Power, Politics, and Influence — Key Points
Power
Power is the ability to influence other people's actions, thoughts, or emotions; central to leadership.
In Part III, leadership hinges on understanding and using power effectively.
Potential vs. Kinetic Power
Potential power: the ability to influence that is available but not yet used.
Kinetic power: power that is actually exercised to influence others.
Sources of Power (French & Raven, 1959)
The bases of social power: 5 bases
Reward power: ability to give rewards of value to another person; effectiveness requires two components: the other person believes the reward can be given, and the reward has value to the other person. If the reward is not delivered, future use of reward power diminishes.
Coercive power: ability to punish or withhold something the other needs or wants; effectiveness requires the recipient to believe punishment could occur and that it has value to avoid punishment.
Legitimate power: authority granted by a role or position; bases include culture, social structure, and delegation of power.
Referent power: influence based on affective regard or identification with the influencer; greater attraction leads to greater identification and power.
Expert power: power from perceived knowledge or expertise in a specific area; power is strongest when applied within the area of expertise and weakens outside it.
Two additional sources discussed: informational power and connection power.
Informational power: based on access to valuable information.
Connection power: based on who you know, internally and externally.
Other Sources of Power in an Organization (Mechanic, 1962; related ideas)
Lower-level employees can exercise significant personal power by creating dependency in three areas:
Instrumentalities: access to organizational resources (equipment, budgets).
People: key individuals or groups the organization depends on.
Information: knowledge of norms, procedures, and techniques.
Dependency and coalition-building enable power, even for those without formal power positions.
Examples: attendants vs. physicians; floor nurses vs. new residents; coordinators who control scheduling, referrals, or information flow.
Increasing complexity raises the power of experts and staff due to dependency on specialization and knowledge.
Coalitions across functional units can wield power by navigating around formal structures.
Developing a Power Base (Kotter, 1977)
Managers depend on others due to division of labor and limited resources; they cope by building power bases via four approaches: 4 ways
Creating a sense of obligation: doing favors to elicit reciprocal obligations.
Building a reputation as an expert: visible achievement and demonstrated expertise.
Identification: being visible, aligning with others' values, and influencing through respect.
Perceived dependence: securing resources others need while signaling you can be deprived of those resources.
Kotter notes that bases built on expertise or identification can influence attitudes and have lasting impact.
Organizational Politics
Organizational politics = intentional acts of influence to protect or enhance self-interest of individuals or groups.
Eight types of political behaviors (Allen, Madison, Porter, Renwick, Mayes, 1979): 8 types
Attacking or blaming others (scapegoating, undermining rivals)
Using information as a political tool (withholding or overload of information)
Creating and maintaining a favorable image (impression management; taking credit for others' ideas)
Developing a base of support (prerogative for decision influence; early coalitions)
Ingratiation/praising others (buttering up the boss, brown-nosing)
Developing allies and forming power coalitions (networks inside and outside the organization)
Associating with influential people (professional connections with powerful actors)
Creating obligations and reciprocity (you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours)
A note: withholding and distorting information are highly dysfunctional; some political behaviors mirror Kotter's power bases (favorable image, coalitions, obligations, influential associations).
Upward Influence
Upward influence: tactical influence directed at higher levels in the organization. 6 tactics (Kipnis, Schmidt, Wilkinson, 1980):
Assertiveness: demanding compliance, ordering, deadlines, nagging, anger.
Ingratiation: praising, polite asks, humility, making others feel important.
Rationality: use of reason, logic, and compromise; align actions with others' self-interest.
Exchange: offering help in exchange for favors.
Upward appeal: seeking support from superiors.
Coalition formation: building alliances to support a course of action.
Kipnis et al. clusters (hospital/exec contexts): 4 clusters
Shotguns: high use of tactics, especially assertiveness and authority.
Tacticians: high rationality, other tactics moderate.
Bystanders: low use of tactics.
Ingratiators: high friendliness with average other tactic use.
Upward Influence in Cultures and Embodiment
Early research shows how tactics work differently across contexts and cultures; growth in understanding strategy effectiveness.
Power posing (Carney, Cuddy, Yap, 2010): nonverbal displays of power can alter physiology and behavior.
High-power poses → higher testosterone (T ↑), lower cortisol (C ↓), increased sense of power and risk tolerance.
Low-power poses → opposite effects.
The study demonstrates embodiment effects: body posture can influence thinking, feeling, and behavior.
Conclusion
Power is integral to organizational behavior and central to leadership.
Understanding sources, bases, and political dynamics helps explain how leaders influence and how power is exercised and contested.
Discussion Questions
Discuss what is meant by the term "power".
Explain the difference between potential and kinetic power.
Describe the different sources of power.
Explain what is meant by a manager's power base and the ways in which managers develop it.
Describe organizational politics and the resulting political behaviors.
Discuss what is meant by upward influence and the various influence tactics categories associated with it.
Case Studies
Case Study 9-1: What Can Joe Do About Betty?
Betty is an expert who refuses training duties; Joe seeks a way to involve her without a budget or pressure.
Question: Describe French and Raven's five sources of power. In this case, who holds power and why?
Case Study 9-2: Scott's Dilemma
Scott, a therapist, experiences a hostile leadership dynamic, leading to stress and alienation; HR and leadership respond with reprimand.
Question: Describe French and Raven's five sources of power. What power(s) do the individuals in Scott's dilemma hold?