Politics, Power, & Ethics

Question 1

Power

Answer 1

Capacity to influence others in state of dependence
Power is not always perceived or exercised
Power can flow in any direction
Power asymmetry doesn’t require hierarchy

Question 2

Legitimate Power

Answer 2

Derives from person’s position or job
Organization’s judgment about who is formally permitted to influence who (authority)

Question 3

Reward Power

Answer 3

Power holder can exert influence by providing positive outcomes and preventing negative outcomes (e.g. raises)

Question 4

Coercive Power

Answer 4

Power holder can exert influence using punishment and threat (e.g. dock pay)

Question 5

Referent

Answer 5

Power holder is well liked by others
Identify with people we life, they influence us

Question 6

Expert Power

Answer 6

Have special info or expertise that the organization values
More crucial/unusual expertise, the greater power

Question 7

How Do People Obtain Power

Answer 7

Doing the right things
-extraordinary, visible, and relevant activities
Cultivating the right people
-outsiders, subordinates, peers, superiors

Question 8

Empowerment

Answer 8

Giving people the authority, opportunity, and motivation to take initiative to solve organizational problems
Puts power where it is needed to make organization effective

Question 9

Influence Tactics

Answer 9

Behaviours used to affect others and manage other’s impressions of themselves
Assertiveness: ordering, nagging, setting deadlines, verbally confronting
Ingratiation: using flattery, acting friendly, polite, or humble, opinion conformity
Self promotion: touting one’s accomplishments, image enhancement, name dropping
Rationality: using logic, reason, planning, compromise
Echange: doing favours or offering to trade favours
Upward appeal: making formal or informal appeals to organizational superiors for intervention
Coalition formation: seeking united support from other organizational members

Question 10

n Pow

Answer 10

Need for power
Reliable personality characteristics
Men = women

Question 11

Effective/Institutional Managers

Answer 11

High n pow
Use power to achieve organizational goals
Adopt a participative or coaching leadership style
Relatively unconcerned with how much others like them

Question 12

Subunit Power

Answer 12

Organizational departments with power
Could also refer to particular jobs

Question 13

How Subunits Obtain Power

Answer 13

Scarcity: when resources scarce, power magnified
Uncertainty: coping with uncertainty = tend to acquire power
Centrality: activities central to mission = more power
Substitutability: irreplaceable staff = more power

Question 14

Organizational Politics

Answer 14

Pursuit of self interest within an organization, regardless if self interest corresponds to organizational goals

Question 15

Political Skill

Answer 15

Ability to understand others at work and use knowledge to influence others to act in ways to enhance own personal or organizational objectives
Social astuteness: careful observers tuned in to others’ needs and notices
Interpersonal influence: convincing and persuasive interpersonal stype employed flexibility to meet situation needs
Apparent sincerely: comes across as genuine and with high integrity
Networking ability: establishes good relations with key people

Question 16

Machiavellianism

Answer 16

Set of cynical beliefs about human nature, morality, permissibility of using various tactics to achieve one’s ends
Stable personality trait

Question 17

High Machs

Answer 17

Advocate for use of lying and deceit to achieve desired goals
Argue morality can be compromised to fit situation
Assume people are gullible and don’t know what’s best for themselves
Convincing liars, psych out competitors
Especially skilled at getting their way
Unlikely to be high performers
Inclined to counterproductive work behaviours (e.g. theft)

Question 18

No Action Behaviours (defensiveness)

Answer 18

Stalling: moving slowly when asked for cooperation
Overconforming: sticking to job description to overconform and avoid action
Buck passing: have someone else act for you

Question 19

Avoiding Blame Behaviours (defensiveness)

Answer 19

Buffing: documenting info showing that appropriate action was followed
Scapegoating: blaming others when things go wrong

Question 20

Ethics

Answer 20

Systematically thinking about moral consequences of decisions

Question 21

Stakeholders

Answer 21

People inside or outside the organization who have potential to be affected by a decision

Question 22

Bounded Ethicality

Answer 22

Psychological process by which people come to engage in behaviour that violates their own ethical standards

Question 23

Whistle-Blowing

Answer 23

When current or former member discloses illegitimate practices to a person or organization that may be able to take action to correct these practices

Question 24

Sexual Harassment

Answer 24

Behaviour that derogates, demeans, or humiliates an individual based on individual’s sex
E.g. touching, sexual force, sexist jokes, comments and materials
Can be psychological, social, or legal

Question 25

Personal Power Managers

Answer 25

Use power for personal gain

Question 26

Affiliative Managers

Answer 26

More concerned with being liked than with exercising power

Question 27

Strategic Contingencies

Answer 27

Critical factors affecting organizational effectiveness
Work other subunits perform contingent on activities and performance of a key subunit

Question 28

Knowledge Hiding

Answer 28

Intentionally concealing or withholding info requested by or relevant to another member
Playing dumb: pretend to be ignorant about requested knowledge
Evasive hiding: providing misinformation or falsely promising future knowledge
Rationalized hiding: justifying failure to share by claiming external circumstances or blaming others