ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
Chapter 14
Power and Politics
Finance & Banking
Jahangirnagar University
Mahfuza Khatun
Lecturer, F & B, JU
OBJECTIVES
LEARNING
AFTER STUDYING THIS CHAPTER,
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND:
1. Define power, and contrast leadership and power.
2. Contrast the five bases of power.
3. Identify nine power or influence tactics and their
contingencies.
4. Distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate
political behavior.
5. Identify the causes and consequences of political
behavior.
6. Apply impression management techniques.
Finance & Banking
Jahangirnagar University
Mahfuza Khatun
Lecturer, F & B,JU
Power:
Power: The capacity that A has to influence the
behavior of B so that B acts in accordance with
A’s wishes
– Power is a function of dependency
– The greater B's dependence on A, the greater
A’s power in the relationship
Finance & Banking
Jahangirnagar University
Mahfuza Khatun
Lecturer, F & B,JU
Contrasting Leadership and Power:
Leadership
Power
Leader use power as a means of
attaining group goals
Power is a means of facilitating
their achievement
A Leader can be a powerful
person
A Powerful person not
necessarily can be a leader....
Leadership is what you already
have in you
Power is what everybody wants
and can get even if they have no
leadership qualities
A Leader leads and people follow
him willingly
A Powerful person demands
people to follow him and people
are forced to follow
him............unwillingly and
helplessly.
Finance & Banking
Jahangirnagar University
Mahfuza Khatun
Lecturer, F & B,JU
Contrasting Leadership and Power(Contd.):
Leadership
Power
Leadership require some
Power does not require goal
congruence between the goal compatibility, merely
of the leader and those being dependence
led
Focuses influence downward
Used to gain lateral and
upward influence
Research FocusLeadership styles and
relationships with
followers
Research Focus
Power tactics for
gaining compliance
Finance & Banking
Jahangirnagar University
Mahfuza Khatun
Lecturer, F & B,JU
Contrast the five bases of power:
Formal Power: Established by an individual’s
position in an organization
1. Coercive Power: A power base dependent on fear .
2. Reward Power: Compliance achieved based on the
ability to distribute rewards that others view as valuable
3. Legitimate Power: The formal authority to control and
use resources based on a person’s position in the formal
hierarchy
Finance & Banking
Jahangirnagar University
Mahfuza Khatun
Lecturer, F & B,JU
Contrast the five bases of power(Contd.):
4. Expert Power: Influence based on special skills or
knowledge
5. Referent Power: Influence based on possession by an
individual of desirable resources or personal traits
Finance & Banking
Jahangirnagar University
Mahfuza Khatun
Lecturer, F & B,JU
Identify nine power or influence tactics and their
contingencies :
Power Tactics: Ways in which individuals translate
power bases into specific actions
Nine influence tactics:
1. Legitimacy: Relying in one authority position or stress that a
request is in accordance with organizational policies or rules.
2. Rational persuasion: Presenting logical arguments and factual
evidence to demonstrate that a request is reasonable.
3. Inspirational appeals: Developing emotional commitment by
appealing to a target’s values, needs, hopes and aspirations.
Finance & Banking
Jahangirnagar University
Mahfuza Khatun
Lecturer, F & B,JU
Identify nine power or influence tactics and their
contingencies (Contd.) :
Power Tactics:
Nine influence tactics (Contd):
4.Consultation: Increasing the targets' motivation and
support by involving him or her in deciding how the plan
or change will be accomplished.
5. Exchange: Rewarding the target with benefits or
favors in exchange for following a request.
6. Personal appeals: Asking for compliance based on
friendship or loyalty.
Finance & Banking
Jahangirnagar University
Mahfuza Khatun
Lecturer, F & B,JU
Identify nine power or influence tactics and their
contingencies(Contd.) :
Power Tactics:
Nine influence tactics (Contd):
7. Ingratiation: Using flattery, praise or friendly behavior
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 or using the support of others as a
reason for the target to agree.
Finance & Banking
Jahangirnagar University
Mahfuza Khatun
Lecturer, F & B,JU
Preferred Power Tactics by Influence Direction:
Upward Influence
Downward Influence
Lateral Influence
Rational persuasion
Rational persuasion
Rational persuasion
Inspirational appeals
Consultation
Pressure
Ingratiation
Consultation
Exchange
Ingratiation
Legitimacy
Exchange
Personal appeals
Legitimacy
Coalitions
Finance & Banking
Jahangirnagar University
Mahfuza Khatun
Lecturer, F & B,JU
Factors Influencing Power Tactics:
Choice and effectiveness of influence tactics are
moderated by:
Sequencing of tactics
•Softer to harder tactics work best
Political skill of the user
The culture of the organization
•Culture affects user’s choice of tactic
Finance & Banking
Jahangirnagar University
Mahfuza Khatun
Lecturer, F & B,JU
Distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate
political behavior:
Organizational Politics: focused on the use of
power to affect decision making in an organization or an
behaviors by members that are self-serving and
organizationally nonsanctioned.
Political Behavior: Activities that are not required as
part of one’s formal role in the organization, but that
influence, or attempt to influence, the distribution of
advantages or disadvantages within the organization.
Finance & Banking
Jahangirnagar University
Mahfuza Khatun
Lecturer, F & B,JU
Distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate
political behavior(Contd.):
– Legitimate Political Behavior
• Normal everyday politics - complaining, bypass,
obstructing
– Illegitimate Political Behavior
• Extreme political behavior that violates the implied
rules of the game: sabotage, whistle-blowing, and
symbolic protest
Finance & Banking
Jahangirnagar University
Mahfuza Khatun
Lecturer, F & B,JU
Identify the causes and consequences of
political behavior:
Figure: Factors that Influence Political Behavior
Finance & Banking
Jahangirnagar University
Mahfuza Khatun
Lecturer, F & B,JU
Employee Responses to Organizational Politics:
Figure: Most employees have low to modest willingness to play
politics and have the following reactions to politics:
Finance & Banking
Jahangirnagar University
Mahfuza Khatun
Lecturer, F & B,JU
Defensive Behaviors:
Employees who perceive politics as a threat have
defensive reactions
May be helpful in the short run, dangerous in the long
run
Types of defensive behaviors
– Avoiding Action
•Overconforming, buck passing, playing dumb,
stalling
–Avoiding Blame
•Bluffing, playing safe, justifying, scapegoating
–Avoiding Change
•Prevention, self-protection
Finance & Banking
Jahangirnagar University
Mahfuza Khatun
Lecturer, F & B,JU
Impression Management (IM):
The process by which individuals attempt to
control the impression others form of them
IM Techniques
–Conformity
–Excuses
–Apologies
–Self-Promotion
–Flattery
–Favors
–Association
Finance & Banking
Jahangirnagar University
Mahfuza Khatun
Lecturer, F & B,JU
IM Effectiveness:
Job Interview Success
–IM does work and most people use it
–Self-promotion techniques are
important
–Ingratiation is of secondary
importance
Performance Evaluations
–Ingratiation is positively related to
ratings
–Self-promotion tends to backfire
Finance & Banking
Jahangirnagar University
Mahfuza Khatun
Lecturer, F & B,JU
Questions
Finance & Banking
Jahangirnagar University
Mahfuza Khatun
Lecturer, F & B,JU