Organizational Power, Influence Tactics, and Politics: Key Concepts and Frameworks

What is power?

The discretion and the means to enforce your will over others

What is the relationship between power and influence?

More influence = more power

Why is power important?

Managers must influence others; power builds confidence and effectiveness

What undermines organizations more than power?

Powerlessness

What are the five bases of power?

Legitimate, reward, coercive, expert, referent

What is legitimate power?

Compliance through formal authority

Positive legitimate power?

Constructive, performance-focused

Negative legitimate power?

Threatening and demeaning

What is reward power?

Compliance through rewards

What is coercive power?

Compliance through punishment

What is expert power?

Compliance through knowledge

What is referent power?

Compliance through relationships and personal traits

What is position power?

Legitimate, reward, coercive

What is personal power?

Expert, referent

What are the 3 responses to power?

Resistance, compliance, commitment

What is resistance?

Opposition or sabotage

What is compliance?

Doing only what is required

What is commitment?

Going above and beyond

Which powers create commitment?

Expert, referent, positive legitimate

Which create compliance/resistance?

Reward, coercive, negative legitimate

Which power is most negative?

Coercive

Which powers are most positive?

Expert and referent

What is empowerment?

Increasing employee performance, well-being, and attitudes

What is structural empowerment?

Transfer of authority and responsibility

What is psychological empowerment?

Employees' perceptions of empowerment

What are the 4 elements of psychological empowerment?

Meaning, competence, self-determination, impact

Meaning?

Alignment of values

Competence?

Belief in ability

Self-determination?

Control over work

Impact?

Ability to make a difference

What is a key idea about empowerment?

Sharing power increases total power

What are influence tactics?

Ways to influence others

List influence tactics

Rational persuasion, inspirational appeals, consultation, ingratiation, personal appeals, exchange, coalition, pressure, legitimating

Soft tactics?

Rational persuasion, inspiration, consultation, ingratiation, personal appeals

Hard tactics?

Exchange, coalition, pressure, legitimating

Best tactics for commitment?

Rational persuasion, consultation, collaboration, inspirational appeals

Worst tactics?

Pressure, coalition

Cialdini's 7 principles

Liking, reciprocity, social proof, consistency, authority, scarcity, unity

What is organizational politics?

Self-interested actions

When are politics positive?

When helping organization adapt

When negative?

Self-serving and harmful

What triggers politics?

Uncertainty

Sources of uncertainty

Unclear goals, vague measures, unclear processes, competition, change

Common political tactics

Networking, alliances, self-promotion, ingratiation, blaming, info control

What is a coalition?

Group focused on an issue

What is a network?

Group focused on relationships

Optimal level of politics?

Moderate

What is impression management?

Controlling how others perceive you

How to make a good impression?

Goals, appearance, body language, mood control, interest

What are impression tactics?

Job-focused, supervisor-focused, self-focused

Risk of too much impression management?

Seen as fake

What makes an effective apology?

Acknowledge, accept responsibility, express regret, promise change

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What is leadership?

Influencing a group toward a goal

Do leaders need authority?

No

Leaders vs managers?

Leaders inspire; managers plan and control

What determines leadership effectiveness?

Traits, behaviors, situation

What is trait theory?

Identifying leader characteristics

Key traits

Intelligence, confidence, energy, knowledge

Big Five traits

Conscientiousness, openness, emotional stability, extraversion, agreeableness

Dark triad traits

Narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy

Why are dark traits bad?

Lead to poor leadership outcomes

What is emotional intelligence?

Managing emotions effectively

Gender differences in leadership

Male = task-focused; female = relationship-focused

Four leadership skills

Cognitive, interpersonal, business, strategic

Implicit leadership theory

Beliefs about what leaders should be like

Leadership prototype

Mental model of a leader

Four leadership behaviors

Task, relationship, passive, transformational

Task-oriented leadership

Focus on goals

Relationship-oriented leadership

Focus on people

Transactional leadership

Rewards/punishments based on performance

Initiating structure

Organizing tasks

Relationship behaviors

Consideration, empowerment, servant leadership, ethical leadership

Servant leadership

Prioritizing others

Ethical leadership

Moral role model

Abusive supervision

Hostile behavior from leaders

Effects of abuse

Lower performance, more retaliation

Key takeaway on behavior

Behavior > traits

What is contingency theory?

Leadership effectiveness depends on fit

Fiedler's theory

Match style to situation

Fiedler leadership styles

Task-motivated vs relationship-motivated

LPC scale

Measures leadership style

Fiedler situational factors

Leader-member relations, task structure, position power

Path-goal theory

Leaders clear path to goals

Leader actions

Remove obstacles, support, reward

Transformational leadership

Motivates beyond self-interest

4 behaviors

Inspiration, idealized influence, individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation

What is charisma?

Attraction that inspires followers

LMX theory

Leader-member relationships

In-group

High trust

Out-group

Formal relationship

What improves LMX?

Trust, similarity, competence

Follower expectations

Productive, honest, proactive

Leader expectations

Create meaning, community, excitement

How to be a good follower

Understand boss, understand self, adjust, build strengths

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What is organizational culture?

Shared assumptions guiding behavior

4 characteristics

Shared, learned, influences behavior, impacts outcomes

Drivers of culture

Founder, environment, national culture, strategy, leaders

Three levels of culture

Artifacts, espoused values, basic assumptions