Chapter 12: Power, Politics and Ethics Flashcards
What is Power?
The capacity to influence other people (who are in a state of dependence)
What are the 5 Bases of Power?
- Legitimate Power: position or job
- Reward Power: providing positive or preventing negative outcomes
- Coercive Power: using punishment or threat
- Referent Power: being well-liked by others
- Expert Power: having special info/expertise that is valued by org.
How do employees respond to the 5 bases on power?
RESISTANCE: Coercive Power
COMPLIANCE: Legitimate Power, Reward Power
COMMITMENT: Expert Power, Referent Power
Three ways to Obtain Power? (Doing the RIGHT THINGS)
- Extraordinary Activities: non-routine, unusual
- Visible Activities: you will fail to generate power if it is not seen
- Relevant Activities: needs to help organization with problems
Four ways to Obtain Power? (Cultivating the RIGHT PEOPLE)
- Outsiders:
- Subordinates: up and coming subordinates
- Peers: as you move up the ranks, you can ask for favors from former associates
- Superiors: the best way to attain power
What are 7 influence tactics?
- Assertiveness: ordering, nagging, giving orders
- Ingratiation: using flattery, acting friendly and polite
- Self Promotion: image enhancing, name dropping
- Rationality: logic, reasoning, planning
- Exchange: doing favors and offering to trade favors
- Upward Appeal: making appeals to superiors
- Coalition formation: seeking united support from other members
What are 7 influence tactics?
- Assertiveness: ordering, nagging, giving orders
- Ingratiation: using flattery, acting friendly and polite
- Self Promotion: image enhancing, name dropping
- Rationality: logic, reasoning, planning
- Exchange: doing favors and offering to trade favors
- Upward Appeal: making appeals to superiors
- Coalition formation: seeking united support from other members
Political Skill: what is it?
The ability to UNDERSTAND others and TRANSLATE this comprehension into INFLUENCE.
What are the four facets of political skill?
- Social Astuteness: tuned to other needs and motivations (can read the room well)
- Interpersonal Influence: ability to put others at ease
- Apparent Sincerity: seems genuine
- Network Ability: ability to establish key relationships
What is Networking? Who in the organization does it a lot?
Developing INFORMAL SOCIAL NETWORKS to enlist the cooperation of others if support is necessary
- Upper management does it within and outside of the organization
What are the 5 aspects of networking?
- Maintaining Contacts: giving business cards, sending gifts, birthday wishes
- Socializing: playing golf, sports league, beers after work
- Professional Activities: workshop, speaking at conference
- Participating in community activities: civic groups, church, clubs
- Increasing internal visibility: sit on important committees
What is Machiavellianism
A set of cynical beliefs on human nature, morality, and the permissibility to use tactics to achieve one’s ends
Traits of High Mach
- It is a stable personality trait
- More likely to advocate lying and deceit to achieve goals, and they are good at lying
- Believes that: the ends justify the means
- cool and calculated, not emotional
- able to see what situations their tactics will work in
What situations do Machs use their tactics?
- Face-to-face
- Emotional circumstances
- unstructured situation with not much guidelines
What causes unethical behavior? (7)
- Personality: cynical + external locus of control + high need for personal power
- Gain: people who are underpaid are most likely to act unethically
- Extreme performance pressure: become angry and self protective
- Role Conflict:
- Strong Organizational Identification: loyalty to org.
- Competition:
- Organizational and Industry Culture: culture of org. can promote or punish unethical behaviour
