Organizational Power, Politics, and Persuasion

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C H A P T E R
Organizational Power, Politics, and Persuasion
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The Meaning of Power

• Networking with clients on the golf course helps
  Jane Buckley maintain her power at Compass
  Group. Women aren't in on all the informal
  networks yet, warns one consultant. A lot goes
  on on the golf course, but a lot of women still
  aren't there.

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The Meaning of Power

• Power the capacity of a person, team, or
  organization to influence others
• The potential to influence
• People have power they dont use
  many not know they possess
• Power requires one persons perception of
  dependence on another person

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Power and Dependence
Person Bs counterpower over Person A
Person B
Person As power over Person B
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Model of Power in Organizations
Sources Of Power

• Legitimate
• Reward
• Coercive
• Expert
• Referent

Substitutability Centrality Discretion Visibility
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Sources of Power
Position
Legitimate Power
Reward Power
Coercive Power
Personal
Expert Power
Referent Power
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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
• Based on expert power
• Prevention
• Forecasting
• Absorption

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Model of Power in Organizations
Sources Of Power

• Legitimate
• Reward
• Coercive
• Expert
• Referent

Substitutability Centrality Discretion Visibility
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Contingencies of Power
Substitutability
Conditions that determine extent to which people
can leverage their power
Centrality
Discretion
Visibility
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Contingencies of Power Substitutability

• Controlling Tasks
• Legislation preventing outsiders from
• performing tasks
• Controlling Knowledge
• Restrict enrollment in ed. programs, restrict
  knowledge on the job
• Controlling Labor
• Unions controlling availability of labor
• Differentiation
• Unique resource

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Contingencies of Power Centrality

• Centrality degree and nature of interdependence
• Number of people affected
• Speed others are affected

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Contingencies of Power Discretion

• Discretion freedom to exercise judgment, make
  decisions without permission or referring to
  rules
• Supervisors often judged not on discretionary
  skills but ability to follow rules less power

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Contingencies of Power Visibility

• Visibility only when a persons source of
  power is visible (known to others) will it be
  meaningful
• People-oriented jobs
• Projects requiring frequent interaction with
  senior executives
• Visible (literally), face time
• Symbolic cues
• Mentoring

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Consequences of Power
Sources of Power
Consequences of Power
Expert Power
Referent Power
Legitimate Power
RewardPower
Coercive Power
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Organizational Politics

• Attempts to influence others using discretionary
  behaviors to promote personal objectives
• Discretionary behaviors -- neither
• explicitly prescribed nor prohibited
• Politics may be good or bad for the organization

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Types of Political Activity
Managing impressions
Attacking blaming
Organizational Politics
Controlling information
Creating obligations
Cultivating networks
Formingcoalitions
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Conditions for Organizational Politics

• Scarce Resources
• Uncertainty
• Tolerance of Politics
• Personal Characteristics
• Personalized power need
• Internal locus of control
• High Machs
• Gender differences

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Controlling Political Behavior

• Provide sufficient resources
• Introduce clear rules
• Free flowing information
• Manage change effectively
• Restructure norms
• Hire low-politics employees

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Persuasive Communication
Audience Characteristics Self-esteem
Inoculated

• Communicator
• Characteristics
• (content not
• critical)
• Expert
• Credible
• Attractive
• Confident

Com. Medium