OB11 chapter 1 3 power and politices

eleventh edition

organizational

behavior

stephen p. robbins


Chapter 13

Power and Politics

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
S T E P H E N P. R O B B I N S
E L E V E N T H
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E D I T I O N

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PowerPoint Presentation
by Charlie Cook


OBJECTIVES
LEARNING

After studying this chapter,

you should be able 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.
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13–
3


O B J E C T I V E S (cont’d)
LEARNING

After studying this chapter,
you should be able 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 individual’s self-interest.

10. List the three questions that can help
determine if a political action is ethical.
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13–4


AA Definition
Definition of
of Power
Power
Power
A capacity that A has to influence
the behavior of B so that B acts in
accordance with A’s wishes.

A

B

Dependency

B’s relationship to A when
A possesses something
that B requires.

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13–5


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
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 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
13–
6


Bases
Bases of
of Power:
Power: Formal
Formal Power
Power
Formal Power
Is established by an individual’s 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
thatPrentice
others Hall
viewInc.
as valuable
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13–7


Bases
Bases of
of Power:
Power: Formal
Formal Power
Power (cont’d)
(cont’d)
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.

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13–8


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
personality
©individual’s
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Hall Inc. and interpersonal style.
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13–9


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Source: Drawing by Leo Cullum in The New Yorker, copyright ©1986
The New Yorker Magazine. Reprinted by permission.

13–
10

E X H I B I T 13–1
E X H I B I T 13–1

Dependency:
Dependency: The
The Key
Key To
To Power
Power
 The General Dependency Postulate
– The greater B’s 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 holder’s power.

 What Creates Dependency
– Importance of the resource to the organization
– Scarcity of the resource
– Nonsubstitutability of the resource

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13–
11


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

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• • Coalitions
Coalitions

13–
12


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

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13–
13

E X H I B I T 13–2
E X H I B I T 13–2

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?

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 How the request is

perceived
– Is the request accepted
as ethical?
 The culture of the
organization
– Culture affects user’s
choice of tactic
 Country-specific cultural
factors
– Local values favor certain
tactics over others.

13–
14


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.

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• • Occur
Occurmore
morefrequently
frequentlyifif
tasks
tasksare
arestandardized
standardized
and
androutine.
routine.

13–
15


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.”

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13–
16


Politics:
Politics: Power
Power in
in Action
Action
Political Behavior
Activities that are not required as part of one’s

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.
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13–
All rights reserved.
17


Politics
Politics Is
Is in
in the
the Eye
Eye of
of the
the Beholder
Beholder
“Political” Label

“Effective Management” Label

1. Blaming others

vs.

Fixing responsibility

2. “Kissing up”

vs.

Developing working relationships

3. Apple polishing

vs.

Demonstrating loyalty

4. Passing the buck

vs.

Delegating authority

5. Covering your rear

vs.

Documenting decisions

6. Creating conflict

vs.

Encouraging change and innovation

7. Forming coalitions

vs.

Facilitating teamwork

8. Whistleblowing

vs.

Improving efficiency

9. Scheming

vs.

Planning ahead

10. Overachieving

vs.

Competent and capable

11. Ambitious

vs.

Career-minded

12. Opportunistic

vs.

Astute

13. Cunning

vs.

Practical-minded

14. Arrogant

vs.

Confident

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Perfectionist
vs.
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Attentive to detail

Source: Based on T. C. Krell, M. E.
Mendenhall, and J. Sendry, “Doing
Research in the Conceptual Morass of
Organizational Politics,” paper
presented at the Western Academy of
Management Conference, Hollywood,
CA, April 1987.

13–
18

E X H I B I T 13–3
E X H I B I T 13–3


Factors
FactorsThat
That Influence
Influence
Political
Political Behaviors
Behaviors

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13–
19

E X H I B I T 13–4

E X H I B I T 13–4


Employee
EmployeeResponses
Responsesto
to
Organizational
OrganizationalPolitics
Politics

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H I B I T 13–5
X H I B I T 13–5
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13–
20


Avoiding
AvoidingAction
Action: :

Defensive
Defensive
Behaviors
Behaviors

• • Overconforming
Overconforming
• • Buck
Buckpassing
passing
• • Playing
Playingdumb
dumb
• • Stretching
Stretching
• • Stalling
Stalling

Avoiding
AvoidingBlame
Blame: :
• • Buffing
Buffing
• • Playing
Playingsafe
safe
• • Justifying
Justifying
• • Scapegoating
Scapegoating
• • Misrepresenting
Misrepresenting

Avoiding
AvoidingChange

Change: :
• • Prevention
Prevention
• • Self-protection
Self-protection

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13–
21

E X H I B I T 13–6
E X H I B I T 13–6


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. 45–
71.

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H I B I T 13–6
X H I B I T 13–6
All rights reserved.

• • Favors
Favors
• • Association
Association

13–

22


Is
Is AA Political
Political Action
Action Ethical?
Ethical?

Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism

Rights
Rights

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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.

Justice
Justice

13–
23

E X H I B I T 13–8
E X H I B I T 13–8