POWER AND POLITICS

IN AN

ORGANISATION
Power and Politics & Organizational Conflict

(a) Power and Politics:

• Difference between Power and Authority,
• Bases of Power,
• Importance of Power in OB,
• Concept of Power Tactics,
• Political Strategies for Power Acquisition.

(b) Organizational Conflict:

• Sources of organisational conflict,
• Stages in Conflict Process,
• Conflict resolution techniques
 POWER & POLITICS

• Power and politics are two face of a

single coin.
• They move parallelily together.
 WHAT IS POWER

Power refers to the

possession of authority
and influence over
others.
 WHY IS POWER REQUIRED?
• Providing direction
• Get fast access to decision-makers
• Maintain regular, frequent contact with
decision-makers
• Assisting in the management process
• Structure to organisations
• Assist to employees in performing better
• Articulate the goals
Understanding power and authority

For example, consider a company CEO. They have

the power to make strategic decisions that affect the
entire organization. Their decisions can influence the
direction of the company, shape its culture, and
impact its overall success. This is an example of
power derived from a position.

Another example can be seen in social influence,

such as a celebrity endorsing a product. The celebrity
has the power to influence the buying behavior of their
fans, even without any formal position or authority in
the company that produces the product.
 Authority

For instance, a police officer has the authority to

enforce laws and maintain public order. This authority
comes from the legal system, which grants them the
right to exercise power within a defined scope.
Similarly, a manager in an organization has the
authority to assign tasks to team members and
evaluate their performance. This authority is derived
from the organizational structure and the manager's
designated role.

A judge has the authority to interpret the law and

make legal decisions, which is recognized and
accepted by society, leading to non-coercive
Key Characteristics of Power
•Power is not always formal: It can exist outside formal systems and
hierarchies.
•Power is about influence: It relies on the ability to shape behaviors
and outcomes.
•Power can be transient: It may not be a permanent attribute and can
shift from person to person.
•Power can be derived from various sources: It could come from
knowledge, skills, relationships, or positions.

Key Characteristics of Authority

•Authority is formal: It's derived from an established system or role.
•Authority implies a right: It provides the legitimacy to exercise
power.
•Authority is consistent: Unlike power, authority is typically stable and
tied to a particular role or position.
•Authority is sourced from a system or institution: It is granted, not
assumed or taken.
 POWER DEFINED :

The capacity to effect (or affect) organizational outcomes.

The possibility of Imposing one’s will on the behavior of others
Power: A capacity that ‘A’ has to influence the behavior of B so that
B acts in accordance with A’s wishes

Bases of
power

Formal Personal

Coercive Reward Legitimate Expert Referent

Formal Power:
Formal power is based on individual’s position in an organization
Coercive power:
A power base that is dependent on fear of the negative
results from failing to comply.
Reward Power:
Compliance achieved based on the ability to distribute
rewards that others view as valuable.
Legitimate Power:
The power a person receives as a result of his or her position in
the formal hierarchy of an organization. It Includes acceptance
by member in an organization of the authority of a position.
COERCIVE POWER

Coercive power is the ability of a

manager to force an employee
to follow an order by
threatening the employee with
punishment if the employee
does not comply with the order.
Examples of coercive
power
• Threats of write-ups,
• Demotions,
• Pay cuts, layoffs,
• Terminations if
employees don't
follow orders.
 REWARD POWER

Reward power is simply the power

of a manager to give some type of
reward to an employee as a means
to influence the employee to act.
Rewards can be
• Tangible
• Intangible.
Tangible rewards are physical things like
• Monetary awards,
• wage or salary increases,
• bonuses, plaques,
• Certificates, medals
• gifts.
Intangible rewards are not physical things, but can
be
more effective like
• Praise,
• Positive feedback,
• Recognition,
•More responsibility including
a rise in status,
• Well-timed 'thank-you’.
 LEGITIMATE POWER

Legitimate power is power

you derive from your formal
position or office held in the
organization's hierarchy of
authority.
 Example of
legitimate power
• The president of a
corporation has
certain powers
because of the
office he holds in
the corporation.
Expert power Influence based on special skills or
knowledge.

Referent power Influence based on identification with a

person who has desirable resources or personal traits.
 EXPERT POWER
Expert power is power based upon employees
perception that a manager or some other member of
an organization has a high level of knowledge or a
specialized set of skills that other employees or
members of the organization do not possess.
Example for expert power
Internet entrepreneur Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and CEO of Facebook, has
expert power. Shown here talking with employees, Zuckerberg earned the title
“software guy” during college because of his expertise in computer
programming. Today, Facebook depends on his expertise to achieve company
goals.
 REFERENT POWER
Referent power is power of an individual over
the Team or Followers, based on a high level of
identification with, admiration of, or respect
for the powerholder/ leader.
Examples of referent power are
• Nationalism,
• patriotism,
• celebrities,
• mass leaders,
• widely-respected people.
 KEYS TO HAVE POWER

Dependence
Importance
Scarcity
Nonsubstitutability
 TYPES OF POWER

• Coercive power
• Legitimate power
• Reward power
• Referent power
• Expert power
 POSITIVE EFFECTS OF POWER
• Leadership responsibilities
• Organizational and personal goals
• Inspire commitment
• Creativity
• Reduction of bureaucratic obstacles
 NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF POWER
• Bully Bosses
• Manipulator
• Sexual harassment
 WHAT IS POLITICS?

Workplace politics, (office politics or

organizational politics) is the use of power
and social networking within an organization
to achieve changes that benefit the
organization or individuals within it. Influence
by individuals may serve personal interests
without regard to their effect on the
organization itself.
 WHY IS POLITICS REQUIRED?

• To come in the limelight and gain

undue attention and appreciation
from the seniors.
• To obtain advantages which are
beyond their control.
• Getting thing done at right time.
 TYPES OF POLITICS

• Attacking and blaming

• Controlling information
• Forming coalitions
• Cultivating networks
• Creating obligations
• Managing impressions
 ATTACKING AND BLAMING
• Targeting on other’s
• Blaming other’s
• Not accepting faults
 CONTROLLING INFORMATION
• Maintaining secrets
• Incomplete information
• Wrong information
• Destroying information
 FORMING COALITIONS
• Forming negative aspects on others
• Groupism
• Rationalism
 EFFECTS OF POLITICS
• Decrease job satisfaction
• Increased anxiety and stress
• Decreased in overall productivity
• Affects Concentration
• Spoils the Ambience
• Changes the Attitude of employees
• Demotivated employees
• Wrong Information
EFFECTS OF POLITICS
 IS P&P REQUIRED IN AN ORGANISATION?

The political game is played everywhere, whether it

is during a conversation at work, at home, at school,
or event at the grocery store. Politics are prevalent in
the workplace. Unlike power, politics do not have to
be played by everyone within an organization.
Yes, p&p is required in order for things to run
smoothly is part of any organization. For employees
to advance in their career, they need to recognize
and accept the game in their organization.
Power Tactics

Ways in which individuals translate power bases

into specific actions

 What power tactics do people use to translate

power bases into specific action?

 What options do they have for influencing their

bosses, coworkers, or employees?
 Research has identified nine distinct influence tactics:

• Legitimacy- Relying on your authority position or saying a

request accords with organizational policies or rules.

• Rational persuasion- Presenting logical arguments and

factual evidence to demonstrate a request is reasonable.

• Inspirational appeals- Developing emotional commitment by

appealing to a target’s values, needs, hopes, and aspirations.

• Consultation- Increasing support by involving the target in

deciding how to accomplish your plan.

• Exchange- Rewarding the target with benefits or favors in

exchange for acceding to a request.
• Personal appeals- Asking for compliance based on
friendship or loyalty.

• Ingratiation- Using flattery, praise, or friendly behavior

before making a request.

• Pressure- Using warnings, repeated demands, and

threats.

• Coalitions- Enlisting the aid or support of others to

persuade the target to agree
 Organizational Politics

Activities that are not required as part of a person’s formal

role in the organization but that influence, or attempt to
influence, the distribution of advantages and
disadvantages within the organization.
Boeing whistleblower John Barnett, who raised alarm over plane
quality, is found dead (MARCH 12, 2024)

Boeing 787 Dreamliners

are built at the aviation
company's North
Charleston, S.C.,
assembly plant in 2023.

John Barnett had alleged

that Boeing's
manufacturing practices
had declined and that
managers pressured
workers not to document
potential defects and
problems.

Juliette Michel/AFP via

Whistle-blower Michael Woodford

Whistle-blower Michael Woodford

was fired from his position as CEO of
Japanese camera-maker Olympus
after informing company officials
about accounting irregularities.
Although not part of his job,
Woodford uncovered a 13-year
accounting fraud by some company
executives.

Source: Luke McGregor/Reuters

 Political
Strategies for
Attaining
Poawer in
Organizations
Political Strategies for Attaining Power in Organizations

• Maintain Alliances with Powerful People

• Embrace or Demolish
• Divide and Rule
• Manipulate Classified Information
• Make a Quick Showing
• Collect and Use IOUs
• Avoid Decisive Engagement (Fabianism)
• Attacking and Blaming Others
• Progress One Step at a Time (Camel’s Head in the Tent)
• Wait for a Crisis (Things Must Get Worse Before They Get Better)
• Take Counsel with Caution
• Be Aware of Resource Dependence
A Definition of Conflict

A process that begins when one party perceives that

another party has negatively affected, or is about to
negatively affect, something that the first party cares
about.

Conflict describes the point in ongoing activity when

interaction becomes disagreement.

Sources

Incompatibility of goals,
Differences in interpretations of facts,
disagreements over behavioral expectations
Contemporary perspectives differentiate types of conflict based
on their effects

Functional conflict- Conflict that supports the goals of the

group and improves its performance.

For example, a debate among members of a work team about the

most efficient way to improve production can be functional if unique
points of view are discussed and compared openly.

Dysfunctional conflict- Conflict that hinders group

performance.

For example, a highly personal struggle for control in a team that

distracts from the task at hand is dysfunctional.
 Understanding different types of conflict

• Types of conflict
• The loci of conflict.

Loci of conflict
Types of Conflict

Task conflict Dyadic conflict

Relationship Intragroup conflict

conflict

Process conflict Intergroup conflict

 Task conflict- Conflict over  Dyadic conflict- Conflict that
content and goals of the occurs between two people.
work.
 Intragroup conflict- Conflict
 Relationship conflict- Conflict that occurs within a group or
based on interpersonal team.
relationships.
 Intergroup conflict- Conflict
 Process conflict- Conflict between different groups or
over how work gets done. teams.
Stages in Conflict Process
 Communication

Susan had worked in supply chain management at BristolMyers

Squibb for three years. She enjoyed her work largely because her
manager, Harry, was a great boss. Then Harry was promoted and
Chuck took his place. Six months later, Susan says her job is
frustrating. “Harry and I were on the same wavelength. It’s not that
way with Chuck. He tells me something, and I do it. Then he tells me I
did it wrong. I think he means one thing but says something else. It’s
been like this since the day he arrived. I don’t think a day goes by
when he isn’t yelling at me for something. You know, there are some
people you just find it easy to communicate with. Well, Chuck isn’t
one of those!”
Her experience represents the opposing forces that arise from
semantic difficulties, misunderstandings, and “noise” in the
communication channel. These factors, along with jargon and
insufficient information, can be barriers to communication and
potential antecedent conditions to conflict. The potential for conflict
has also been found to increase with too little or too much
communication. Communication is functional up to a point, after
which it is possible to overcommunicate, increasing the potential for
conflict
 Structure
Charlotte is a salesperson and Mercedes is the company credit
manager at Portland Furniture Mart, a large discount furniture
retailer. The women have known each other for years and have
much in common: They live two blocks apart, and their oldest
daughters attend the same middle school and are best friends. If
Charlotte and Mercedes had different jobs, they might be friends,
but at work they constantly disagree. Charlotte’s job is to sell
furniture, and she does it well. Most of her sales are made on credit.
Because Mercedes’s job is to minimize credit losses, she regularly has
to turn down the credit applications of Charlotte’s customers. It’s
nothing personal between the women; the requirements of their
jobs just bring them into conflict.
The conflicts between Charlotte and Mercedes are structural in
nature. The term structure in this context includes variables such as
size of group, degree of specialization in tasks assigned to group
members, jurisdictional clarity, member–goal compatibility,
leadership styles, reward systems, and degree of dependence
between groups. The larger the group and the more specialized its
activities, the greater the likelihood of conflict. Tenure and conflict
are inversely related, meaning that the longer a person stays with an
organization, the less likely conflict becomes. Therefore, the
potential for conflict is greatest when group members are younger
and when turnover is high.
 Personal Variables
Include:
Personality
emotions, and
values.

People high in the personality traits of disagreeableness, neuroticism, or self-

monitoring are prone to tangle with other people more often—and to react
poorly when conflicts occur. Emotions can cause conflict even when they are
not directed at others. An employee who shows up to work irate from her
hectic morning commute may carry that anger into her workday, which can
result in a tension-filled meeting. Furthermore, differences in preferences and
values can generate higher levels of conflict.
If the conditions cited in Stage I negatively
affect something one party cares about,
then the potential for opposition or
incompatibility becomes actualized in the
second stage.
Stage II: Cognition and Personalization

Perceived conflict: Awareness by one or more parties of

the existence of conditions that create opportunities for
conflict to arise.

Felt conflict: Emotional involvement in a conflict that

creates anxiety, tenseness, frustration, or hostility.

Stage II is important because it’s where conflict issues

tend to be defined, where the parties decide what the
conflict is about.
 Stage III: Intentions
Intentions: Decisions to act in a given way.

Intentions intervene between people’s perceptions and emotions, and

their overt behavior. They are decisions to act in a given way.

Intentions are a distinct stage because we have to infer the other’s intent
to know how to respond to behavior. Many conflicts escalate simply
because one party attributes the wrong intentions to the other. There is
slippage between intentions and behavior, so behavior does not always
accurately reflect a person’s intentions.
The figure represents one way to identify the primary conflict-handling
intentions.

Using two dimensions—assertiveness (the degree to which one party

attempts to satisfy his or her own concerns) and cooperativeness (the degree
to which one party attempts to satisfy the other party’s concerns)—

we can identify five conflict-handling intentions:

1. competing (assertive and uncooperative),
2. collaborating (assertive and cooperative),
3. avoiding (unassertive and uncooperative),
4. accommodating (unassertive and cooperative), and
5. compromising (midrange on both assertiveness and cooperativeness).
 Stage IV: Behavior

When most people think of conflict, they tend to focus on

Stage IV because this is where conflicts become visible.

The behavior stage includes statements, actions, and

reactions made by conflicting parties, usually as overt
attempts to implement their own intentions. As a result of
miscalculations or unskilled enactments, overt behaviors
sometimes deviate from original intentions.

Stage IV is a dynamic process of interaction. For example, you make a

demand on me, I respond by arguing, you threaten me, I threaten you
back, and so on.
The model provides a way of visualizing conflict behavior. All conflicts exist somewhere
along this continuum. At the lower end are conflicts characterized by subtle, indirect, and
highly controlled forms of tension, such as a student challenging a point the instructor
has made. Conflict intensities escalate as they move upward along the continuum until
they become highly destructive. Strikes, riots, and wars clearly fall in this upper range.
Conflicts that reach the upper ranges of the continuum are almost always dysfunctional.
Functional conflicts are typically confined to the lower range of the continuum.
 Stage V: outcomes

The action–reaction interplay between conflicting parties creates consequences. The

outcomes may be functional if the conflict improves the group’s performance, or
dysfunctional if it hinders performance

Functional outcomes: How might conflict act as a force to increase group performance?
It is hard to visualize a situation in which open or violent aggression could be functional.
But it’s possible to see how low or moderate levels of conflict could improve group
effectiveness.

Dysfunctional outcomes: The destructive consequences of conflict on the performance

of a group or an organization are generally well known: Uncontrolled opposition breeds
discontent, which acts to dissolve common ties and eventually leads to the destruction
of the group. Among the undesirable consequences are poor communication, reductions
in group cohesiveness, and subordination of group goals to the primacy of infighting
among members. All forms of conflict—even the functional varieties—appear to reduce
group member satisfaction and trust.24 When active discussions turn into open conflicts
between members, information sharing between members decreases significantly
Conflict-Resolution
Techniques
Problem solving Meeting face to face for the purpose of identifying the problem
and resolving it through open discussion.
Superordinate goals Creating a shared goal that cannot be attained without the
cooperation of each of the conflicting parties.
Expansion of resources Expanding the supply of a scarce resource (for example, money,
promotion, opportunities, office space).
Avoidance Withdrawing from or suppressing the conflict.
Smoothing Playing down differences while emphasizing common interests
between the conflicting parties.
Compromise Having each party to the conflict give up something of value
Authoritative command Letting management use its formal authority to resolve the
conflict and then communicating its desires to the parties
involved.
Altering the human variable Using behavioral change techniques such as human relations
training to alter attitudes and behaviors that cause conflict.
Altering the structural Changing the formal organization structure and the interaction
variables patterns of conflicting parties through job redesign, transfers,
creation of coordinating positions, and the like
 CONCLUSION
Organizational politics is necessary for a leader to acquire
and retain power and to accomplish major goals. Although
political behavior can be unethical and destructive, it also
can and should be ethical and contribute to a balanced set
of interests.
Your democratic institutions... must foster, defend, and
enlarge institutions by which knowledge can be made
greater and choices wider and more certain. ...The real
function of power and the order it creates... is the liberation
of men and women to think and be and make the most of
themselves.
THANK YOU