Chapter 12: Influence, Power and Politics

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Chapter 12Influence, Power and Politics

• November30th, 2000

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Social Influence some scenarios

• You have been invited to your new boss house
  for a dinner party and are picking out a bottle
  of wine. You want to make a strong impression
  because you know that you are being considered
  for a promotion.
• What will you consider during this decision? How
  will this decision differ from if you were buying
  wine for your college buddies?

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Social Influence some scenarios

• You feel very strongly about an idea that you
  would like to see implemented within your
  organization and have been asked to present the
  concept to senior management.
• How will you approach the presentation? What
  tactics will you use during the interaction?

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Social Influence some scenarios

• Your department has a deadline and you cannot
  legally expect your subordinates to work overtime
  but know that their contribution will increase
  the likelihood of meeting the deadline.
• What methods would you use to secure this
  contribution?

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Social Influence

• Getting others to do what you want
• Tactics
• Rational persuasion
• Inspirational appeal
• Consultation
• Ingratiation
• Exchange
• Personal appeal
• Coalition building
• Legitimating
• pressure

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POWER

• The potential to influence the behaviour of
  others.

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Individual Power Bases

• Position power
• Legitimate power
• Who are you to do that?
• Reward power
• Dont bite the hand that feeds you
• Coercive power
• Do it or else
• Information power
• Knowledge is power

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Empowerment

• Definition The passing of responsibility and
  authority from managers to employees (p. 377)
• What are the organizational benefits of
  empowering your workforce?

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Group Power The Theories

• Resource dependency model
• Power based on the extent to which resources
  required by other units
• Strategic contingencies model
• Power determined by the extent to which a unit
  controls the relative power of other units

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Individual Power Bases

• Personal power
• Rational persuasion
• Logic
• Expert power
• Knowing what is best
• Referent power
• Admired and liked
• Charisma
• Engaging and magnetic personality
• Can you have expert power and not referent power?

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POLITICS

• Putting power to use to attain desired personal
  goals.
• Are organizational politics unethical?

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Political Tactics

• Controlling access to information
• Cultivating a favorable impression
• Developing a base of support
• Blaming and attacking others
• Aligning oneself with more powerful others
• Playing political games

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Discussion Question

• When do organizational politics occur?
• What can be done to minimize their impact on an
  organization?

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