2. What is power?
Power is the ability to …
▫ Get someone to do something you want done.
▫ Make things happen in the way you want
“Power is the opportunity to build, to create, to
nudge history in a different direction."
Richard Nixon
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3. Sources of Power in Organizations
Legitimate PowerLegitimate Power
Reward PowerReward Power
Coercive PowerCoercive Power
Expert PowerExpert Power
Referent PowerReferent Power
5. Managers Acquire the power needed
for leadership by working towards
Power-oriented behavior
Position power and personal power
2–C’s : Centrality and Criticality
Building expertise
Visibility of their job performance
Expanding contacts with senior people.
Seeking opportunities to increase name
recognition.
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6. Empowerment
The process by which managers help
others to acquire and use the power
needed to make decisions affecting
themselves and their work.
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7. Empowerment, and the way managers
empower others:
Power as an expanding pie.
▫ With empowerment, employees must be trained to
expand their power and their new influence
potential.
▫ Empowerment changes the dynamics between
supervisors and subordinates.
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8. Sexual Harassment and Power
• Harasser stereotypes the
victim as subservient and
powerless
• Harasser threatens job
security or safety through
coercive or legitimate
power
• Hostile work environment
harassment continues
when the victim lacks
power to stop the
behaviour
9. Office Romance and Power
• Co-workers believe that
employees in
relationships abuse
their power to favour
each other.
• Higher risk of sexual
harassment when
relationship breaks off.
11. Organizational Politics
“Organizational politics
involves those activities by
organizations to acquire,
develop, and use power and
other resources to obtain
one’s preferred outcomes in
a situation in which there is
uncertainty or dissent about
choices.”
(Pfeffer, 1981)
12. Factors Influencing Political Behaviour
Political behaviour
Low High
Favourable outcomes
• Rewards
• Averted punishments
13. Political Tactics
• Attacking or blaming others.
• Creating a favorable image.
• Developing a base of support.
• Inspirational appeal
• Consultation
• Exchange
• Coalition
• Pressure
14. How do organizational politics affect
managers and management?
Political action in the chief executive suite.
Political action and subunit power.
Managers placing themselves in the
positions of other persons involved in critical
decisions or events.
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15. Can the firm use politics strategically?
Organizational governance & its implications
▫ The pattern of authority, influence, and
acceptable managerial behavior established at the
top of the organization.
▫ Significantly determined by the effective control
of key resources by members of a dominant
coalition.
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16. Can the firm use politics strategically?
A person’s behavior must satisfy the following
criteria to be ethical:
▫ The behavior must produce the greatest good for
the greatest number of people.
▫ The behavior must respect the rights of all affected
parties.
▫ The behavior must respect the rules of justice.
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17. Limiting the Effects of Political Behavior
• Open communication
• Provide Sufficient Resources
• Introduce Clear Rules
• Free Flowing Information
• Measure performance, not personalities
• Remove Political Norms
• Hire Low-Politics Employees
• Increase Opportunities for Dialogue
• Peer Pressure Against Politics
18. The Bottom Line: Managing
Organizational Politics Effectively
Learn the
Culture and the
“Rules of the
Game” for
Success in the
Organization
Learn the
Culture and the
“Rules of the
Game” for
Success in the
Organization
Establish Cred-
ibility and an
Overall Positive
Impression in
the Eyes of
Others in the
Organization
Establish Cred-
ibility and an
Overall Positive
Impression in
the Eyes of
Others in the
Organization
Build a Base of
Support by
Networking,
Forming
Alliances, etc.,
with Key
Players
Build a Base of
Support by
Networking,
Forming
Alliances, etc.,
with Key
Players
Create and
Implement
Formal and
Clear Policies,
Procedures,
etc., to Reduce
Ambiguity
Create and
Implement
Formal and
Clear Policies,
Procedures,
etc., to Reduce
Ambiguity
Be Open and
Visible with
Employees
When Dealing
with Key
Issues that
Affect Them
Be Open and
Visible with
Employees
When Dealing
with Key
Issues that
Affect Them
Act in Ways
Consistent with
What is
Verbally
Communicated
to Employees
(Walk the Talk)
Act in Ways
Consistent with
What is
Verbally
Communicated
to Employees
(Walk the Talk)
Use Defensive
Behaviors as
Protection
Against Dirty
Political
Players in the
Organization
Use Defensive
Behaviors as
Protection
Against Dirty
Political
Players in the
Organization
19. 2P’s - Power & politics
To direct and
control behavior
of organizational
members to
achieve
organizational
goals
