POWER AND INFLUENCE
The name of the game is power. Nothing else.
Who has power, how he gets it, how power is
delegated, how power is restrained, how power is
exercised -- these are the questions that absorb
us (Kilpatrik quoted in Kipnis, 1976, p. 2)
In business school they taught us about cash
flow, not about corporate politics; about return on
equity, not about egos and pride. My experience
taught me that [courses on power] should have
been every bit as much part of the core
curriculum as Production, Marketing, and
Finance (Mary Cunningham, Powerplay, 1984,
p. 56)
POWER AND POLITICS
Atul Mitra
A BALANCED VIEW OF POWER
A BALANCED VIEW OF POWER
Abuse of Power
Power Corrupts, and absolute power
corrupts absolutely (Lord Action)
Lack of Power
It is powerlessness that often creates
ineffective, desultory management and
petty, dictatorial, rule-minded managerial
styles (Kanter, 1979)
Empowered
Effective
Personal/Organizational
Performance
Ineffective
Empowerment
It is both ennobling and enabling
(Whetten & Cameron, 1995)
Inadequate
Excessive
Personal Power
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MANAGER MYTHS V. REALITY
Basic Concept
Authority
Interdependence
Everything but
Source of Power
Formal Authority
Key Players
Subordinate
Includes those
outside your
formal authority
Technical
Technical, human,
conceptual
Key Competencies
Desired Outcomes
Control, Compliance
Commitment,
empowerment
SOURCES OF POWER 4 PERSONAL
POWER BASES
Expertise
Task relevant or Critical Info
Personal Attraction
or Referent
Personal
Effort
Higher-than-expected
Legitimacy
Behavior consistent with key
Organizational Values
SOURCES OF POWER 7
POSITIONAL POWER BASES
CONTINGENCY FACTORS
Substitutability is the degree to which people
have alternatives in accessing resources.
Discretion is the degree to which managers
have the right to make decisions on their own.
Centrality represents how important a persons
job is and how many people depend on that
person to accomplish their tasks.
Visibility is how aware others are of a leaders
power and position.
Relevance
Centrality
Autonomy
Positional
Reward
Visibility
Authority
Coercion
USING INFLUENCE
Influence is the use of an actual behavior that
causes behavioral or attitudinal changes in
others.
Influence can be seen as directional.
Most frequently occurs downward (managers influencing
employees) but can also be lateral (peers influencing peers)
or upward (employees influencing managers).
Influence is all relative.
Absolute power of the influencer and influencee isnt as
important as the disparity between them.
INFLUENCE TACTICS, CONTD
Ingratiation
is the use of favors,
complements, or friendly behavior to
make the target feel better about the
influencer.
Personal appeals are when the
requestor asks for something based on
personal friendship or loyalty.
An exchange tactic is used when the
requestor offers a reward or resource to
the target in return for performing a
request.
Apprising occurs when the requestor
clearly explains why performing the
request will benefit the target personally.
INFLUENCE TACTICS
Rational
persuasion is the use of logical
arguments and hard facts to show the
target that the request is a worthwhile
one.
An inspirational appeal is a tactic
designed to appeal to the targets values
and ideals, thereby creating an emotional
or attitudinal reaction.
Consultation occurs when the target is
allowed to participate in deciding how to
carry out or implement a request.
A leader uses collaboration by
attempting to make it easier for the target
to complete the request.
INFLUENCE TACTICS, CONTD
Pressure
is the use of coercive power through
threats and demands.
Coalitions occur when the influencer enlists
other people to help influence the target.
Influence tactics tend to be most successful
when used in combination.
The influence tactics that tend to be most
successful are those that are softer in nature.
Rational persuasion, consultation, inspirational
appeals, and collaboration
INFLUENCE TACTICS AND THEIR
EFFECTIVENESS
RESPONSE TO INFLUENCE TACTICS
Engagement
occurs when the target of
influence agrees with and becomes
committed to the influence request
(behaviors and attitudes).
Compliance occurs when targets of
influence are willing to do to what the
leader asks, but they do it with a degree of
ambivalence (behaviors but not attitudes).
Resistance occurs when the target
refuses to perform the influence request
and puts forth an effort to avoid having to
do it.
RESPONSES TO INFLUENCE
ATTEMPTS
RATIONAL VERSUS POLITICAL MODELS OF
ORGANIZATION
Organizational
Characteristic
Rational Model
Political Model
Inconsistent, pluralistic within the
organization
Decentralized, shifting coalitions
and interest groups
Decision process
Orderly, logical, rational
Disorderly, characterized by push
and pull of interests
Rules and norms
Norm of optimizing
Free play of market forces; conflict
is legitimate and expected
Information
Extensive, systematic,
accurate
Ambiguous; information used and
withheld strategically
Beliefs about causeeffect relationships
Known, at least to a
probability estimate
Disagreements about causes and
effects
Decisions
Based on outcomemaximizing choice
Efficiency and
effectiveness
Result of bargaining and interplay
among interests
Powe
Ideology
16
Power and control
Consistent across
participants
Centralized
Goals, preference
r&
Politi
Struggle, conflict, winners and losers
cs.pp
t
ORGANIZATIONAL POLITICS
Organizational politics can be seen as actions by
individuals that are directed toward the goal of furthering
their own self-interests.
Political skill is the ability to effectively understand
others at work and use that knowledge to influence others
in ways that enhance personal and/or organizational
objectives.
Networking ability is an adeptness at identifying and developing
diverse contacts.
Social astuteness is the tendency to observe others and accurately
interpret their behavior.
Interpersonal influence involves having an unassuming and
convincing personal style thats flexible enough to adapt to different
situations.
Apparent sincerity involves appearing to others to have high levels of
THE
ORGANIZATIONA
L POLITICS
PROCESS
POWER AND POLITICAL TACTICS IN
ORGANIZATIONS
EMPOWERMENT AND DELEGATION
Political Tactics for
Using Power
19
Tactics for Increasing the Power
Base
Empowerment means many things. It means to .
..
1. Enter Areas of high uncertainty
1. Build coalitions
2. Create dependencies
2. Expand networks
3. Provide resources
3. Control decision premises
4. Satisfy strategic contingencies
4. Enhance legitimacy and expertise
enable
develop and enhance self-efficacy
overcome causes of powerlessness or helplessness
energize people to take action
mobilize intrinsic excitement
enhance trust
5. Make preferences explicit, but
keep power implicit
WHETTEN AND CAMERON ARGUE THAT
EMPOWERMENT HAS FIVE CORE
DIMENSIONS:
Self-efficacy (a sense of personal competence)
Self-determination (a sense of personal choice)
Personal control (a sense of having impact)
Meaning (a sense of value in activity)
Trust (a sense of security)
EMPOWERMENT AND DELEGATION
How
to develop empowerment?
Foster personal mastery experience
Modeling
Provide support
Drive out negative emotions
Provide information
Provide resources
Organize teams
Create confidence
paradox of power is that sharing power
actually increases a managers power and
hence control (Hill, 1995, p. 2)
Make Empowered Delegation
EMPOWERING OTHERS
EMPOWERING OTHERS
Foster
Provide
Personal Mastery Experiences
Break apart large tasks and assign one part at
a time
Assign simple tasks before difficult tasks
Highlight and celebrate small wins
Incrementally expand job responsibilities
Model
Successful Behavior
Demonstrate successful task accomplishments
Point out other people who have succeeded
Find a coach or a mentor
Facilitate interaction with other role models
Support
Praise, encourage, express approval for and
reassure
Send letters or notes of praise to family
members
Regularly provide feedback
Hold recognition ceremonies
Generate
Positive Emotions
Foster activities to encourage friendship
formation
Periodically send lighthearted messages
Use superlatives in giving feedback
Clarify impact on the ultimate customer
EMPOWERING OTHERS
Provide
Provide
Information
Provide task-relevant information
Pass along relevant cross-functional
information
Provide assess to information
Resources
Provide training and development experiences
Provide technical and administrative support
Provide needed time, space, or equipment
Provide more discretion to commit resources
