presentation on power and politics chapter in Organisational Behavior

4. Power
Power is the ability to influence other people.
Power refers to a capacity that A has to influence the behavior of
B so that B acts in accordance with A’s wishes.
capacity to
influence B
depended
on A
Acts according to him.

5. Power can be Positive and Negative.
Examples:
Positive Power
Negative
Power

6. The Function of Dependency
The greater B’s dependency on A, the greater is A’s
power in the relationship.
When someone controls something that you desire.
Examples:
Dependency of children on their parents
Dependency of Students on their teachers
Dependency of India on Arab countries

7. Leadership v/s Power
Leaders are at top
level
Power can be at
any level (at all
dimensions)
Focus on Goal
Achievement
Used as means for
achieving goals
Leadership is
downward
Power can be at
any direction

8. BASES / SOURCES
OF POWER

9. BASES / SOURCES OF POWER
1. FORMAL POWER 2. PERSONAL POWER
1. COERCIVE POWER 1. EXPERT POWER
2. REWARD POWER 2. REFERENT POWER
3. LEGITIMATE POWER

10. FORMAL POWER
• Formal power is based on an Individual’s
Position in an Organisation.

11. COERCIVE POWER
• A power base that is dependent on Fear of the
negative results from failing to comply.
• 'A' has a coercive power over 'B'. If 'A' can
dimiss, suspend , demote and embarrass 'B‘.
• Example : Teacher and Student

12. REWARD POWER
• Compliance achieved based on the ability to
distribute Rewards that others view as
valuable.
• It produces positive benefits.
• Example : Mother with Chocolate

13. LEGITIMATE POWER
• The power a person receives as a result of his
or her Position in the Formal Hierarchy of an
organisation.
• Example : Security Guard

14. • Influence derived from an Individual’s
Characteristics.

15. EXPERT POWER
• Influence based on special skills or
knowledge.
• 'Knowledge is Power.‘
• Example : Auditor , Doctor .

16. REFERENT POWER
• Influence based on identification with a
person who has a desirable resources or
personal traits.
• This Power develops out of admiration of
another and a desire to be like that person.
• Example : Amitabh Bacchan

17. WHICH BASES OF POWER ARE
MOST EFFECTIVE?

18. Dependency :The Key to Power

19. General Dependency Postulate
• The greater the B’s
dependency on A ,the greater
power A has over B.
• How you make people
Dependent on you.

21. What Creates Dependency?
• Importance
More the importance, higher the
dependency.
Ex: Doremon & Nobita

22. Scarcity
• Limited Means : A basis of Power.
• More the scarcity of resources , More
dependency it creates.
• Example : Waste disposal is crucial problem
now a days So students of waste management
are in demand.

23. Nonsubstitutability
• Fewer viable Substitutes for resource, the
more power & the control over that resource.
• Ex.krish

24. Dependency on OPEC Countries for
Petrol

25. POWER TACTICS
1. Legitimacy
2. Rational persuasion
3. Inspirational appeals
4. Consultation
5. Exchange
6. Personal appeals
7. Ingratiation
8. Pressure
9. Coalitions

26. 1. LEGITIMACY
• Position
• Relying on one's
authority position or
stressing that a request
is in accordance with
organizational policies
or rules.
• Example: Role of judge
in the court.

27. 2. RATIONAL PERSUASION
• Logical and realistic
• Presenting logical
arguments and factual
evidence to demonstrate
that a request is
reasonable.
• Examples :
i) Asking for raise in salary
due to higher skills.
ii) Paresh Rawal in Oh My
God.

28. 3. INSPIRATIONAL APPEALS
• Focus on emotions
• Developing emotional
commitment by
appealing to a target's
values, needs,hopes and
aspirations.
• Examples :
i) Motivating group
members by explaining
benefits of achieving target.
ii) Sandeep maheshwari

29. 4. CONSULTATION
• Discussion
• Increasing the target's
motivation and support
by involving him in
deciding how the plan or
change will be
accomplished.
• Example:
Involve a person in decision
making to make him do
work.

30. 5. EXCHANGE
• Giving and taking
• Rewarding the target with
benefits in exchange for
following a request.
• Example:
Giving someone praise in
front of their peers for doing
something right, can be a
strong motivator for them to
continue to perform.

31. 6. PERSONAL APPEALS
• Emotions
• Asking for compliance
based on friendship or
loyalty.
• Example:
As you have good
computer Knowledge, can
you help me out with the
presentation making?

32. 7. INGRATIATION
• Flatter
• Using praise or friendly
behavior prior to
making a request.
• Example :
Inviting a boss to dinner
in an effort to secure a pay
rise.

33. 8. PRESSURE
• Force
• Using warnings,
repeated demands and
threats.
• Examples:
Salary will be deducted
if target Isn't achieved.

34. 9. COALITION
• Alliance
• Enlisting the aid of other people to persuade
the target or using the support of others as a
reason for the target to agree.
• Example:
Election of Karnataka 2018

35. Preferred Tactics By Influence
Direction
Upward influence Downward influence Lateral influence
Rational persuasion Rational persuasion Rational persuasion
Inspirational appeal Consultation
Pressure Ingratiation
Consultation Exchange
Ingratiation Legitimacy
Exchange Personal appeal
Legitimacy Coalition

36. Sexual Harassment: Unequal
Power in the Workplace

37. Sexual Harassment:
- Sexual harassment is defined as any unwanted
activity of a sexual nature that affects an
individual's employment and creates a hostile
work environment.
- Sexual harassment is not about sex.
- "Sexual harassment doesn't mean rape, It can
be but it can also be something that makes the
other person uncomfortable."

38. Negative impact:
- Lower job satisfaction
- Lower productivity
- Affects mental health
- Depression
- Anxiety

39. Examples:
"If you want a promotion, you must sleep
with me. "

41. Prevention:
- Policy that informs employees that they can be
fired for sexually harassing another employee.
- Ensure employees that they will not encounter
retaliation it they complaint.
- Include Human resource departments.
- Make sure that offenders are terminated.
- Set up In-house seminars.

42. POLITICS: Power in Action.

43. Organizational politics
• Use of power to affect
decision making in an
organization or on
behaviours by members
that are self-serving and
organizationally non-
sanctioned.
• In simple words,
changing or influencing
decision politically for
own benefits.

44. Political behaviour
1- legitimate political behaviour
2- illegitimate political behaviour
• Legitimate political behaviour means normal
everyday politics.
• Illegitimate political behaviour means
violating implied rules of the game.

45. Reality of politics
• Is it possible for an organisation to be politics
free?
a-yes if all members holds same interest
and goals.
b-yes if organisational resource are not
scarce.
c-yes if performance outcomes are
completely clear objective.

46. Factors influencing political behavior:

47. INDIVIDUAL FACTORS
1. High self – monitors
2. Internal locus of control
3. High Mach personality
4. Organizational investment
5. Perceived job alternatives
6. Expectation of success

48. 1.High self-monitors:
 Self monitors have the ability to adjust their
behavior to external, situational factors and can
behave differently in different situation.
High self-
monitor
High political
behavior

49. Individual factors
EX. Narendra
Modi

50. 2.Internal locus of control:
 Individuals with high internal locus of control
believe they can control their own environment,
are more inclined to take proactive attitude and
strive to manipulate situations in their favor.
 They think they are the masters of their destiny.
High internal
locus of
control
High
political
behavior

51. EX. Attributing good performance to your hard
work, good study habits and your interest in
subject.

52. 3. High Mach
Machiavellian personality who has a strong desire
for power and desire to manipulate is more prone to
use politics as a means of accomplishing his or her
self-interests.
Since an individual high in Machiavellianism believes
that ends can justify means, using political behavior
to achieve his/her goals is acceptable for him/her.
High Mach
High political
behavior

53. EX. Donald Trump

54. 4. Organizational investment:
A person will be less likely to use illegitimate
political behavior, if he/she has invested too much
in the organization in terms of expectations of
increased future benefits because he/she has more
to lose if forced out.
High
organization
al
investment
Low
illegitimate
political
behavior

55. 5. Perceived job alternatives :
The more likely a person is to pursue illegitimate
political behavior, the more job alternatives
he/she has because of favorable job market or
possession of scarce skills or knowledge, well
known contacts outside the organization.
More job
alternatives
High
illegitimate
political
behavior

56. 6.Expectations of success :
The individual is more likely to use illegitimate
political behavior if he/she has a high
expectation of success in using it.
More
expectation
of success
High
illegitimate
political
behavior

57. Organizational Factors
1.Reallocation of Resources
2.Promotion Opportunities
3.Low trust
4.Role Ambiguity
5.Unlcear performance evaluation system
6.Zero-sum reward practices
7.Democratic decision Making
8.High performance pressure
9.Self - Serving senior Managers

58. 1.Reallocation of Resources
• When the existing pattern of resources is
changed or when there is change in allocation
of resources, politicking(engage in political
activity) is more likely to surface.
• For example: job vacancy in organization etc
Significant
reallocation of
resources
More conflicts
and politicking

59. 2.Promotion Opportunities
• The opportunity for Promotions has
consistently been found to encourage
competition for a limited resource as people
try to positively influence the decision
outcome.
• For e.g. Cricketers who want to play for the
country or at high level etc
High
competition
High Political
behavior

60. 3.Low trust
• The less trust within the organization, higher
the level of political behavior and more likely
it will be of the illegitimate(not in accordance
with accepted standards or rules) kind.
• For e.g. Nitishkumar of UPA etc
Low trust
High Political
behavior

61. 4.Role Ambiguity
• The prescribed employee behavior are not
clear.
• For e.g. Career dilemma etc
High role
Ambiguity
High political
behavior

62. 5.Unlcear performance evaluation
system
• The more that organizations use subjective
criteria is used in appraisal, emphasize a single
outcome measure, or allow significant time to
pass between the time of an action and its
appraisal the greater the likelihood that an
employee can get away with politicking.
Less clarity in
performance
evaluation
More chances
of political
behavior

63. 6.Zero-sum reward practices
• Someone’s gain is someone’s loss
• This approach treats the reward pie as fixed
• Win/loose approach to reward allocation

65. 7.Democratic decision Making
• Managers in these organizations are asked to
behave democratically.
• They are told that they should allow
employees to advise them on decisions and
that they should rely to a greater extent on
group input into the decision process.

66. 8.High performance pressure
• The more pressure employees feel to perform
well, the more likely they are to engage in
politicking.
• E.g. exam pressure(cheating) etc
High
performance
pressure
High political
behavior

67. 9.Self - Serving senior Managers
• When employees see the people on top,
engaging in political behavior especially when
they do so successfully and are rewarded for it
a climate is created that supports politicking.

68. How Do People Respond to
Organizational Politics ?

69. ■ politics is the use of power by an organization a
group or individual to influence decisions to get things
done.
■ It could be either positive or negative.
■ Organizational politics are part of organization.
■ It depends upon individual's 'How' & 'why ' 's of
organizational politics .

70. Employee Responses to Organizational
Politics :

71. High
Power & Understanding Opportunity
Low
Power & Understanding Threaten

72. Defensive Behaviours
Avoiding
Action
Over conforming
Buck Passing
Playing dumb
Stretching
Stalling
Avoiding
Blame
Buffing
Playing Safe
Justifying
Scapegoating
Misrepresenting
Avoiding
change
Prevention
Self protection

73. 1. Avoiding Action
• Overconforming :-
Strictly interpreting your responsibility by
saying things like, “The rules clearly stat..”
Eq.

74. • Buck passing :-
Transferring responsibility for the
execution of a task or decision to
someone else.

75. • Playing dumb :-
Avoiding an unwanted task by falsely
pleading ignorance or inability.

76. • Stretching :-
Prolonging a task so that one person
appears to be occupied.

77. • Stalling :-
appearing to be more or less supportive
publicly while doing little or nothing
privately.

78. 2. Avoiding Blame
• Buffing :-
It describes the practice of rigorously
documenting activity to project an image of
competence and thoroughness.

79. • Playing safe:-
Evading situations that may reflect unfavourably.

80. • Justifying :-
developing explanations that lessen one’s
responsibility for a negative outcome
and/or apologizing to demonstrate
remorse.

81. • Scapegoating :-
Placing the blame for a negative outcome on
external factors that are not entirely
blameworthy.

82. • Misrepresenting :-
manipulation of information by distortion,
embellishment, deception, selective
presentation, or obfuscation.

83. 3. Avoiding Change
• Prevention :-
Trying to prevent a threating change
from occurring.

84. • Self-protection :-
Acting in ways to protect one’s self-interest
during change by guarding information or other
resources.

85. IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT

86. IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT
• The process by which individual attempt to
control the impression others form of them.
• IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT is how to make a
favorable impression, how to perceive others
and evaluate others on the basis of
 Dress, Make up, Hairstyle
 Manner and general behavior
 Body language

87. • Conformity
• FavorsIngratiation
• Excuses
• ApologiesDefensive
• Self promotion
• EnhancementSelf-focused
• Flattery
• ExemplificationAssertive

88. CONFORMITY
• Agreeing with someone else’s opinion to gain
his or her approval.
• Ex :
Bhide (Secretery)

89. FAVORS
• Doing something nice for someone to gain
that person’s approval is a form of
ingratiation.
• Ex :
• Helping your colleague
• Offer spa voucher

90. EXCUSES
• Explanations of a predicament creating event
aimed at minimizing the apparent severity of
the predicament is a defensive IM technique.
• Ex :
• Coming late in college
• Incomplete work

91. Apologies
• Admitting the responsibility for an unpleasant
and undesirable incident.
• Attempt to get a pardon for the doing activity.
• Ex :
• Sorry for late delivery

92. Self promotion
• Highlighting one’s best qualities.
• Downplaying one’s deficits.
• Draw attention to one’s achievement.
• Ex :
• Prepare project before time
and it’s most attractive than
others.

93. Enhancement
• Claiming that something you did is more
valuable than most other members of the
organization would think.
• Ex :
• Celebrity's divorce story

94. Flattery
• Complimenting others about their behavior or
achievement in an effort to make oneself
appear perceptive and likeable.
• Ex :
• Looking beautiful/
Handsome

95. Exemplification
• Doing more than you need to in an effort to
show how dedicated and hard working you
are.
• Ex :
• Doing extra work overtime

96. Effectiveness of IM Techniques
• IM techniques work Consciously or
unconsciously
• Ingratiation is positively related with
performance rating.
• Self promote people receive lower
performance evaluation.

97. Thank You.