Politics, Power, & Ethics Flashcards
Power
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
Legitimate Power
Derives from person’s position or job
Organization’s judgment about who is formally permitted to influence who (authority)
Reward Power
Power holder can exert influence by providing positive outcomes and preventing negative outcomes (e.g. raises)
Coercive Power
Power holder can exert influence using punishment and threat (e.g. dock pay)
Referent
Power holder is well liked by others
Identify with people we life, they influence us
Expert Power
Have special info or expertise that the organization values
More crucial/unusual expertise, the greater power
How Do People Obtain Power
Doing the right things
-extraordinary, visible, and relevant activities
Cultivating the right people
-outsiders, subordinates, peers, superiors
Empowerment
Giving people the authority, opportunity, and motivation to take initiative to solve organizational problems
Puts power where it is needed to make organization effective
Influence Tactics
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
n Pow
Need for power
Reliable personality characteristics
Men = women
Effective/Institutional Managers
High n pow
Use power to achieve organizational goals
Adopt a participative or coaching leadership style
Relatively unconcerned with how much others like them
Subunit Power
Organizational departments with power
Could also refer to particular jobs
How Subunits Obtain Power
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
Organizational Politics
Pursuit of self interest within an organization, regardless if self interest corresponds to organizational goals
Political Skill
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
Machiavellianism
Set of cynical beliefs about human nature, morality, permissibility of using various tactics to achieve one’s ends
Stable personality trait
High Machs
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)
No Action Behaviours (defensiveness)
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
Avoiding Blame Behaviours (defensiveness)
Buffing: documenting info showing that appropriate action was followed
Scapegoating: blaming others when things go wrong
Ethics
Systematically thinking about moral consequences of decisions
Stakeholders
People inside or outside the organization who have potential to be affected by a decision
Bounded Ethicality
Psychological process by which people come to engage in behaviour that violates their own ethical standards
Whistle-Blowing
When current or former member discloses illegitimate practices to a person or organization that may be able to take action to correct these practices
Sexual Harassment
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
Personal Power Managers
Use power for personal gain
Affiliative Managers
More concerned with being liked than with exercising power
Strategic Contingencies
Critical factors affecting organizational effectiveness
Work other subunits perform contingent on activities and performance of a key subunit
Knowledge Hiding
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
