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    Human Behavior in Organizations: Session 17

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    KANIKA GORAYA
    Human behavior organizations notes

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    Human Behavior in Organizations: Session 17

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    KANIKA GORAYA
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    Human behavior organizations notes

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    Session 17

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    Human behavior organizations notes

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    21 views21 pages

    Human Behavior in Organizations: Session 17

    Uploaded by

    KANIKA GORAYA
    Human behavior organizations notes

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
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    Human Behavior in Organizations

    Session 17
    The Concept of Power

    • Power refers to a capacity that A has to influence the


    behavior of B, so that B acts in accordance with A’s wishes.
    – Power may exist but not be used.
    • Probably the most important aspect of power is that it is a
    function of dependence.
    • A person can have power over you only if he or she controls
    something you desire.
    13-2
    Zone of Indifference

    The range in which attempts to influence a person will


    be perceived as legitimate and will be acted on without
    a great deal of thought
    Role of Dependence in Power Relationships

    • The General Dependency Postulate

    – When you possess anything that others require but


    that you alone control, you make them dependent
    upon you and, therefore, you gain power over them.

    – Dependence, then, is inversely proportional to the


    alternative sources of supply.
    13-4
    Role of Dependence: Social Network Analysis

    13-5
    Sources of Power (French and Raven)

    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


    Intergroup Sources of Power

    • Control critical resources

    • Control of strategic contingencies – activities

    that other groups need to complete their tasks


    – Ability to cope with uncertainty

    – High degree of centrality

    – Non substitutability
    Information Power
    access to and control over

    important information
    [Criteria for Using Power Ethically]

    A. Does the behavior produce a good outcome for


    people both inside and outside the organization?
    B. Does the behavior respect the rights of all parties?
    C. Does the behavior treat all parties equitably and
    fairly?
    [Two Faces of Power]

    Personal Power
     used for personal gain

    Social Power
     used to create motivation

     used to accomplish

    group goals
    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


    Conditions Encouraging
    Political Activity
    • Unclear goals
    • Autocratic decision
    making
    • Ambiguous lines of
    authority
    • Scarce resources
    • Uncertainty
    Influence Tactics
    Influence Tactics
    Influence Tactics
    • Some tactics are more effective than others.

    – Rational persuasion, inspirational appeals, and consultation

    are most effective when the audience is highly interested in the

    outcomes.

    – Pressure tends to backfire.

    – Using both ingratiation and legitimacy can lessen the negative

    reactions from appearing to “dictate” outcomes , but only when

    the audience does not really care about the outcomes of a


    13-17
    decision process or the policy is routine. 13-17
    Political Skill

    Ability to get things done through positive

    interpersonal relationships outside the formal

    organization
    [Managing Political Behavior]

    • Recognize it
    • Open communication
    • Clarify performance expectations
    • Participative management
    • Encourage cooperation among work groups
    • Manage scarce resources well
    • Provide a supportive organizational climate
    Managing Up: The Boss
    Managing Up: The Boss

    SOURCE: Reprinted by permission of Harvard Business Review. From “Managing Your Boss,” by J. J. Gabarro and
    J. P. Kotter, (May–June 1993): p. 155. Copyright © 1993 by the Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation; all
    rights reserved.

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