Power, Influence and Politics

Question 1

Position power (legitimate, reward, relevance, visibility, etc.)

Answer 1

• legitimate: your boss, has actual power over you
• reward: the ability of a leader to influence others by offering rewards for desired behavior or performance, such as promotions, bonuses, or recognition
• coercive: have the power to give punishment
• others: autonomy, relevance: the importance of a position within an organization and the authority derived from that position, visibility: the influence and recognition gained by being seen and known within the organization, which can lead to opportunities and career advancement, centrality

Question 2

Personal power (expert, referent, effort, etc.)

Answer 2

these are perceived and based on personal characteristics
- expert: if you are an expert, it doesn’t matter your position because people will seek your expertise
- referent: power based on charisma
- effort: skills, character, and expertise, rather than positional authority
- others: “track record,” charisma, effort, others valued by the org

Question 3

Nature of power at upper vs. lower levels of the organization

Answer 3

• Upper based on formal position, knowledge/expertise, control of resources, control of information, control of decision making, network of complexity and centrality
• Lower based on personal expertise, position, centralized location (involvement in networks), persuasion

Question 4

Power sharing

Answer 4

Benefits:
-Increased motivation, engagement and self-efficacy
-Increased productivity and effectiveness
-Better efficiency/utilization of time and resources
-Better decision making

Question 5

Different outcomes of influence attempts (resistance, etc.)

Answer 5

-resistance
-compliance
-commitment/internalization

Question 6

Principles of influence and persuasion

Answer 6

-Reciprocity
-Consistency
-Authority
-Social Proof
-Liking
-Scarcity

Question 7

Different types of influence tactics

Answer 7

Soft tactics
- rational persuasion
- consultation
- personal appeal
- ingratiation
- inspirational appeal

Hard tactics
- exchange
- coalition
- legitimizing
- pressure

Question 8

Organizational politics and political power

Answer 8

intentional acts of influence to enhance or protect the self-interest of individuals or groups that are not endorsed by the org
- political behavior found in all orgs
- causes: change, lack of clarity, resource allocation
- goal of political behavior is to exert influence on others
- political behavior often helps make sense out of ambiguity
- not all political behavior is bad

effectively wielding political power:
- know who you’re involved with
- read the situation
- build coalitions
- expand org network
- be assertive
- framing and timing of issues