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Power in Organizations

Power in Organizations. Ch 12 – March 19, 2009. Influence & power. Influence – attempt to affect behavior Power – affect behavior in the desired direction Based on personal and org characteristics Politics – unauthorized use of power to enhance or protect your own interests.

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Power in Organizations

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  1. Power in Organizations Ch 12 – March 19, 2009

  2. Influence & power • Influence – attempt to affect behavior • Power – affect behavior in the desired direction • Based on personal and org characteristics • Politics – unauthorized use of power to enhance or protect your own interests

  3. French & Raven’s Taxonomy of Individual Power • Position power – formal power associated w/ a job • 1) Legitimate power – what is it? • How might power distance affect these perceptions? • 2 and 3) Reward power & Coercive power • 4) Information power – what is it?

  4. Bases of Individual Power • Personal power – from individual characteristics • 5) Expert power – based on what? • 6) Referent power – what is it? • (also rational persuasion & charisma – see book)

  5. Continuum of Employee Cooperation Resistance - Compliance - Commitment Coercive Reward Legitimate Expert Referent

  6. Structural Factors of Power • How do groups take power and direct behavior? • 2 models – • 1. Resource Dependency Model – units with greatest power are ones that control other units’ resources • Based on what? • 2. Strategic Contingencies Model – units with greatest power are ones that control activities of other units • Examples?

  7. Power & Politics • Political behavior is intentional and self-conscious • Idea of resistance – that political behavior would be resisted if detected by opponents • Could be individual or group activity • Conditions leading to political behavior? • 1) • 2) • 3)

  8. Types of Politics • Attacking/blaming others (attributions) • Selectively distribute information • Forming coalitions, pressure others to conform • Cultivating networks (and excluding some groups) • Creating obligations • Impression management

  9. Neg Effects of Politics • A source of process loss in groups • Reduces trust and motivation • Increased stress & withdrawal behaviors (see Ferris et al, 1996) • Example -

  10. Ferris et al (1996) • Model considers politics as a stressor • Interested in subjective evaluation of politics • Model includes antecedents (org, job/work, & personal) and outcomes (job anxiety & job sat) • Also includes moderators • What does a moderator do? • Control and understanding are proposed moderators

  11. Method & Results • N=822 Univ ees (questionnaire responses) • Politics important predictor of job outcomes • Antecedents – gender (what was the gender difference?) • Moderator analysis • What were the results?

  12. Political Skill • Recent research by Ferris has focused on concept of ‘political skill’ – an individual difference • What constructs we’ve reviewed thus far might political skill be related to? • What might be the consequences of this?

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