This document discusses power and politics in organizations. It defines power as the ability to influence others through control of resources. There are two bases of power: formal power from one's position, and personal power independent of position. Formal power includes coercive, reward, legitimate, and information power. Personal power includes expert, referent, and charismatic power. Dependency is key to power - the more dependent B is on A, the more power A has. Scarcity and importance of resources increase dependency. Power can be exercised positively to help others, or negatively through dominance and sacrifice of people. Strategies for gaining power include alliances, divide-and-rule tactics, and manipulating information. Power structures form based on organizational

1. Power and Politics

2. Power
Power is the ability to influence behaviour,
people or things through the control of
important resources

3. Bases of Power
I Formal Power- is based on an individual’s position in an
organisation
1. Coercive power- the ability to influence punishment eg
reprimand, demotion, etc
2. Reward power- the extent to which one has control over rewards
that are valued by the other
3. Legitimate power- positional power because of the authority
inherent in the position as a result of hierarchy
4. Information power- comes from access to and control over
information

4. Bases of Power (contd)
II Personal Power- does not depend on the formal position of an
individual in the organisation
1. Expert power- is the result of expertise, special skill or
knowledge
2. Referent power- as a result of follower’s loyalty, respect,
friendship, affection, or desire to seek approval
3. Charismatic power- is an extension of referent power stemming
from an individual’s personality and interpersonal style

5. Dependency: The Key To Power
• The General Dependency Postulate
– The greater B’s dependency on A, the greater the power A has over
B.
– Possession/control of scarce organizational resources that others
need makes a manager powerful.
– Access to optional resources (e.g., multiple suppliers) reduces the
resource holder’s power.
• What Creates Dependency
– Importance of the resource to the organization
– Scarcity of the resource
– Nonsubstitutability of the resource

6. Faces of Power
As per David McClelland there are two types of power
1. Negative Face-
It is usually expressed in terms of dominance or submission ie I
win, you lose
Leadership on this bases uses people as need arises to be sacrificed
This face of power is self defeating
Person’s subjected to this power either resist leadership or become
passive
2. Positive Face-
Involves exerting influence on behalf of others rather than over
others
Involves exhibiting dominance to get work done for organisational
betterment and employee wellbeing
Leaders exercising this power encourage their subordinates to
develop strength and competence. They need to succeed as
human beings and as organisation members

7. Strategies for Power Acquisition
1. Maintain alliance with powerful people
2. Divide and Rule
3. Manipulate classified information
4. Attacking and blaming others
5. Wait for a crisis
6. Being aware of resource dependence
7. Coalition

8. Power Structure and Blocs
• Power relationships existing between the members
of an organisation usually match their positions in
the organisation chart
• Power relationships can be direct as well as
indirect
• Indirect power at times can be greater than direct
power because people can become members of
power elite due to casteism, club membership or
some other form of common interest
• Power elite are formed due to mutual sharing of
power

9. Power Blocs
• Unlike power elites which supplement the power
of people who are already powerful, power blocs
are large groups of people who possess limited
individual power
• People come together to form power blocs to
increase their collective power or reduce or
balance the power of those on whom they depend
• Formation of power blocs leads to instability in
social interactions

10. Politics

11. Politics: Power in Action

12. Causes of Political Behaviour
1. Scarcity of resources
2. Ambiguous goals
3. Technology and external environment
4. Lust of power
5. Saturation in career
6. Organisational Culture
7. Psychological factors

13. Negative Aspects of Politics
1. Self interest
2. Differential aspects of power politics on
employees
3. Organisational conflicts
4. Effect on managers
5. Inequitable distribution of power

14. Functions of Organisational Politics
1. Overcome employees inadequacies
2. Cope with change
3. Channel personal contacts
4. Substitute for formal authority
5. Execution of decisions
6. Act in Darwinian way

15. Factors That
Influence Political
Behaviors