Politics & Power

1. Organizational Power
and Politics

2. Southland Times, New Zealand
The Meaning of Power
Power is the capacity of a person,
team, or organization to influence
others.
– The potential to influence others
– People have power they don’t use
and may not know they possess
– Power requires one person’s
perception of dependence on another
person

3. Why does having power matter?
With power you can…
 Intercede favorably on behalf of someone in trouble
 Get a desirable placement for a talented subordinate
 Get approval for expenditures beyond the budget
 Get items on and off agendas
 Get fast access to decision makers
 Maintain regular, frequent contact with decision
makers
 Acquire early information about decisions and policy
shifts

4. The goal?
 Overcome feelings of powerlessness
 Convert power effectively into interpersonal
influences in ways that avoid the abuse of
power

5. Relationship Among Social Influence, Power,
and Politics
Organizational
politics
Use of power for
personal interests
Capacity to
exert influence
Social influence
Unsuccessful
Successful
Power

6. Power and Dependence
Person
A
Person
B’s Goals
Person
B
Person B’s
counterpowe
r over Person
A
Person A’s
power over
Person B

7. Types of Individual Power: A
Summary
Position Power
• Legitimate power
• Reward power
• Coercive power
Individual Power
Personal Power
• Referent power
• Expert power

8. Model of Power in
Organizations
Power
over Others
Contingencies
Of Power
Sources
Of Power
Legitimate
Reward
Coercive
Expert
Referent

9. Legitimate Power
 One’s structural position
 The power a person receives as a result of
his or her position in the formal hierarchy of
an organization

10. Reward and Coercive Power
 Power that achieves compliance based on
the ability to distribute rewards that others
view as valuable
 Coercive Power: the opposite of reward
power: the power that is based on fear of
negative results.

11. Sources of Power
Archive Photos
Legitimate Power
Reward Power
Coercive Power
Expert Power
Referent Power

12. Expert Power
 Influence is based on special skills or
knowledge

13. Referent Power
 Influence is based on possession by an
individual of desirable resources or personal
traits
 The desire to please…

14. Contingencies of Power
Contingencies
Of Power
Power
over others
Sources
Of Power
Substitutability
Centrality
Discretion
Visibility

15. Commitment
Consequences of Power
Reward
Power
Legitimate
Power
Coercive
Power
Expert
Power
Referent
Power
Resistance
Compliance
Sources
of Power
Consequences
of Power

16. Organizational Politics
 Attempts to influence others using
discretionary behaviours to promote
personal objectives
– Discretionary behaviours — neither explicitly
prescribed nor prohibited
 Politics may be good or bad for the
organization

17. Types of
Organizational
Politics
Managing
impressions
Attacking and
blaming
Creating
obligations
Cultivating
networks
Types of Organizational
Politics
Controlling
information
Forming
coalitions

18. Types of
Organizational
Politics
Attacking and
blaming
Creating
obligations
Cultivating
networks
Controlling
information
Forming
coalitions
It was
Amil’s fault
I thought
you
knew…
We agreed
that…
Look who
I know…
You
scratch my
back…

19. Conditions
Supporting
Organizational
Politics
Scarce
Resources
Complex and
Ambiguous
Decisions
Personal
Characteristics
Tolerance of
Politics
Conditions for Organizational
Politics

20. Conditions
Supporting
Organizational
Politics
Scarce
Resources
Complex and
Ambiguous
Decisions
Personal
Characteristics
Tolerance of
Politics
Conditions for Organizational
Politics
Deceit is
appropriate
Zero-sum
rewards
Internal
locus of
control
Perceived
alternatives?
It works here
Democratic
decision making

21. Controlling Political Behaviour
Peer Pressure
Against Politics
Remove
Political Norms
Free Flowing
Information
Manage Change
Effectively
Provide
Sufficient
Resources
Introduce
Clear Rules
Hire
Low-Politics
Employees
Increase
Opportunities
for Dialogue