Chapter 7
Power and Politics
Power and Politics

Power

A capacity that A has to influence the behaviour 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
Leadership and Power
Power
Leadership
• Does not require goal
acceptance
• Requires goal
agreement
• Focuses on intimidation
• Focuses on downward
influence
• Maximizes importance of
lateral and upward
influence
• Minimizes importance of
lateral and upward
influence
• Power focuses on tactics
for gaining compliance
• Leadership research
focuses on answers
Measuring Bases of Power

Coercive power

The person can make things difficult for people, and
you want to avoid getting him or her angry.


Reward power


Power that is based on fear.
The person is able to give special benefits or
rewards to people, and you find it advantageous to
trade favors with him or her.
Legitimate power

The person has the right, considering his or her
position and your job responsibilities, to expect you
to comply with legitimate requests.
Measuring Bases of Power

Expert power


The person has the experience and knowledge to
earn your respect, and you defer to his or her
judgment in some matters.
Referent power

You like the person and enjoy doing things for him
or her.
Evaluating the Bases of Power




Coercive power tends to result in negative performance
responses from individuals, decreases satisfaction, increases
mistrust, and creates fear.
Legitimate power does not have a negative effect, but does not
generally stimulate employees to improve their attitudes or
performance, and it does not generally result in increased
commitment.
Reward power may improve performance in a variety of situations
if the rewards are consistent with what the individuals want as
rewards.
Expert power relies on trust that all relevant information is given
out honestly and completely.
Continuum of Responses to
Power
Resistance
Base of
Leader
Power
Coercive
Reward
Legitimate
Expert
Referent
Mostly likely employee response
Compliance
Commitment
Popularity of Power Tactics: From Most
to Least Popular
When Managers
Influenced
Superiors*
Most Popular
Least Popular
Reason
Coalition
Friendliness
Bargaining
Assertiveness
Higher authority
When Managers
Influenced
Subordinates
Reason
Assertiveness
Friendliness
Coalition
Bargaining
Higher authority
Sanctions
*The dimension of sanctions is omitted in the scale
that measures upward influence.
Empowerment: Giving Power to
Employees

The freedom and the ability of employees to
make decisions and commitments
 Managers disagree over definition of
empowerment


Empowerment as delegating decision making
within a set of clear boundaries
versus
Empowerment as “a process of risk taking and
personal growth”
Conditions for True
Empowerment

Clear definition of the values and mission of
the company
 Company must help employees acquire the
relevant skills
 Employees need to be supported in their
decision making, and not criticized when they
try to do something extraordinary
 Employees need to be recognized for their
efforts
Characteristics of Empowered
People

Sense of self-determination


Sense of meaning


Employees feel that their work is important to them; They care
about what they are doing
Sense of competence


Employees are free to choose how to do their work; They are
not micromanaged
Employees are confident about their ability to do their work
well; They know they can perform
Sense of impact

Employees people believe they can have influence on their
work unit; Others listen to their ideas
Political Behaviour

Those activities that influence, or attempt
to influence, the distribution of
advantages and disadvantages within
the organization.
Legitimate: normal everyday behaviour
 Illegitimate: extreme political behaviours
that violate the implied rules of the game

Why Do We Get Politics?
Organizations are made up of groups
and individuals who have differing
values, goals and interests
 Resources in organizations are limited
 Performance outcomes are not
completely clear and objective

Factors Influencing Political
Behaviour
Individual factors
•
•
•
•
•
•
High self-monitors
Internal locus of control
High Mach
Organizational investment
Perceived job alternatives
Expectations of success
Political behaviour
Organizational factors
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reallocation of resources
Promotion opportunities
Low trust
Role ambiguity
Unclear performance
evaluation system
Zero-sum reward practices
Democratic decision making
High performance pressures
Self-serving senior managers
Low
High
Favourable outcomes
• Rewards
• Averted punishments
What Individual Factors
Contribute to Politics?
High self-monitors
 Internal locus of control
 High mach
 Organizational investment
 Perceived job alternatives
 Expectations of success

What Organizational Factors
Contribute to Politics?









Reallocation of rewards
Promotion opportunities
Low trust
Role ambiguity
Unclear performance evaluation system
Zero-sum reward practices
Democratic decision-making
High performance pressure
Self-serving senior managers
Types of Political Activity
Attacking or blaming others
 Controlling information
 Forming coalitions
 Networking
 Creating obligations
 Managing impressions

Impression Management
The process by which individuals attempt
to control the impression others form of
them
 More likely used by high self-monitors
than low self-monitors


High self-monitors try to read the situation
Working With Others Exercise
Instructions for Role Play
Working in your group, read the
instructions for the assignment
 You have 15 minutes to develop a 3
minute role play, using the source of
power assigned to your group
 You MUST stick to the time limit

Role Play Scenario – Pg. 236

You are the leader of a group that is trying to develop
a website for a new client. One of your group
members, who was assigned the task of researching
and analysing the websites of your client’s
competition, has failed twice to bring the analysis to
scheduled meetings, even though the member knew
the assignment was due. Consequently, your group is
falling behind in getting the website developed. As
leader of the group, you have decided to speak with
this team member, and use your specific brand of
power to influence the individual’s behaviour.
Sources of Power





COERCIVE: depends on fear. It is the ability to punish or withhold
privileges.
REWARD: Based on one's control over things that others desire such as
vacations, raises, promotions and office locations.
LEGITIMATE: person holding power has right to it because of position or
role. Thus the person has a formal right to direct others in certain
matters and the subordinates have a duty to obey those directions.
EXPERT: the perception by others that one has superior judgment or
knowledge on some topics, often specialized in nature. Unlike
information power, this power base does not involve sharing of the facts
or reasoning behind a decision.
REFERENT: develops out of subordinates' admiration for leader and
his/her desire to model behaviour and attitudes after that person. The
person builds feelings of support, liking, admiration and respect with
subordinates.
Mean Responses to Type of
Influence
Coercive
Reward
Legitimate
Expert
Referent
Q#1
Q#2
Q#3
Q#4
Comply
Temp. vs.
Long
Resistant vs.
Acceptant
Worse vs.
Better
Discussion Questions





Which kind of influence is most likely to
immediately result in the desired behaviour?
Which will have the most long-lasting effects?
What effect will using a particular base of
power have on the ongoing relationship?
Which form of power will others find most
acceptable? least acceptable?
In which kinds of situations is each kind of
power most effective and useful? least
effective and useful?