Power and Influence in the Workplace

1. Power and Influence in the Workplace

2. Power Overload at Worldcom • Through excessive power and influence, former WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers (left), CFO Scott Sullivan (right), and other executives perpetrated one of the largest cases of accounting fraud in history. ©AP Photo/Kenneth Lambert

3. The Meaning of Power • Power is the capacity of a person, team, or organization to influence others. • The potential to influence others • People have power they don’t use and may not know they possess • Power requires one person’s perception of dependence on another person ©AP Photo/Kenneth Lambert

4. Person A Person B’s Goals Power and Dependence Person B’s counterpower over Person A Person A’s power over Person B Person B

5. Power over Others Contingencies Of Power Model of Power in Organizations Sources Of Power Legitimate Reward Coercive Expert Referent

6. The Limits of Legitimate Power • Crimson Tide illustrates the limits of legitimate power in organizations. US submarine Captain Frank Ramsey (Gene Hackman, right) orders his crew to launch nuclear weapons based on a message from Washington, whereas Lieutenant Commander Ron Hunter (Denzel Washington, left) opposes this decision because a second message is incomplete. What ensues is a mutiny that divides crew loyalties. ©Topham/The Image Works

7. Sources of Power Legitimate Power Reward Power Coercive Power Expert Power Referent Power ©Topham/The Image Works

8. Information and Power • Control over information flow • Based on legitimate power • Relates to formal communication network • Common in centralized structures (wheel pattern) • Coping with uncertainty • Those who know how to cope with organizational uncertainties gain power • Prevention • Forecasting • Absorption

9. Sources of Power Power over others Contingencies of Power Contingencies of Power Substitutability Centrality Discretion Visibility

10. Increasing Nonsubstitutability Differentiation Controlling Tasks Increasing Nonsubstitutability Controlling Labour Controlling Knowledge

11. Jane Buckley: Golf Networker • Jayne Buckley, an executive with Compass Group in Vancouver, travels with her golf clubs to help her network with colleagues and clients. C. Price, Vancouver Province

12. Networking and Power • Cultivating social relationships with others to accomplish one’s goals • Increases power through • social capital -- durable network that connects people to others with valuable resources • referent power -- people tend to identify more with partners within their own networks • visibility and centrality contingencies

13. Influencing Others • Influence is any behaviour that attempts to alter someone’s attitudes or behaviour • Applies one or more power bases • Process through which people achieve organizational objectives • Operates up, down, and across the organizational hierarchy

14. more Types of Influence Silent Authority • Following requests without overt influence • Based on legitimate power, role modelling • Common in high power distance cultures Assertiveness • Actively applying legitimate and coercive power (“vocal authority”) • Reminding, confronting, checking, threatening

15. more Types of Influence (con’t) Exchange • Promising or reminding of past benefits in exchange for compliance • Negotiation is integral to this strategy • Networking relates to exchange influence Coalition Formation • Group forms to gain more power than individuals alone • Pools resources/power • Legitimizes the issue • Power through social identity

16. more Types of Influence (con’t) Upward Appeal • Appealing to higher authority • Includes appealing to firm’s goals • Formal alliance or perception of alliance with higher status person Ingratiation/ Impress. Mgt. • Ingratiation • Increasing liking/similarity to target • Flattering, helping, seeking advice • Impression Management • Actively shaping our public images • Way we dress, padding resumé

17. Types of Influence (con’t) Persuasion • Using logic, facts, emotional appeals to gain acceptance • Depends on persuader, message content, message medium, audience Information Control • Manipulating others’ access to information • Withholding, filtering, re-arranging information

18. Hard Influence Tactics Soft Influence Tactics Silent authority Upward appeal Coalition formation Information control Assertiveness Persuasion Ingratiation &impression mgt Exchange Consequences of Influence Tactics Resistance Compliance Commitment

19. Steve Jobs’ Reality Distortion Field • Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and Pixar Animation Studios, is famous for influencing people through his persuasiveness, which draws them into his “reality distortion field.” ©AFP/Corbis

20. Contingencies of Influence Tactics • “Soft” tactics generally more acceptable • Appropriate influence tactic depends on: • Organizational position • Influencer’s power base • Cultural values and expectations • Age cohort • Gender differences ©AFP/Corbis

21. Organizational Politics • Behaviours that others perceive as self-serving tactics for personal gain at the expense of other people and possibly the organization

22. Conditions for Organizational Politics Tolerance of Politics Scarce Resources Conditions Supporting Organizational Politics Organizational Change Complex and Ambiguous Decisions

23. Minimizing Political Behaviour Introduce clear rules Manage team norms Free flowing information Support values that oppose politics Manage change effectively Leaders as role models

24. Power and Influence in the Workplace