Power and Influence in the Workplace

Transcript Power and Influence in the Workplace

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Power and Influence in the Workplace

McGraw-Hill Ryerson

Power Overload at Worldcom

Through excessive power and influence, former WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers (left), CFO Scott Sullivan (right), and other executives perpetrated one of the largest cases of accounting fraud in history.

©AP Photo/Kenneth Lambert

The Meaning of Power

Power is the capacity of a person, team, or organization to influence others.

 The potential to influence others  People have power they don’t use and may not know they possess  Power requires one person’s perception of dependence on another person ©AP Photo/Kenneth Lambert

Power and Dependence

Person B’s counterpower over Person A Person A Person A’s power over Person B Person B Person B’s Goals

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Model of Power in Organizations

Sources Of Power Legitimate Reward Coercive Expert Referent Contingencies Of Power Power over Others

The Limits of Legitimate Power

Crimson Tide illustrates the limits of legitimate power in organizations. US submarine Captain Frank Ramsey (Gene Hackman, right) orders his crew to launch nuclear weapons based on a message from Washington, whereas Lieutenant Commander Ron Hunter (Denzel Washington, left) opposes this decision because a second message is incomplete. What ensues is a mutiny that divides crew loyalties. ©Topham/The Image Works

Sources of Power

Legitimate Power Reward Power Coercive Power Expert Power Referent Power

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Information and Power

Control over information flow    Based on legitimate power Relates to formal communication network Common in centralized structures (wheel pattern) Coping with uncertainty  Those who know how to cope with organizational uncertainties gain power • Prevention • Forecasting • Absorption

Contingencies of Power

Sources of Power Power over others Contingencies of Power Substitutability Centrality Discretion Visibility

Increasing Nonsubstitutability

Differentiation Controlling Tasks

Increasing Nonsubstitutability

Controlling Labour Controlling Knowledge

Jane Buckley: Golf Networker

Jayne Buckley, an executive with Compass Group in Vancouver, travels with her golf clubs to help her network with colleagues and clients.

C. Price, Vancouver Province

Networking and Power

Cultivating social relationships with others to accomplish one’s goals Increases power through  social capital -- durable network that connects people to others with valuable resources  referent power -- people tend to identify more with partners within their own networks  visibility and centrality contingencies

Influencing Others

Influence is any behaviour that attempts to alter someone’s attitudes or behaviour   Applies one or more power bases Process through which people achieve organizational objectives  Operates up, down, and across the organizational hierarchy

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Types of Influence

Silent Authority • Following requests without overt influence • Based on legitimate power, role modelling • Common in high power distance cultures Assertiveness • Actively applying legitimate and coercive power (“vocal authority”) • Reminding, confronting, checking, threatening

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Types of Influence

(con’t)

Exchange • Promising or reminding of past benefits in exchange for compliance • Negotiation is integral to this strategy • Networking relates to exchange influence Coalition Formation • Group forms to gain more power than individuals alone 1.Pools resources/power 2.Legitimizes the issue 3.Power through social identity

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Types of Influence

(con’t)

Upward Appeal • Appealing to higher authority • Includes appealing to firm’s goals • Formal alliance or perception of alliance with higher status person Ingratiation/ Impress. Mgt.

• Ingratiation • Increasing liking/similarity to target • Flattering, helping, seeking advice • Impression Management • Actively shaping our public images • Way we dress, padding resumé more

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Types of Influence

(con’t)

Persuasion • Using logic, facts, emotional appeals to gain acceptance • Depends on persuader, message content, message medium, audience Information Control • Manipulating others’ access to information • Withholding, filtering, re-arranging information

Consequences of Influence Tactics

Hard Influence Tactics Soft Influence Tactics Silent authority Upward appeal Coalition formation Information control Assertiveness Resistance Compliance Persuasion Ingratiation & impression mgt Exchange Commitment

Steve Jobs’ Reality Distortion Field

Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and Pixar Animation Studios, is famous for influencing people through his persuasiveness, which draws them into his “reality distortion field.”

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©AFP/Corbis 19

Contingencies of Influence Tactics

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©AFP/Corbis 20 “Soft” tactics generally more acceptable Appropriate influence tactic depends on:    Organizational position Influencer’s power base Cultural values and expectations  Age cohort Gender differences

Organizational Politics

Behaviours that others perceive as self-serving tactics for personal gain at the expense of other people and possibly the organization

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Conditions for Organizational Politics

Tolerance of Politics Scarce Resources

Conditions Supporting Organizational Politics

Organizational Change Complex and Ambiguous Decisions

Minimizing Political Behaviour

Introduce clear rules Free flowing information Manage change effectively Manage team norms Support values that oppose politics Leaders as role models

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