FINAL Power and Influence Readings Nelson D L Quick J C 2013 Cengage Learning Organizational Behavior Science The Real World and You 8th Edition Chapter 11 Power and Political Behavior Purchase online or in Cengage Reader in USC Bookstore Concept of Power Power the ability to influence another person Influence the process of affecting the thoughts behavior and feelings of another person Authority the right to influence another person 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 the employee accepts that the manager has the authority to request such behaviors and complies with the requests If requests fall outside the zone of indifference the manager must work to enlarge the employee s zone of indifference this is accomplished with power an ability rather than with authority a right Forms and Sources of Power in Organizations 5 types Interpersonal forms of power interactions with others Reward power power based on an agent s ability to control rewards that target wants salary increases bonuses promotions only lead to better performance if the employee sees a clear and strong link between performance and rewards be explicit about the behavior being rewarded and should make the connection clear between the behavior and the reward Coercive power power that is based on an agent s ability to cause an unpleasant experience for a target punishments Legitimate power similar to authority power that is based on position and mutual agreement agent and target agree that the agent has the right to influence the target Referent power an elusive power that is based on interpersonal attraction the target identifies with or wants to be like the agent charismatic respected individualistic individuals Expert power the power that exists when an agent has specialized knowledge or skills that the target needs to be effective 3 conditions must be met 1 the target must trust that the expertise given is accurate 2 the knowledge involved must be relevant and useful to the target 3 the target s perception of the agents as an expert is crucial using easy tounderstand language signals the target that the expert has an appreciation for real world concerns and increases the target s trust in the expert Which type of interpersonal power is most effective Reward and coercive compliance the employees will do what the manager asks them to at least temporarily not completely effective because they may require the manager to be physically present and watchful in order to apply rewards or punishment constant surveillance creates an uncomfortable situation for managers and employees and eventually results in a dependency relationship employees will not work unless the manager is present Legitimate power compliance Do this because I am your boss has not been linked to organizational effectiveness or to employee satisfaction in organizations where managers rely heavily on legitimate power organizational goals are not necessarily met Referent power linked with organizational effectiveness it is also the most dangerous power because it can be too extensive and intensive in altering the behavior of others charismatic leaders need an accompanying sense of responsibility for others Expert power the power of the future out of the 5 it has the strongest relationship with performance and satisfaction through expert power vital skills abilities and knowledge are passed on within the organization employees internalize what they observe and learn from managers they perceive to be the experts Least effective legitimate reward coercive are the ones most likely to be used by managers these powers are inherited when they take a supervisory job Most effective referent and expert are ones that must be developed and strengthened through interpersonal relationships with employees Intergroup sources of power groups or teams within an organization can also use power from several sources Critical resources when one group controls an important resource that another group desires the first group holds the power Controlling resources needed by another group allows the power holding group to influence the actions of the less powerful group Groups seen as powerful tend to be given more resources from top management Strategic contingencies activities that other groups depend on in order to complete their tasks 3 factors can give a group control over strategic contingency 1 the ability to cope with uncertainty if a group can help another group deal with uncertainty it has power 2 a high degree of centrality within the organization high centrality if a group s functioning is important to the organization s success it has high centrality 3 nonsubstitutability the extent to which a group performs a function that is indispensable to an organization Groups hold power over other groups when they can reduce uncertainty when their functioning is central to the organization s success and when the group s activities are difficult to replace Key dependency when one group controls something that another group needs it creates a dependent relationship and gives one group power over the other Using Power Ethically Key to being ethical be sensitive to employees concerns and to communicate well Information power access to and control over important information impt the person s position within the communication networks in the organization both formal and informal Framing the spin that managers put on information managers interpret the information they pass on and influence the subordinates perceptions of it Method for determining whether a power related behavior is ethical to be considered ethical all three criteria must be met 1 Does the behavior produce a good outcome for people both inside and outside the organization Utilitarian outcomes behavior should result in the greatest good for the greatest number of people if the power related behavior serves only the individual s self interest and fails to help the organization reach its goals it is considered unethical 2 Does the behavior respect the rights of all parties Individual rights free speech privacy due process power related behaviors that violate these rights are considered unethical 3 Does the behavior treat all parties equitably and fairly Distributive justice power related behavior that treats one party arbitrarily or benefits one party at the expense of another is unethical Positive versus