Leadership and ethics chapter 4
Rational tactics are typically used when:
Parties are relatively equal in power Resistance is not anticipated Benefits are organizational as well as personal
Soft tactics are typically used when:
They are at a disadvantage or expect resistance They will personally benefit if the attempt is successful
Followers often can use a wider variety of influence tactics than the leader.
This is because the formal leader is not always the person who possesses the most power in a leadership situation.
Legitimate power
depends on a person's organizational role i.e. formal/official authority.
Power
has been defined as the capacity to produce effects on others, or the potential to influence others.
Influence
is defined as the change in a target agent's attitudes, values, beliefs, or behaviors as the result of influence tactics.
Expert power
is the power of knowledge.
Influence tactics
refer to one person's actual behaviors designed to change another person's attitudes, beliefs, values, or behaviors.
Hard tactics are typically used when:
An influencer has the upper hand Resistance is anticipated When a person's behavior violates important norms
Followers can exercise reward power over leaders by:
Controlling scarce resources Modifying their level of effort based on the leader's performance
Leaders can enhance their ability to influence others based on reward power by:
Determining what rewards are available and most valued by subordinates Establishing policies for the fair and consistent administration of rewards for good performance
Leaders can usually exert more power during a crisis than during periods of relative calm.
During a crisis, followers may be more eager to receive direction and control from leaders.
Holding a position and being a leader are not synonymous.
Effective leaders often intuitively realize they need more than legitimate power to be successful.
Four generalizations can be made about power and influence:
Effective leaders typically take advantage of all their sources of power. Leaders in well-functioning organizations are open to being influenced by their subordinates. Leaders vary in the extent to which they share power with subordinates. Effective leaders generally work to increase their various power bases or become more willing to use their coercive power.
French and Raven identified five sources/bases of power by which an individual can potentially influence others.
Expert power Referent power Legitimate power Reward power Coercive power
Many situational factors affect power and influence.
Furniture arrangement Office size and type Prominently displayed symbols Appearances of title and authority Choice of clothing Presence or absence of crisis
Individuals vary in their motivation to manage in terms of six composites:
Maintaining good relationships with authority figures Wanting to compete for recognition and advancement Being active and assertive Wanting to exercise influence over subordinates Being visibly different from followers Being willing to do routine administrative tasks
Miner's Sentence Completion Scale (MSCS) consistently predicts leadership success in hierarchical or bureaucratic organizations, and its findings offer several implications:
Not all individuals like being leaders. A high need for power or motivation to manage does not guarantee leadership success. A high need for socialized power and a high level of activity inhibition may be required for long-term leadership success. Followers and leaders differ in the need for power, activity inhibition, and motivation to manage.
This need for power is expressed in two ways.
Personalized power is exercised for personal needs by selfish, impulsive individuals. Socialized power is used for the benefit of others or the organization and may involve self-sacrifice.
The Influence Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ) assesses nine types of influence tactics:
Rational persuasion Inspirational appeals Consultation Ingratiation Personal appeals Exchange Coalition tactics Pressure tactics Legitimizing tactics
Research indicates that reliance on referent and expert power led to employees who:
Were more motivated Were more satisfied Were absent less Performed better
Reward power
involves the potential to influence others through control over desired resources.
Coercive power
is the potential to influence others through the administration of negative sanctions or the removal of positive events.
Referent power
refers to the potential influence one has due to the strength of the relationship between the leader and the followers.