18/3/2013
POWER AND
POLITICS
Presented To: Mrs. Pradeepika
(Asst. professor)
Presented By :-
JASSI DUTT
18/3/2013
POWER AND POLITICS
 Study questions.
 What
is power?
 How
do managers acquire the power
needed for leadership?
 What
is empowerment, and how can
managers empower others?
 What
are organizational politics?
18/3/2013
CONTD…..
 Study questions.
How do organizational politics affect
managers and management?
Can the firm use politics strategically?
18/3/2013
“Power tends to corrupt;
absolute power corrupts
absolutely”
--- Lord Acton
18/3/2013
A DEFINITION OF POWER
POWER
A capacity that A has to influence
the behavior of B so that B acts in
accordance with A’s wishes.
DEPENDENCY
B’s relationship to A when
A possesses something
that B requires.
A
B
18/3/2013
 Power is the ability to …
Get someone to do something you want
done.
Make things happen in the way you
want.
 Influence is …
What you have when you exercise
power.
Expressed by others’ behavioral
response to your exercise of power.
18/3/2013
Power and Dependence
Person B’s
counterpower
over Person A
Person
B
Person
A
Person A’s
power over
Person B
Person
B’s Goals
Faces of Power in Action
18/3/2013
• Positive
– Leading
– Influencing
– Selling
– Persuading
• Negative
– Coercing
– Forcing
– Hurting
– Crushing
18/3/2013
Coercive
Reward
The Bases
of Power
Legitimate
Expert
Referent
18/3/2013
BASES OF POWER
Formal Power
Is established by an individual’s position in an
organization; conveys the ability to coerce or
reward, from formal authority, or from control of
information.
Coercive Power
A power base dependent on fear.
Reward Power
Compliance achieved based on
the ability to distribute rewards
that others view as valuable
18/3/2013
BASES OF POWER
Legitimate Power
The power a person receives as a result
of his or her position in the formal
hierarchy of an organization.
Information Power
Power that comes from
access to and control
over information.
18/3/2013
BASES OF POWER
Expert Power
Influence based on special
skills or knowledge.
Referent Power
Influence based on possession
by an individual of desirable
resources or personal traits.
Charismatic Power
An extension of referent power stemming from an
individual’s personality and interpersonal style.
18/3/2013
CONSEQUENCES OF POWER
Sources
of Power
Consequences
of Power
Expert
Power
Commitment
Referent
Power
Legitimate
Power
Compliance
Reward
Power
Coercive
Power
Resistance
18/3/2013
SEXUAL HARASSMENT: UNEQUAL
POWER IN THE WORKPLACE

Harasser stereotypes the
victim as subservient and
powerless

Harasser threatens job
security or safety through
coercive or legitimate power

Hostile work environment
harassment continues when
the victim lacks power to
stop the behavior
18/3/2013
OFFICE ROMANCE AND POWER

Co-workers believe that employees in
relationships abuse their power to favor
each other.

Higher risk of sexual harassment when
relationship breaks off.
18/3/2013
HOW DO MANAGERS
ACQUIRE THE
POWER NEEDED FOR
LEADERSHIP?
18/3/2013
Power Tactics
Reason
Friendliness
Sanctions
Coalition
Higher
Authority
Bargaining
Assertiveness
18/3/2013
WHAT IS EMPOWERMENT, AND HOW CAN
MANAGERS EMPOWER OTHERS?
 Empowerment.
The process by which managers help others
to acquire and use the power needed to make
decisions affecting themselves and their
work.
Considers power to be something that can be
shared by everyone working in flatter and
more collegial organizations.
 Provides
the foundation for self-managing
work teams and other employee involvement
18/3/2013
CONTD…..
 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.
18/3/2013
Ways to expand power.
Clearly define roles and responsibilities.
Provide opportunities for creative problem
solving coupled with the discretion to act.
Emphasize different ways of exercising
influence.
Provide support to individuals so they become
comfortable with developing their power.
Expand inducements for thinking and acting,
not just obeying.
18/3/2013
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
18/3/2013
CONTRASTING LEADERSHIP AND POWER

Leadership

 Focuses
on goal
achievement.
 Requires goal
compatibility with
followers.
 Focuses influence
downward.

 Used
as a means
for achieving
goals.
 Requires follower
dependency.
 Used to gain
lateral and
upward influence.
Research Focus
styles
and relationships
with followers
Power
 Leadership

Research Focus
 Power
tactics for
gaining
18/3/2013
BRIEFING





Power is the ability to influence people and
events.
Managers need to use power effectively.
Closely related to power is politics. Politics
relates to the ways people gain and use power
in organizations.
Political activities in an organization are
inevitable and managers should manage them
carefully.
Power and politics are present in all
organizations.
18/3/2013
What are
organizational
politics?
18/3/2013
ORGANIZATIONAL POLITICS

Attempts to influence others
using discretionary behaviors to
promote personal objectives
 Discretionary behaviors -neither explicitly prescribed
nor prohibited

Politics may be good or bad for
the organization
18/3/2013
POWER IN ACTION
Political
Behavior
Legitimate
Illegitimate
Limited Resources
The Reality
of Politics
Ambiguous Decisions
TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONAL
POLITICS
Managing
impressions
Creating
obligations
Attacking and
blaming
Types of
Organizational
Politics
Developing a
Base for
Support
Integration /
Praising Others
Forming
coalitions
CAUSES TO POLITICAL BEHAVIOR :
NO OPPOSITION, NO NEED FOR POLITICS

Scarcity of Resources

Organizational Change

Non-Programmed

Lust for Power
Decisions

Discretionary Authority

Ambiguous Goals

Organizational Culture

Technology and External

Psychological Factors
Environment
NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF POLITICS
Self Interest
Organizational Conflicts
Effect on Managers
Inequitable Distribution of Power
TECHNIQUES OF ORGANIZATIONAL
POLITICS

Form the Right Alliances

Expect Reciprocal

Control the Decision
Criteria
Favours

Control Information

Try to be popular

Control Communication

Build up a Preferred
Image

Control the Agenda of
Meeting
Channels

Use Outside Expert
CAN THE FIRM USE POLITICS STRATEGICALLY?
MANAGING POLITICAL BEHAVIOUR
Ethical and Positive
Role Model
Open and Honest
Communication
MANAGING POLITICAL
BEHAVIOUR
Eliminate or
Reduction of
Uncertainty
Study the Political
Behaviour
18/3/2013
ETHICAL GUIDELINES
FOR POLITICAL BEHAVIOR
Unethical
Question 1
Is the action
motivated by
self-serving
interests which
exclude the
goals of the
organization?
Yes
Ethical
Question 3
Is the political
activity fair
and equitable?
No
Yes
No
Unethical
Yes
Question 2
Does the political
action respect
individual rights?
No
Unethical
18/3/2013
“You can get much farther with a kind word
and a gun than you can with a kind word
alone.”
---A. Capone
THANK YOU
For listening