This document discusses power and political behavior in organizations. It defines power as the ability to influence others and distinguishes among power, influence, and authority. There are interpersonal sources of power like reward power and coercive power, as well as functional sources based on controlling resources or strategic contingencies. The document outlines symbols of power and powerlessness and discusses organizational politics and political behavior. It also provides guidance on the ethical use of power and empowering others.

1. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
11
©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in
part.
Power and Political
Behavior

2. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Learning Objectives
©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
1 Distinguish among power, influence, and
authority.
2 Compare the interpersonal and functional
sources of power.
3 Understand the ethical use of power.
4 Identify symbols of power and
powerlessness in organizations.
2

3. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Learning Objectives continued
©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
5 Define organizational politics and
understand the role of political skill and
major influence tactics.
6 Develop a plan for managing employee–
boss relationships.
7 Discuss how managers can empower
others.
3

4. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
Power Defined
Power: the ability to influence someone else
4
Agent:
the person using
the power
Target: the
recipient of the
attempt to use
power
POWER

5. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
The Concept of Power
• Influence: the process of affecting the thoughts,
behavior, and feelings of another person
• Authority: the right to influence another person
• Zone of indifference: the range in which
attempts to influence the employee are
perceived as legitimate and are acted on
without a great deal of thought
• Managers work to expand this zone
• The zone is enlarged through the use of power
rather than authority
5

6. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
Interpersonal Forms of Power
• Based on agent’s ability to control
rewards that a target wantsReward power
• Based on agent’s ability to cause the
target to have an unpleasant experienceCoercive power
• Based on position and mutual
agreementLegitimate power
• Based on interpersonal attraction
Referent power
• Based on specialized knowledge or skills
that the target needsExpert power
6

7. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
Forms of Power
• Expert power has the strongest relationship
with performance and satisfaction
• Referent power is linked with organizational
effectiveness
• The least effective power bases—legitimate,
reward, and coercive—are the ones most
likely to be used by managers
• The key to using all five forms of power well
is using them ethically
7

8. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
8

9. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
Using Power Ethically
1. Does the behavior produce a good outcome
for people both inside and outside the
organization?
2. Does the behavior respect the rights of all
parties?
3. Does the behavior treat all parties
equitably and fairly?
9

10. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
Two Faces of Power
Two faces of power: positive and negative
10
Personal power used for
personal gain
Social
power
used to
motivate
and attain
goals

11. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
Successful Use of Power
Managers who use power successfully have
four power-oriented characteristics:
• Belief in the authority system
• Preference for work and discipline
• Altruism
• Belief in justice
11

12. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
Functional Sources of Power
Control of critical resources
Control of strategic contingencies—
activities that others depend on in
order to complete tasks
12

13. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
Strategic Contingencies
13
Ways groups hold power over other groups
(strategic contingency)
• Ability to cope with uncertainty
• High degree of centrality - functionality
central to organization’s success
• Nonsubstitutability - group’s activities
are indispensable
• Key to all three - dependency

14. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
Kanter’s Symbols of Power
• Power = the ability to help others
• Ability to intercede for someone in trouble
• Ability to get placements for favored employees
• Exceeding budget limitations
• Procuring above-average raises for employees
• Getting items on meeting agendas
• Access to early information
• Having top managers seek their opinions
14

15. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
Kanter’s Symbols of Powerlessness
• First-line supervisors
• Overly close supervision
• Inflexible adherence to the rules
• Tendency to do the job themselves
• Staff professionals
• Resisting change
• Protecting turf
• Top executives
• Focusing on budget cutting
• Punishing others
• Using top-down management
15

16. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
Korda’s Symbols of Power
• Power = status
• There are more people who inconvenience
themselves on your behalf than there are
people on whose behalf you would
inconvenience yourself
• Furniture
• Time power
• Standing by
16

17. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
Political Behavior
• Organizational politics: the use of power and
influence in organizations
• Political behavior: actions not officially
sanctioned by an organization that are taken
to influence others in order to meet one’s
personal goals
17

18. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
Encouraging Political Activity
• Unclear goals
• Autocratic decision making
• Ambiguous lines of authority
• Scarce resources
• Uncertainty
18

19. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
Influence
Upward
influence • Boss
Lateral
influence • Coworker
Downward
influence • Employee
19
Influence: the
process of
affecting the
thoughts,
behavior, or
feelings of
another person

20. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
20

21. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
Political Skill
• Political skill: the ability to get things done
through positive interpersonal relationships
outside the formal organization
21
Social
astuteness
Interpersonal
influence
Networking
ability
Sincerity

22. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
Managing Political Behavior
• Recognizing it
• Networking
• Finding key players to
support initiatives
• Making friends with
powerful people
• Bending the rules
• Self-promoting
• Practicing open
communication
• Clarifying expectations
regarding
performance
• Participative
management
• Encouraging
cooperation
• Managing scarce
resources well
• Providing a supportive
organizational climate
22

23. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
Empowerment
• Empowerment: creating conditions for
heightened motivation through the
development of a strong sense of personal
self-efficacy
• Sharing power in such a way that individuals
learn to believe in their ability to do the job
• The individuals closest to the work and to
the customers should make the decisions
23

24. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
Four Dimensions of Empowerment
• A fit between the work role and the employee’s values and beliefs
Meaning
• The belief that one has the ability to do the job well
Competence
• Having control over the way employees do their work
Self-determination
• Belief that one’s job makes a difference within the organization
Impact
24

25. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
Empowering Others
• Express confidence in employees and set
high performance expectations
• Create opportunities for employees to
participate in decision making
• Remove bureaucratic constraints that stifle
autonomy
• Set inspirational or meaningful goals
25

26. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
26

27. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
Why Executives Fail
• See themselves and their companies as
dominating
• Think they have all the answers
• Eliminate those not 100% behind them
• Rely on what worked for them in the past
• Set no clear boundaries between personal
and corporate interests
27

28. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
Using Power Successfully
• Use power in ethical ways
• Understand and use all of the various types of
power and influence
• Seek jobs that allow you to develop your power
skills
• Use power tempered by maturity and self-
control
• Accept that influencing people is an important
part of the management job
28

29. ©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.©2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
^
^
^
Chapter 11: Reflect & Discuss
Flash of Genius Video Clip
• This chapter defined power as “the ability to
influence someone else.” Who has power in this film
scene?
• The chapter distinguished influence from authority.
What is the example of the use of authority in the
scene?
• Which interpersonal forms of power appear in this
film scene? Draw examples of your choices from the
scene.
29