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Chapter 13: Power & Politics
Dr. Samantha Jordan
Overview
This video explores the concepts of power and politics within an organizational context. It defines power as the ability to influence others and resist influence, emphasizing that power often stems from dependency on resources or information. The video details the five (plus one) bases of power identified by French and Raven, distinguishing between formal and personal power sources. It then shifts to influence tactics, explaining how power is translated into action and discussing their varying effectiveness based on direction (upward, downward, lateral). Finally, the video defines organizational politics as self-serving actions aimed at personal gain, categorizing them into characteristics, actions, and outcomes, and touches on the potential for power to corrupt.
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Chapters
- Power is the capacity to influence others' behavior and withstand their attempts to influence you.
- Power is often a result of dependency, where individuals control resources, information, or characteristics that others need.
- Power can exist without being used, and its use can be for beneficial or detrimental purposes.
- Gaining power involves increasing others' dependence on you, controlling scarce resources, bridging social networks, holding a central network position, or possessing unique knowledge/skills.
Understanding the fundamental nature of power and its origins is crucial for navigating organizational dynamics and recognizing how influence operates.
A supervisor using their position to provide unique opportunities to subordinates (good power) versus using their position for quid pro quo sexual harassment (bad power).
- French and Raven identified six bases of power: coercive, reward, legitimate, expert, referent, and informational.
- Formal powers (coercive, reward, legitimate) stem from one's position within the organizational hierarchy.
- Personal powers (expert, referent) derive from an individual's unique qualities, skills, or charisma.
- Informational power, tied to possessing unique information, is controversial as it can be lost upon sharing and doesn't fit neatly into formal or personal categories.
Knowing these distinct bases of power helps in identifying how individuals exert influence and how different types of power can be leveraged or countered.
Cersei Lannister (coercive), Tyrion Lannister (reward), Khalessi (legitimate), The Hound (expert), Jon Snow (referent), and the Master of Whisperers (informational) from Game of Thrones.
- Dependency is central to power; if Person A needs something only Person B has, B has power over A.
- Dependency decreases as more alternative sources for a needed resource become available.
- Influence tactics are strategies used to translate power into action, including coalition building, consultation, exchange, ingratiation, inspirational appeals, legitimacy, personal appeals, pressure, rational persuasion, collaboration, and apprising.
- The effectiveness of influence tactics varies, with rational persuasion, inspirational appeals, and collaboration often leading to commitment (internalization), while pressure and coalitions can lead to resistance.
This section explains how power is practically applied through influence tactics and highlights that the success of these tactics depends on the method used and the context.
Rational persuasion, which uses logical arguments, is consistently effective for upward influence and across all influence directions (upward, downward, lateral).
- Power can lead to self-serving behavior, overconfidence, and a reduced sensitivity to criticism or feedback, potentially leading to corruption.
- Organizational politics refers to actions taken to advance personal self-interests, which are not inherently negative and can sometimes align with organizational goals.
- Political characteristics (like political skill, which includes social astuteness and interpersonal influence) and political will influence how individuals engage with organizational politics.
- Political actions include general political behavior (e.g., withholding information) and impression management (managing how one is perceived).
- Political outcomes, such as political perceptions and reputation, shape future political behavior.
This chapter addresses the ethical considerations of power and defines organizational politics, providing a framework for understanding the behaviors and consequences associated with navigating workplace dynamics.
Political skill involves social astuteness (reading the room), interpersonal influence (persuading others), networking ability (building connections), and apparent sincerity (seeming genuine).
Key takeaways
- Power is fundamentally about dependency; controlling scarce and valuable resources or information grants influence.
- Understanding the different bases of power (formal vs. personal) helps in analyzing why certain individuals or positions hold sway.
- Effective influence requires choosing the right tactic for the situation and the direction of influence (upward, downward, lateral).
- While power can be a tool for positive change, it carries risks of corruption, self-interest, and diminished self-awareness.
- Organizational politics, though often viewed negatively, is a natural part of workplace dynamics focused on self-interest and can be managed through political skill.
- Impression management is a key political action aimed at shaping how others perceive you, with both short-term (tactical) and long-term (strategic) applications.
- Perceptions of politics within an organization are subjective and can significantly impact employee behavior and outcomes.
Key terms
PowerDependencyCoercive PowerReward PowerLegitimate PowerExpert PowerReferent PowerInformational PowerInfluence TacticsInternalizationComplianceResistanceOrganizational PoliticsPolitical SkillImpression Management
Test your understanding
- How does dependency create power for an individual or group?
- What are the key differences between formal and personal bases of power, and why does this distinction matter?
- Explain why certain influence tactics are more effective than others, particularly in relation to achieving internalization versus mere compliance.
- What are the potential negative consequences of holding power, and how can organizational politics be understood as a response to these dynamics?
- How can an individual develop and utilize political skill to navigate organizational environments effectively?