excel books 17– 1 copyright © 2009, v s p rao organisational behaviour v s p rao ch-17 power and...

Excel Books17– 1

Copyright © 2009, V S P Rao

Organisational Behaviour V S P Rao

Ch-17Power and Politics

Chapter

17 Power and Politics

Excel Books17– 2




Introduction

Power is the potential ability to influence the behaviour of others. It is the ability

to make things happen or get things done the way you want. Influence is a

behavioural response to the exercise of power. It is an outcome achieved

through the use of power. People are “Influenced” when they act in ways

consistent with the desires of someone else. Managers use power to achieve

influence over the people in the work setting. Control is the ultimate form of

influence wherein acceptable behaviour is specified and individuals or groups are

prevented from behaving otherwise. For example, internal accounting

procedures are designed to control financial transactions and prevent employee

theft. Locked gates, hidden cameras, and other physical security devices are

designed to control the flow of merchandise and prevent shoplifting.

Excel Books17– 3




Cont….

Concept of Power

Power, in other words, is “the capacity that A has to influence the behaviour of B,

so B does something he would not otherwise do” (Robbins). This definition

implies five things:

Potential

Dependency

Discretion

Specific

Reciprocal

Excel Books17– 4




Cont….

Power vs. Authority

The right but The right and The ability but not the ability the ability to get not the right to to get subordinates subordinates to get other people to do things do things to do things

Authority but No power

Authority Plus power

Power but No authority

The Relationship between Authority and Power

Excel Books17– 5




Cont….

Power Authority

1. Ability. Power is the ability of an individual to affect and influence others.

Right. Authority is the right to command and extract work from employees.

2. Leadership. Power is generally associated with leadership

Managership. Authority is vested with manager.

3. Board. Power is a broader concept and includes authority also in some sense. Authority is nothing but institutionalised power.

Narrow. Authority is a narrow concept. A manager may have considerable authority but still may be powerless.

4. Two faces. Power has two faces. Negative and positive. Personal domination at the expense of others is negative; socialised power is a praiseworthy positive face.

Congruence. We cannot make such markedly distinct faces of authority. And such distinction becomes ridiculous with regard to authority.

5. Personal. Power is a personal quality. Positional. Authority is mostly vested in the position. Legitimate power is similar to authority.

Differences between Power and Authority

Excel Books17– 6




Cont….

Authority, Power and Influence

Authority

Accepted by Power influenced, Subordinates if rejected by Subordinates

Organizational Goals

Manager

Authority, Power and Influence Process

Excel Books17– 7




Authority and CompetenceAuthority implies issuing of orders as well as the capacity to exact compliance. Submission is voluntary in competence whereas it is expected in authority. In other words, competence exerts influence; authority exacts obedience. The competence theory of authority is an excellent illustration of the acceptance theory.Authority and LeadershipAuthority relationship is one of super-ordination and subordination; whereas leadership relation is that of dominance and submission. Leadership is primarily a function of influence; whereas authority is a function of power. In a leadership relation, the person is basic; in an authority relation the person is merely a symbol.Authority and ResponsibilityResponsibility is the task to be done and authority is the tool needed to perform the task. It should be noted that authority must be carefully tailored to fit the responsibilities involved. Failure to strike a happy balance between the two may be frustrating to superiors and subordinates as well.

Excel Books17– 8




Influence Tactics in the WorkplaceWhile there are a multitude of means to influence the recipient they can be classified into the following categories (Yukl and Falbe): 1. Consultation: Seeking someone’s participation in a decision or change.2. Rational persuasion: Trying to convince someone by relying on a detailed

plan, supporting, information, reasoning, or logic.3. Inspirational appeals: Appealing to someone’s emotions, values, or ideals

to generate enthusiasm and confidence.4. Ingratiating tactics: Making someone feel important or good before making

a request; acting humble or friendly before making a request.5. Coalition tactics: Seeking the aid of others to persuade someone to agree, 6. Pressure tactics: Relying on intimidation, demands, or threat to gain

compliance or support.7. Upward appeals: Obtaining formal or informal support of higher management.8. Exchange tactics: Offering an exchange of favours; reminding someone of

a past favour; offering to make a personal sacrifice.

Excel Books17– 9




Sources of Power

The important sources of Power may be listed thus:

Expert Power

Charismatic Power (also called referent power)

Reward Power

Information Power

Exchange

Legitimate Power

Coercive Power

Excel Books17– 10




Empowerment

Empowerment is a process in which employees are given increasing amounts of

autonomy and discretion in connection with their work. It makes every one feel

important, relevant and useful in an organisation. There is no need to seek

permission from ‘upstairs’, nor wait for an audience at the door steps of those

who had the power to hold the stick and distribute the carrots. To make things

happen quickly, of course, every one needs to understand the importance of

expanding the pie. People who are empowered need to be trained to expand

their power without rubbing people on the wrong side. People who are feeling

loss of power need not really calculate the emotional costs and develop feelings

of having been pushed to the wall. “By providing opportunities for creative

problem-solving, coupled with the discretion to act, real empowerment increases

the total power available in an organisation. In other words, the top levels don’t

have to give up power in order for the lower levels to gain it”.

Excel Books17– 11




Organisational PoliticsPolitical behaviour is a general way of getting and using power for personal gain. Organisational Politics may be defined as those activities engaged in by people in order to acquire, enhance and employ power and other resources to achieve preferred outcomes in organisational setting characterised by disagreement or uncertainty about choices (Pfeffer). Farrell and Peterson defined the term thus: ‘Politics in an organisation refers to those activities that are not required as part of one’s formal role in the organization, but that influence, or attempt to influence, the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within the organization”. In the light of these definitions, the important features of organisational politics may be stated thus:

a) Not officially blessed

b) Self-serving

c) Intentional

d) Not Rational

Excel Books17– 12




Cont….

Reasons for Political BehaviourPolitics is a fact of life in organisations. The reasons are fairly obvious (Robbins):

Organisational Factors

Scarce Resources

Limited Opportunities

Lack of Trust

Role Ambiguity

Performance Evaluation

Delay in Feedback

Pressure to Perform well

Employee’s Participation in Decision-making

Politicking by Top Management

Individual factors

Excel Books17– 13




Political Strategies and Tactics to acquire Power

Various political strategies are pursued by individuals with a view to enhance their image and gain respect from others. Successful political behaviour involves keeping people happy, cultivating contacts and wheeling and dealing. Some commonly employed political strategies are given below: (Dubrin) Forming Alliances Selective use of Information Scapegoating Image Building Networking Compromise Rule Manipulation Fabianism One step at a time Persuasion

Excel Books17– 14




Cont….

Managing Political Behaviour

Political behaviour, by its very nature, defies logical thinking and systematic

handling. But managers can prevent excessive damage to organisational

performance by initiating certain steps:

Define Job Duties clearly

Design Jobs properly

Demonstrate Proper Behaviour

Promote Understanding

Allocate Resources judiciously

Excel Books17– 15




Manager’s Rules for Winning at Office Politics Find out what the boss expects.

Build an information network. Knowledge is power. Identity the people who have power and the extent and direction of it. Title doesn’t necessarily reflect actual influence. Find out how the grapevine works. Develop good internal public relations for yourself.

Find a mentor. This is a trusted counsellor who can be honest with you and help train and guide you to improve your ability and effectiveness as a manager.

Don’t make enemies without a very good reason.

Avoid cliques. Keep circulating in the office.

If you must fight, fight over something that is really worth it. Don’t lose ground over minor matters or petty differences.

Gain power through allies. Build ties that bind. Create IOUs, obligations, and loyalties. Do not be afraid to enlist help from above.

Maintain control. Don’t misuse your cohorts. Maintain the status and integrity of your allies.

Mobilize your forces when necessary. Don’t commit your friends without their approval. Be a gracious winner when you do win.

Never hire a family member or a close friend.Source: Adapted from David E. Hall, “Winning at Office Politics,” Credit & Financial Management, 86 (April 1984)

excel books 17– 1 copyright © 2009, v s p rao organisational behaviour v s p rao ch-17 power and...

Documents