Conflict, Power, and Politics

Chapter

13
Organization Theory and Design
Twelfth Edition
Richard L. Daft

©2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Interdepartmental Conflict in
Organizations
• Groups may be dispersed across the
organization
• Intergroup conflict requires three
ingredients:
- Group Identification
- Observable Group Differences
- Frustration

Conflict is similar to competition but more severe

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 Sources of Conflict

 Goal Incompatibility

 Differentiation

 Task Interdependence

 Limited Resources

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Marketing-Manufacturing Areas of
Potential Goal Conflict

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 Rational versus Political Model

• The rational model where behavior is not

random or accidental
– Goals are clear and choices are made logically

• The political model involves push and pull

debate regarding goals
– Organization groups have separate interests
and goals
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5
 Sources of Conflict and Use of Rational
versus Political Model

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6
 Top 10
Problems
from
Too Much
Conflict

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 Tactics for Enhancing Collaboration
• Create integration devices
• Use confrontation and negotiation
• Schedule intergroup consultation
• Practice member rotation
• Create shared mission and superordinate
goals
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 Negotiation Strategies

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 Power and Organizations
• Power is the potential ability of one person to
influence other people
• Individual versus Organizational Power
– Legitimate Power
– Reward Power
– Coercive Power
– Expert Power
– Referent Power
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 Power versus Authority
Authority is more narrow than power
– Defined by the formal hierarchy and reporting
relationships

• Authority is vested in organizational positions

• Authority is accepted by subordinates
• Authority flows down the vertical hierarchy

• Power can be exercised upward, downward, and

horizontally
• Authority is exercised downward along the
hierarchy
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 Vertical Sources of Power
• Formal Position – legitimate power accrued to
top positions
• Resources – resources can be used as a tool
for power
• Control of Information – information is a
primary business source
• Network Centrality – being centrally located
in the organization and having access
• People – loyal executives/managers

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Information Flow for Computer
Decision at Clark Ltd.

13
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 Illustration of Network Centrality

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 The Power of Empowerment
• Power sharing, the delegation of power or
authority to subordinates
• Empowerment benefits:
– Employees receive information about
company performance
– Employees have knowledge and skills to
contribute to company goals
– Employees have the power to make
substantive decisions
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 Horizontal Sources of Power
• Relationships across departments, divisions,
units
• Strategic Contingencies – groups most
responsible for key organization issues
• Power Sources – five power sources that
departments may possess

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 Ratings of
Power
among
Departments
in Industrial
Firms

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Strategic Contingencies That Influence
Horizontal Power among Departments

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Political Processes in Organizations
• Politics is the use of power to influence
decisions toward goals
• Organizational Politics - activities to acquire,
develop, and use power to influence goals
• Domains of political activity:
– Structural Change
– Management Succession
– Resource Allocation
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 Using Soft Power and Politics
• Managers can rely on “hard power”
which stems from a person’s position of
authority

• Effective managers often use “soft

power” which is based on personal
characteristics and building relationships

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 Power and Political Tactics in
Organizations

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 Design Essentials
Conflict, power, and politics are natural
outcomes of organizing

There are two views for organizations:

rational and political models

Managers should enhance collaboration

to reduce conflict
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 Design Essentials
There are vertical and horizontal sources
of power

Certain characteristics make some

departments more powerful than others

 Managers need political skills

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