Chapter 11

Power and
Politics
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Chapter Learning Objectives
• After studying this chapter, you should be able
to:
– Define power, and contrast leadership and power.
– Contrast the bases of power.
– Identify nine power or influence tactics and their
contingencies.
– Show the connection between sexual harassment
and the abuse of power.
– Distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate
political behavior.

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 Definition of Power
• Power
– The capacity that A has to influence the behavior of
B so that B acts in accordance with A’s wishes.
– Exists as a potential or fully actualized influence
over a dependent relationship.
• Dependency
– B’s relationship to A when A possesses something that B
requires.
– The greater B's dependence, the more power A has.

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 Bases of Power: Formal Power
• Formal Power
– Established by an individual’s position in an organization.
– Three bases:
• Coercive Power
» A power base dependent on fear of negative results.
• Reward Power
» Compliance achieved based on the ability to distribute rewards that
others view as valuable.
• Legitimate Power
» The formal authority to control and use resources based on a person’s
position in the formal hierarchy.

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 Bases of Power: Personal Power
• Power that comes from an individual’s
unique characteristics – these are the
most effective
– Expert Power
• Influence based on special skills or knowledge
– Referent Power
• Influence based on possession by an individual
of desirable resources or personal traits

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 Dependency: The Key To Power
• The General Dependency Postulate
– The greater B’s dependency on A, the greater the power A
has over B.
– Possession/control of scarce organizational resources that
others need makes a manager powerful.
– Access to optional resources (e.g., multiple suppliers)
reduces the resource holder’s power.
• Dependency increases when resources are:
– Important.
– Scarce.
– Non substitutable.

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 Power Tactics
• Power Tactics
– Ways in which individuals translate power bases into
specific actions.
– Nine influence tactics:
• Legitimacy.
• Rational persuasion.
• Motivating appeals.
• Consultation.
• Exchange.
• Personal appeals.
• Pressure.
• Coalitions or alliance.

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 Factors Influencing Power
Tactics
• Choice and effectiveness of influence
tactics are moderated by:
–Sequencing of tactics.
• Softer to harder tactics work best.
–Political skill of the user.
–The culture of the organization.
• Culture affects user’s choice of tactic.

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 Sexual Harassment: A Case of
Unequal Power
• Sexual Harassment:
– Any unwanted activity of a sexual nature that affects an
individual’s employment and creates a aggressive work
environment.
• obvious actions, like unwanted touching, are relatively easy to fault.
• understated actions, like jokes or looks, can cross over the line into
harassment.

• Sexual harassment isn’t about sex: it is about

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 Managerial Actions to Prevent
Sexual Harassment
• Make sure a policy against it is in place.
• Ensure that employees will not encounter
acceptance if they file a complaint.
• Investigate every complaint and include the
human resource and legal departments.
• Make sure offenders are disciplined or
terminated.
• Set up in-house seminars and training.
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 Politics: Power in Action
• 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 or
disadvantages within the organization.
– Legitimate Political Behavior
• Normal everyday politics - complaining, by passing, obstructing.
– Illegitimate Political Behavior
• Extreme political behavior that violates the implied rules of the
game: damage, whistle-blowing, and symbolic protest.

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Causes and Consequences of Political
Behavior
• Factors that Influence Political
Behavior.
• Employee Responses to Organizational
Politics.
– Most employees have low to modest
willingness to play politics and have the
following reactions to politics.
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 Defensive Behaviors
• Employees who perceive politics as a threat
have defensive reactions.
– May be helpful in the short run, dangerous in the
long run.
• Types of defensive behaviors:
– Avoiding Action.
• Over-conforming, buck-passing, playing dumb, stalling.
– Avoiding Blame.
• Playing safe, justifying.
– Avoiding Change.
• Prevention, self-protection.

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 Impression Management (IM)
• Impression Management: The process by which individuals
attempt to control the impression others form of them.
• IM Techniques:
– Conformity
– Excuses
– Apologies
– Self-Promotion
– Sweet talk
– Favors
– Friendship

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 IM Effectiveness
• Job Interview Success
– IM does work and most people use it.
– Self-promotion techniques are important.
– Ingratiation is of secondary importance.
• Performance Evaluations
– Ingratiation is positively related to ratings.
– Self-promotion tends to backfire.

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 The Ethics of Behaving Politically
• It is difficulty to tell ethical from unethical
politicking.
• Three questions help:
1. What is the utility of engaging in the behavior?
2. Does the utility balance out any harm done by the
action?
3. Does the action conform to standards of equity and
justice?
• Answers can be skewed toward either viewpoint.

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THE END
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