Chapter 12Chapter 12

Power and Influence in the Power and Influence in the WorkplaceWorkplace

Chris EstradaChris Estrada

Tom QuachTom Quach

The Meaning of Power The Meaning of Power

Power is the capacity of a Power is the capacity of a person, team or organization to person, team or organization to influence othersinfluence others..

Counter power is the capacity to Counter power is the capacity to a person, team, or organization a person, team, or organization to keep a person more powerful to keep a person more powerful person or group in the person or group in the exchange. exchange.

Dependence in the Power Dependence in the Power RelationshipRelationship

Sources of PowerSources of Power

Legitimate power; the capacity Legitimate power; the capacity to influence others through to influence others through formal authority.formal authority.

Reward Power; person’s ability Reward Power; person’s ability to control the allocation of to control the allocation of rewards valued by others and to rewards valued by others and to remove negative sancctions.remove negative sancctions.

Coercive Power; ability to apply Coercive Power; ability to apply punishment.punishment.

Sources of PowerSources of Power

Expert Power; an individual’s or Expert Power; an individual’s or work unit’s capacity to influence work unit’s capacity to influence others by possessing knowledge others by possessing knowledge or skills that they value.or skills that they value.

Referent Power; when others Referent Power; when others identify with them, like them, or identify with them, like them, or otherwise respect them.otherwise respect them.

Sources of PowerSources of Power

Information and PowerInformation and Power controlling the flow of information controlling the flow of information

when they control the flow of when they control the flow of information to others.information to others.

Organization’s ability to adapt with Organization’s ability to adapt with environmental changes.environmental changes. PreventionPrevention ForecastingForecasting AbsorptionAbsorption

Contingencies of PowerContingencies of Power

Substitutability; the extent to which Substitutability; the extent to which people depend on a resource have people depend on a resource have alternatives.alternatives. Controlling TaskControlling Task Controlling KnowledgeControlling Knowledge Controlling LaborControlling Labor DifferentiationDifferentiation

Centrality; the degree an natur of Centrality; the degree an natur of interdependence between the power interdependence between the power holder and others.holder and others.

Contingency of PowerContingency of Power

Discretion; freedom to exercise Discretion; freedom to exercise judgment; to make decisions without judgment; to make decisions without referring to a specific rule or referring to a specific rule or receiving permission from someone receiving permission from someone else.else.

Visibility; those who control value Visibility; those who control value resources or knowledge will yield resources or knowledge will yield power only when others are aware of power only when others are aware of these power bases.these power bases. Mentoring; process of learning the ropes Mentoring; process of learning the ropes

of organizational life from a senior of organizational life from a senior person within the companyperson within the company

Contingencies of PowerContingencies of Power

Networking and Power; Networking and Power; cultivating social relationships cultivating social relationships with others to accomplish one’s with others to accomplish one’s goal.goal.

Model of Power within Model of Power within OrganizationOrganization

Influencing OthersInfluencing Others

Power is only the capacity to Power is only the capacity to influence others. It represents influence others. It represents the potential to change the potential to change someone’s attitude of behavior.someone’s attitude of behavior.

Influence:Influence: Refers to any Refers to any behavior that attempts to alter behavior that attempts to alter someone’s attitudes.someone’s attitudes. It is power in motion.It is power in motion.

Types of Influence TacticsTypes of Influence Tactics

Hard Influence Tactics:Hard Influence Tactics: They force behavior They force behavior change through position power (legitimate, reward, change through position power (legitimate, reward, and coercion)and coercion) Silent AuthoritySilent Authority AssertivenessAssertiveness Information ControlInformation Control Coalition FormationCoalition Formation Upward AppealUpward Appeal

Soft Tactics:Soft Tactics: Rely on more personal sources of Rely on more personal sources of power (referent, expert) and appeal to the target power (referent, expert) and appeal to the target person’s attitude and needs.person’s attitude and needs. Ingratiation & Impression ManagementIngratiation & Impression Management PersuasionPersuasion ExchangeExchange

Hard Influence TacticsHard Influence Tactics

Silent AuthoritySilent Authority Influencing behavior through legitimate power without explicitly Influencing behavior through legitimate power without explicitly

referring to that power base.referring to that power base.

AssertivenessAssertiveness Actively applying legitimate and coercive power by applying pressure Actively applying legitimate and coercive power by applying pressure

or threats.or threats.

Information ControlInformation Control Explicitly manipulating someone else’s access to information for the Explicitly manipulating someone else’s access to information for the

purpose of changing their attitudes and/or behavior.purpose of changing their attitudes and/or behavior.

Coalition FormationCoalition Formation An informal group that attempts to influence people outside the group An informal group that attempts to influence people outside the group

by pooling the resources and power of its membersby pooling the resources and power of its members

Upward AppealUpward Appeal Gaining Support from one or more people with higher authority or Gaining Support from one or more people with higher authority or

expertise.expertise.

Soft TacticsSoft Tactics

Ingratiation and Impression ManagementIngratiation and Impression ManagementIngratiationIngratiation Any attempt to increase liking by, or perceived Any attempt to increase liking by, or perceived

similarity to, the targeted personsimilarity to, the targeted personImpression ManagementImpression Management The practice of actively shaping one’s public image.The practice of actively shaping one’s public image.

PersuasionPersuasion Using Logical Arguments, facts, and emotional Using Logical Arguments, facts, and emotional

appeals to encourage people to accept a request or appeals to encourage people to accept a request or message.message.

ExchangeExchange Involves the promise of benefits or resources in Involves the promise of benefits or resources in

exchange for a target person’s compliance with your exchange for a target person’s compliance with your request. (negotiation & networking)request. (negotiation & networking)

Consequences of Influence Consequences of Influence TacticsTacticsThe best way to measure how people react to the influence The best way to measure how people react to the influence

tactics is in 3 ways:tactics is in 3 ways:1) Resistance: when people or work units oppose the 1) Resistance: when people or work units oppose the behavior desired by the influencer and consequently behavior desired by the influencer and consequently refuse, argue, or delay engaging in the behavior.refuse, argue, or delay engaging in the behavior.

2) Compliance: When people are motivated to implement 2) Compliance: When people are motivated to implement the influencer’s request at a minimal level of effort and for the influencer’s request at a minimal level of effort and for purely instrumental reasons. Without external sources to purely instrumental reasons. Without external sources to prompt the desired behavior, it would not occur.prompt the desired behavior, it would not occur.

3) Commitment: The strongest form of influence, whereby 3) Commitment: The strongest form of influence, whereby people identify with the influencer’s request and are highly people identify with the influencer’s request and are highly motivated to implement it even when extrinsic sources of motivated to implement it even when extrinsic sources of motivation are no longer present. motivation are no longer present.

Gender difference in Influence Gender difference in Influence TacticsTactics

Men:Men: More likely to rely on direct impression management tacticsMore likely to rely on direct impression management tactics Tend to advertise their achievements and take personal Tend to advertise their achievements and take personal

credit for successescredit for successes Likely to assign blame and less likely to assume itLikely to assign blame and less likely to assume it

Women:Women: Reluctant to force the spotlight on themselves. They prefer Reluctant to force the spotlight on themselves. They prefer

to share credit with others.to share credit with others. More likely to apologize-personally take blame- even for More likely to apologize-personally take blame- even for

problems not cause by them.problems not cause by them. Generally have difficulty exerting some forms of influence in Generally have difficulty exerting some forms of influence in

organizationsorganizations Viewed as less (not more) influential when they try to directly Viewed as less (not more) influential when they try to directly

influence others by exerting their authority or expertise.influence others by exerting their authority or expertise.

Organizational PoliticsOrganizational Politics

Organizational PoliticsOrganizational Politics Behaviors that others perceive as self-serving Behaviors that others perceive as self-serving

tactics for personal gain at the expense of other tactics for personal gain at the expense of other people and possible the organization.people and possible the organization.

More prevalent when scarce resources are More prevalent when scarce resources are allocated using complex and ambiguous allocated using complex and ambiguous decisions and when the organization tolerates or decisions and when the organization tolerates or rewards political behavior.rewards political behavior.

Individuals with a high need for personal power, Individuals with a high need for personal power, an internal locus of control, and strong an internal locus of control, and strong Machiavellian values have a higher propensity Machiavellian values have a higher propensity to use political tactics.to use political tactics.

Minimizing Organizational Minimizing Organizational PoliticsPolitics Providing clear rules for resource allocationProviding clear rules for resource allocation

Establishing a free flow of informationEstablishing a free flow of information

Using education and involvement during Using education and involvement during organizational changeorganizational change

Supporting team norms and a corporate Supporting team norms and a corporate culture that discourage dysfunctional culture that discourage dysfunctional politicspolitics

Having leaders who model organizational Having leaders who model organizational citizenship rather than political savvy.citizenship rather than political savvy.

QuestionsQuestions

1. _ is the capacity to a person, team, or 1. _ is the capacity to a person, team, or organization to keep a more powerful person organization to keep a more powerful person or group in the exchange. (b)or group in the exchange. (b)

a) Powera) Powerb) Counter powerb) Counter powerc) Referent powerc) Referent powerd) Reward powerd) Reward power

2. Name two of the four contingencies of 2. Name two of the four contingencies of powerpower

(Substitutability, Centrality, Discretion, (Substitutability, Centrality, Discretion, Visibility)Visibility)

3. T/F Upward appeal is the tactic of gaining 3. T/F Upward appeal is the tactic of gaining support from one or more people with support from one or more people with higher authority or expertise. (T)higher authority or expertise. (T)

QuestionsQuestions

4. ______ ______ are behaviors that 4. ______ ______ are behaviors that other perceive as self-serving tactics other perceive as self-serving tactics for personal gain at the expense of for personal gain at the expense of other epopel and possibly the other epopel and possibly the organization (Organizational Politics)organization (Organizational Politics)

5. Select the answer that is not a 5. Select the answer that is not a consequence of hard and soft consequence of hard and soft influence tactics (C)influence tactics (C)a) Compliancea) Complianceb) Resistance b) Resistance c) Assertivenessc) Assertivenessd) Commitmentd) Commitment