1. Power and Organizational Politics

2. Politics
Politics refers to the use of power and authority to influence organizational outcomes.

3. Definitions
Power-- the capacity to ensure the outcomes one wishes and to prevent those one does not wish.
Influence-- the capacity to affect others.
Authority-- the capacity to give commands, enforce obedience, take action, or make final decisions.

4. Historical Views of Politics
Maciavelli (early 1500s) “The Prince”
Assume that people are “ungrateful, fickle, and deceitful”
The purpose of political leadership is to secure and maintain power
A good leader is independent and dominates people

5. Historical Views of Politics
Maciavelli (early 1500s) “The Prince”
The End Justifies the Means
The leader can be ruthless if necessary
Machiavellian means “characterized by cunning, duplicity, or bad faith”

6. Historical Views of Politics
Weber’s forms of power
Charismatic
Traditional
Legal-Rational
The Iron Cage of Rationality
Compulsion of Fairness

7. Changing Perspectives on Workers and Organizations
A social-psychological view of power
Power is not necessarily open coercion, influence, or control
Power is the perception of others that the power wielder could exercise coercion, influence, or control if he or she chose to do so
How much power you have is based on how much power think you have! Power must be granted

8. Questioning Power and Authority
1960s Radicals
Organizational politics is outmoded and unproductive
Traditionally executive power is based on the idea of ownership
1990s the idea of Servant Leadership and Empowerment

9. Questioning Power and Authority
Power is the opposite of dependency
Organizations seek to minimize dependency by
Seeking prestige
Engaging in cooperative strategies
Contracting
Co-opting

11. Recognizing Organizational Politics
Use of power increases when structure is decentralized, resources are scarce, there is disagreement on goals, and there is uncertainty about technologies
In other words:
When resources are limited, goals and processes are unclear, Power Politics are very likely

12. Recognizing Organizational Politics
Three Faces of Power
First Face: Overt Coercion
Second Face: Exclusionary Actions – avoid challenges
Third Face: Hegemonic control – convince me that what you want is what I want

13. Balancing Power Four styles to balance or equalize power
1 decrease needs or demands
2 increase alternative sources of getting what you want
3 increase others needs or demands for us
4 decrease other people’s alternative sources (special expertise)
Options 1 and 2 create psychological distance
3 and 4 result in a stronger work commitment

15. Structural Aspects of Power
Opportunity
Mobility
Perceived political power
Dependency
Influence
Rewards
Numerical Representation

16. Power Politics Positive or Destructive Force?
Power politics help organizations to adapt and interact with the environment appropriately
Managers are dependent upon workers
Workers have limited time, energy, and talent
Power is needed to manage these
Some use power for personal and not organizational goals
How to handle power
Limit access to decision makers
Alter decision criteria to performance
Offer financial incentives to discourage political activity

17. Empowerment
Empowerment is the development of personal power of those in the organization to achieve their goals
Power is traditionally seen as a relational construct (delegation or sharing power)
Power as a motivational construct – creating motivation and feeling of personal efficacy

18. Empowerment Conditions of moving from Powerlessness to Empowerment
Conditions leading to feelings of powerlessness
Strategies to increase personal efficacy (participative management)
Feedback
Reinforcement of empowerment
Persistence of new behavior

19. Empowerment
Empowerment cannot be granted but has to be taken by the individual
The conditions for empowerment can be fostered

20. Ways of Acting Consider all your sources of power
Make yourself indispensable
Take charge of your own empowerment
Use power constructively and effectively
Devote energy to clarifying goals
Support and foster empowerment of others
Be aware and think about how political issues
Be nice