Chapter 13
Formal Bases of Power: Coercive Power
- Ability to cause an unpleasant experience - Influence through negative sanctions or removal of positive event
Formal Bases of Power: Reward Power
- Based on control over desired resources - Complies due to desire for positive benefits - Overemphasis on rewards decreases their effectiveness to influence behavior
Moderators of Effectiveness
- Direction - Sequencing - Individual skill - Organizational culture
Coercive Power: Followers
- Has inherent limitations and drawbacks - A common form is temperamental outbursts - Followers can also use coercive power to influence leader's behavior
Dependency Creators
- Importance of the resource - Scarcity of the resource - Non-substitutability of the resource
Rewards and Behavior
- Most effective during early learning phases - Pay attention to reinforcement schedules - Extrinsic rewards may not have the same effects on behavior as intrinsic
Guidelines for Empowering
- Power: the more you give away to employees, the more you have - Express confidence in employees and set high performance expectations (delegate don't abandon) - Create opportunities for participative decision making - Remove bureaucratic constraints that stifle autonomy - Set inspirational and meaningful goals
People with Power
- Put their interests ahead of others - Objectify others - React to threats against their competence - Tend to be overconfident
Preferred Power Tactics by Influence Direction: Lateral Influence
- Rational Persuasion - Consultation - Ingratiation - Exchange - Legitimacy - Personal Appeals - Coalitions
Preferred Power Tactics by Influence Direction: Downward Influence
- Rational Persuasion - Inspirational Appeals - Pressure - Consultation - Ingratiation - Exchange - Legitimacy
Building Power Requirements
- Resource control - Social networks - Communication skills - Reputation
Politically Skilled
- more effective users of all the influence tactics - can exert their influence without others detecting it
Power
- potential to influence others' behaviors and attitudes - capacity to produce effects on others
Nine Influence Tactics
1. Legitimacy (Most Effective) 2. Rational persuasion (Most Effective) 3. Inspirational appeals (Most Effective) 4. Consultation (Most Effective) 5. Exchange 6. Personal appeals 7. Ingratiation 8. Pressure (Least Effective) 9. Coalitions
Political skill
Ability to influence others to enhance one's own objectives
Formal Bases of Power: Legitimate Power
Based on person's organizational role - power derives from the formal authority to control and use organizational resources
Positive effects of Power
Depends on personality
Referent Power: Followers
Followers with relatively more of this power than their peers: - often spokespersons or informal leaders - generally have more latitude to deviate from work-unit norms
Personal Bases of Power: Expert Power
Influence wielded as a result of expertise, special skill, or knowledge
Leadership vs. Power Differences: Research Emphasis
Leadership: Emphasizes leadership style Power: Broader topic: focuses on tactics used by individuals and groups
Leadership vs. Power Differences: Direction of Influence
Leadership: Focuses on downward influence Power: Concerned with influence in all directions
Leadership vs. Power Differences: Goal Compatibility
Leadership: Requires goal congruence Power: Only needs dependence
Four Dimensions of Empowerment
Meaning (purpose) - Competence (mastery) Self-Determination (autonomy) - Impact (significance)
Manager's Power
Possession/control of scarce resources that others need makes a manager powerful
Personal Bases of Power: Referent Power
Potential influence due to strength of relationship, charisma Takes time to develop
Preferred Power Tactics by Influence Direction: Upward Influence
Rational Persuasion
Empowerment
Sharing power in such a way that individuals learn to believe in their ability to do the job
The General Dependency Postulate
The greater B's dependency on A, the greater the power A has over B
Power Tactics
Used to translate power bases into specific actions that influence others - Combining tactics increases effectiveness
Expert Power: Followers
When followers have greater amounts of expert power, leader can't influence work unit on basis of expert power alone
Effective Power Bases: Expert and Referent Power
are positively related to performance and commitment
Effective Power Bases: Reward and Legitimate Power
are unrelated to organizational outcomes
Effective Power Bases: Coercive Power
is negatively related to employee satisfaction and commitment
Most Important Aspect of Power
it is a function of dependence
