power, politics and leadership

Power, Politics and Leadership

POLITICS OF EDUCATION ( MEM 518)

Mindanao University of Science and Technology

Lecturer: Enrique S. Guevarra , MEd


2

Learning Objectives

After studying these topics and doing the exercises , you should be able to

Recognize the various types of power

Identify tactics used for becoming an empowering leader

Know how to use delegation to support empowerment.

Pinpoint factors contributing to organizational politics.

Describe both ethical and unethical political behaviors.

Explain how a leader can control dysfunctional politics.


3

Sources and Types of Power


4

1. Position Power

2. Personal Power

3. Power Stemming from Ownership

4. Power Stemming from Providing Resources

5. Power Derived from Capitalizing on opportunity.

6. Power Stemming from Managing Critical Problems

7. Power Stemming from Being Close to Power


5

Position Power

Power is frequently classified according to whether its stems from the organization or the individual


6

Four bases of power :

1. Legitimate Power - the lawful right to make a decision and expect compliance .

2. Reward Power – the authority to give employees rewards for compliance

3. Coercive Power is the power to punish non compliance ; it is based on fear.

4. Information power is power stemming from formal control over the information people need to do their work.


7

Personal Power

This power is derived from the person rather than the organization


8

Types of Personal Power

1. Expert power is the ability to influence others through specialized knowledge , skills or abilities.

2. Referent power is the ability to influence others through one’s desirable traits and characteristics

3. Prestige power stems from one’s status and reputation


9Power Stemming from Ownership

Executive leaders accrue power in their capacity as agents acting on behalf of share holders.

The strength of ownership power depends on how closely the leader is linked to shareholders and board members.

A leader’s ownership is also associated with how much money he or she has invested in the firm.


10

Power stemming from Providing ResourcesThe organization

requires a continuing flow of human resources, money, customers and clients , technological inputs and materials to continue to function.


11

Power Derived from Capitalizing on Opportunity

Power can be derived from being in the right place and taking the appropriate action.

It pays to be “ where the action is”.


12Power Stemming from Managing Critical Problems

The strategic contingency theory of power suggests that units best able to cope with the firm’s critical problems and uncertainties acquire relatively large amounts of power.

The Strategic contingency theory concerns the power a person acquires by virtue of centrality.


13

Power Stemming from Being Close to Power

The closer a person is to power , the greater power he or she exerts.

The higher unit reports in a firm’s hierarchy , the more power it possesses.


14

Tactics for Becoming an Empowering Leader


15

The Nature of Empowerment

Empowerment refers to passing decision making authority and responsibility from

managers to group members


16Components of Empowerment ( Gretchen M. Spreitzer)

Meaning – the value of work goal , evaluated in relation to a person’s ideals or standards.

Competence or self-efficacy is an individual’s belief in his or her capability to perform a particular task well.

Self-determination – is an individual’s feeling of having a choice in initiating and regulating actions.

Impact is the degree to which the worker can influence strategic, administrative or operating outcomes on the job.

Internal commitment takes place when workers are committed to a particular project , person or program, for individual motives.


17

Empowering Practices

Foster Initiative and Responsibility

Link Work Activities to Organizational Goals

Provide Ample Information

Allow Group Members to Choose Methods.

Encourage Self-leadership

Implement Team-based Human Resource Policies

Establish Limits to Empowerment

Continue to Lead


18Effective Empowering Practices

LEADERSHIP PRACTICES

1. Foster Initiative and Responsibility

2. Link Work Activities to Organizational Goals

3. Provide Ample Information

4. Allow Group Members to Choose Methods.

5. Encourage Self-leadership

6. Implement Team-based Human Resource Policies

7. Establish Limits to Empowerment

8. Continue to Lead

EFFECTIVE EMPOWERMENT

• Meaning to work• Competence• Self-efficacy• Impact• Internal commitment


19

Factors contributing to Organizational Politics


20

Organizational politics refers to informal approaches to gain power through means other than merit or luck.

Politics are played to achieve power, either directly or indirectly.

Power may be achieved By being promotedBy receiving a larger budget or other resourcesBy obtaining more resources for one’s group By being exempt from undesirable assignments.

Researchers concluded that “ Political skill is an interpersonal style that combines social awareness with the ability to communicate well. ( Ferrez et al 2000)


21

Many writers still regard organizational politics as emphasizing self-interest at the expense of others , engaging in mysterious activities or “ kissing up”

“It’s often a question of language. When we won on an issue, we call it leadership. When we lose, we call it politics. Practicing politics simply means increasing your options for effective results ( Labarre 1999)

People want power for many different reasons, which is why political behavior is so widespread in organizations. By definition , politics is used to acquire power.


22Pyramid-Shaped Organization Structure

A pyramid concentrates power at the top.

Each successive layer on the organization chart has less power than the layer above.


23

Subjective Standards of Performance

People often resort to organizational politics because they do not believe that the organization has an objective and fair way of judging their performance and suitability for promotion.

“It’s not what you know but who you know” applies to organizations that lack clear-cut standards of performance.


24Environmental Uncertainty and Turbulence

When people operate in an unstable and unpredictable environment , they tend to behave politically.

They rely on organizational politics to create a favorable impression because uncertainty makes it difficult to determine what they should really be accomplishing.


25

Emotional Insecurity

Some people resort to political maneuvers to ingratiate themselves with superiors because they lack confidence in their talents and skills.


26

Machiavellian Tendencies

Some people engage in political behavior because they want to manipulate others, sometimes their own personal advantage.


27The Organizational Politics Questionnaire

Please refer to the the word format


28Encouraging Admiration from Subordinates

Most organizational leaders say they do not encourage kissing up and that they prefer honest feedback from subordinates

Managers , as well as other workers, send out subtle signals that they want to be praised, such as smiling after receiving a compliment and frowning when receiving negative feedback.


29

Political Tactics and Strategies


30Ethical Political Tactics and StrategiesStrategies Aimed at Gaining Power

1. Develop power contacts

2. Control Vital information

3. Stay informed.

4. Control lines of communication

5. Bring in outside experts

6. Make a quick showing

7. Remember that everyone expects to be paid back

8. Be the first to accept reasonable changes


31Ethical Political Tactics and Strategies

Strategies and Tactics aimed at

1. Display loyalty

2. Manage your impression

3. Ask satisfied customers to contact your boss.

4. Be courteous, pleasant and positive.

5. Ask advice.

Building Relationships

6. Send thank-you notes to large numbers of people.

7. Flatter others sensibly


32Ethical Political Tactics and StrategiesStrategies aimed

at Political Blunders

1. Criticizing the boss in a public forum.

2. Bypassing the boss.

3. Declining an offer from top management.

4. Putting your foot in your mouth

5. Not conforming to the company dress code


33Unethical Political Tactics and Strategies

1. Backstabbingo The ubiquitous back stab

requires that you pretend to be nice but all the while plan someone’s demise.

2. Embrace or Demolisho It suggests that you

remove from the premises rivals who suffered past hurts through your efforts ; otherwise the wounded rivals might retaliate at a vulnerable moment.

3. Setting a Person Up for Failure

o The object of a set up is to place a person in a position where he or she will either fail outright or look ineffective

4. Divide and Ruleo The object is to have

subordinates fight among themselves , thus yielding the balance of power to another person.


34Unethical Political Tactics and Strategies

5. Playing Territorial Games

o Territorial games involve protecting and hoarding resources that give one power , such as information , relationships and decision making authority.

o People arte greedy to survive in a corporate world.

6. Creating and Then Resolving a False Catastrophe

o An advanced devious tactic is for a manager to pretend a catastrophe exists and then proceed to rescue others from the catastrophe , thereby appearing to be a superhero. ( Sandberg 2003)


35

Exercising Control over Dysfunctional Politics


36

Organizational politics can hurt an organization and its members.

Too much politicking can result in wasted time and effort , thereby lowering productivity.

A study of 1,730 employees in four organizations investigated how the perception of political behavior was related to certain outcomes. Among the findings were as follows :


37

Perceptions of political behavior taking place in the work group were associated with less commitment to the organization and a stronger turnover intention with less commitment to the organization and a stronger turnover intention

Perceptions of political behavior taking place throughout the organization were also associated with less commitment to the organization and a stronger turnover intention ( Maslyn and Fedor 1998)


38How to control dysfunctional politics?

Avoiding favoritism

Setting good examples at the top of the organization.

Sharing of similar goals among the individuals and the organization

Hiring people with integrity


39

SUMMARY

1. Organizational power is derived from

Position PowerLegitimateRewardCoerciveInformation

Personal PowerExpert Reference

2. Power stems from Ownership Control of

resources Capitalizing on

opportunities Managing critical

problems Being close to

power


40

SUMMARY3. Full-pledged

empowerment includes Dimensions of meaning Self-determination Competence Impact Internal commitment

4. Actions taken to become an empowering leader

Foster initiative and responsibility

Link work activities to the goals of the organization

Provide ample information

Allow group members to choose methods.

Encourage self-leadership

Implement team-based human resource policies

Establish limits to empowerment

Continue to lead.


41

SUMMARY

5. To acquire and retain power , a leader must skillfully use organizational politics. Contributing factors include

Pyramidal shape of organization

Subjective performance standards

Environmental uncertainty

Emotional insecurity

Machiavellianism Encouraging admiration

from subordinates

6. Political tactics and strategies

Ethical methods Aimed at gaining

power Aimed at building

relationships Aimed at avoiding

political blunders


42

Unethical tactics Embrace or

demolish strategy

Constitute another category of political behavior


43

Reference

Dubrin, A.J. 2007, Leadership : Research Findings , Practice, and Skills Fifth edn, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.

power, politics and leadership

Education