Conflict, Power and Politics

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Conflict, Power and Politics
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A Process Framework of Organizational Power,
Politics and Collaboration
- Gather Data - Reach Agreement
Rational Model
Antecedent Conditions Goal Incompatibility D
ifferentiation Task Interdependence Limited
Resources
Tactics for Increasing Power Base
Political Model
Political Tactics for Using Power
Tactics for Enhancing Collaboration
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Sources of Conflict and Use of Rational vs.
Political Model
Sources of Potential Inter-group Conflict
Goal Incompatibility Differentiation Task
Interdependence Limited Resources
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• Sources of Individual Power
• -French Raven
• Sources of Organizational Power
• Vertical
• Top management
• Middle management
• Lower level
• Horizontal
• -Dept vs. Dept.

Model of Power, Politics Influence
Tactics for Enhancing Collaboration
Power Base
Influence
Tactics for Increasing Power Base
Political Tactics for Using Power
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Individual Power (French Raven)

• Legitimate Power
• power derived from a persons position or job in
  an organization
• i.e. technically not individual but
  organizational power
• supervisors, teachers, police officers

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Individual Power

• Reward Power
• power derived from the ability to provide
  positive outcomes
• supervisors pay, promotion
  
• peers and subordinates praise, flattery

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Individual Power

• Coercive Power
• power derived from the use of punishment or
  threat
• supervisors dock pay, exile
  transfers
• peers ignore, shun

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Individual Power

• Referent Power
• power derived from being well-liked by others
• followers identify with power-holder
• charismatic leadership

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Individual Power

• Expert power
• power derived from having special information or
  expertise that is valued by an organization
• so youre a rocket scientist...

Passed MGT3360
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Organizational Powerresults from structure,
rather than individual characteristics

• Vertical power sources of power accessed by an
  individual according to his/her position in the
  hierarchy
• Also legitimate or formal power

• Horizontal power sources of power accessed by
  otherwise equal departments or subunits according
  to their ability to address strategic issues for
  the organization

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Sources of Vertical Power

• Formal Position
• Allocation of Resources
• Control of Decision Premises and Information
• Network Centrality

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Strategic Contingencies That Influence Horizontal
Power Among Departments
Dependency
Financial Resources
Centrality
Department Power
Nonsubstitutability
Coping with Uncertainty
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Domains of Political Activity

1. Structural change
2. Management succession
3. Resource allocation

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Tactics for Increasing Your Power Base

1. Enter areas of high uncertainty
2. Create dependencies
3. Provide scarce resources
4. Satisfy strategic contingencies

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Political Tactics for Using Power

1. Build coalitions expand networks
2. Assign loyal people to key positions
3. Control decision premises
4. Enhance legitimacy expertise
5. Make a Direct Appeal

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Tactics for Enhancing Collaboration

1. Create integration devices
2. Use confrontation negotiation
3. Schedule intergroup consultation
4. Practice member rotation
5. Create shared mission superordinate goals