Power and political behavior
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The importance of power and politics. Definition. Bases of power
Power and politics
A reality of organizational life
Often described as…
“dirty words”
Why?
Because...
§ The words power and politics often elicits negative connotations
(e.g. power hungry, extreme ambition to make it to the top)
§ Those who have power usually deny it
§ Those who want it try not to look like they’re seeking it
§ Those who are good at getting it are secretive about how they do so
Power and political behavior…
…are natural processes in any group or organization
Inevitable part of working life
Negative uses of power...
Abuses of power: power can be intoxicating and can be
devastating when abused
- Bullying
- Manipulation
- Moral and sexual harassment
-…
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts
absolutely”
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Power & Politics
Definition
Power refers to a capacity that A has to influence the behavior
of B so B acts in accordance with A’s wishes
It´s a capacity or potencial; the possesion of power and
authority over others
Power is “the ability to get things done the way one wants them
to be done” (Salancik & Pfeffer, 1989).
Politics refers to the use of power to affect decision making in
organizations
It’s the power in action
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Bases of social power
What are the sources of one’s power over
others?
Where does power come from?
Bases or underlying sources of power
Formal or organizational power: based on an individual’s position in the
hierarchical structure of the organization
- Legitimate
- Reward
- Coercive
Personal power: influence derived from an individual’s unique
characteristics (traits, skills, competences)
- Expert
- Reference
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Where does power come from?
Formal bases of power
Legitimate power: represents the formal authority to
control and use organizational resources based on the
structural position in the organization
Power derived from the formal position held by the
individual in the organization’s hierarchy of authority
(CEOs, top managers, middle-managers, line managers,
non-managerial positions)
Sets the basis for coercive and reward power
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Where does power come from?
Formal bases of power
Reward power: the use of incentives to influence the
actions of others; the person complies because it produces
positive tangible and nontangible benefits
The power of a manager to give some type of reward as a
means to influence the employee to act in a desired way
Examples?
Tangible and intangible
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Reward power
Tangible/financial benefits:
- monetary awards
- salary increase
- bonuses and perks
Intangible/nonfinancial
- promotions
- interesting work assignments
- friendly colleagues
- preferred work shifts
- public praise
- positive feedback
- time and attention
- …
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Where does power come from?
Formal bases of power
Coercive power: the means by which a person controls the
behavior of others through punishments, threats of sanctions;
is dependent on fear of the negative results from failing to
comply
The ability of a manager to take something away or force an
employee to follow an order by threatening him/her with
punishment if he/she is perceived as violating the
organization’s policies and norms
Examples?
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Coercive power
The power to:
- dismiss
- suspend
- assign unpleasant tasks
- apply sanctions
- yelling
- …
In today’s organizations, coercive power is perceived by many
leaders as a negative power and is usually used as a last resort
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Where does power come from?
Personal bases of power
Expert power: influence based on special skills, knowledge, or
professional and/or technical expertise on which others
depend
Based upon employees’ perception that a manager or other
member of an organization has a high level of knowledge or a
specialized set of skills and competences that other employees
do not possess
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Where does power come from?
Personal bases of power
Referent power: stems from personal characteristics such as
charisma; influence based on identification with a person who
has desirable resources or personal traits or qualities; develops
out of admiration and respect of another and a desire to be like
that person
Power based on a high level of identification with, admiration
of, and respect for the powerholder (widely respected
individuals, seen as fair, approachable, and focused on ethics)
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Where does power come from?
Bases of power and effectiveness
And the most effective are…?
Formal? Informal?
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Formal or informal?
Research suggests that:
- the personal bases are the most effective
- both expert and referent power are positively related to:
- employees’ satisfaction with supervision
- organizational commitment
- performance
- coercive power can act against those outcomes
Negative side of power? Bad use…
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