Power and Politics

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Chapter 13

• Power and Politics

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A Definition of Power
Power A capacity that A has to influence the
behavior of B so that B acts in accordance with
As wishes.
Dependency Bs relationship to A when A possesses
something that B requires.
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Introduction to Organisational Power and Politics

• Jeffrey Pfeffer
• Unless and until we are willing
• to come to terms with organis-
• -ational power and influence,
• and admit that the skills of getting things done
  are as important as the skills of figuring out
  what to do, our organisations will fall further
  and further behind.

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The Value of Politics

• Political forces provide a critical source of
  dynamic energy for strategic organisational
  change (Hardy, 1996)
• Politics can be used to counter the use of
  otherwise legitimate means to non-legitimate ends
• Political debate helps make explicit all the
  dimensions of an argument
• Political action may be required to remove
  bureaucratic blockages raised by the legitimate
  system
• Political tactics can be used to facilitate the
  implementation of decisions reached by legitimate
  means (Buchanan Badham, 1999)

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Introduction to Organisational Power and Politics

• Power is the capacity to influence the behaviour
  of others (Hellriegel et al, 1992)
• Counterpower a neglected dimension
• Mark Holden
• 100 of respondents thought workplace politics
  were common
• 85 thought it was necessary to be political to
  get ahead in organisations
• 67 agreed that organisations would be happier
  places to work without politics

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Introduction to Organisational Power and Politics

• Some people may not want to become powerful
  McClellands N.Power dimension however if they
  wish to be effective there may be little choice
  but to be involved in the organisations power
  dynamics
• N.Power should, perhaps, be
• differentiated from N.Mach.Power

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Contrasting Leadership and Power

• Leadership
• Focuses on goal achievement.
• Requires goal compatibility with followers.
• Focuses influence downward.
• Research Focus
• Leadership styles and relationships with followers

• Power
• Used as a means for achieving goals.
• Requires follower dependency.
• Used to gain lateral and upward influence.
• Research Focus
• Power tactics for gaining compliance

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The Evolution of Power From Domination to
Delegation (Kreitner and Kinicki, 2000)
Power DistributionFollowers grantedauthority to
makedecisions.
High
Power SharingManager/leader andfollowers
jointlymake decisions.
Power DistributionFollowers consulted but
leaders makedecisions.
Degree of Empowerment
AuthoritarianPower Manager/leaderimposes
decisions.
Domination
Consultation
Participation
Delegation
None
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Dependency The Key To Power

• The General Dependency Postulate
• The greater Bs dependency on A, the greater the
  power A has over B.
• Possession/control of scarce organizational
  resources that others need makes a manager
  powerful.
• Access to optional resources (e.g., multiple
  suppliers) reduces the resource holders power.
• What Creates Dependency
• Importance of the resource to the organization
• Scarcity of the resource
• Nonsubstitutability of the resource

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Models of Power
Sources Of Power
Importance Scarcity Substitutability
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Contingencies of Power

• Importance interdependence between power holder
  and others
• A function of
• Ability to reduce uncertainty for others
• Number of people affected by your actions
• How quickly people are affected by your actions

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Contingencies of Power

• Scarcity Control over scarce (limited)
  resources, including
• Expertise (many occupations do this)
• Information
• Money
• Schedules and deadlines
• Meaning

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Contingencies of Power

• Substitutability Power decreases with the
  ability to substitute the valued resource
• Nonsubstitutability can be enhanced by
• Controlling tasks
• Controlling knowledge
• Controlling labour

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Sources of Power (French Raven, 1968
Pettigrew, 1973, 1979 Pfeffer, 1981 Forester,
1989 Hardy, 1994)

• Alliances networks
• Charisma
• Coercive
• Credibility
• Expertise
• Group support
• Information
• Political access

• Position/legitimate
• Processes
• Referent
• Resources
• Rewards
• Sanctions
• Strategic contingencies
• Symbols

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Mobilising Power Influence Strategies

• Appealing
• Becoming indispensable
• Coalition building
• Directing
• Empowering
• Enrolment
• Envisioning
• Managing meaning

• Negotiating
• Personalising
• Persuading
• Rallying
• Sanctioning
• Score-carding
• Socialisation

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Advanced power-grabbing tactics(DuBrin, 1990)

• Think big and win big
• Gain control of organisational resources
• Develop powerful alliances
• Form coalitions and obtain cooptations
• Conduct a mass, concentrated offensive
• Avoid decisive engagement
• Use constructive chaos
• Groom princes and princesses

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Advanced power-grabbing tacticsDuBrin, 1990)

• Maintain a mystique about your job
• Work on key problems
• Bend rules at the right time
• Bring in an outside expert
• Play the power game
• Be feared rather than loved
• Give proof of prowess
• Control the agenda

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Advanced power-grabbing tactics (DuBrin, 1990)

• Select a compliant board of directors
• Avoid being deposed
• Dont spent all your time managing
• Keep your department lean
• Transfer your competition
• Cultivate your superiors
• Be a developer of talent
• Do what your boss thinks a manager should do

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Impressing the Higher-Ups(DuBrin, 1990)

• Shine at meetings
• Show that you identify with management
• Appear cool under pressure
• Talk big, shun trivia
• Show an interest in your firm and its products
• Contact newly arrived senior executives
• Display business manners and etiquette

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Factors Influencing the Choice and Effectiveness
of Power Tactics

• Sequencing of tactics
• Softer to harder tactics works best.
• Skillful use of a tactic
• Experienced users are more successful.
• Relative power of the tactic user
• Some tactics work better when applied downward.
• The type of request attaching to the tactic
• Is the request legitimate?

• How the request is perceived
• Is the request accepted as ethical?
• The culture of the organization
• Culture affects users choice of tactic
• Country-specific cultural factors
• Local values favor certain tactics over others.

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Politics Power in Action
Political Behavior Activities that are not
required as part of ones formal role in the
organization, but that influence, or attempt to
influence, the distribution of advantages or
disadvantages within the organization.
Legitimate Political BehaviorNormal everyday
politics.
Illegitimate Political BehaviorExtreme political
behavior that violates the implied rules of the
game.
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Limiting Negative Political Behaviour
Remove Political Norms
Provide Sufficient Resources
Introduce Clear Rules
Hire Low-Politics Employees
Free Flowing Information
Increase Opportunities for Dialogue
Peer Pressure Against Politics
Manage Change Effectively