BUSM 4177 / 4194Leading for Change

Topic 4: Leadership power and influence

Learning Objectives

Power and influence in leadership:

1. Understand the process by which power is acquired or lost in organisations.

2. Understand the consequences of power for leadership effectiveness.

3. Understand ways to use power effectively.

4. Understand the different types of influence tactics used in organisations.

5. Understand how the tactics are used to influence subordinates, peers, and superiors.

6. Understand effective ways to use the tactics.

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Defining Power

A non-tangible characteristic of a position-holder in an

organisationThe capacity of one person

to influence another

Ability to reward or punish

Access to resources that others do not have

A persuasive personality trait

A force that may be individually or organisationally based

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Power Concepts

Power

• Capacity of one party to influence another

• A sense of direction (powerful to powerless)

• Only exists within a context

• Dynamic variable that may change with time or circumstance

Authority

• Rights, obligations an duties associated with particular positions in organization

• Duty for those on the receiving end to obey

• May be limited in scope or context

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Who or what has power in organisations … and how is it deployed?

Some conversation starters…

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French and Raven (1959) original power types

1. Reward

2. Coercive

3. Legitimate

4. Referent

5. Expert

And more recently added:

6. Information

7. Ecological

Position power

Personal power

Position power

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Using the French and Raven power types

Yukl suggests how best to “deploy” each power type

For example – deploying reward power:

Offer the type of reward that people desire

Offer rewards that are fair and ethical

Don’t promise more than you can deliver

Explain the criteria for giving rewards

Provide rewards as promised if requirements are met

Use rewards symbolically (not in a manipulative way)

See textbook for examples of deploying other reward types80

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The four faces of power (Fleming and Spicer 2007)

1. Coercion – one individual getting another to follow his/her orders

2. Manipulation of agendas through behind the scenes politicking

3. Domination over the preferences and opinions of participants

4. Subjectification – people are moulded with certain understandings of themselves and the world around them (Fleming and Spicer 2007)

Fleming, P and Spicer, A (2007) Contesting the Corporation: Struggle, Power and Resistance in Organisations, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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The four faces of power - application

COERCION

Direct coercion is about getting another person to do something that he or she would otherwise not have done

MANIPULATION

• Exclusion from decision making authority• Power as manipulation - There is no direct

exercise of power but an implicit shaping of issues considered important or irrelevant.

DOMINATION

• Power that shapes our preferences, attitudes and political outlook

• Implication that power is used to achieve outcomes that are contrary to the individual’s interests

Examples:• Men dominating women• Corporations dominating workers

SUBJECTIFICATION

• Focus of the constitution of the very person who makes decisions

• The organisation moulds people into a certain type

• Use of knowledge to produce compliance • The culture of the customer (but people

often undermine these types of organisational cultures – there is resistance)

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The four faces of power – ways of resisting

RESISTING COERCION

• Refuse to do what the person in the position of power tells him / her to do.

• Aim to block the effects of power by undermining the domination rather than changing it

RESISTING MANIPULATION

• Gain access to power in order to express voice:

• Internal – Women’s groups, trade unions

• External – social movements

• Sabotage the organisation / plan

RESISTING DOMINATION

• “Escape” - ie mentally disengage from the world of work

• Use cynicism, scepticism and dis-identification in response to domination

RESISTING SUBJECTIFICATION

• Create something that was not intended by those in authority

• Make use of parody or criticism eg Union newsletter

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The influence of power on leadership effectiveness

I hope I can convince the committee to

agree to my proposal

Leadership power

Use with caution

The influence of power on leadership effectiveness (continued)

Effective Leaders:

Have more expert and referent power

Rely on personal power more than position power

Have a moderate amount of position power

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The influence of power on leadership effectiveness (continued)

Power and organisational change

Expert and referent power for persuasion

Personal and position power increase the likelihood of success

Copyright© 2013 Pearson Education Leadership in Organizations

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The influence of power on leadership effectiveness (continued)

Position power is an important source of influence

Position power can enhance personal power

Control over information complements expert power

Reward power facilitates deeper exchange relationships

Reward power enhances referent power

Some coercive power is necessary to support legitimate and expert power

Coercive power is needed to restrain disruptive influences

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Influence Concepts

Influence tactics – four major approaches (not mutually exclusive!)

• Impression management

• Provide praise, self-promote, offer unconditional help

• Political

• Influence decision-making, manipulate agendas, silence critics, deceive

• Proactive

• Change procedures, support change, allocate new tasks, provide assistance

• Reactive

• Resist unwanted influence, modify the request, undermine leader

Influence Concepts (continued)

Proactive influence is often labelled as the most ethical and desirable of the four tactics

Research into the proactive approach has identified sub-types of this tactic.

The graphic on the next slide is Gary Yukl’s view on how this could / should work.

In his language, the “agent” is the person attempting to influence and the “target” is the person who is on the receiving end of the influence.

REFLECTION POINT

Is influence purely one-way (ie from the agent to the target)? Can you imagine a situation where the influence is bi-directional?

Influence Concepts (continued)Yukl’s definition of the 11 proactive influence subtypes

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Influence Concepts (continued)

The concept of an “escalation” or “sequencing” of tactics to achieve outcome

Typically, a manager will start with the tactic that is least intrusive or resource-costly

If resistance is anticipated a more intrusive tactic might be deployed

People using power to influence employee behaviour have a responsibility to act ethically.

REFLECTION POINT What influence tactic would you consider “intrusive” ?

How might organisational or situational factors affect influence tactics?

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Influence Concepts (continued)

Influence outcomes

Review questions

1. Which sources of power stem primarily from personal attributes and which sources of power stem from organisational position?

2. What types of power are related most strongly to leadership effectiveness?

3. Can multiple influence tactics be used at the one time?

4. What example of “unethical” misuse of power can you suggest?

5. Which influence tactics would you feel comfortable and confident to apply? Why?

6. Thinking critically, what are the downsides of leadership power and influence?

Images included in this presentation are licenced under creative commons. Learn more about the creative commons scheme here.

RMIT is proud to partner with Pearson Australia in the development of the customised resources for this course.

This presentation draws on material from chapter four of the course textbook Sustainable Leadership people, technology and design – an RMIT Custom Publication, Pearson® Australia and is subject to copyright.

Presentation developed by Ian Woodruff, School of Management,RMIT University

Graphics used in this presentation were created using Presenter Media Software licenced to Ian Woodruff, RMIT University.Presenter Media retains copyright for these graphics.

Acknowledgements

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