1. Dr James KO Power and Conflict Management in the School 1

2.  Having power, not having power and giving power  Conflict management styles  Having power, not having power and giving power  Conflict management styles 2

3. What is Power?  Is the leader’s potential influence over followers  Is used to get people to do what they otherwise would not do  Can be seen as negative and manipulative  Is the leader’s potential influence over followers  Is used to get people to do what they otherwise would not do  Can be seen as negative and manipulative 3

4. Power and individuals  Is it good or bad?  What is it?  What if I don’t have power?  Can I gain power?  Do you give power to others? Why? What do you gain by giving power?  Is it good or bad?  What is it?  What if I don’t have power?  Can I gain power?  Do you give power to others? Why? What do you gain by giving power? 4

5. Power in an organization  Power within organizations should be viewed in a positive sense  Without power, organizational objectives could not be achieved  Required for leadership  Can power be increased by giving out power?  Is power a zero-sum game?  What if power is an expanding pie?  Power within organizations should be viewed in a positive sense  Without power, organizational objectives could not be achieved  Required for leadership  Can power be increased by giving out power?  Is power a zero-sum game?  What if power is an expanding pie? 5

6. Power distribution  Consequences of different divisions of power  Do we need to divide power in organizations? Why?  What are the benefits of having some people with more power?  What are the costs of having some people with more power?  Consequences of different divisions of power  Do we need to divide power in organizations? Why?  What are the benefits of having some people with more power?  What are the costs of having some people with more power? 6

7. School Structure as Power Distribution School A vs School B  Who has more power? Principal or Vice Principals?  What is the role of a department head? Is that room for growth? Why?  Which way you can work more efficiently?  And which way can you work effectively?  What is the role of general teacher? Is there room for growth? Why?  Can you learn from the leader?  Can you learn from the group? School A vs School B  Who has more power? Principal or Vice Principals?  What is the role of a department head? Is that room for growth? Why?  Which way you can work more efficiently?  And which way can you work effectively?  What is the role of general teacher? Is there room for growth? Why?  Can you learn from the leader?  Can you learn from the group? 7

8. Power Issues  Criteria for a better job design  Rationalize work processes (Need objectives)  Objectify performance requirements (Need measures)  Take away slack to enhance efficiency (Need some forms of competition)  Problems with no power for employees:  Most people feel more motivated when empowered; less motivated when they cannot find meaning and personal control in their work  Financial incentives can work for only a limited period (e.g. adaptation effect)  Next wave of job design  Incorporate the human element, sharing of power to gain more power would be an important theme  Criteria for a better job design  Rationalize work processes (Need objectives)  Objectify performance requirements (Need measures)  Take away slack to enhance efficiency (Need some forms of competition)  Problems with no power for employees:  Most people feel more motivated when empowered; less motivated when they cannot find meaning and personal control in their work  Financial incentives can work for only a limited period (e.g. adaptation effect)  Next wave of job design  Incorporate the human element, sharing of power to gain more power would be an important theme 8

9. Sources of Power PositionPosition PersonalPersonal Derived from top management Derived from the followers based on the leader’s behavior Derived from the followers based on the leader’s behavior 9

10. Position Power  Is derived from top management and results from holding a management position  Is delegated down the chain of command  3 types:  Legitimate  When using legitimate power, it is also helpful to seek others’ input  Reward  When dealing with higher-level managers and people over whom you have no authority, you can offer some type of reward for helping you meet your objective. The incentive for exchange can be anything of value  Coercive  appropriate to use in maintaining discipline and enforcing rules. Coercion is effective when applied to a small percentage of followers under conditions considered legitimate by most of them. When leaders use coercion on a large scale against followers, it undermines their authority and creates a hostile opposition  Is derived from top management and results from holding a management position  Is delegated down the chain of command  3 types:  Legitimate  When using legitimate power, it is also helpful to seek others’ input  Reward  When dealing with higher-level managers and people over whom you have no authority, you can offer some type of reward for helping you meet your objective. The incentive for exchange can be anything of value  Coercive  appropriate to use in maintaining discipline and enforcing rules. Coercion is effective when applied to a small percentage of followers under conditions considered legitimate by most of them. When leaders use coercion on a large scale against followers, it undermines their authority and creates a hostile opposition 10

11. Personal Power  Is derived from the leader’s behavior  2 types:  Expert  New managers frequently depend on employees who have expertise in how the organization runs and know how to get things done politically. Expert power is essential to employees who are working with people from other departments and organizations  Referent  particularly appropriate for people with weak, or no, position power, such as with peers  Is derived from the leader’s behavior  2 types:  Expert  New managers frequently depend on employees who have expertise in how the organization runs and know how to get things done politically. Expert power is essential to employees who are working with people from other departments and organizations  Referent  particularly appropriate for people with weak, or no, position power, such as with peers 11

12. Gaining power  To become a leader, one must increase power.  What is the type of power that is best to acquire and exercise for young employees?  How can you increase that power?  To become a leader, one must increase power.  What is the type of power that is best to acquire and exercise for young employees?  How can you increase that power? 12

13. Increase chances for position power  Look for and/or exert extra-ordinary effort particularly in tasks that have the following characteristics:  Centrality: Access to information in a communication network  Flexibility: Amount of discretion vested in a position  Visibility: Degree to which task performance is seen by influential people in the organization  Relevance: Alignment of assigned tasks and organizational priorities  Look for and/or exert extra-ordinary effort particularly in tasks that have the following characteristics:  Centrality: Access to information in a communication network  Flexibility: Amount of discretion vested in a position  Visibility: Degree to which task performance is seen by influential people in the organization  Relevance: Alignment of assigned tasks and organizational priorities 13

14. Referent: We like people when we have reason to believe they will  Support an open, honest, and loyal relationship.  Foster intimacy by being emotionally accessible.  Provide unconditional, positive regard and acceptance.  Endure some sacrifices if the relationship should demand them.  Provide social reinforcement in the form of sympathy or empathy.  Engage in the social exchanges necessary to sustain a relationship.  Support an open, honest, and loyal relationship.  Foster intimacy by being emotionally accessible.  Provide unconditional, positive regard and acceptance.  Endure some sacrifices if the relationship should demand them.  Provide social reinforcement in the form of sympathy or empathy.  Engage in the social exchanges necessary to sustain a relationship. 14

15. Managing your boss?  Subordinates do not appear to have position power over one’s boss  Can young employees manage or influence their bosses? What can young employees do to gain power over their bosses?  Subordinates do not appear to have position power over one’s boss  Can young employees manage or influence their bosses? What can young employees do to gain power over their bosses? 15

16. Make sure you understand your boss, including:  Your boss’s goals and objectives.  The pressures on him or her.  Your boss’s strengths, weaknesses, blind spots.  His or her preferred work style.  Your boss’s goals and objectives.  The pressures on him or her.  Your boss’s strengths, weaknesses, blind spots.  His or her preferred work style. 16

17. Assess yourself, including:  Your own strengths and weaknesses.  Your personal style.  Your predisposition toward dependence on authority figures.  Develop and maintain a relationship that:  Fits the needs and styles of you both.  Is characterized by mutual expectations.  Keeps your boss informed.  Is based on dependability and honesty.  Selectively uses your boss’s time and resources  Your own strengths and weaknesses.  Your personal style.  Your predisposition toward dependence on authority figures.  Develop and maintain a relationship that:  Fits the needs and styles of you both.  Is characterized by mutual expectations.  Keeps your boss informed.  Is based on dependability and honesty.  Selectively uses your boss’s time and resources 17

18. Empowerment: how to give power?  Psychological empowerment  Meaningfulness  Competence  Self-determination  Impact  Empowerment behaviors  Set inspirational or meaningful goals  Express confidence in high performance  Facilitate goal accomplishment  Foster opportunities in decision making  Provide autonomy from bureaucratic constraints  Psychological empowerment  Meaningfulness  Competence  Self-determination  Impact  Empowerment behaviors  Set inspirational or meaningful goals  Express confidence in high performance  Facilitate goal accomplishment  Foster opportunities in decision making  Provide autonomy from bureaucratic constraints 18

19. Empowerment  Are you the empowering type?  Empowering Climate  Empowers people so that they feel in control of their surroundings, feel personally energized, feel can have an impact, feel uplifted and more powerful  Controlling Climate  People do not feel in control, feel constrained by rules and procedures, feel they have little control over their organizational fate, expect boss to tell them what to do  Friendly Climate  Emphasize friendly and harmonious relationships between superior and subordinates over achievement of high performance goals  Are you the empowering type?  Empowering Climate  Empowers people so that they feel in control of their surroundings, feel personally energized, feel can have an impact, feel uplifted and more powerful  Controlling Climate  People do not feel in control, feel constrained by rules and procedures, feel they have little control over their organizational fate, expect boss to tell them what to do  Friendly Climate  Emphasize friendly and harmonious relationships between superior and subordinates over achievement of high performance goals 19

20. Discussion  Would you like to empower as a supervisor?  Would you like to be empowered as a subordinate?  If you have a controlling type supervisor, what can you do to be more empowered by him/her?  Would you like to empower as a supervisor?  Would you like to be empowered as a subordinate?  If you have a controlling type supervisor, what can you do to be more empowered by him/her? 20

21. Influencing Tactics 21 Rational persuasion Rational persuasion Inspirational appeal Inspirational appeal Pressure Consultation Legitimization Ingratiation Coalitions Personal appeal Personal appeal InfluencingTactics Exchange Source: Adapted from J. French and B. H. Raven. 1959. “The Bases of Social Power.” In Studies of Social Power, D. Cartwright, ed. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research

22. Influencing Tactics Inspirational appeals. A pep talk may motivate the employees to push to meet the deadline. Consultation. Presenting a tentative proposal and getting input is a good way to go. Ingratiation. Complementing a moody person with a big ego can help to get the person in a good mood, or to be open to the request. Personal appeals. You, being in sales, have weak power over the person in the production department. Exchange. This is an exchange of information/favors. You owed her one. Since the legitimate request is not working, offer something—like time off—for working with the crew. Coalition. You can talk to others on the committee and tell them you are interested in being president and ask if they would vote for you. If you get enough support before the meeting, nominate yourself. If not, don’t run. Legitimization. This is an unusual request that is reasonable. Pressure. This employee needs close supervision and checking up on to get the job done on time. Rational persuasion. The most commonly used influencing tactic with bosses is to convince them that you have a logical reason for the request. Inspirational appeals. A pep talk may motivate the employees to push to meet the deadline. Consultation. Presenting a tentative proposal and getting input is a good way to go. Ingratiation. Complementing a moody person with a big ego can help to get the person in a good mood, or to be open to the request. Personal appeals. You, being in sales, have weak power over the person in the production department. Exchange. This is an exchange of information/favors. You owed her one. Since the legitimate request is not working, offer something—like time off—for working with the crew. Coalition. You can talk to others on the committee and tell them you are interested in being president and ask if they would vote for you. If you get enough support before the meeting, nominate yourself. If not, don’t run. Legitimization. This is an unusual request that is reasonable. Pressure. This employee needs close supervision and checking up on to get the job done on time. Rational persuasion. The most commonly used influencing tactic with bosses is to convince them that you have a logical reason for the request. 22

23. Influencing Tactics  Inspirational appeal:  excite with grand ideas  Consultation:  Seek advice, ask for opinions  Ingratiation:  Using flattery and acting friendly, polite, or humble  Personal appeal:  Making formal or informal appeals to the target  Inspirational appeal:  excite with grand ideas  Consultation:  Seek advice, ask for opinions  Ingratiation:  Using flattery and acting friendly, polite, or humble  Personal appeal:  Making formal or informal appeals to the target 23

24. Influencing Tactics  Exchange:  Doing favors or offering to trade favors  Coalition:  Seeking united support form other organizational members  Legitimization  Resorting to authority  Pressure:  Ordering, nagging, setting deadlines, and verbal confrontations  Exchange:  Doing favors or offering to trade favors  Coalition:  Seeking united support form other organizational members  Legitimization  Resorting to authority  Pressure:  Ordering, nagging, setting deadlines, and verbal confrontations 24

25. Influencing Tactics  Rational persuasion  Use logic, reason, planning, and compromise – Explain the need for the objective – Explain how others will benefit – Provide evidence that the objective can be met – Explain potential problems and their handling – Explain why your plan is better than others  Rational persuasion  Use logic, reason, planning, and compromise – Explain the need for the objective – Explain how others will benefit – Provide evidence that the objective can be met – Explain potential problems and their handling – Explain why your plan is better than others 25

26. Common Organizational Political Behaviors ReciprocityReciprocityNetworkingNetworkingCoalitionsCoalitions Common Political Behaviors in Organizations Common 26

27. Networking  Is the process of developing relationships for the purpose of socializing and politicking  Contributes most to successful management advancement  Is the process of developing relationships for the purpose of socializing and politicking  Contributes most to successful management advancement 27

28. Reciprocity  Involves creating obligations and developing alliances, and using them to accomplish objectives  Uses the exchange influence tactic  Doing something for someone creates a debt to be collected at a future time  Involves creating obligations and developing alliances, and using them to accomplish objectives  Uses the exchange influence tactic  Doing something for someone creates a debt to be collected at a future time 28

29. Building Coalitions  Uses reciprocity and networking  Is a political influence tactic  Co-optation  Getting a person whose support is needed to join a coalition  Uses reciprocity and networking  Is a political influence tactic  Co-optation  Getting a person whose support is needed to join a coalition 29

30. Guidelines for Developing Political Skills Reciprocit y Coalition s NetworkingNetworking Learn the organizational culture and power players Develop good working relationships, especially with your manager Be a loyal, honest team player Gain recognition 30