SEMINAR ON ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

SUBMITTED TO SIJI ANSEL GIMS KADAKKAL

TOPIC : POWER AND POLITICS

PREPARED BY; SEN ASHOK S1 MBA GIMS, KADAKKAL

INTRODUCTION
Power and politics were not considered wealthy in the study of organizational behavior in earlier days. Nowadays they became an important subject. They acquired responsibility because of their significant impact on the behavior of the people in the organizations. POWER CORRUPTS AND ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY

MEANING
The term power is generally taken to be the capacity of a person to exert influence over others. It means if a person has power he is able to influence the behaviour of other individuals.

DEFINITION
Power is the potential ability to influence behavior to change the course of events, to overcome resistance and to get people to do things that they would not otherwise do. it is the ability to influence people or things, usually obtained through the control of important resources. - WHITE AND BEDNAR

BASES OF POWER
POWER

INTERPERSONAL

STRUCTURAL

REWARD COERCIVE LEGITIMATE EXPERT REFERENT KNOWLEDGE RESOURCES DECISION MAKING

INTERPERSONAL BASES OF POWER It is based upon the interpersonal relationships between the manager and the subordinate. Reward power: the extent of reward power depends upon the extent to which one control rewards that are valued by another. Coercive power: it is the ability to influence punishment. Fear of punishment may make the subordinate execute the instructions of the boss.

Expert power: it is based upon the perception or belief that the influences has some relevant expertise or special knowledge that the others do not have. Legitimate power: it is the positional power because of the authority inherent in the position. Referent power: it is known as charismatic power and is based upon the attraction exerted by one individual over another.

STRUCTURAL BASES OF POWER: it is the another dimension of power. It involves the following; Knowledge: the individuals or groups who possess critical knowledge are assumed to be very powerful people in the organization. Resources: organizations cannot survive without the adequate availability of all the necessary resources. Decision making: another bases of power is the authority to influence the decision maker.

POWER STATICS AND STRATEGIES

There are several tactics which individuals and groups can use to gain power in an organization. They are as follows: Bargaining Assertiveness Higher authority Sanctions Pressure Friendliness Coalition Competition Cooptation Reason

POLITICS
Power and politics are closely related concepts. A very popular view of organizational politics is how one can pragmatically get ahead in an organization. Politics is the way people gain and use power in organization.

DEFINITION
Politics in an organization refers to those activities that are not regarded as part of ones formal role in the organization, but that influence or attempt to influence the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within the organization. - FARRELL AND PETERSON

POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF POWER

A more successful politician is more likely to succeed in his personal and political ambitions than those who are politically naive or incompetent. Some of the political implications of power are as follows:

Form the right alliances Expect reciprocal favours Try to be popular

Be persuasive without being arrogant Build up a preferred image Control the agenda of the meetings Control the decision criteria Control information Control communication channels Use outside experts

CONCLUSION
A number of ethical issues are related to the concepts of power and politics. Power is considered to be non-political in use when it remains within the boundaries of formal authority, organizational policies and procedures and when it is directed towards ends that are sanctioned by the organization.