Micropolitics Flashcards
Micropolitics
Integral part of modern organizations and an essential tool for building and maintaining power
Power (Weber)
Probability that one actor within a social relationship will be in a position to carry out his own will despite resistance
Power sources theory
- reward
- coercive
- referent
- legitimacy
- knowledge
- information
Goals of micro-politics
- promotion
- better pay
- expansion of opportunities
- expansion of financial, material and status symbol elements within the Organisation
- but also to evade control of oneself by others
Hard tactics
Punishment, exerting pressure, blocking processes
Soft tactics
Rewards, praise, inspirational appeal, self-promotion
Rational tactics
Logical argumentation, control information, legitimating
Strategic trust action
Show actively + consciously that you are a good + trustworthy network partner - give then you will receive
Mediate
In event of discrepancies and disputes in a network: do not wear yourself out in small wars
Visibility
Especially in case of spatially distributed collaboration: make yourself + your own contributions visible + thus “gain contours”!
Act proactively
Act rather than react: those who do have more power
