This document summarizes key concepts around power and political behavior from Chapter 11. It defines power as the ability to influence others through influence or authority. It discusses forms of power like control over resources or information. It also outlines tactics for using power ethically and effectively, as well as conditions that encourage political behavior in organizations. Managing political behavior involves open communication, clear expectations, and an empowering organizational climate.

1. 4e
Nelson/Quick
Chapter 11
Power and
Political
Behavior
©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

2. Power
 Ability to influence another person
 Exerted by means of:
 Influence: Affecting the thoughts, behavior, and
feelings of another person
 Authority: Right to influence another person
 Zone of indifference: Range in which attempts to
influence a person will be:
 Perceived as legitimate
 Acted on without a great deal of thought
©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
2

3. Learning Outcome
Identify forms and sources of power in
organizations
©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 3
3

4. Table 11.1 - Guidelines for the
Ethical Use of Power
©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
4
SOURCE: G. A. Yuki, Leadership in Organizations, 1st ed., © 1981. Reprinted by permission of Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, N.J.

5. Intergroup Sources of Power
 Control of critical resources and strategic
contingencies
 Strategic contingencies: Activities that other groups
depend on in order to complete their tasks
 Factors that give a group control over a strategic
contingency
 Ability to cope with uncertainty
 High degree of centrality
 Nonsubstitutability
©2015 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

6. Using Power Ethically
 Being sensitive toward employees’ concerns and
communicating well
 Information power: Access to and control over
important information
©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6

7. Positive versus Negative Power
 Personal power: Used for personal gain
 Negative face of power
 Social power: Used to create motivation or to
accomplish group goals
 Positive face of power
 Characteristics
 Belief in the authority system
 Preference for work and discipline
 Altruism and belief in justice
©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
7

8. Kanter’s Symbols of Power
 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 the agenda at meetings
 Access to early information
 Having top managers seek out their opinion
©2015 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. Kanter’s Symbols of Powerlessness
©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
9
First-line supervisors
• Overly close supervision
• Inflexible adherence to the rules
• Tendency to do the job themselves
Staff professionals
• Resist change
• Try to protect their turf
Top executives
• Focus on budget cutting and punishing others
• Use dictatorial, top-down communication
Managers
• Make external attributions for negative events

10. Korda’s Power Symbols
 Office furnishings
 Convey messages about power
 Time power
 Using clocks and watches as power symbols
 Standing by
 Game in which people are obliged to keep their cell
phones, pagers, and so forth with them at all times
so executives can reach them
©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
10

11. Political Behavior in Organizations
 Actions not officially sanctioned by an organization
 Taken to influence others in order to meet one’s
personal goals
 Organizational politics: Use of power and influence
in organizations
©2015 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

12. Conditions Encouraging Political
Activity
©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
12
Unclear goals
Autocratic decision making
Ambiguous lines of authority
Scarce resources
Uncertainty

13. Beyond the Book:
Evaluate Your Political Potential
©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
13
Personal Characteristics of Effective Political Actors:
Articulate Sensitive Socially adept
Competent Popular Extraverted
Self-confident Aggressive Ambitious
Devious “Organization man or woman”
Highly intelligent Logical
1. Which characteristics do you possess? Which do you need to work on? Ask a
friend what characteristics you possess.
2. On the basis of the table, are you an effective political actor? Explain.
3. Can we assume that all of these characteristics are worth having?

14. Table 11.2 - Influence Tactics Used in
Organizations
©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
14
SOURCE: First two columns from G. Yukl and C. M. Falbe, “Influence Tactics and Objectives in Upward, Downward, and Lateral Influence Attempts,” Journal of
Applied Psychology 75 (1990): 132–140. Copyright © 1990 by the American Psychological Association. Reprinted with permission.

15. Table 11.2 - Influence Tactics Used in
Organizations
©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
15
SOURCE: First two columns from G. Yukl and C. M. Falbe, “Influence Tactics and Objectives in Upward, Downward, and Lateral Influence Attempts,” Journal of
Applied Psychology 75 (1990): 132–140. Copyright © 1990 by the American Psychological Association. Reprinted with permission.

16. Table 11.2 - Influence Tactics Used in
Organizations
©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
16
SOURCE: First two columns from G. Yukl and C. M. Falbe, “Influence Tactics and Objectives in Upward, Downward, and Lateral Influence Attempts,” Journal of
Applied Psychology 75 (1990): 132–140. Copyright © 1990 by the American Psychological Association. Reprinted with permission.

17. Steps for the Effective Use of
Influence Tactics
 Develop and maintain open lines of communication
in all directions
 Treat the targets of influence attempts with basic
respect
 Understand that influence relationships are
reciprocal
 Direct influence attempts toward organizational
goals
©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
17

18. Political Skill
 Ability to get things done through favorable
interpersonal relationships outside formally
prescribed organizational mechanisms
 Should be considered in hiring and promotion
decisions
 Buffers the negative effects of stressors
 Leads to a positive effect on team performance,
trust and support for the leader
©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
18

19. Dimensions of Political Skill
©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
19
Social astuteness
Interpersonal influence
Networking ability
Sincerity

20. Managing Political Behavior
 Recognize the behavior
 Use open communication
 Clarify performance expectations
 Use participative management
 Encourage cooperation among work groups
 Manage scarce resources well
 Provide a supportive organizational climate
©2015 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. Empowerment
 Sharing power such that individuals learn to believe
in their ability, include following dimensions
 Meaning, competence, self-determination, and
impact
 Guidelines
 Express confidence and set high performance
expectations and meaningful goals
 Create opportunities to participate in decision making
 Remove bureaucratic constraints
©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
21

22. Figure 11.1 - Employee
Empowerment Grid
©2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
22