Power refers to the ability to influence others based on their dependence. Dependence increases when a resource is important, scarce, and non-substitutable. There are various bases of power including formal power, coercive power, reward power, legitimate power, expert power, and referent power. Influence tactics are used to translate power into actions and include rational persuasion, inspiration, consultation, and pressure. Organizational politics can arise when resources are scarce and decisions are complex, and can lead to defensive behaviors by employees like avoidance and impression management.

1. Power, Influence Tactics and Organizational Politics
Prepared by:
Arindam Bhattacharjee
Research Intern at IIM Kozhikode
MBA 1st year, NIT Rourkela

2. Introduction
Source : American sitcom-Game of Thrones
People who have power deny
it.
People who want power try
not to look like they’re seeking
it.
And those who are good at
getting it (power) are secretive
about how they do so.

3. A Definition of Power
Power refers to a capacity that A has to influence the
behavior of B so B acts in accordance with A ’s wishes.
Probably the most important aspect of power is that it is a
function of dependence .
Dependence, in turn, is based on alternatives that B
perceives and the importance B places on the
alternative(s) A controls. A person can have power over
you only if he or she controls something you desire.

4. Leadership vs Power
Leadership
Leadership requires some congruence
between the goals of the leader and
those being led.
It focusses on downward influence on
followers.
Leadership research, for the most
part, emphasizes style.
How supportive should a leader be?
How much decision making should
be shared with followers?
Power
Power does not require goal compatibility,
merely dependence.
Not so.
Research on power focuses on tactics for
gaining compliance.
It goes beyond the individual as the exerciser of
power, because groups as well as individuals can
use power to control other individuals or groups.

5. Bases of power
Bases or
sources of
power
Formal power
Coercive power
Reward power
Legitimate power
Personal
power
Expert power
Referent power

6. Formal power
• Formal Power: Formal power is based on an individual’s position in an
organization. It can come from the ability to coerce or reward, or from
formal authority.
Coercive power
The coercive power base
depends on fear of the
negative results from failing
to comply.
At the organizational level,
A has coercive power over B
if A can dismiss, suspend,
or demote B, assuming B
values his or her job.
Reward power
The opposite of coercive
power is reward power , with
which people comply because
it produces positive benefits.
These rewards can be either
financial—such as controlling
pay rates, raises, and
bonuses—or nonfinancial,
including recognition,
promotions, interesting work
assignments, friendly
colleagues etc.
Legitimate power
In formal groups and organizations,
probably the most common access to
one or more of the power bases is
through legitimate power .
It represents the formal authority to
control and use organizational
resources based on structural
position in the organization.
Legitimate power is broader than the
power to coerce and reward.

7. Personal power
Personal power :Personal power , comes from an individual’s
unique characteristics. There are two bases of personal power:
expertise and the respect and admiration of others.
Expert power
Influence wielded
as a result of
expertise, special
skill, or knowledge.
Referent power
Referent power is based on
identification with a person
who has desirable resources
or personal traits.
If I like, respect, and admire
you, you can exercise power
over me because I want to
please you.

8. Sources
of power
Sources
of power
 Legitimate
 Reward
 Coercive
 Expert
 Referent
Power over
others
Contingencies
of power
 Substitutability
 Centrality
 Discretion
 Visibility

9. Commitment
Consequences of power
Reward
Power
Legitimate
Power
Coercive
Power
Expert
Power
Referent
Power
Resistance
Compliance
Sources
of Power
Consequences
of Power

10. Empowerment
• The process by which managers help others to acquire and
use the power needed to make decisions affecting themselves
and their work.
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.
10

11. The Evolution of Power: From Domination to Delegation
None
High
DegreeofEmpowerment
Domination Consultation Participation Delegation
(Influence
Sharing)
Manager/leader
consults
followers when
making
decisions
(Power
Sharing)
Manager/leader
and followers
jointly make
decisions
(Power
Distribution)
Followers are
granted
authority to
make decisions
(Authoritarian
Power)
Manager/leader
impose
decisions

12. Power
• It is the ability to influence others as shown in the caption below :

13. Dependence : The key to power
• Dependence increases when the resource you control is
important, scarce, and not substitutable.
Importance: If nobody wants what you have, it’s not going to create
dependence.
Scarcity: We see the scarcity–dependence relationship in the power of
occupational categories. Where the supply of labor is low relative to
demand, workers can negotiate compensation and benefits packages.
Nonsubstitutability : The fewer viable substitutes for a resource, the
more power control over that resource provides.

14. Resource desired
by person B
Person B’s
countervailing
power over
Person A
Person A
Person A’s control
of resource valued
by person B
Person B
Person A’s
power over
Person B

15. Influence/Power tactics
Power tactics : Ways in which individuals translate power bases into specific actions.
Legitimacy: Relying on your authority position or saying a request
accords with organizational policies or rules.
Rational persuasion: Presenting logical arguments and factual evidence
to demonstrate a request is reasonable.
Inspirational appeals: Developing emotional commitment by appealing
to a target’s values, needs, hopes, and aspirations.
Consultation: Increasing the target’s support by involving him or her in
deciding how you will accomplish your plan.

16. Power/Influence tactics
Exchange: Rewarding the target with benefits or favors in
exchange for following a request.
Personal appeals: Asking for compliance based on
friendship or loyalty.
Ingratiation: Using flattery, praise, or friendly behavior
prior to making a request.
Pressure: Using warnings, repeated demands, and threats.
Coalitions: Enlisting the aid or support of others to
persuade the target to agree.

17. Influence process
• The psychological explanation for interpersonal influence involves the
motives and perceptions of the target person in a relation to the actions
of the agent and the context in which the interaction occurs.
Influence process
Instrumental
compliance
Internalization
Personal
Identification

18. INSTRUMENTAL COMPLIANCE
Target carries out a requested action for the purpose of obtaining
a tangible reward.

19. INTERNALISATION
The target commits and supports the proposals made by the agent.

20. PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION
Target imitates the agents behavior to please agent
and to be like the agent.

21. Resistance
Compliance
Commitment
Silent authority
Persuasion
Ingratiation &
Impression management
Exchange
Upward appeal
Coalition formation
Information control
Assertiveness
Soft influence
tactics
Hard influence
tactics

22. Power tactics: Points to remember

23. Power tactics: What not to do?

24. Power distance

25. Power distance
Power distance refers to the way in which power is distributed and the
extent to which the less powerful accept that power is distributed
unequally.
Put simply, people in some cultures accept a higher degree of unequally
distributed power than do people in other cultures.
When in a high power distance culture the relationship between bosses
and subordinates is one of dependence.
When in a low power distance society the relationship between bosses and
subordinates is one of interdependence.
Power distance might also restrict the implementation of new workplace
practices.

26. Sexual harassment: Unequal power in workplace
Sexual harassment is defined as any unwanted activity of a sexual nature
that affects an individual’s employment and creates a hostile work
environment.
Sexual harassment includes unwanted physical touching, recurring requests
for dates when it is made clear the person isn’t interested, and coercive
threats that a person will lose his or her job for refusing a sexual proposition.
Problems today are likely to surface around more subtle forms of sexual
harassment—unwanted looks or comments, off-color jokes, sexual artifacts
like pinups posted in the workplace, or misinterpretations of where the line
between being friendly ends and harassment begins.
A recent review concluded that 58 percent of women report having
experienced potentially harassing behaviors, and 24 percent report having
experienced sexual harassment at work.
Most studies confirm that the concept of power is central to understanding
sexual harassment.

27. Sexual harassment: Statistics

28. Organizational Politics :
 Behaviors that others perceive as self-serving
tactics for personal gain at the expense of other
people and possible the organization.
 More prevalent when scarce resources are
allocated using complex and ambiguous
decisions and when the organization tolerates or
rewards political behavior.
 Individuals with a high need for personal
power, an internal locus of control, and strong
Machiavellian values have a higher propensity
to use political tactics.

29. Conditions
Supporting
Organizational
Politics
Scarce
Resources
Complex and
Ambiguous
Decisions
Tolerance of
Politics
Organizational
Change

30. What influences political behavior?

31. Response of employees towards politics
Decreased job
satisfaction
Increased
anxiety
Increased
stress
Increased
turnover
Reduced
performance

32. Defensive behaviors
• When employees see politics as a threat, they often respond with defensive behaviors
—reactive and protective behaviors to avoid action, blame, or change.
Avoiding
Action
Overcon
forming
Buck
passing
Playing
dumb
Stretching
Stalling
Avoiding
blame
Bluffing
Playing
safe
Justifying
Misreprese
nting
Scapego
ating
Avoiding
change
Prevention
Self-
protection

33. Impression management (IM)
• The process by which individuals attempt to control the impression
others form of them is called impression management (IM) .
Conformity Favors Excuses Apologies
Self promotion Enhancement Flattery Exemplification

34. IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT TACTIC
Intended to influence people to like the agent.

35. MINIMIZING ORGANIZATIONAL POLITICS
Leaders as
role models
Manage
team norms
Free flowing
information
Manage change
effectively
Introduce
clear rules
Support
values that
oppose politics

36. Conclusion: Managing organizational politics effectively
Learn the
culture and the
“Rules of the
Game” for
success in the
organization
Establish
credibility 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
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
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

37. Latest research insights :
Research findings Title of research
paper
Name of Author(s) Name of Journal Year of publication
Organizational politics
impacts budgetary
slack creation in public
organizations
Do organizational
politics and
organizational
commitment affect
budgetary slack
creation in public
organizations?
Emine Yılmaza et al Procedia 2014
Effective organizational
change requires
considerable use of
power and politics
Power and politics in
organizations:
implications
for OD professional
practice
Fred Ochieng
Walumbwa
Human Resource
Development
International
2006 (online)
Organizational
politics and personality
traits were associated
with workplace
victimization
Do Personality and
Organizational Politics
Predict Workplace
Victimization? A Study
among Ghanaian
Employees
Francis Annor et al Safety and Health at
Work
2016

38. Latest research insights :
Research
findings
Title of research
paper
Name of
Author(s)
Name of
Journal
Year of
publication
Organizational
justice perceptions
are related to
rational and
coalition tactics
through LMX
Justice
perceptions,
leader-member
exchange, and
upward influence
tactics
Ethlyn A. Williams
et al
Leadership &
Organization
Development
Journal
2016
Israeli case
exemplifies why
politics in
organizations is by
no means one-
dimensional
Organizational
politics and human
resource
management: A
typology and
the Israeli
experience
Amos Drory et al Human resource
management
review
2010

39. References :
Stephen Robbins, Organizational Behavior,Chapter-13,15th Edition
www.slideshare.com

40. 40
Thank you