Copyright 2017 Pearson Education Ltd 1 1 13

Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd. 1 -1

13 Power and Politics Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

Learning Objectives q Contrast leadership and power. q Explain the three bases of formal power and the two bases of personal power. q Explain the role of dependence in power relationships. q Identify power or influence tactics and their contingencies. q Identify the causes and consequences of abuse of power. q Describe how politics work in organizations. q Identify the causes, consequences, and ethics of political behavior. 13 -3 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

LO 1 Define Power and Contrast Leadership and Power ØPower refers to a capacity that A has to influence the behavior of B, so that B acts in accordance with A’s wishes. Ø Power may exist but not be used. ØProbably the most important aspect of power is that it is a function of dependence. ØA person can have power over you only if he or she controls something you desire. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd. 13 -4

LO 1 Define Power and Contrast Leadership and Power ØLeaders use power as a means of attaining group goals. ØGoal compatibility Ø Power does not require goal compatibility, merely dependence. Ø The direction of influence Ø Leadership focuses on the downward influence on one’s followers. Ø Leadership research emphasizes style. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd. 13 -5

LO 2 Explain Formal Power and Personal Power ØFormal Power Ø Coercive Power Ø Reward Power Ø Legitimate Power ØPersonal Power Ø Expert Power Ø Referent Power 13 -6 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

LO 2 Explain Formal Power and Personal Power ØWhich Bases of Power Are Most Effective? Ø Personal sources are most effective. Ø Both expert and referent power are positively related to employees’ satisfaction with supervision, their organizational commitment, and their performance, whereas reward and legitimate power seem to be unrelated to these outcomes. Ø Coercive power usually backfires. 13 -7 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

LO 3 Explain the Role of Dependence in Power Relationships ØThe General Dependency Postulate Ø When you possess anything that others require but that you alone control, you make them dependent upon you and, therefore, you gain power over them. Ø Dependence, then, is inversely proportional to the alternative sources of supply. 13 -8 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

LO 3 Explain the Role of Dependence in Power Relationships ØWhat Creates Dependence? Ø Importance Ø Scarcity Ø Nonsubstitutability 13 -9 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

LO 3 Explain the Role of Dependence in Power Relationships 13 -10 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

LO 4 Identify Power or Influence Tactics and their Contingencies Ø Influence tactics: Ø Legitimacy Ø Rational persuasion Ø Inspirational appeals Ø Consultation Ø Exchange ØPersonal appeals ØIngratiating ØPressure ØCoalitions 13 -11 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

LO 4 Identify Nine Power or Influence Tactics and their Contingencies ØSome tactics are more effective than others. Ø Rational persuasion, inspirational appeals, and consultation are most effective when the audience is highly interested in the outcomes. Ø Pressure tends to backfire. Ø Both ingratiation and legitimacy can lessen the negative reactions from appearing to 13 -12 “dictate” outcomes. 13 -12 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

LO 4 Identify Nine Power or Influence Tactics and their Contingencies 13 -13 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

LO 4 Identify Nine Power or Influence Tactics and their Contingencies ØPeople in different countries prefer different power tactics. Ø Individualistic countries see power in personalized terms and as a legitimate means of advancing their personal ends. Ø Collectivistic countries see power in social terms and as a legitimate means of helping others. 13 -14 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

LO 4 Identify Nine Power or Influence Tactics and their Contingencies ØApplying Power Tactics Ø People differ in terms of their political skill: their ability to influence others to enhance their own objectives. Ø Cultures within organizations differ markedly: some are warm, relaxed, and supportive; others are formal and conservative. 13 -15 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

LO 5 Causes and Consequences of Abuse of Power ØDoes power corrupt? ØPower leads people to place their own interests ahead of others. ØPowerful people react, especially negatively, to any threats to their competence. ØPower leads to overconfident decision making. ØPower doesn’t affect everyone in the same way, and there are even positive effects of power. 13 -16 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

LO 5 Causes and Consequences of Abuse of Power ØSexual harassment: any unwanted activity of a sexual nature that affects an individual’s employment and creates a hostile work environment. Ø Organizations have generally made progress in the past decade toward limiting overt forms of sexual harassment. ØManagers have a responsibility to protect their employees from a hostile work environment, but 13 -17 they also need to protect themselves. 13 -17 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

LO 5 Causes and Consequences of Abuse of Power ØMangers should: ØMake sure an active policy defines what constitutes sexual harassment, informs employees they can be fired for sexually harassing another employee, and establishes procedures for how complaints can be made. ØReassure employees that they will not encounter retaliation if they issue a complaint. 13 -18 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

LO 5 Causes and Consequences of Abuse of Power ØIn addition, managers should: ØInvestigate every complaint and include the legal and human resource departments. ØMake sure offenders are disciplined or terminated. ØSet up in-house seminars to raise employee awareness of the issues surrounding sexual harassment. 13 -19 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

LO 6 Describe How Politics Work in Organizations ØPolitical behavior: activities that are not required as part of one’s formal role in the organization, but that influence the distribution of advantages within the organization. Ø Outside of one’s specified job requirements. Ø Encompasses efforts to influence decisionmaking goals, criteria, or processes. Ø Includes such behaviors as withholding information, whistle-blowing, spreading 13 -20 rumors, and leaking confidential information. Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd. 13 -20

LO 6 Describe How Politics Work in Organizations 13 -21 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

LO 7 Causes and Consequences of Political Behavior 13 -22 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

LO 7 Causes and Consequences of Political Behavior 13 -23 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

LO 7 Causes and Consequences of Political Behavior 13 -24 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

LO 7 Causes and Consequences of Political Behavior ØImpression management (IM): the process by which individuals attempt to control the impression others form of them. ØMostly high self-monitors. ØImpressions people convey are not necessarily false – they might truly believe them. ØIntentional misrepresentation may have a high cost. ØThe effectiveness of IM depends on the situation. 13 -25 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

LO 7 Causes and Consequences of Political Behavior ØThe Ethics of Behaving Politically Ø Questions to consider: Ø What is the utility of engaging in politicking? Ø How does the utility of engaging in the political behavior balance out any harm (or potential harm) it will do to others? Ø Does the political activity conform to standards of equity and justice? 13 -26 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

LO 7 Causes and Consequences of Political Behavior 13 -27 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

Implications for Managers Ø To maximize your power, you will want to increase others’ dependence on you. You can, for instance, increase your power in relation to your boss by developing knowledge or a skill she needs and for which she perceives no ready substitute. Ø You will not be alone in attempting to build your power bases. Others, particularly employees and peers, will be seeking to increase your dependence on them, while you are trying to minimize it and increase their dependence on you. The result is a continual battle. Ø Try to avoid putting others in a position where they 13 -28 feel they have no power. 13 -28 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.

Implications for Managers ØBy assessing behavior in a political framework, you can better predict the actions of others and use that information to formulate political strategies that will gain advantages for you and your work unit. ØConsider that employees who have poor political skills or are unwilling to play the politics game generally relate perceived organizational politics to lower job satisfaction and self-reported performance, increased anxiety, and higher turnover. Therefore, if you are adept at organizational politics, help your employees understand the importance of becoming politically 13 -29 savvy. 13 -29 Copyright © 2017 Pearson Education, Ltd.