1. Chapter 11 Power and Political Behavior
Describe the concept of power.
Identify forms and sources of power in organizations.
Describe the role of ethics in using power.
Identify symbols of power and powerlessness in organizations.
Define organizational politics and understand the role of political skill and major influence tactics.
Identify ways to manage political behavior in organizations.
Learning Outcomes
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2. 1 Learning Outcome Describe the concept of power.
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3. The Concept of Power
Power – the ability to influence another person Influence – the process of affecting the thoughts, behavior, and feelings of another person Authority – the right to influence another person
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4. Zone of Indifference
the range in which attempts to influence a person will be perceived as legitimate and will be acted on without a great deal of thought
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5. Beyond the Book: Football Tickets and Power
In September 2009, the Washington Redskins sued 72-year old Pat Hill for failing to pay for her season tickets, which she’s held for almost 50 years.
Hill admitted that she could no longer afford the tickets, which cost $5300 per year, and asked the organization to release her from the contract.
The team declined, and sued Hill, seeking payment for the rest of the contract, which runs through 2017.
Have students consider:
Is this an appropriate use of an organization’s power? If the team doesn’t enforce the contracts strictly, how should they deal with potential financial losses? How would you resolve the case?
SOURCE:
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6. 2
Learning Outcome
Identify forms and sources of power in organizations.
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7. Interpersonal Forms of Power
Reward Power – agent’s ability to control the rewards that the target wants Coercive Power – agent’s ability to cause an unpleasant experience for a target Legitimate Power – power based on position and mutual agreement; agent and target agree that the agent has the right to influence the target Referent Power – an elusive power that is based on interpersonal attraction Expert Power – the power that exists when an agent has specialized knowledge or skills that the target needs
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8. Which Power Is Most Effective?
Expert Power!
Strongest relationship to performance & satisfaction
Transfers vital skills, abilities, and knowledge within the organization
Employees internalize what they observe & learn from managers they consider “experts”
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9. Intergroup Sources of Power
Control critical resources
Control of strategic contingencies – activities that other groups need to complete their tasks
Ability to cope with uncertainty
High degree of centrality
Nonsubstitutability
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10. Intergroup Power Groups hold power over other groups when they…
Reduce uncertainty
Function is central to organization
Activities are difficult to replace
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11. 3 Learning Outcome Describe the role of ethics in using power.
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12. Guidelines for Ethical Use of Power
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13. Guidelines for Ethical Use of Power
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14. Information Power access to and control over important information
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15. [Criteria for Using Power Ethically]
Does the behavior produce a good outcome for people both inside and outside the organization?
Does the behavior respect the rights of all parties?
Does the behavior treat all parties equitably and fairly?
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16. [Two Faces of Power] Personal Power used for personal gain
Social Power
used to create motivation
used to accomplish group goals
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17. Beyond the Book: The Trials of Blago
Rod Blagojevich, the former governor of Illinois, is a premier illustration of abuse of personal power.
In exchange for the Illinois’ seat in the US Senate, Blagojevich demanded financial compensation for himself and his wife, as well as a position as an ambassador.
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18. Successful Power Users
belief in the authority
system
belief in justice
preference for work and discipline
altruism
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19. 4
Learning Outcome
Identify symbols of power and powerlessness in organizations.
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20. Kanter’s Symbols of Power
Intercede for someone in trouble
Obtain placements for favored employees
Exceed budget limitations
Procure above-average raises for employees
Place items on meeting agendas
Access to early information
Have top managers seek out their opinion
Common Theme: Doing things for others
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21. Kanter’s Symbols of Powerlessness
Top Executives
budget cuts
punishing behaviors
top-down communications
Staff Professionals
resistance to change
turf protection
Managers
assign external attribution blame others or environment
First-line Supervisors
overly close supervision
inflexible adherence to rules
do job rather than train
Key to overcoming powerlessness:
share power and delegate decision making
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22. Korda’s Power Symbols Furnishings Time Standing by
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23. 5
Learning Outcome
Define organizational politics and understand the role of political skill and major influence tactics.
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24. Organizational Politics
the use of power and influence in organizations
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25. Political Behavior
actions not officially sanctioned by an organization that are taken to influence others in order to meet one’s personal goals
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26. Conditions Encouraging Political Activity
Unclear goals
Autocratic decision making
Ambiguous lines of authority
Scarce resources
Uncertainty
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27. Beyond the Book: Evaluate Your Political Potential
Personal Characteristics of Effective Political Actors:
Articulate Sensitive Socially adept
Competent Popular Extraverted
Self-confident Aggressive Ambitious
Devious “Organization man or woman”
Highly intelligent Logical
Evaluate Your Political Potential
Examine the following list and answer the questions that follow it.
Personal Characteristics of Effective Political Actors
Personal Characteristic Behavioral Example
Articulate • Must be able to clearly communicate ideas.
Sensitive • Must be sensitive to other individuals, situations, and opportunities.
Socially adept • Must understand the social norms of the organization and behave so as to
be perceived by influential others as “fitting in well.”
Competent • Must have the necessary skills and qualifications.
Popular • Must be liked or admired by others in the organization.
Extraverted • Must be interested in what happens outside of him or her.
Self-confident • Must have confidence in his or her abilities.
Aggressive • Must be self-assertive and forceful.
Ambitious • Must be eager to attain success.
Devious • Must be willing to use any tactic to get his or her way.
“Organization man or woman” • Must emphasize the well-being of the organization.
Highly intelligent • Must be able to use his or her knowledge to solve problems.
Logical • Must be capable of reasoning.
1. Which characteristics do you possess? Which do
you need to work on? Ask a friend what characteristics
you possess.
2. On the basis of the table, are you an effective political
actor? Explain.
3. Can we assume that all of these characteristics
are worth having?
SOURCE: Table from “Organizational Politics: Tactics and Characteristics of Its Actors” by R. N. Allen, D. L. Madison, L. W. Porter,
P. A. Renwick, and B. T. Mayes. Copyright © 1979 by The Regents of the University of California. Reprinted from the California Management
Review, Vol. 22, No. 1, Fall 1979, 77–83. By permission of The Regents.
1. Which characteristics do you possess? Which do you need to work on? Ask a friend what characteristics you possess.
2. On the basis of the table, are you an effective political actor? Explain.
3. Can we assume that all of these characteristics are worth having?
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28. Influence Tactics
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29. Influence Tactics
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30. Influence Tactics
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31. [Using Influence Tactics ]
Develop and maintain open lines of communication in all directions
Treat the targets of influence attempts with basic respect
Understand that influence relationships are reciprocal
Direct influence attempts towards organizational goals
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32. Political Skill
ability to get things done through favorable interpersonal relationships outside of formally prescribed organizational mechanisms
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33. Four Dimensions to Political Skill
Interpersonal
influence
Social astuteness
Networking ability
Sincerity
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34. 6
Learning Outcome
Identify ways to manage political behavior in organizations.
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35. [Managing Political Behavior]
Recognize it
Open communication
Clarify performance expectations
Participative management
Encourage cooperation among work groups
Manage scarce resources well
Provide a supportive organizational climate
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36. Managing Up: The Boss
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37. Managing Up: The Boss © 2013 Cengage Learning 20
SOURCE: From J. J. Gabarro and J. P. Kotter, “Managing Your Boss,” Harvard Business Review (May–June 1993): 155.
Reprinted by permission of Harvard Business Review. Copyright © 1993 by the Harvard Business School Publishing
Corporation; all rights reserved
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38. Empowerment
sharing power in such a way that individuals learn to believe in their ability to do the job
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39. Four Dimensions of Empowerment
Meaning
Competence
Self-
determination
Impact
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40. [Guidelines for Empowering]
Express confidence in employees and set high performance expectations
Create opportunities for participative decision making
Remove bureaucratic constraints that stifle autonomy
Set inspirational and meaningful goals
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41. Employee Empowerment Grid
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42. Beyond the Book: Empowering Employees for Quality
A key element in Toyota’s quality control program is empowerment.
Every employee on the assembly line has access to an andon cord. If they see any quality issues, no matter how small, they can pull the cord to pause production and have the issue resolved.
The andon cord is a central element of Toyota’s pursuit of production quality. A cord that runs the length of the assembly line, and within easy reach of all employees, the andon cord allows workers to call attention quickly to a potential quality issue. The employees are empowered to raise this “flag” of sorts for whatever reason they feel necessary, no matter how insignificant the problem may be. In certain cases, if the issue cannot be resolved quickly, the entire assembly line is shut down until a solution is found. Thus, employees at Toyota plants are given a great amount of responsibility. As Rick Hesterberg, a spokesmen for Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, describes it, “if you come to work here you have the responsibly of shutting down the line if it’s necessary.”
SOURCE:
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43. 1. This chapter defined power as “the ability to influence another person.”
Who has power in this film scene?
2. The chapter distinguished influence from authority. What is the example
of the use of authority in the scene?
3. Which interpersonal forms of power appear in this film scene? Draw
examples of your choices from the scene.
Flash of Genius
Robert Kearns (Greg Kinnear) invents the intermittent windshield wiper and
presents his invention to Ford Motor Company. The company accepts his
invention without giving him money or credit. The film is based on the true
story about Kearns’s triumph over Ford and the large settlement in the end.
This scene begins as a door opens and Mack, a Ford executive (Mitch
Pileggi), enters the room. It follows the family driving in the rain and testing
the windshield wiper system for the first time. The scene ends with Bob and
Mack shaking hands.
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44. Barcelona Restaurant Group
Who has authority at Barcelona?
What forms of interpersonal power do these individuals possess?
Identify Kanter’s symbols of power that are evident at Barcelona Restaurant Group.
Barcelona Restaurant Group
For anyone who has waited tables, restaurant turnover is a familiar experience. Cooks, servers, and bussers have famously short careers, and restaurant managers also suffer burnout. Unlike run-of-the-mill chains, Barcelona’s higher standard of service demands letting go employees who aren’t up to snuff. At the end of the day, Lawton says, people either possess the necessary intelligence and skills to run a restaurant or they don’t. And since the restaurant industry doesn’t have time for learning curves, the success or failure of an establishment boils down to hiring competent self-motivated employees.
Ask your students:
Who has authority at Barcelona?
What forms of interpersonal power do these individuals possess?
Identify Kanter’s symbols of power that are evident at Barcelona Restaurant Group.
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