Ch. 10 Power and Influence in the Workplace

Question 1

What is power?

Answer 1

The capacity of a person, team, or organisation to influence others

1) Potential to change someone’s attitudes/behaviour
2) Based on target’s perception
3) Involves asymmetric dependence of one party on another

All power relationships depend on some minimum level of trust

Question 2

What is countervailing power?

Answer 2

The capacity of a person, team, or organisation to keep a more powerful person or group in the exchange relationship

Question 3

What are the five sources of power?

Answer 3

1) Legitimate
2) Reward
3) Coercive
4) Expert
5) Referent

Question 4

Where do the sources of power originate from?

Answer 4

Legitimate, reward, coercive
- Formally by the org or informally by coworkers

Expert, referent
- Power holder’s own characteristics

Question 5

What is legitimate power?

Answer 5

Agreement that people in specific positions can request behaviours from others

Question 6

What is the zone of indifference?

Answer 6

Zone of indifference
- Deference to authority in a domain of behaviours

• Increases with level of trust in power holder
• Increases with values of conformity and tradition, high power distance, org culture
• Problem: Mindless deference to authority

Question 7

What is the norm of reciprocity?

Answer 7

Obligation to reciprocate favours

Question 8

What is legitimate power through information control?

Answer 8

Right to control information that others receive

1) Those who need info are dependent on the gatekeeper to provide that resource
2) Selectively distributing info affects perception of situation

Question 9

What is reward power?

Answer 9

Ability to control rewards valued by others and to remove negative sanctions

Question 10

What is coercive power?

Answer 10

Ability to aplly punishment

Question 11

What is expert power?

Answer 11

Capacity to influence others by possessing knowledge or skills valued by others

Problem: Mindless deference to expertise

Coping with uncertainty
- Orgs operate better in predictable envmts
- People gain power by using their expertise to:
> Prevent envmtal changes
> Forecasting envmtal changes
> Absorb envmtal changes

Question 12

What is referent power?

Answer 12

Capacity to influence others when they identify with them, like them, or respect them

Associated with charisma

Question 13

What are the contingencies of power?

Answer 13

1) Substitutability
2) Centrality
3) Visibility
4) Discretion

Question 14

What is substitutability?

Answer 14

Power increases with non-substitutability

• Resource has few or no other sources
• Resource has few or no substitutes

Ways to increase non-substitutability:

• Controlling access to the resource
• Differentiate their resource from the alternatives

Question 15

What is centrality?

Answer 15

Power holder’s importance based on the degree and nature of interdependence with others

Centrality increases with:

• No. of people affected
• How quickly and severely affected

Question 16

What is visibility?

Answer 16

Known as holder of valued resource

Social interaction, power symbols

Question 17

What is discretion?

Answer 17

Freedom to exercise judgment

To make decisions without referring to a specific rule or receiving permission from someone else

Rules limit discretion

Question 18

What are social networks?

Answer 18

People are connected to each other through forms of interdependence

Social networks generate power through social capital

Question 19

What is social capital?

Answer 19

Goodwill and resulting resources shared in a social network

Social networks produce trust, support, and empathy among members

Question 20

How do social networks enhance and maintain the power of its members?

Answer 20

1) Information: Increase expert power
2) Visibility: Members more likely to think of and recommend you for valued positions
3) Referent power: Greater trust, reciprocity

Question 21

How is social capital gained from social networks?

Answer 21

Strong social network ties

• Close-knit relationships
• Offer resources more quickly and plentifully, but less unique

Weak social network ties

• Acquaintances
• Offer unique resources, but more slowly

Many social network ties

• Resources increases with no. of ties
• Information technology helps, but still a limit (time and energy)

Question 22

What is social network centrality?

Answer 22

Person’s importance in a network

More central > more social capital > more power

Question 23

What are the three factors that determine your centrality in a social network?

Answer 23

1) Betweenness: How connected between others. Control distribution of info and resources to people.
2) Degree centrality: No. of connections. More resources, visibility.
3) Closeness: Stronger connections (shorter, more direct and efficient)

Question 24

What is a structural hole?

Answer 24

An area between two or more dense social network areas that lacks network ties

Broker: Someone who connects two independent networks and controls the information flow between them

Question 25

What are the consequences of power?

Answer 25

1) Empowerment
- Increase motivation, job satisfaction, org. commitment, job performance
- Automatic > mindful thinking
- More likely to rely on stereotyping

2) Power over others (legitimate/reward/coercive)
- Sense of duty/responsibility
- More mindful of their actions
- Engage in less stereotyping

Question 26

What is influence?

Answer 26

Any behaviour that attempts to alter someone’s attitudes or behaviour

Influence is power in motion - applies one or more sources of power

Essential activity in organisations

• Coordinate with others
• Part of leadership definition
• Everyone engages in influence

Question 27

What is the difference between hard and soft influence tactics?

Answer 27

Hard influence tactics

• Force behaviour change through position power
• i.e. Legitimate, reward, coercion

Soft influence tactics

• Rely more on personal sources of power
• i.e. Referent, expert
• Appeal to target person’s attitudes and needs

Question 28

What are the types of influence tactics?

Answer 28

1) Silent authority: Power holder’s request or mere presence influences behaviour
2) Assertiveness: Actively applying legitimate and coercive power. E.g. Reminding, checking, bullying
3) Information control: Withholding, filtering, restructuring information

4) Coalition formation:
- Pooling members’ resources and power to influence others
- 3 functions: Pools resources, Legitimises the issue, Reinforces social identity

5) Upward appeal: Claiming higher authority support or showing evidence of that support
6) Persuasion: Facts, logical arguments, emotional appeals

7) Impression management:
- Actively shaping others’ perceptions & attitudes of us
- Self-presentation symbols and behaviour
- Ingratiation: Attempt to increase liking by/perceived similarity to target person

8) Exchange:
- Exchange of resources for desired behaviour
- Negotiation, reciprocity, social networks

Question 29

What are the factors that the effectiveness of persuasion as an influence tactic depend on?

Answer 29

• Persuader characteristics
• Message content
• Communication channel
• Audience characteristics

Question 30

What are the types of persuader characteristics that makes persuasion effective?

Answer 30

• Expertise
• Credibility
• No apparent profit motive
• Appears somewhat neutral (acknowledges strengths of alternative choices)

Question 31

What are the characteristics of message content for effective persuasion?

Answer 31

• Multiple viewpoints (not exclusively supporting the preferred option)
• Limited to a few strong arguments
• Use emotional appeals in combination with logical arguments
• Offer specific solutions to overcome stated problems
• Inoculation effect - audience warned of counterarguments that opponents will present

Question 32

What is the characteristic of communication channel for effective persuasion?

Answer 32

• Channels with high media-richness and social presence (face-to-face) are usually more persuasive

Question 33

What are some audience characteristics that reduce persuasiveness?

Answer 33

Persuasion is less effective when the audience has:

• Higher self-esteem
• Higher intelligence
• Self-concept tied to an opposing position

Question 34

What are the consequences of influence?

Answer 34

1) Resistance: Oppose the desired behaviour
2) Compliance: Motivated by external sources to engage in behaviour
3) Commitment: Identify with request and highly motivated to implement it, even without extrinsic sources of motivation

Question 35

What are the contingencies of influence?

Answer 35

Soft tactics are generally more acceptable than hard tactics

Appropriate influence tactic depends on:

1) Influencer’s power base
- E.g. Expertise – Persuasion
- E.g. Legitimate – Silent authority

2) Organisational positions
- Higher, lower, or same level

3) Personal, organisational, cultural values, and expectations
- Strong power orientation – Assertiveness
- Value conformity – Upward appeals
- Competitive culture – Info control, Coalition formation
- Collegial culture – Persuasion
- High power distance – Ingratiation unsuitable

Question 36

What is organisational politics?

Answer 36

Behaviours perceived as self-serving at the expense of others and possibly the organisation

Question 37

What are the ways to minimise organisational politics?

Answer 37

1) Increase resources
2) Reduce ambiguity
3) Manage organisational change effectively
4) Discourage political behaviour

Question 38

What are Machiavellian values?

Answer 38

The beliefs that deceit is a natural and acceptable way to influence others and that getting more than one deserves is acceptable