Transcript Document

Organizational Behavior:
Power and Politics
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
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
.
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Power and Dependence
Person B’s
counterpower
over Person A
Person
B
Person
A
Person A’s
power over
Person B
Person
B’s Goals
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Influenceability of the Target of
Power
1. Dependency
2. Uncertainty
3. Personality
4. Intelligence
5. Gender
6. Age
7. Culture
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Sources of Power in Organizations
Sources Of Power
Power
over Others
Legitimate Power
Reward Power
Contingencies Of Power
Coercive Power
Expert Power
Referent Power
•
•
•
•
•
Substitutability
Scarcity
Centrality
Importance
Visibility
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Five Bases of Power
• Reward power:
rewards.
Promising or granting
• Coercive power:
punishment.
Threats or actual
• Legitimate power:
formal authority.
Based on position or
• Expert power: Sharing of knowledge or
information.
• Referent power:
(charisma).
Power of one’s personality
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Consequences of Power
Sources
of Power
Consequences
of Power
Expert
Power
Referent
Power
Legitimate
Power
Commitment
Compliance
Reward
Power
Coercive
Power
Resistance
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
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
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
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 behavior
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Nine Generic Influence Tactics
 Rational persuasion. Trying to convince someone with reason, logic,
or facts.
 Inspirational appeals. Trying to build enthusiasm by appealing to
others’ emotions, ideals, or values.
 Consultation. Getting others to participate in planning, making
decisions, and changes.
 Ingratiation. Getting someone in a good mood prior to making a
request; being friendly, helpful, and using praise or flattery.
 Personal appeals. Referring to friendship and loyalty when making a
request.
 Exchange. Making express or implied promises and trading favors.
 Coalition tactics. Getting others to support your effort to persuade
someone.
 Pressure. Demanding compliance or using intimidation or threats.
 Legitimating tactics. Basing a request on one’s authority or right,
organizational rules or polices, or express or implied support from
superiors. Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Skills and Best Practices: How to Turn
Your Coworkers into Strategic Allies
Mutual respect.
Openness.
Trust.
Mutual benefit.
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
The Evolution of Power in Organization
Delegation
Participation
Consultation
Domination
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Psychological Empowerment
(Spreitzer and Mishra)
1. Meaningfullness
2. Competence or Self efficasy
3. Impact
4. Self determining
5. Trust.
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Organizational Politics
Organizational politics: “Involves intentional acts
of influence to enhance or protect the selfinterest of individuals or groups.”
Political Tactics:
 Attacking or blaming others.
 Using information as a political tool
 Creating a favorable image.
 Developing a base of support.
 Praising others (ingratiation).
 Forming power coalitions with strong allies.
 Associating with influential people.
 Creating obligations (reciprocity).
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Manager’s Feelings About Workplace Politics
Statement
1. The experience of workplace politics is common in
most organizations.
2. Successful executives must be good politicians.
3. The higher you go in organizations, the more
political the climate becomes.
4. Powerful executives don’t act politically.
5. You have to be political to get ahead in
organizations.
6. Top management should try to get rid of politics in
organizations.
7. Politics helps organizations function effectively.
8. Organizations free of politics are happier than those
where there is a lot of politics.
9. Politics in organizations is detrimental to efficiency.
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
% Agreeing
1. 93.2
2.
3.
89.0
76.2
4.
5.
15.7
69.8
6.
48.6
7.
42.1
8.
9.
59.1
55.1
Levels of Political Action in
Organizations
Distinguishing Characteristics
Network
Level
Coalition
Level
Individual
Level
Cooperative
pursuit of general
self-interests
Cooperative
pursuit of group
interests in specific
issues
Individual pursuit
of general selfinterests
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Factors Contributing to Political Behavior
• Individual Factors
• Authoritarian
(Machiavellianism)
• Self-Monitoring
• High-risk propensity
•
•
•
•
•
• Internal locus of control •
•
• High need for power,
•
•
status, security, or
•
autonomy
Organizational Factors
Competition
Level in Organization
Low trust
Role ambiguity and
Counternorms
Unclear evaluation systems
Zero-sum allocations
Democratic decision making
High performance pressures
Self-serving senior
managers
Chapter 11Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Controlling Political Behavior
1.Provide Sufficient Resources
2.Introduce Clear Rules
3.Free Flowing Information
4.Manage Change Effectively
5.Remove Political Norms
6.Hire Low-Politics Employees
7.Increase Opportunities for Dialogue
8.Peer Pressure Against Politics
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Practical Tips for Managing Organizational
Politics
1. Don’t close your eyes to politics.
2. Reduce System Uncertainty and Ambiguity.
3. Reduce Competition
4. Break Existing Political Fiefdoms
5. Prevent Future Fiefdoms
6. Challenge political behaviors.
7. Walk the talk.
8. Recognize that others may interpret your behaviors as
political, even if you really weren’t being political.
9. Reduce your own and others’ vulnerability to political
behaviors.
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Defensive Behaviors
Defensive Behaviors to Avoid Action
• overconforming
• passing the buck
• playing dumb
• stretching and smoothing
• stalling
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Defensive Behaviors (Continued)
Defensive Behaviors to Avoid Blame
•
•
•
•
•
•
buffing
playing safe
justifying
scapegoating
misrepresenting
escalation of commitment
Defensive Behaviors to Avoid Change
• Prevention (resisting change)
• protecting turf
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Ethical Guidelines for Political Behavior
Unethical
Question 1
Is the action
motivated by
self-serving
interests which
exclude the
goals of the
organization?
Yes
Ethical
Question 3
Is the political
activity fair
and equitable?
No
Yes
No
Unethical
Yes
Question 2
Does the political
action respect
individual rights?
No
Unethical
Chapter 11Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Impression Management
Impression management: “The process by which
•
•
•
•
people attempt to control or manipulate the reactions
of others to images of themselves or their ideas.”
Impression management is behavior that people
direct toward others to create and maintain desired
perceptions of themselves.
The most prominent type of impression management
behavior is self-presentation, which involves the
manipulation of information about oneself.
Self-presentation can be verbal or nonverbal or
involve display of artifacts.
There are at least eight types of verbal selfpresentations.
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
IM Techniques or Verbal SelfPresentational Behaviors
SelfDescriptions
Favors
Flattery
Association
Verbal SelfPresentation
Opinion
Conformity
Acclaiming
Apologies
Excuse
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Poor Impression Management
Four Motive of Poor Impression
1.
2.
3.
4.
Avoidance
Obtain
Exit
Power
Unfavorable Upward Impression Management Tactics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Decreasing Performance
Not Working to Potential
Withdrawing
Displaying a Bad Attitude
Broadcasting Limitations
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Organizational Determinants:
Organizational Values
• Bottom-line mentality. Sees financial success
as the only value to be considered; rules of
morality are simply obstacles on the way to the
bottom line.
• Exploitative mentality. A selfish perspective that
encourages using people to benefit one’s own
immediate interests.
• Madison Avenue mentality. Says, “It’s right if I
can convince you that it’s right.” Focuses on
making others believe our actions are moral.
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Organizational Determinants: Norms and Counternorms
Counternorms
1. Secrecy and lying; “play
your cards close to your
chest”
2. Break the rules to get the job
done.
3. “Spend it or burn it”
4. Avoid responsibility; “pass
5. “All for one and one for
the buck”
all”
5. Achieve your goals at the
expense of others
6. Maintain an appearance 6. Maintain high visibility;
of consensus; support
“grandstanding”
the team
7. “Never do today what you
7. Take timely action
can put off until tomorrow”
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Norms
1. Openness, honesty,
candor
2. Follow the rules
3. Be cost-effective
4. Take responsibility
Pfeffer’s Political Strategies
MAKE POWER
UNOBTRUSIVE
BUILD
LEGITIMACY
EFFECTIVE
POLITICS
BUILD A BASE
OF SUPPORT
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Pfeffer’s Political Tactics
1-Selectively use objective criteria
2-Use outside experts
– they have expertise
– they appear to be objective
– they are expensive
3-Control the agenda
– keep items off the agenda that you don’t want discussed
– place items on the agenda in ways to get desired amount of discussion
– place a weak “dummy” proposal on the agenda before a key proposal
you want to be approved
4- Form coalitions
– external coalitions
• these bring in new resources
• they may cause resentment
– internal coalitions
• these may seem less overtly political than external coalitions
• one form of internal coalition is coalition through promotions
5-Coopt dissenters
6-Use committees
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
The Bottom Line: Managing
Organizational Politics Effectively
Learn the
Culture and the
“Rules of the
Game” for
Success in the
Organization
Establish Credibility and an
Overall Positive
Impression in
the Eyes of
Others in the
Organization
Build a Base of
Support by
Networking,
Forming
Alliances, etc.,
with Key
Players
Create and
Implement
Formal and
Clear Policies,
Procedures,
etc., to Reduce
Ambiguity
Use Defensive
Act in Ways
Be Open and
Behaviors as
Consistent with
Visible with
Protection
What is
Employees
Against Dirty
Verbally
When Dealing
Political
Communicated
with Key
Players in the
to Employees
Issues that
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational
Behavior.
University of Tehran.
Organization
(Walk the
Talk)
Affect Them
Political Games
• Henry Mintzberg has suggested that organizational
politics is a “collection of goings on, a set of ‘games’
taking place … a kind of three ring circus.”
• He identified four types of games:
–
–
–
–
Authority Games
Power Base Games
Rivalry Games
Change Games
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Potential Benefits of Political Activity
Political activity may:
• act in a Darwinian way to ensure that the
strongest members of an organization are
brought into positions of leadership.
• ensure that all sides of an issue are fully
debated.
• stimulate necessary change that is blocked by
those currently in power.
• ease the path for the execution of decisions.
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.