Power, Politics, Conflict & Negotiation Flashcards
Power
The capacity that A has to influence the behavior of B so that B acts in accordance with A’s wishes Two facets: ◦ Potential ◦ Dependency
Where does power come from?
Formal bases
Due to organizational position:
Coercive Power
Reward Power
Legitimate Power
Where does power come from?
Personal bases
Stems from an individual’s
unique characteristics:
Expertise
Referent
What is the effect of using
different power bases?
Expert and referent power ◦ Positively related to performance and commitment Reward and legitimate power ◦ Unrelated to organizational outcomes Coercive power ◦ Negatively related to employee satisfaction and commitment
Processes of Social Influence
Compliance
◦ I do it because I have to
Identification
◦ I do it because I want to be like…(model)
Internalization
◦ I do it because I want to and I think it is the right
thing to do
Which processes do the different power bases evoke?
Short term versus long term change?
Useful things to keep in
mind about power
Power is not a one-way street
◦ Counter-power always exists in some form
The illusion of power may be effective until…
Analyze your own and other’s power bases
◦ Seek first to understand, then to be understood
Avoid coercion
Abuse of power can derail your career
How can you increase
your power?
◦ Increase the dependence of others ◦ Gain unique knowledge or skills ◦ Minimize one’s own dependence ◦ Acquire useful bases of power ◦ Use effective power tactics and social influence principles
Case: Thomas Green Why is there conflict between Thomas Green and Frank Davis? What actions, if any, would you take if you were Thomas Green?
After McDonald’s Feb. 5, 2008 email, Green took
the offensive against his boss.
◦ Crafted a series of memos, emails, reports, projections that
exposed inaccuracies and “creative forecasting”
◦ Enabled him to build some alliances with other marketing
personnel who used the data to ultimately side with him
April 4- announcement that Frank Davis was being
moved “laterally” to an “undefined” special project
Green’s tactics were seen as overly brutal by many
in the company
◦ Won the battle, but his career was irreparably harmed
◦ McDonald distanced herself from him
July 2008- Green announced he was resigning to
pursue full-time studies for an MBA
Is Conflict Functional or
Dysfunctional for the Organization?
Source of
Conflict/
Level of Conflict
Low Moderate High
Task: Functional/Funt/ Dysfunctional
Relationship: Dysfunctional/dy/dy
Process: Functional Dysfunctional/dyWhat to do When Conflict Happens: CALM model
C Clarify the issue
A Address the problem
L Listen to the other side
M Manage your way to resolution
What is political
behavior?
Activities that are not required as part of one’s formal role in the organization, but that influence, or attempt to influence, the distribution of advantages and disadvantages within the organization
What leads to increased
political behavior?
Declining organizational resources or a shift in their distribution Opportunities for promotion Organizational culture issues: ◦ Low trust ◦ Role ambiguity ◦ Zero-sum reward allocation ◦ High performance pressures ◦ Leading by poor example
Negotiation
An exchange process by which two or more parties
decided what each will give and take in a relationship
Attempt to agree on mutually acceptable outcomes when
preferences for outcomes may be negatively related
A central aspect of organizational life
Necessary Conditions for
Negotiation
Two or more Parties Conflict of Interests Ambiguity about the “Right” Solution Room to Compromise Parties are committed to peaceful means for resolving the dispute
Types of Issues
DISTRIBUTIVE ◦ desired outcomes in direct opposition INTEGRATIVE ◦ outcomes differentially valued by the two parties COMPATIBLE ◦ both parties want the same outcome
