1. Powerful Managers Can Intercede on behalf of someone in trouble
Get a desirable placement for a subordinate
Get approval beyond the budget
Get fast access to top decision makers
Get items on and off the agenda
Acquire information about decisions

2. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely
Insensitive, abrasive and intimidating
Cold, aloof, and arrogant
Overly ambitious, playing politics and always trying to move up
Unable to delegate or build a team

3. Gaining Power Two basic factors determine: Personal attributes
Position characteristics

4. Concept of Power Power - the ability to influence another person
Influence - the process of affecting the thoughts, behavior, & feelings of another person
Authority - the right to influence another person 2

5. Concept of Power
Zone of Indifference - the range in which attempts to influence a person will be perceived as legitimate & will be acted on without a great deal of thought
Managers strive to expand the zone of indifference
Zone of Indifference 3

6. Sources of Organizational Power: Interpersonal
Reward Power - agent’s ability to control the rewards that the target wants
Coercive Power - agent’s ability to cause an unpleasant experience for a target
Legitimate Power - agent and target agree that agent has influential rights, based on position and mutual agreement
Referent Power-based on interpersonal attraction
Expert Power - agent has knowledge target needs 4

7. Which Power is Most Effective?
EXPERT POWER!
Strong relationship to performance & satisfaction Transfers vital skills, abilities, & knowledge within the organization Employees internalize what they observe & learn from managers they consider “expert” 5

8. Using Power Ethically
Does the behavior produce a good outcome for people both inside and outside the organization?
Does the behavior respect the rights of all parties?
Does the behavior treat all parties equitably and fairly? 6

9. Two Faces of Power Personal Power Social Power used for personal gain
used to create motivation
used to accomplish group goals 7

10. Successful Power Users
Have high need for social power; low need for affiliation
Have these power-oriented characteristics
belief in the authority system
belief in justice
preference for
work & discipline
altruism 8

11. Sources of Organizational Power: Intergroup
Control of critical resources
Control of strategic contingencies - activities that other groups need to complete their tasks
Ways groups hold power over other groups
Ability to reduce uncertainty
High centrality - functionality central to organization’s success
Nonsubstitutability - group’s activities are difficult to replace 9

12. Etzioni’s Power Analysis
Type of Membership
Type of Power
Alienative
Calculative
Moral
Normative
Utilitarian
Coercive
Amitai Etzioni, Modern Organizations, 1964, pp Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall. 10

13. Kanter’s Symbols of Power
Ability to intercede for someone in trouble
Ability to get placements for favored employees
Exceeding budget limitations
Procuring above-average raises for employees
Getting items on the agenda at meetings
Access to early information
Having top managers seek out their opinion 11

14. Kanter’s Symbols of Powerlessness
First-line Supervisors
overly close supervision
inflexible adherence to rules
do job rather than train
Staff Professionals
resistance to change
turf protection
Top Executives
budget cuts
punishing behaviors
top-down communications
Any Level Employees
passivity, overdependence
frustration, disruptiveness
Key to overcoming powerlessness:
share power & delegate decision making 12

15. Korda’s Power Symbols
Power - there are more people who inconvenience themselves on your behalf than there are people on whose behalf you would inconvenience yourself
Time
Furnishings
# on Stand-by 13

16. Political Behavior in Organizations
Organizational Politics - the use of power and influence in organizations
Political Behavior - actions not officially sanctioned by an organization that are taken to influence others in order to meet one’s personal goals 14

17. Effective Political Characteristics15

18. Influence Tactics Consultation Upward Influence the boss
Rational persuasion
Inspirational appeals
Ingratiation
Upward appeals
Coalition tactics
Exchange tactics
Pressure
Upward Influence the boss
Lateral Influence a coworker
Downward Influence
an employee 16

19. Managing Political Behavior
Maintain open communication
Clarify performance expectations
Use participative management
Encourage cooperation among work groups
Manage scarce resources well
Provide a supportive organizational climate 17

20. Managing Up: The Boss
Make sure you understand your boss and his/her context including
Goals and objectives
Pressures
Strengths, weaknesses, blind spots
Preferred work style 18

21. Managing Up: The Boss Assess yourself and your needs, including
Strengths, weaknesses, & blind spots
Personal style
Relation to authority figures 19

22. Managing Up: The Boss Develop and maintain a relationship that
Fits both your needs and styles
Is characterized by mutual expectations
Keeps your boss informed
Is based on dependability and honesty
Selectively uses your boss’s time and resources
Information on slides adapted from Table 11.3 which was reprinted by permission of Harvard Business Review. From J. J. Gabarrow and J. P. Kotter, “Managing Your Boss,” Harvard Business Review (January-February 1980): Copyright© 1980 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. 20

23. Sharing Power: Empowerment
sharing power in such a way
that individuals learn to believe
in their ability to do the job! 21

24. Empowerment’s Dimensions
Meaning - fit between the work role and the employee’s values and beliefs
Competence - belief that one has the ability to do the job well E2
Self-determination - having control over the way one does one’s work
Impact - belief that one’s job makes a difference within the organization 22

25. Guidelines for Empowering
Express confidence in employees
Set high performance expectations
Create opportunities for participative decision making
Remove bureaucratic constraints that stifle autonomy
Set inspirational and meaningful goals 23

26. Employee Empowerment Grid
Imple- mentation Follow-up
Alternative Choice
Alternative Evaluation
Alternative Development
Problem Identification
Point D
Mission Defining
Point E
Self-management
Point C
Participatory
Empowerment
Decision-Making Authority over Job Context
Point A
No Decision
Point B
Task Setting
Problem
Identification
Alternative Evaluation
Alternative Development
Alternative Choice
Imple- mentation Follow-up
Decision-Making Authority over Job Content
Amitai Etzioni, Modern Organizations, 1964, pp Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall. 24

27. Using Power Effectively
Use power in ethical ways
Understand and use all of the various types of power and influence
Seek out jobs that allow you to develop your power skills
Use power tempered by maturity and self-control
Accept that influencing people is an important part of the management job 25

28. Neutralizing Influence Attempts
Protecting against the undesirable attempts of others to influence us
Feelings of lack of power are just as harmful to personal performance as flagrant, excessive use of power.

29. Neutralizing Retribution Strategies
Use countervailing power to shift dependence to interdependence
Confront the exploiting individual directly
Actively resist

30. Neutralizing Reciprocity Strategies
Examine the intent of any gift or favor
Confront individuals who are using manipulative bargaining strategies
Refuse to bargain with individuals who use high pressure tactics

31. Neutralizing Reason Strategies
Explain the effects of compliance on performance
Defend your personal rights
Firmly refuse to comply

32. Issue Selling Congruence Credibility Communication Compatibility
Solvability
Payoff
Expertise
Responsibility
Presentation
Bundling
Coalitions
Visibility

33. Benefiting the Boss Problem solving Understanding Diagnosing
Self-awareness
Communicating
Trustworthiness
Protecting
Listening
Timeliness
Creativity