chapter 9 power and politics. 2 copyright © 2006 by thomson delmar learning. all rights reserved....

Chapter 9

Power and Politics

2Copyright © 2006 by Thomson Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Purpose and Overview

• Purpose– To learn about the importance, sources, and

uses of power and politics– Understand strategies and tactics for

increasing power– Understand conditions that contribute to

power abuse and their consequences



• Overview– The Importance of Power and Politics in

Health Services Organizations – Sources of Power – When Power Is Likely To Be Used – Issues on Which Power Is Likely To Be Used



• Overview– Power Strategies and Tactics: Games People

Play – Employee Responses to Use of Power – The Abuse of Power in Organizations – Power, Politics, and Organizational

Performance


The Importance of Power and Politics

• Success requires: – Attention to the distribution of power– Attention to the circumstances under which

power is used– Knowledge of tactics and strategies

associated with the effective use of power



• Influence

• Power

• Politics



• Why Power and Politics? – To direct and control behavior of

organizational members to achieve organizational goals


Rational Versus Political Perspectives on Management

• Rational Models

• Political Perspectives


Sources of Power

• Authority linked to formal position

• Control over resources

• Control over decision-making processes and information

• Network centrality

• Nonsubstitutability

• Management of strategic contingencies


Sources of Power


Sources of Power

• Tactics for Increasing Power– Provide resources to other departments and

operating units– Create dependencies– Take responsibility for areas of high

uncertainty


Sources of Power

• Tactics for Increasing Power– Satisfy strategic contingencies– Build coalitions– Expand networks– Control decision processes


When Power Is Likely To Be Used

• For important decisions

• When performance is difficult to assess

• When there are uncertainties and disagreement

• Interdependence


Issues on Which Power Is Likely To Be Used

• Four Domains – Structural change– Interdepartmental coordination– Management succession– Resource allocation and budgeting


Power Strategies and Tactics: Games People Play

• Power may be converted into political influence


Employee Responses to Use of Power

• Employees may react negatively to use of power– Decreased trust in the organization– Increased employee dissatisfaction– Increased conflict within the organization– Decreased morale and effort – Increased employee turnover


Employee Responses to Use of Power

• Power use may undermine future operations and decision making


The Abuse of Power in Organizations

• Necessary at times to achieve goals – Personal goals – Organizational goals

• Managers– Necessary to understand that power is

potentially abusive to employees



• Conditions Facilitating the Abuse of Power – High information ambiguity – High ends mean ambiguities– Overly centralized decision making structure– Scarcity of rival coalitions both internal and

external to organization



• Conditions Facilitating Abuse of Power– Low or one-sided interdependencies between

key organizational stakeholders– Culture of organizational complacency– Short time horizons


Power, Politics, and Organizational Performance

• Can serve to facilitate implementation of important decisions


Power, Politics, and Organizational Performance

• Approaches to Reducing Inefficiencies Due to Political Activity– Increase level of slack resources – Reduce differentiation and heterogeneity

among organizational members and units – Divide organizational rewards more evenly

chapter 9 power and politics. 2 copyright © 2006 by thomson delmar learning. all rights reserved....

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