This document discusses power, influence, and organizational politics. It defines power as the ability to get someone to do something or make things happen as desired. Influence is others' response to the exercise of power. There are two primary sources of power - position power, which derives from one's formal role, and personal power, which resides in the individual independently of position. Various types of both position and personal power are described. The document also covers empowerment, organizational politics, and theories related to agency, resource dependencies, and governance.

2. What are power and influence?
What are the key sources of power and
influence?
What is empowerment?
What is organizational politics?
Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 12-2

3. Power
 The ability to get someone to do something you
want done.
 The ability to make things happen in the way you
want.
Influence
 Expressed by others’ behavioral response to the
exercise of power.
Interdependence
 Employee’s are closely connected with the
individuals in their workgroup, those in other
departments they work with, and their
supervisors.
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4. Legitimacy – an understood and unwritten set
of social mores and conventions that serve
to maintain societal order.
Obedience – tendency for individuals to
comply and be obedient—to switch off
their emotions and merely do exactly what
they are told to do.
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5. Acceptance of authority (‘consent of the
governed’) is the concept that subordinates
will accept or follow a managerial directive
only if the subordinate :
 Understands the directive.
 Is mentally and physically capable of carrying
out the directive.
 Believes the directive is consistent with
organization’s purpose and personal interests.
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6. Zone of indifference
Range of requests to which a person is willing
to respond without subjecting the directives
to critical evaluation or judgment.
 Psychological contract – unwritten set of
expectations about a person’s exchange of
inducements and contributions with an
organization.
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8. Two primary sources of power:
Position
Derives from a person’s position in the
organization.
Personal
Resides in the individual.
Independent of that individual’s position.
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9. TYPES OF POSITION POWER
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10. Legitimate power
The extent to which a manager can use
subordinates’ internalized values or beliefs
that the “boss” has a “right of command” to
control their behavior.
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11. Reward power
The extent to which a manager can use
extrinsic and intrinsic rewards to control other
people.
Coercive power
The extent to which a manager can deny
desired rewards and administer punishments
to control other people.
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12. Process power
The control that a manager
has over methods of
production and analysis.
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13. Information power
The access to and/or control of information.
Representative power
The formal right conferred to an individual
by the firm to speak for a potentially
important group.
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14. Expert
Rational
Persuasion
Coalition
Ability to control another’s behavior
through the possession of knowledge,
experience or judgment.
Ability to control another’s behavior
because of accepted desirability of an
offered goal and a way of achieving it.
Ability to control another’s behavior
because the person wants to identify
with the power source.
Ability to control another’s behavior
indirectly because of a reciprocal
obligation to you or the larger group.
Referent
12-14Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

15. Building influence
Power-oriented behavior is action directed
primarily at developing relationships in which
other people are willing to defer to one’s
wishes.
Downward, upward, lateral.
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17. Build Position Power
› Demonstrate to
others that work unit
is relevant to
organizational goals
(centrality).
› Demonstrate to
others the ability to
respond to urgent
organizational need
(criticality).
 Managers make part
of their job
responsibilities unique.
 Managers may
expand their network
of communication
contacts and also
increase task
relevance. 12-17Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

18.  Build expertise
through advanced
training and
education.
 Participate in
professional
associations, and
early stages of
projects.
 Enhance
likeability
by creating
personal
appeal in
relationships
with others.
 Includes
pleasant
personality
traits,
agreeable
behavior
patterns, and
attractive
Enhance
political savvy
by learning ways
to negotiate,
persuade.
Understand goals
and means that
most are willing to
accept.
12-18Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

19. Which personal power would you likely use
to request a promotion?
a. Coalition
b. Rational persuasion
c. Expertise
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20. Ways that managers increase the visibility of
their job performance in organizations
 Expand contacts with senior people.
 Make oral presentations of written work.
 Participate in problem-solving task forces.
 Send out notices of accomplishment.
 Seek additional opportunities to increase
personal name recognition.
12-20Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

21. Controlling decision premises
Defining a problem in terms of your own
expertise in solving it.
Stating goals and needs clearly and
bargaining effectively.
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22. Strengthening influence techniques through:
 Reason - use facts and data to support a logical
argument.
 Friendliness - use flattery, goodwill and favorable
impressions.
 Coalition – use relationships, with others, for support.
 Bargaining – use exchange of benefits as a basis for
negotiation.
 Assertiveness – use direct and forceful approach.
 Higher authority – gain higher level support for requests.
 Sanctions – organizational rewards/punishments.
12-22Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

23. Empowerment
The process by which managers help others
to acquire and use the power needed to
make decisions affecting themselves and
their work.
One view considers power to be something
that can be shared by everyone working in
flatter and more collegial structures.
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24. Changing position power
 Moving power down the hierarchy alters the
existing pattern of position power.
 Changing this pattern raises the following
important questions:
 Can “empowered” individuals give rewards and
sanctions based on task accomplishment?
 Has their new right to act been legitimized with
formal authority?
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25. Power as an expanding pie
 The key is to change from a view stressing
power over others to one emphasizing the
use of power to get things done.
 Requires leader support, training, coaching,
individual supervision and clear, re-stated
definitions of roles and responsibilities.
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26. Two traditions of organizational politics:
Machiavellian – focuses on self interest and
the use of nonsanctioned means philosophy.
Art of creative compromise among
competing interests - view that states the firm
is more than just an instrument for
accomplishing a task or a mere collection of
individuals with a common goal.
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27. Effects of organizational politics
 Enhances the achievement of organizational goals
and survival.
 Can serve a number of important work functions.
 Provides a mechanism for circumventing
inadequacies and getting the job done.
 Helps identify problems and move ambitious,
problem-solving managers.
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29. The Politics of Self Protection
Avoidance – employee must risk being wrong
or where actions may yield a sanction.
 Working to the rules
 Playing dumb
 Depersonalization
 Stalling
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30. Redirecting accountability and responsibility
 Passing the buck
 Rewriting history
 Redirecting (scapegoating, blaming the
problem on someone or some group that has
difficulty defending itself, and blaming
problem on uncontrollable events,)
 Escalating commitment
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31. Defending turf is a common political
dynamic when:
 Managers seek to improve their power
attempt by expanding the jobs their groups
perform.
 Competing interests exist among various
departments and groups.
12-31Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

32. Agency theory
Suggests that public corporations can
function effectively even though their
managers are self-interested and do not
automatically bear the full consequences of
their managerial actions.
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33. Key arguments of agency theory
All of society’s interests are served by
protecting stockholder interests.
Stockholders have a clear interest in greater
returns.
Managers are self-interested and must be
controlled.
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34. Types of controls instituted for agents
Pay plan incentives that align the interests of
management and stockholders.
The establishment of a strong, independent
board of directors.
Stakeholders with a large stake in the firm
take an active role one the board.
12-34Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

35. Resource dependencies
 The firm’s need for resources that are controlled by
others.
The dependencies increase as:
 Needed resources become more scarce.
 Outsiders have more control over needed resources.
 There are fewer substitutes for a particular type of
resource controlled by a limited number of outsiders.
12-35Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

36. Organizational governance
The pattern of authority, influence, and
acceptable managerial behavior
established at the top of the organization.
12-36Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.