Power And Politics

Amit kumarCSJM UNIVERSITYKANPUR

What is power?Power is the ability to …

▫Get someone to do something you want done.

▫Make things happen in the way you want

“Power is the opportunity to build, to create, to nudge history in a different direction."

Richard Nixon

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Sources of Power in Organizations

Legitimate PowerLegitimate Power

Reward PowerReward Power

Coercive PowerCoercive Power

Expert PowerExpert Power

Referent PowerReferent Power

CommitmentCommitment

Consequences of Power

RewardRewardPowerPower

Legitimate Legitimate PowerPower

CoerciveCoercivePowerPower

ExpertExpertPowerPower

ReferentReferentPowerPower

ResistanceResistance

ComplianceCompliance

Sources of Power

Consequences of Power

Managers Acquire the power needed for leadership by working towards

Power-oriented behavior Position power and personal power 2–C’s : Centrality and Criticality Building expertise Visibility of their job performance Expanding contacts with senior

people. Seeking opportunities to increase

name recognition.

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EmpowermentThe process by which managers help others to acquire and use the power needed to make decisions affecting themselves and their work.

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Empowerment, and the way managers empower others:Power as an expanding pie.

▫With empowerment, employees must be trained to expand their power and their new influence potential.

▫Empowerment changes the dynamics between supervisors and subordinates.

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Sexual Harassment and Power• Harasser stereotypes the

victim as subservient and powerless

• Harasser threatens job security or safety through coercive or legitimate power

• Hostile work environment harassment continues when the victim lacks power to stop the behaviour

Office Romance and Power•Co-workers believe

that employees in relationships abuse their power to favour each other.

•Higher risk of sexual harassment when relationship breaks off.

Organizational Politics

Organizational Politics

intentional enhancement

of self-interest

Organizational Politics“Organizational politics involves those activities by organizations to acquire, develop, and use power and other resources to obtain one’s preferred outcomes in a situation in which there is uncertainty or dissent about choices.”

(Pfeffer, 1981)

Factors Influencing Political Behaviour

Political behaviour

Low High

Favourable outcomes

• Rewards• Averted punishments

Political Tactics•Attacking or blaming others.•Creating a favorable image.•Developing a base of

support.•Inspirational appeal•Consultation•Exchange•Coalition•Pressure

How do organizational politics affect managers and management?

Political action in the chief executive suite.

Political action and subunit power.

Managers placing themselves in the positions of other persons involved in critical decisions or events.

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Can the firm use politics strategically?

Organizational governance & its implications▫The pattern of authority, influence, and

acceptable managerial behavior established at the top of the organization.

▫Significantly determined by the effective control of key resources by members of a dominant coalition.

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Can the firm use politics strategically?A person’s behavior must satisfy the

following criteria to be ethical:▫The behavior must produce the greatest

good for the greatest number of people.▫The behavior must respect the rights of all

affected parties.▫The behavior must respect the rules of

justice.

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Limiting the Effects of Political Behavior

•Open communication•Provide Sufficient Resources•Introduce Clear Rules•Free Flowing Information•Measure performance, not personalities•Remove Political Norms•Hire Low-Politics Employees•Increase Opportunities for Dialogue •Peer Pressure Against Politics

The Bottom Line: Managing Organizational Politics Effectively

Learn theCulture and the

“Rules of theGame” for

Success in theOrganization

Establish Cred-ibility and an

Overall PositiveImpression in

the Eyes ofOthers in theOrganization

Build a Base ofSupport by

Networking,Forming

Alliances, etc.,with KeyPlayers

Create andImplementFormal and

Clear Policies,Procedures,

etc., to ReduceAmbiguity

Be Open andVisible withEmployees

When Dealingwith Key

Issues thatAffect Them

Act in WaysConsistent with

What isVerbally

Communicatedto Employees

(Walk the Talk)

Use DefensiveBehaviors asProtection

Against DirtyPolitical

Players in theOrganization

2P’s - Power & politics

To direct and control

behavior of organizational members to

achieve organizational

goals

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Thank youAny que???