Chapter

Chapter13
13

Power and Politics

Prentice
Prentice Hall Inc.
Inc.
All
All rights
rights reserved.
reserved.

PowerPoint
PowerPoint Presentation
by
by Charlie
Charlie Cook
Cook

OBJECTIVES
LEARNING

After
After studying
studying this
this chapter,
chapter,
you
you should
should be
be able
able to:
to:
1. Contrast leadership and power.
2. Define the seven bases of power.
3. Clarify what creates dependency in power
relationships.
4. List nine influence tactics and their
contingencies.
5. Explain how sexual harassment is about the
abuse of power.
6. Describe the importance of a political
perspective.
Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

132

O B J E C T I V E S (contd)
LEARNING

After
After studying
studying this
this chapter,
chapter,
you
you should
should be
be able
able to:
to:
7. List the individual and organizational factors
that stimulate political behaviors.
8. Identify seven techniques for managing the
impression one makes on others.
9. Explain how defensive behaviors can protect
an individuals self-interest.
10. List the three questions that can help
determine if a political action is ethical.

Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

133

AADefinition
Definition of
of Power
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.

Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

134

Contrasting
Contrasting Leadership
Leadership and
and Power
Power
Leadership
Focuses on goal
achievement.
Requires goal
compatibility with
followers.
Focuses influence
downward.
Research Focus
Leadership styles
and relationships
with followers
Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

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
135

Bases
Bases of
of Power:
Power: Formal
Formal Power
Power
Formal Power
Is established by an individuals position in an
organization; conveys the ability to coerce or
reward, from formal authority, or from control
of information.
Coercive Power
A power base dependent on
fear.
Reward Power
Compliance achieved based
on the ability to distribute
rewards that others view as
valuable

Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

136

Bases
Bases of
of Power:
Power: Formal
Formal Power
Power (contd)
(contd)
Legitimate Power
The power a person receives as a
result of his or her position in the
formal hierarchy of an
organization.
Information Power
Power that comes
from access to and
control over
information.

Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

137

Bases
Bases of
of Power:
Power: Personal
Personal Power
Power
Expert Power
Influence based on
special skills or
knowledge.
Referent Power
Influence based on
possession by an individual
of desirable resources or
personal traits.
Charismatic Power
An extension of referent power stemming
from an individuals personality and
interpersonal style.

Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

138

Source: Drawing by Leo Cullum in The New Yorker, copyright 1986

The New Yorker Magazine. Reprinted by permission.

Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

E X H I B I T 131
E X H I B I T 131
139

Dependency:
Dependency: The
The Key
Key To
ToPower
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
Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

1310

Power
Power Tactics
Tactics
Power Tactics
Ways in which
individuals translate
power bases into
specific actions.

Influence
InfluenceTactics
Tactics: :
Legitimacy
Legitimacy
Rational
Rationalpersuasion
persuasion
Inspirational
Inspirationalappeals
appeals
Consultation
Consultation
Exchange
Exchange
Personal
Personalappeals
appeals
Ingratiation
Ingratiation
Pressure
Pressure
Coalitions
Coalitions

Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

1311

Preferred
Preferred Power
Power Tactics
Tactics by
by Influence
Influence Direction
Direction
Upward Influence Downward Influence

Lateral Influence

Rational persuasion

Rational persuasion

Rational persuasion

Inspirational appeals

Consultation

Pressure

Ingratiation

Consultation

Exchange

Ingratiation

Legitimacy

Exchange

Personal appeals

Legitimacy

Coalitions

E X H I B I T 132
E X H I B I T 132
Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

1312

Factors
Factors Influencing
Influencing the
the Choice
Choice and
and
Effectiveness
Effectiveness of
of Power
Power Tactics
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?
Prentice Hall
Inc. All rights reserved.

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.
1313

Power
Power in
in Groups:
Groups: Coalitions
Coalitions
Coalitions
Clusters of individuals
who temporarily come
together to a achieve
a specific purpose.

Seek
Seekto
tomaximize
maximizetheir
their
size
sizeto
toattain
attaininfluence.
influence.
Seek
Seekaabroad
broadand
anddiverse
diverse
constituency
constituencyfor
forsupport
support
of
oftheir
theirobjectives.
objectives.
Occur
Occurmore
morefrequently
frequentlyinin
organizations
organizationswith
withhigh
high
task
taskand
andresource
resource
interdependencies.
interdependencies.
Occur
Occurmore
morefrequently
frequentlyifif
tasks
tasksare
arestandardized
standardized
and
androutine.
routine.

Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

1314

Sexual
Sexual Harassment:
Harassment: Unequal
Unequal Power
Power in
in the
the
Workplace
Workplace
Sexual Harassment
Unwelcome advances, requests for sexual
favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a
sexual nature.

The U.S. Supreme Court test for determining if

sexual harassment has occurred:
whether comments or behavior
in a work environment
would reasonably be
perceived, and is
perceived, as hostile
or abusive.
Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

1315

Politics:
Politics: Power
Power in
in Action
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 Behavior
Normal everyday politics.
Illegitimate Political Behavior
Extreme political behavior that violates the
implied rules of the game.
Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

1316

Politics
Politics Is
Is in
in the
the Eye
Eye of
of the
the Beholder
Beholder
Political Label
Label
1. Blaming others vs.
2. Kissing up
vs.
3. Apple polishing vs.
4. Passing the buck vs.
5. Covering your rear vs.
6. Creating conflict vs.
innovation
7. Forming coalitions vs.
8. Whistleblowing vs.
9. Scheming
vs.
10. Overachieving vs.
11. Ambitious
vs.
12. Opportunistic
vs.
13. Cunning
vs.
14. Arrogant
vs.
Prentice
Inc. All rights reserved.
15. Hall
Perfectionist
vs.

Effective Management
Fixing responsibility
Developing working relationships
Demonstrating loyalty
Delegating authority
Documenting decisions
Encouraging change and
Facilitating teamwork
Improving efficiency
Planning ahead
Source: Based on T. C. Krell, M. E.
Competent and capable
Mendenhall, and J. Sendry, Doing
Research in the Conceptual Morass of
Career-minded
Organizational Politics, paper
presented at the Western Academy of
Astute
Management Conference, Hollywood,
CA, April 1987.
Practical-minded
E X H I B I T 133
Confident
E X H I B I T 133
1317
Attentive to detail

Factors
FactorsThat
That Influence
Influence
Political
PoliticalBehaviors
Behaviors

E X H I B I T 134
E X H I B I T 134
Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

1318

Employee
EmployeeResponses
Responsesto
to
Organizational
OrganizationalPolitics
Politics

E X H I B I T 135
E X H I B I T 135
Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

1319

Avoiding
AvoidingAction
Action: :

Defensive
Defensive
Behaviors
Behaviors

Overconforming
Overconforming
Buck
Buckpassing
passing
Playing
Playingdumb
dumb

Avoiding
AvoidingBlame
Blame: :

Stretching
Stretching

Buffing
Buffing

Stalling
Stalling

Playing
Playingsafe
safe
Justifying
Justifying
Scapegoating
Scapegoating
Misrepresenting
Misrepresenting

Avoiding
AvoidingChange
Change: :
Prevention
Prevention
Self-protection
Self-protection
E X H I B I T 136
E X H I B I T 136

Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

1320

Impression
Impression Management
Management (IM)
(IM)
Impression Management
The process by which
individuals attempt to
control the impression
others form of them.

IM
IMTechniques
Techniques: :
Conformity
Conformity
Excuses
Excuses
Apologies
Apologies
Self-Promotion
Self-Promotion
Flattery
Flattery

Source: Based on B. R. Schlenker, Impression Management (Monterey, CA:

Brooks/Cole, 1980); W. L. Gardner and M. J. Martinko, Impression
Management in Organizations, Journal of Management, June 1988, p. 332;
and R. B. Cialdini, Indirect Tactics of Image Management Beyond Basking,
in R. A. Giacalone and P. Rosenfeld (eds.), Impression Management in the
Organization (Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1989), pp. 4571.

Favors
Favors
Association
Association

E X H I B I T 136
E X H I B I T 136
Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

1321

Is
Is AAPolitical
Political Action
Action Ethical?
Ethical?

Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism

Rights
Rights

Source: Adapted from G.F. Cavanagh, D. Moberg, and M. Valasquez,

The Ethics of Organizational Politic, Academy of Management Review,
July 1981, p. 368. Reprinted with permission.
Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Justice
Justice

E X H I B I T 138
E X H I B I T 138
1322