350 Ch13 Conflict Power & Politics

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CONFLICT, POWERAND POLITICS

Lecture 13


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Some Definitions

POWER The ability to influence others to bring about desired outcomes.

AUTHORITY The right to influence others. (Bestowed by the organization)

Flows down the vertical hierarchy

Prescribed by the formal hierarchy (Formal authority)

Vested in the position held (Positional authority)

FORMAL AUTHORITYis vested in theorganizations structure. (Positional Authority) Whoever occupies the position assumes the authority.


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More Terms

ACCEPTANCE THEORY: Authority isonly effective if it is accepted by subordinates.

POLITICS: The use of power (influence) toaffect decision making.

The application of power and authority to achievedesired outcomes.

However, much politicking is done without authority

and for personal gain.


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Perspective

AUTHORITY

The right to use influence

POWER

The ability to use influence

POLITICS

The use of influence


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VERTICAL SOURCES OF POWER

POSITION in the organizations structure.

It is independent of the person.

A person, holds a position of power.

The position legitimizes the power with formal authority.

Access to people higher in the organization is also asource of power.

CONTROL OF RESOURCE ALLOCATION

Others become dependent on persons or departments that control

and allocate resources.


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VERTICAL SOURCES OF POWER

CONTROL OF INFORMATION

Information is a resource that reduces uncertainty

NETWORK CENTRALITY

Another form of position that puts one at the hub of organizationalactivity.

Being connected with, or exposed to, the right people.

CONTROL OF DECISION PREMISES

Being able to set the guidelines for decision making by others. Controlling the decision-making constraints and parameters.

These vertical sources of power become more prevalent

the higher one goes in the organizational structure.


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Clark Limited case

The Board

KennyDirector

Management

Services

Group

Turner

Programmers

Reilly

Systems Analysts

Kenny controls

information given to the

board, thereby influencing

the boards decision to

purchase a largecomputer system.

The Board has formal

authority to decide from

which company a large

computer system would

be purchased.

The Board asked the

Management servicesgroup to recommend

which of six computer-

system companies should

receive the order.

Turner and Reilly disagree with Kenny disagree with Kenny on who to recommend, but Kennyconvinces the Board to go with his decision.


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Horizontal Power Sources

Deals with the relationships across departments.

Those departments (or individuals) able to

successfully deal with activities essential to the

organization will be the most powerful.

These activities are called Strategic Contingencies.

Successful selling is a good example. Studies show

that sales departments tend to have the most power in

most organizations.


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Other Horizontal Sources

of Power Dependency on the department by others for

information, resources and/or assistance

Nearness to the organizations critical activity (Centrality)

Ability to bring in money (Financial resources)

Ability to reduce, prevent or absorb uncertainty forothers. (Includes forecasting events and trends.)

Degree to which a department or person is irreplaceable


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Personal Traits

Some people exude power because of personal

traits. Personality factors (outgoing, dynamic, self

assured, personable)

Appearance (height, weight, dress, etc.) Sound powerful (resonant voice, speech quality)


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EMPOWERMENT

What is it?

Making others more powerful

Sharing power and a downward spread of power.

There is a definite trend of empowerment in organizations.

Why Empowerment?

To better deal with environmental uncertainty & change

Make an organization more flexible and responsive


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Empowerment Versus

Decentralization Decentralization is the delegation of decision-

making authority.

Giving people more decision-making rights

Empowerment requires more structural and

process changes.

Making people more influential by

Giving them more information

Giving them greater role in interacting with others

Enriching their job with more variety and responsibility

Rewards and publicity for notable performance.


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POLITICS - TWO VIEWS

POSITIVE VIEW

A natural process for

resolving differencesamong groups

Goal: To benefit themajority

NEGATIVE VIEW

A self-serving activity

to promote ones self.

Goal: To benefit aminority

No! The use of power to influence others IS political.

Can power be used to influence decisions without it being

political?


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Organizational Politics

Organizational politics includes all activities

that:

A. strive to acquire power

B. use power to achieve desired outcomes

Outcomes may be personal or organizational.

Outcomes may benefit the majority or harm

the majority


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Models of organizational decision making

RATIONAL(Management

Science)

POLITICAL

(Carnegie Model)

MIXED MODEL

uses a combination of both

Clear Choices

Reliable Information

Stable Environment

Routine Technology

Uncertainty

Disagreement

Unstable Environment

Non-routineTechnology


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Catalysts for Political Activity

Structural Change:Peoples jobs, lines of authority, andareas of jurisdiction are at risk of realignment

Management Succession: Vacancies, new positions,promotions

Resource Allocation(including money and people)

Coordination Among Departments

Competition arises over areas of responsibility and

resources. These situations give rise to the two major

ingredients for conflict and politicking:

UNCERTAINTY and DISAGREEMENT


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Rational vs. Political Model(Not prescriptive. Only descriptive)

Sources ofPotential

Inter-groupConflict

GoalIncompatibility

Differentiation

TaskInterdependence

LimitedResources

Consistent acrossparticipants

Centralized

Orderly, logical,rational

Norm of efficiency

Extensive,systematic, accurate

When

Conflict IsLowRational Modeldescribes theorganization

Inconsistent & numerouswithin the organization

Decentralized, shiftingcoalitions and interest groups

Disorderly, result of bargainingand interplay among interests

Conflict is legitimate andexpected.

Ambiguous, information usedand withheld strategically

When

Conflict IsHighPolitical Modeldescribes theorganization

Goals

Power and

Control

DecisionProcess

Rules and

Norms

Information

OrganizationVariables


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Increasing your Power Base

Deal successfully with uncertainty.

Predict, identify, eliminate, or absorb uncertainty for others.

Create dependencies.

for information, resources, expertise.

Make yourself and your department less dependent on

others.

Satisfy strategic contingencies

Successfully handle activities critical to the organization.


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Guides to successful

politicking Build Coalitions (Politics is a game of coalitions.)

Networking: Building a broader base of support that goes

beyond your coalition group

Enhance your legitimacy through your expertise & skills

Control decision premises

Setting agendas, leading meetings, selective information Make preferences explicit, but keep power implicit

Be aggressively persuasive but not offensive.

Power works best when it is used quietly.


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MarketingProduction

Classic areas of potential conflictMARKETING PRODUCTION

Operative goal is Operative goal is

Goal Conflict customer satisfaction production efficiency

Conflict Area Typical Comment Typical Comment

Breadth of product line: Our customers The product line is too

demand variety. broad, all we get are

short, uneconomical runs.

New product introduction: New products are our Unnecessary design changeslifeblood. are prohibitively expensive.

Production scheduling: We need faster response. We need realistic customerLead times are too long. commitments that dont

change like the wind direction

Physical distribution: Why dont we ever have We cant afford to keep hugethe right merchandise inventories.in inventory?

Quality: Why cant we have Why must we always offerreasonable quality options that are tooat low cost? expensive and offer little

customer utility?


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Reducing/Resolving Conflict

Use horizontal linkages

Cross-functional groups, liaisons, project mgrs.

Negotiation

Mediation (third party interventions)

Job rotation across departmental lines.

Shared goals


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Win-Win Strategy Define the conflict as a

mutual problem

Pursue joint outcomes

Find creative agreements

that satisfy both groups Use open, honest, and

accurate communication

Avoid threats

Communicate flexibility

Win-Lose Strategy Define the conflict as a win-lose

situation

Pursue self outcomes

Force other group intosubmission

Use deceitful, inaccuratecommunication

Use threats

Communicaterigidity

Negotiating Strategies


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Checks to managements

power abuse Employee Power

Unions

Individual sources (Information, expertise, persuasion,manipulation, etc.)

Group Norms and Values

Groups resist overuse or improper use of power

Whistle Blowing

Legal Climate (Favors individual rights and anti-discrimination.


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Power and Political Tactics

in Organizations

5. Create shared

(superordinate) goals

5. Make preferences explicit,but keep power implicit

4. Practice memberrotation

4. Enhance legitimacy andexpertise

4. Satisfy strategiccontingencies

3. Schedule inter-groupconsultation

3. Control decision premises3. Provide resources

2. Use confrontation andnegotiation

2. Expand networks2. Create dependencies

1. Create integration

methods1. Build coalitions

1. Enter areas of high

uncertainty

Enhancing

Collaboration

Using

Power

Increasing

your Power Base


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Clip

Products

Technology Culture

Control & Information Systems

People

Goals


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Strategy ImplementationKarl Weick; The Social Psychology of Organizing, 1979

Organizations facing the same

environment often formulate andimplement different strategies.

Selections, . . . are by-products ofbounded rationality applied by falliblerationalizers.


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William H. StarbuckHandbook of Organizational Design

The constraints imposed by environmental propertiesare not, in general, sufficiently restrictive to determine

uniquely the characteristics of their organizational

residents.

Environments change continuously, as do competing

firms, so consistent environmental properties are

unlikely to exist.


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End of lectures!

Group cases due and presentedNext Week! November 9th.

Limit your oral presentation to approximately

15 minutes. (Weve got 7 of them.)

Exam II will be on November 16th.

Individual cases and group assignments will

be given to you on November 9th after you

present.

Final presentations will be on December 7th.

Documents

350 Ch13 Conflict Power & Politics