of Central Lancashire,UK.This case study explores the management of individual conflict and the

resolution of employment disputes in five organisations drawing on over one hundred hours of interview data gathered from discussions with HR practitioners, line and operational managers, employee representatives, and trained mediators.

Innovations in conflict management – the impact of mediation One consequence was the simplification of policies and procedures. While

this was designed to provide greater room for informal resolution, its main goal appeared to be to increase the efficiency of dispute handling.

Innovation within three organisations in the sample revolved around the development of internal workplace mediation schemes and the training of in-house mediation specialists. Respondents claimed that resolving disputes through in-house mediation schemes had clear benefits; it helped to rebuild relations between the disputants, and did so at a lower cost and more quickly than disciplinary and grievance procedures .


Innovation within three organisations in the sample revolved around the development of internal workplace mediation schemes and the training of in-house mediation specialists. Respondents claimed that resolving disputes through in-house mediation schemes had clear benefits; it helped to rebuild relations between the disputants, and did so at a lower cost and more quickly than disciplinary and grievance procedures

There was tentative evidence that the introduction of internal mediation schemes could have a broader impact on the culture and capacity of conflict management. Within the sample, mediation training and taking part in mediation had a positive effect on conflict management skills and confidence.

We also found that the introduction of in-house mediation schemes could

provide a channel through which attitudes and behaviours of key actors are challenged and transformed. However, this appeared to be dependent, to some extent, on the organisational context.


There were significant barriers against the successful implementation and operation of in-house schemes. There is likely to be resistance from organisational actors (particularly line managers) who may see the need for mediation as an admittance of failure. Very large organisations, and particularly those spread across many workplaces, may also face problems in promoting mediation.

Pressure of work and conflicts of interest made it difficult for mediators to maintain and develop their practice. In addition, schemes appeared to be relatively dependent on a small number of key individuals who performed the bulk of the mediations and championed the scheme within the organisation. This raised questions over the long-term sustainability of in-house mediation schemes.

There was limited evidence of the systematic development of integrated approaches to the management of conflict. While organisations had used mediation to achieve specific objectives, it did not appear to be seen as a central part of broader organisational strategy and was consequently vulnerable to changes in wider operational priorities.

Education

The application of ethics in power and politics