nisheeth
June 29th, 2007, 12:47 PM
Power and Politics
1. What is power?
2. How does one get power?
3. How does dependency affect power?
4. What tactics can be used to increase power?
5. What does it mean to be empowered?
6. How are power and harassment related?
7. Why do people engage in politics?
Power and Politics
Power
A capacity that A has to influence the behaviour of B so that B acts in accordance with As wishes
Dependency: Bs relationship to A when A possesses something that B requires
Politics
Behaviour to influence, or attempt to influence the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within the organization.
Leadership and Power
Measuring Bases of Power
Coercive power
The person can make things difficult for people, and you want to avoid getting him or her angry.
Power that is based on fear.
Reward power
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.
Dependency: Key to Power
Importance
The things you control must be important
Scarcity
A resource must be perceived as scarce
Non-substitutability
The resource cannot be substituted with something else
Increasing Dependency
To increase the dependency of others on you, you need to
Control things viewed as important
The resources must be viewed as scarce
The resource must have few or no substitutes (nonsubstitutability)
Popularity of Power Tactics: From Most to Least Popular
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
Employees are free to choose how to do their work; They are not micromanaged
Sense of meaning
Employees feel that their work is important to them; They care about what they are doing
Sense of competence
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
Sexual Harassment
The Supreme Court of Canada defines sexual harassment as
Unwelcome behaviour of a sexual nature in the workplace that negatively affects the work environment or leads to adverse job-related consequences for the employee
Examples of Sexual Harassment
Disagreement as to what specifically constitutes sexual harassment
Includes
Unwanted physical touching
Recurring requests for dates when it is made clear the person isnt interested
Coercive threats that a person will lose her or his job if she or he refuses a sexual proposition
Examples of Sexual Harassment
More subtle forms (harder to interpret)
Unwanted looks or comments
Off-colour jokes
Sexual artifacts such as nude calendars in the workplace
Sexual innuendo
Misinterpretations of where the line between being friendly ends and harassment begins
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
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
Impression Management (IM) Techniques
Conformity
Agreeing with someone elses opinion in order to gain his or her approval.
Excuses
Explanations of a predicament-creating event aimed at minimizing the apparent severity of the predicament.
Apologies
Admitting responsibility for an undesirable event and simultaneously seeking to get a pardon for the action.
Acclamations
Explanation of favorable events to maximize the desirable implications for oneself.
Flattery
Complimenting others about their virtues in an effort to make oneself appear perceptive and likable.
Favours
Doing something nice for someone to gain that persons approval.
Association
Enhancing or protecting ones image by managing information about people and things with which one is associated.
Making Office Politics Work
Nobody wins unless everybody wins
Dont just ask for opinionschange them
Everyone expects to be paid back
Success can create opposition
Summary and Implications
Power is a two-way street.
Few employees relish being powerless in their jobs and organization.
People respond differently to various power bases.
Employees working under coercive managers are unlikely to be committed,
and more likely to resist the manager.
Expert power is the most strongly and consistently related to effective employee performance.
Summary and Implications
The power of the manager may also play a role in determining job satisfaction.
The effective manager accepts the political nature of organizations.
The more political that employees perceive an organization, the lower their satisfaction.
Regardless of level in the organization, some people are more politically astute than others.
The politically naive and inept tend to feel continually powerless.
OB at Work
For Review
1. What is power? How do you get it?
2. Contrast power tactics with power bases. What are some of the key contingency variables that determine which tactic a power holder is likely to use?
3. Which of the five power bases lie with the individual? Which are derived from the organization?
4. State the general dependency postulate. What does it mean?
5. What creates dependency? Give an applied example.
For Review
6. How are power and politics related?
7. Define political behaviour. Why is politics a fact of life in organizations?
8. What factors contribute to political activity?
9. Define sexual harassment. Who is most likely to harass an employee: a boss, a co-worker, or a subordinate?
For Critical Thinking
1. Based on the information presented in this chapter, what would you do as a recent university graduate entering a new job to maximize your power and accelerate your career progress?
2. Politics isnt inherently bad. It is merely a way to get things accomplished within organizations. Do you agree or disagree? Defend your position.
3. Youre a sales representative for an international software company. After four excellent years, sales in your territory are off 30 percent this year. Describe three impression management techniques you might use to convince your manager that your sales record is better than should be expected under the circumstances.
For Critical Thinking
4. Sexual harassment should not be tolerated at the workplace. Workplace romances are a natural occurrence in organizations. Are both of these statements true? Can they be reconciled?
5. Which impression management techniques have you used? What ethical implications, if any, are there in using impression management?
Breakout Group Exercises
Form small groups to discuss the following topics
1. Describe an incident where you tried to use political behaviour in order to get something you wanted. What tactics did you use?
2. In thinking about the incident described above, were your tactics effective? Why?
3. Describe an incident where you saw someone engaging in politics. What was your reaction to observing the political behaviour? Under what circumstances do you think political behaviour is appropriate?
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
Working in your assigned 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
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 clients 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 individuals 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
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?
Purpose of Exercise
Observe different types of power, and see how they affect you
Develop an understanding for which types of power are more likely to achieve positive (or negative) effects
Which gets the desired behaviour
Which has most long lasting effect
How does it affect relationship
Which is most acceptable
Concepts to Skills: Politicking
Frame arguments in terms of organizational goals
Develop the right image
Gain control of organizational resources
Make yourself appear indispensable
Be visible
Develop powerful allies
Avoid tainted members
Support your manager
1. What is power?
2. How does one get power?
3. How does dependency affect power?
4. What tactics can be used to increase power?
5. What does it mean to be empowered?
6. How are power and harassment related?
7. Why do people engage in politics?
Power and Politics
Power
A capacity that A has to influence the behaviour of B so that B acts in accordance with As wishes
Dependency: Bs relationship to A when A possesses something that B requires
Politics
Behaviour to influence, or attempt to influence the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within the organization.
Leadership and Power
Measuring Bases of Power
Coercive power
The person can make things difficult for people, and you want to avoid getting him or her angry.
Power that is based on fear.
Reward power
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.
Dependency: Key to Power
Importance
The things you control must be important
Scarcity
A resource must be perceived as scarce
Non-substitutability
The resource cannot be substituted with something else
Increasing Dependency
To increase the dependency of others on you, you need to
Control things viewed as important
The resources must be viewed as scarce
The resource must have few or no substitutes (nonsubstitutability)
Popularity of Power Tactics: From Most to Least Popular
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
Employees are free to choose how to do their work; They are not micromanaged
Sense of meaning
Employees feel that their work is important to them; They care about what they are doing
Sense of competence
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
Sexual Harassment
The Supreme Court of Canada defines sexual harassment as
Unwelcome behaviour of a sexual nature in the workplace that negatively affects the work environment or leads to adverse job-related consequences for the employee
Examples of Sexual Harassment
Disagreement as to what specifically constitutes sexual harassment
Includes
Unwanted physical touching
Recurring requests for dates when it is made clear the person isnt interested
Coercive threats that a person will lose her or his job if she or he refuses a sexual proposition
Examples of Sexual Harassment
More subtle forms (harder to interpret)
Unwanted looks or comments
Off-colour jokes
Sexual artifacts such as nude calendars in the workplace
Sexual innuendo
Misinterpretations of where the line between being friendly ends and harassment begins
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
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
Impression Management (IM) Techniques
Conformity
Agreeing with someone elses opinion in order to gain his or her approval.
Excuses
Explanations of a predicament-creating event aimed at minimizing the apparent severity of the predicament.
Apologies
Admitting responsibility for an undesirable event and simultaneously seeking to get a pardon for the action.
Acclamations
Explanation of favorable events to maximize the desirable implications for oneself.
Flattery
Complimenting others about their virtues in an effort to make oneself appear perceptive and likable.
Favours
Doing something nice for someone to gain that persons approval.
Association
Enhancing or protecting ones image by managing information about people and things with which one is associated.
Making Office Politics Work
Nobody wins unless everybody wins
Dont just ask for opinionschange them
Everyone expects to be paid back
Success can create opposition
Summary and Implications
Power is a two-way street.
Few employees relish being powerless in their jobs and organization.
People respond differently to various power bases.
Employees working under coercive managers are unlikely to be committed,
and more likely to resist the manager.
Expert power is the most strongly and consistently related to effective employee performance.
Summary and Implications
The power of the manager may also play a role in determining job satisfaction.
The effective manager accepts the political nature of organizations.
The more political that employees perceive an organization, the lower their satisfaction.
Regardless of level in the organization, some people are more politically astute than others.
The politically naive and inept tend to feel continually powerless.
OB at Work
For Review
1. What is power? How do you get it?
2. Contrast power tactics with power bases. What are some of the key contingency variables that determine which tactic a power holder is likely to use?
3. Which of the five power bases lie with the individual? Which are derived from the organization?
4. State the general dependency postulate. What does it mean?
5. What creates dependency? Give an applied example.
For Review
6. How are power and politics related?
7. Define political behaviour. Why is politics a fact of life in organizations?
8. What factors contribute to political activity?
9. Define sexual harassment. Who is most likely to harass an employee: a boss, a co-worker, or a subordinate?
For Critical Thinking
1. Based on the information presented in this chapter, what would you do as a recent university graduate entering a new job to maximize your power and accelerate your career progress?
2. Politics isnt inherently bad. It is merely a way to get things accomplished within organizations. Do you agree or disagree? Defend your position.
3. Youre a sales representative for an international software company. After four excellent years, sales in your territory are off 30 percent this year. Describe three impression management techniques you might use to convince your manager that your sales record is better than should be expected under the circumstances.
For Critical Thinking
4. Sexual harassment should not be tolerated at the workplace. Workplace romances are a natural occurrence in organizations. Are both of these statements true? Can they be reconciled?
5. Which impression management techniques have you used? What ethical implications, if any, are there in using impression management?
Breakout Group Exercises
Form small groups to discuss the following topics
1. Describe an incident where you tried to use political behaviour in order to get something you wanted. What tactics did you use?
2. In thinking about the incident described above, were your tactics effective? Why?
3. Describe an incident where you saw someone engaging in politics. What was your reaction to observing the political behaviour? Under what circumstances do you think political behaviour is appropriate?
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
Working in your assigned 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
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 clients 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 individuals 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
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?
Purpose of Exercise
Observe different types of power, and see how they affect you
Develop an understanding for which types of power are more likely to achieve positive (or negative) effects
Which gets the desired behaviour
Which has most long lasting effect
How does it affect relationship
Which is most acceptable
Concepts to Skills: Politicking
Frame arguments in terms of organizational goals
Develop the right image
Gain control of organizational resources
Make yourself appear indispensable
Be visible
Develop powerful allies
Avoid tainted members
Support your manager