Power Bases, Influence Tactics, and Attributional Biases Pt.1

power

the ability of a person or group to influence or control some aspect of another person or group

social power

power that comes from the ability to influence another in a social relation

force

power made operative against another’s will

dependence

one person or group relies on another person or group to get what they want or need

control

the authority or ability to exercise restraining or dominating influence over someone or something

powerlessness

a lack of autonomy and participation

empowerment

sharing power, information, and rewards with employees to make decisions and solve problems in their work

zero sum game

describes a situation in which one person’s gain is equal to another person’s loss

Iron Law of Responsibility

when power imbalances get bad enough, forces are triggered that will rise up and take the power away (to restore power balance)

psychological reactance theory

people rebel against constraints and efforts to control their behavior

position power

stems from the formal hierarchy or authority vested in a particular role

personal power

resides in the individual, and is generated in relationships with others

legitimate power

formal hierarchical authority that comes with a position

zone of indifference

the range of authoritative requests to which a subordinate is willing to respond without subjecting the directives to critical evaluation or judgment

hierarchical thinking

when hierarchical systems create positions of superiority and inferiority in organizations

reward power

comes from one’s ability to administer positive rewards and remove or decrease negative rewards

coercive power

the use of punishment when others do not comply with influence attempts

expert power

the power a person has because of special skills and abilities that others need but do not possess themselves

referent power

ability to alter another’s behavior because of the individual’s desire to identify with the power structure

information power

possession of or access to information that is valuable to others

connection power

the ability to call on connections and networks both inside and outside the organization for support in getting things done and in meeting one’s goals

association power

arises from influence with a powerful person on whom others depend

reciprocal alliances

represent power arising from alliances with other developed through reciprocity

compliance

occurs when individuals accept another’s influence not because they believe in the content but because of the rewards or punishment associated with the requested action

commitment

occurs when individuals accept an influence attempt out of duty or obligation.

identification

occurs when individuals accept an influence attempt because they want to maintain a positive relationship with the person or group making the influence request.

internalization

occurs when an individual accepts influence because the induced behavior is congruent with their value system.

constructive resistance

characterized by thoughtful dissent aimed at constructively challenging the influencing agent to rethink the issue

dysfunctional resistance

involves a more passive form of noncompliance in which individuals ignore or dismiss the request of the influencing agent.

Bathsheba syndrome

is epitomized when men and women in the pinnacle of power with strong personal integrity and intelligence engage in unethical and selfish behavior because they mistakenly believe they are above the law.

formal systems

dictate what is to be done in organizations and how work processes are to be coordinated and structured.

informal systems

are patterns of activity and relationships that arise in everyday activities as

individuals and groups work to get things done.

organizational politics

are efforts by organizational members to seek resources and achieve desired goals through informal systems and structures.

self-interested politics

when individuals or groups work to shift otherwise ambiguous outcomes to their personal advantage without consideration of the organization or coworkers.

political climate

the shared perceptions about the political nature of the organization.

workarounds

occur when people work around the system to accomplish a task or goal when the normal process or method isn’t producing the desired result.

power bases

are the sources of power individuals and subunits develop in organizations.

non-substitutable

means that the individual or the work performed by the subunit cannot be easily replaced.

political savvy

skill and adroitness at reading political environments and understanding how to influence effectively in these environments.

political skill

an ability to use knowledge of others to influence them to act in desired ways.

social capital

the current or potential resources gained through one’s network

human capital

the knowledge, skills, and intellectual assets employees bring to the workplace

brokers

serves as links between structural holes in a network providing greater access to resources, information, and opportunities

structural holes

gaps between individuals and groups in a social network

influence

the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something. (Ability to persuade)

power distance

the degree to which people see power as distributed unequally