Week 10 - Chapter 12: Power Politics Flashcards
What is Power?
Capacity to influence others who are in a state of dependence.
Not always perceived or exercised.
Does not imply a poor relationship b/w holder & target of power.
Power can flow in any direction in an organization.
Power applies to both individuals and groups.
The Bases of individual Power
Power can be found in the position one occupies in an organization and the resources that one is able to command.
The five bases of individual power are:
Legitimate Reward Coercive Referent Expert
Legitimate Power
- Derived from a person’s position/job
- Formal authority and level in hierarchy.
- We are socialized to accept its influence.
Reward Power
- Derived from ability to provide positive and prevent negative outcomes.
- Anyone can use this kind of influence by praising, complimenting etc.
Coercive Power
- Derived from use of punishment & threat.
- Anyone can engage in coercion.
- It is generally ineffective & can provoke resistance.
Referent Power
- Derived from being well liked by others.
* Friendly interpersonal relations cause influence to go beyond org & legitimate, reward, & coercive power.
Expert Power
- Derived from having special information/expertise that is valued
- Most consistently associated with employee effectiveness.
Employees are likely to have the following responses to each base of managerial power:
Coercive power →Resistance Reward power →Compliance Legitimate power →Compliance Expert power →Commitment Referent power →Commitment
Resistance is the worst, compliance is the middle and commitment is the best
How do people obtain power?
People obtain power in organizations by doing certain activities and developing informal relationships with the right people.
Doing the right things - Some activities are “righter” then others for obtaining power. Activities lead to power when they are:
Extraordinary
•Excellent performance in unusual or non-routine activities.
•Eg. new role; managing big changes; taking risks.
Visible
•No power generated power if no one know
•Activities must be visible to others and publicized.
Relevant
•People have to care! Other wise No power generated!•Activities must be relevant to the solutions
Cultivating the right people
Developing informal relationships with the right people can be a useful means of acquiring power.
The right people can include: Outsiders Subordinates Peers Superiors
Organizational politics - using and abusing power
Organizational politics: The pursuit of self-interest in an organization, whether or not this self-interest corresponds to organizational goals
Politics frequently involves using means of influence that the organization does not sanction or pursuing ends or goals that it does not sanction.
If means and/or ends are unsanctioned = political
Positive influence tactics
Pressure/Assertiveness Ingratiation Rationality Exchange Upward Appeal Coalition Consultation Inspirational Appeals Personal Appeals Legitimizing Tactics
Negative influence tactics
- Blaming/attacking others (using scapegoats)
- Controlling access to information
- Avoiding, stalling
- Intimidation
- Taking credit for other’s work
- Deceit
- Buffing
- Buck passing
- Over-conforming
What is Political skill?
Political skill refers to the ability to understand others at work and to use that knowledge to influence others to act in ways that enhance one’s personal or organizational objectives.
This definition refers to two aspects of political skill:
- -Comprehending others
- -Translating this comprehension into influence
What are the four facets to political skill?
Social astuteness
Interpersonal influence
Apparent sincerity
Networking ability
Social astuteness
•Careful observers tuned in to others’ needs and motives & can “read” people
Interpersonal influence
•Convincing, persuasive & flexibly to needs of the situation; put others at ease.
Apparent sincerity
•comes across as genuine and exhibits high integrity.
Networking ability
•Establish good relations with key org members to goals; good reputation
Networking
Networking involves developing informal social contacts to enlist the cooperation of others when their support is necessary.
Upper-level managers often establish very large political networks both inside and outside the organization.
Research: individuals with high self-esteem & extraversion networking more
Career success: professional activities and increasing internal visibility (Men)
Aspects to networking
Maintaining contacts Socializing Engaging in professional activities Participating in community activities Increasing internal visibility
Practice Questions
➢Define power and review the bases of individual power.
➢Explain how people obtain power in organizations.
➢Discuss the concept of empowerment.
➢Define organizational politics and discuss its various forms.
➢Define ethics and review the ethical dilemmas that managers face.
Equity vs. Equality
Equality:One size fits all
Foundation: Meritocracy (government or the holding of power by people selected on the basis of their ability.)
Equity: Who is dis/advantaged by the idea of fit?
Foundation: Systemic Disadvantage
Ethics
•Moral principles that govern a person’s or a group’s behaviour.
Diversity
•Recognizing the demographic and experiential heterogeneity of a group.
Equity
•Creating opportunities and removing barriers to address historic and current disadvantages faced by marginalized groups
Inclusion
•Building a welcoming culture in which people feel they belong.
Why ethics and equity?
Why ethics?
➢Professional Engineers of Ontario: PEO ethical codeWhy equity?
➢CEAB Graduate Attribute 3.10 “Ethics & Equity”
Why us?
➢UofTEngineering 2017 annual report—Diversity is a core value
➢ILeadvision: Engineers leading change to build a better world
law policy: discrimination and harassment
Ontario/Canadian Human Rights Code/Act
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities
Employment Equity Act
Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms
Canada LabourCode
Canadian Human Rights Commission
ILead’s Engineering Ethics and Equity Project EIIP
“It is in making decisions that we learn to decide”(Freire)
- Interviews w Canadian engineers (n=15)
- Generate anonymous case studies
- Integrate case studies in class
- Assess case study method (n=112)
3 traditional branches of ethics
Virtue Ethics-Aristotle (384-332 BCE)
•Ethics is rooted in character: prudence, temperance, courage and justice
Deontology/ Duty Ethics-Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)
•Ethics is rooted in rules. Intent important than consequences
Utilitarianism -John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)
•ethics is rooted in consequences—maximize wellbeing for all
2 additional concepts
Human Rights—John Locke (1632-1704)
•ethics is rooted in everybody having the right to life, liberty and human dignity.
Ethic of Care—Nel Noddings (1929-)
•ethics is rooted in empathy & relationships.
Ethics in Organizations
can be defined as systematic thinking about the moral consequences of decisions.
Moral consequences can be framed in terms of the potential for harm to any stakeholders in the decision.
Stakeholders
people inside or outside of an organization who have the potential to be affected by organizational decisions.
Ethical Dilemmas
Ethical issues are often occupationally specific.
A study of an occupationally diverse group of managers discovered seven themes that defined their moral standards for decision making.
Honest communication Fair treatment Special consideration Fair competition Responsibility to organization Corporate social responsibility. Respect for law
Causes of unethical behaviour
Gain Role conflict Strong organizational identification Competition Personality Organizational and industry culture
Steps for making ethical decisions
Identify the ethical issue or problem.
List the facts that have the most bearing on the decision.
Identify anyone who might be affected by your decision and how.
Explain what each affected person would want you to do about the issue.
List three alternative actions and identify the best and worst case scenario for each alternative,
Determine a course of action
