Power and Politics in
Organizations
Dr. Fred Mugambi Mwirigi
JKUAT
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"Man is by nature a political animal."
-- Aristotle
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Key Points
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Power and bases of power
Power tactics
Power in groups: coalition
Politics, factors contributing to political
behaviours
Impression management
Ethics and politics
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Politics
Power play to influence a position or assert
ones influence
 the interrelationships between the people,
groups, or organizations in a particular area
of life especially insofar as they involve
power and influence or conflict
 Calculated psycho-political activities
 The use of tactics and strategies to gain
power in a group or organization

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A Definition of Power
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Power
– A capacity that A has to influence the behaviour of B so
that B acts in accordance with A’s wishes

Dependency
– Bs relationship to A when A possesses something that B
requires
A
Influence
Dependency
B
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Contrasting Leadership and Power

Leadership
– Focuses on goal
achievement
– Requires goal
compatibility with
followers
– Focuses influence
downward
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Power
– Used as a means for
achieving goals
– Requires follower
dependency
– Used to gain lateral and
upward influence
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Bases of Power: Formal Power
Formal Power
1.
Coercive Power
– A power base dependent on fear
– It rests on the application, or the threat of
application, of physical sanctions such as the
infliction of pain, the generation of frustration
through restriction of movement, or the
controlling by force of basic physiological or
safety needs
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Formal Power contd.
1.
Reward Power
– The opposite of coercive power
– Compliance achieved based on the ability to distribute
rewards that others view as valuable
3.
Legitimate Power
– The power a person receives as a result of his or her
position in the formal hierarchy of an organisation
– In formal groups and organisations, the most frequent
access power is one’s structural position.
– It represents the power a person receives as a result of
his/her position in the formal hierarchy.
– Legitimate power, however, is broader than the power to
coerce and reward. It includes acceptance of the authority
of a position by members of an organisation.
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Bases of Power: Personal Power
Personal Power
4.
Expert Power
– Influence based on special skills or knowledge
– Expertise has become a powerful source of
influence as the world has become more
technological. As jobs become more specialised,
we become increasingly dependent on experts to
achieve goals.
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Personal Power contd.
5.
Referent Power
– Influence based on possession by an individual of
desirable resources or personal traits
– Its base is identification with a person who has
desirable resources or personal traits. If I admire and
identify with you, you can exercise power over me
because I want to please you.
– Develops out of admiration of another and a desire to
be like that person; it is a lot like charisma.
– Explains why celebrities are paid millions of dollars to
endorse products in commercials.
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The General Dependency Postulate
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When you possess anything that others require
but that you alone control, you make them
dependent upon you and, therefore, you gain
power over them.
Dependency is inversely proportional to the
alternative sources of supply.
This is why most organisations develop
multiple suppliers rather using just one.
It also explains why so many of us aspire to
financial independence.
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What Creates Dependency?
1. Importance
– To create dependency, the thing (s) you control must be
perceived as being important.
2. Scarcity
– A resource needs to be perceived as scarce to create
dependency.
– Low-ranking members in an organisation who have
important knowledge not available to high-ranking
members gain power over the high-ranking members.
3. Non-substitutability
– The more that a resource has no viable substitutes, the
more power that control over that resource provides.
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Power Tactics
Research has identified nine distinct influence tactics:
1. Legitimacy – relying on authority position, stressing
that the request is in accordance with organisational
policies or rules
2. Rational persuasion - Use of facts and data to make a
logical or rational presentation of ideas
3. Inspirational appeals – Developing emotional
commitment by appealing to a target’s values, needs,
hopes and aspirations
4. Consultation – Increasing the target’s motivation and
support by involving him or her in making decisions
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Power Tactics contd.
5. Exchange - Use of negotiation through the
exchange of benefits or favours
6. Personal appeals – Asking for compliance based
on friendship or loyalty
7. Ingratiation – Using flattery, praise or friendly
behaviour prior to making a request
8. Pressure – Using warnings, repeated demands
and threats
9. Coalitions – Enlisting the aid of other people to
persuade the target
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Factors Influencing the Choice and
Effectiveness of Power Tactics
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Sequencing of tactics
Skillful use of a tactic
Relative power of the tactic user
The type of request attaching to the tactic
How the request is perceived
The culture of the organisation
Country-specific cultural factors
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Power in Groups: Coalitions
Coalitions:
Clusters of individuals
who temporarily come
together to achieve a
specific purpose
•
•
•
•
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Seek to maximise their
size to attain influence
Seek a broad and diverse
constituency for support of
their objectives
Occur more frequently in
organisations with high
task and resource interdependencies
Occur more frequently if
tasks are standardised and
routine
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Politics: Power in Action
 Political
behaviour
– Activities that are not required as part of one’s
formal role in the organisation, but that influence,
or attempt to influence, the distribution of
advantages or disadvantages within the
organisation

Legitimate Political behaviour
– Normal everyday politics

Illegitimate Political behaviour
– Extreme political behaviour that violates the
implied rules of the game
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Factors that Influence Political Behaviours
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Employee Responses to Organisational Politics
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Impression Management (IM)
IM Techniques:
The process by which
•
Conformity
individuals attempt to
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Excuses
control the
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Apologies
impression/
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Self-Promotion
perception others form
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Flattery
of them
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Favours
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Association
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Politics and Ethics
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should managers be political in their
organizational management?
At what point does a political mind become
a liability to the firm?
How does a manager balance between
objectivity and politics to get results?
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The Ethics of Behaving Politically
Three ethical decision criteria used to gauge this
are:
1. Utilitarianism (self-interest versus
organisational goals. Ethical actions are
consistent with the organisation’s goals)
2. Rights (the rights of other parties)
3. justice (whether or not the political activity
conforms to standards of equity and justice)
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Conclusions
If you want to get things done in a group
or organisation, it helps to have power.
Power is maximised through others’
dependence on you.
 You can increase your power by
developing knowledge or skills for which
there is no ready substitute.
 People respond differently to power.

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Conclusions Contd.
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Because people are more likely to enthusiastically
accept and commit to an individual whom they
admire or whose knowledge they respect – the
effective use of power should lead to higher
employee motivation, performance, commitment and
satisfaction.
The power of your boss plays a role in determining
your job satisfaction and progression.
An effective manager accepts the political nature of
his organisation and plays a professional proactive
role in them
Some people are significantly more politically astute
than others.
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Conclusions Contd.
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Those who are good at playing politics can be
expected to get higher performance
evaluations and hence larger salary increases
and more promotions than the politically naïve
The politically astute/smart are also likely to
exhibit higher job satisfaction.
Employees with poor political skills or those
unwilling to play the ‘game’ are likely to play
‘victim’ are likely to have lower job
satisfaction levels and lower performance
levels.
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Thank you
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