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 dont use and may not know they possess Power requires one persons perception of dependence on another person
.

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

Power and Dependence

Person Bs counterpower over Person A

Person A

Person B

Person As power over Person B

Person Bs 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
Contingencies Of Power

Legitimate Power Reward 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: Promising or granting
rewards.

Coercive power: Threats or actual

punishment.

Legitimate power: Based on position or

formal authority.

Expert power: Sharing of knowledge or

information.

Referent power: Power of ones personality

(charisma).
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

Consequences of Power
Sources of Power Expert Power Referent Power Legitimate Power Reward Power Coercive Power Consequences of Power

Commitment

Compliance

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, persuasion or facts. Inspirational appeals. Trying to build enthusiasm by appealing to appeals. others emotions, ideals, or values. Consultation. Getting others to participate in planning, making Consultation. decisions, and changes. Ingratiation Getting someone in a good mood prior to making a Ingratiation. request; being friendly, helpful, and using praise or flattery. Personal appeals. Referring to friendship and loyalty when making a appeals request. Exchange. Making express or implied promises and trading favors. Exchange. Coalition tactics Getting others to support your effort to persuade tactics. someone. Pressure Demanding compliance or using intimidation or threats. Pressure. Legitimating tactics. Basing a request on ones 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.

Managers 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 dont 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. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 89.0 76.2 15.7 69.8 48.6 42.1 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
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

Internal locus of control High need for power, status, security, or autonomy

Chapter 11Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

Controlling Political Behavior

1.Provide Sufficient Resources 1.Provide 2.Introduce Clear Rules 2.Introduce 3.Free Flowing Information 3.Free 4.Manage Change Effectively 4.Manage 5.Remove Political Norms 5.Remove 6.Hire Low-Politics Employees 6.Hire Low7.Increase Opportunities for Dialogue 7.Increase 8.Peer Pressure Against Politics 8.Peer
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

Practical Tips for Managing Organizational Politics

1. Dont 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 werent 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 selfself-serving interests which exclude the goals of the organization? Question 3 Is the political activity fair and equitable?
Yes

Ethical
Yes

Yes

No

No

Unethical 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

Favors SelfDescriptions Association Verbal SelfPresentation Acclaiming Opinion Conformity Excuse

Flattery

Apologies

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

Poor Impression Management

Four Motive of Poor Impression

1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Unfavorable Upward Impression Management Tactics

Avoidance Obtain Exit Power

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 ones own immediate interests. Madison Avenue mentality. Says, Its right if I can convince you that its 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

Pfeffers Political Strategies

MAKE POWER UNOBTRUSIVE EFFECTIVE POLITICS

BUILD LEGITIMACY

BUILD A BASE OF SUPPORT

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

Pfeffers 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 dont 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. Organization 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran. Them (Walk the Talk) Affect

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.