ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND POLITICS Flashcards

1
Q

What are the topics tackled?

A
  • Organizational structure and information flow

- Hierarchy

  •  Division of labor
  • Informal networks
  • Organizational politics
  • Sources of political power
  • Tactics
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2
Q

What is the Organizational Structure?

A
  • Organizations must manage massive quantities of information to make decisions, develop strategy, and innovate
  • The structure of an organization plays a crucial role in managing and shaping the flow of information
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3
Q

What are the Elements of Organizational Structure?

A
  • Hierarchy
  • Division of Labor
  • Networks
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4
Q

What about Organizational Hierarchy ?

A
  • All social groups exhibit hierarchy and people are more productive, committed, and satisfied in groups where it is clear who has power and authority
  • “When scholars attempt to find an organization that is not characterized by hierarchy, they cannot.”
  • Hierarchy should be managed, not ignored

(Gruenfeld and Tiedens, 2010)

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5
Q

The Google’s example of Eradicating hierarchy = Chaos

A

One example: Google’s experiment in getting rid of middle management, championed by founder Larry Page circa 2002

“More than 100 engineers reported to a single overwhelmed executive. Frustration and confusion was rampant. Without those middle managers, it was nearly impossible for people to do their work and for executives to grasp and influence what was happened in the company. Page learned the hard way that a hierarchy can be too flat and that middle managers are often a necessary complexity.

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6
Q

What is the Dunbar’s Number?

A

Dunbar’s number, calculated by Professor Robin Dunbar of the University of Oxford, is an estimate of the number of relationships that our minds are capable of handling simultaneously.

The cognitive load created by increasing organizational headcount grows exponentially, not linearly, because we track not only our relationships with other people but their relationships with one another as well

We can adequately keep track of 150 people

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7
Q

What is the Division of Labor ?

A
  • Classic concept dating back to Adam Smith
  • Specialization creates the need for integration of tasks and knowledge
  • Division of labor implies coordination mechanisms: what are the different ways of “dividing labor”?
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8
Q

What are the types of Division of Labor?

A
  • Bureaucratic: based on roles, rules, and reporting relationships
  • Occupational: based on expertise, professional community, self-control
  • Technical: based on technology such as assembly lines or workflows
  • Market: based on demand from buyers; “spot” labor
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9
Q

What are the two types of Informal Networks?

A
  • Cohesive Network
  • Bridging Network
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10
Q

What about Structural Holes?

A
  • People whose networks bridge disconnected groups have more power because they have access to more unique information
  • Network “brokers” can play a great role in disruptive or innovative activities
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11
Q

Ladder vs. Labyrinth :

A
  • Women in organizations do better when they have networks across departments and organizations (Ibarra 1997)
  • Less movement directly “up the ladder” – more moving through a “labyrinth” (Eagly and Carli 2007)
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12
Q

Why does Informal Networks Matter?

A
  • Shape information and knowledge sharing, and thereby innovation, in organizations
  • Affect career outcomes and mobility
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13
Q

Information vs Knowledge Sharing :

A

“Sharing knowledge is not about giving people something, or getting something from them. That is only valid for information sharing.

Sharing knowledge occurs when people are genuinely interested in helping one another develop new capacities for action.”

  • Peter Senge, MIT
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14
Q

What is Politics in organizations?

A

Activities to acquire, develop, & use power & other resources to obtain one’s preferred outcome

“Politics” is often considered a dirty game…

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15
Q

Why aren’t politics inherently bad?

A
  • Enable you to get things done that you think should be done
  • May help align or realign an organization with its environment
  • Life is political!
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16
Q

What is Power ?

A

The ability to get things done the way one wants them done.

17
Q

What are the Indicators of power ?

A
  • Obtain more resources than others
  • Have decisions go in your favor
  • Get items of interest to you on the agenda
18
Q

What are French and Raven’s Bases of Power?

A
  • Structural
  • Legitimate – e.g., CEO  Reward – e.g., investor
  • Coercive – e.g., dictator
  • Personal
  • Expert – knowledge
  • Referent – fame, social influence
19
Q

What is the Strategic Contingency Model of Power?

A
  • Person (or group) who controls the most important resources (or who can solve the most important problem) for the organization will have the most power
  • Power depends on the environment, and the company’s strategy - not the person
20
Q

Political tactics for gaining and using power :

A
  • Build coalitions
  • Enhance legitimacy & expertise
  • Expand networks
  • Establish goals & negotiate skillfully
  • Control decision premises
21
Q

Other political tactics…

A
  • Ingratiation
  • Pressure
  • Exchange
  • Upward appeals
  • Inspirational appeals
22
Q

What is the truth about power?

A

Everyone wants some!

  • Even if it is just some “power” over their own work
  • Most discontent comes from people feeling powerless (think back to the motivation lecture: autonomy is another way of talking about power)
23
Q

In summary:

A
  • Power and politics are part of organizational life; they enable us to get things done
  • Learn to recognize the bases of power and how to use political tactics so you can harness or change the dynamics of your organization to accomplish your goals