ob - empowerment & engagement

Krietner/Kinicki, 2009

Chapter 15 – Influence, Empowerment and Politics

BUSA 220

Spring 2012 - Wallace


Organizationalcontributors• Individuals

• Groups

Self Interest vs. Mutual Interest

Influence tactics

Self-Interest

Political

tactics

Mutuality ofInterest(organizationaleffectiveness)

Empowerment

Motivation

Team building

Communication

Leadership

Climate of Destructive Competition and

Suspicion

Climate of Openness, Cooperation, and Trust


Soft Influence Tactics• Rational persuasion: Using logical arguments and

facts to persuade another that a desired result will occur.

• Inspirational Appeal: Arousing enthusiasm by appealing to one’s values and beliefs

• Consultation: Asking for participation in decision making or planning a change

• Ingratiation: Getting someone to do what you want by putting that person in a good mood or getting him or her to like you.

• Personal appeal: Appealing to feelings of loyalty and friendship before making a request


Hard Influence Tactics• Exchange: Promising some benefits in

exchange for complying with a request.• Coalition Building: Persuading by

seeking the assistance of others or by noting the support of others.

• Legitimating: Pointing out one’s authority to make a request or verifying that it is consistent with prevailing organizational policies and practices.

• Pressure: Seeking compliance by using demands, threats, or intimidation.


Influence Outcomes

• Commitment - a strong positive response

• Compliance – completion of request

• Resistance - a strong negative response


What Do You Think?

Style

1. Consultation

2. Rational Persuasion

3. Inspirational appeals

4. Ingratiation

5. Pressure

6. Coalition

Response

A. Commitment

B. Compliance

C. Resistance


Principles of InfluenceLiking: The more we like the other person, the more likely we’ll comply with their requests

Reciprocity: The belief that both good and bad deeds should be repaid in kind.

Social Proof: Role models and peer pressure are powerful forces

Source: R. B. Cialdini, "Harnessing the Science of Persuasion," Harvard Business Review, October 2001, pp. 72-79.


Principles of Influence• Consistency: Once individuals

have stated a commitment they tend to act in accordance with that commitment.

• Authority: People tend to defer to and respect credible experts.

• Scarcity: Requests that emphasize scarcity or the fact that some object, opportunity, or outcome will soon no longer be available, are difficult to resist.

Source: R. B. Cialdini, "Harnessing the Science of Persuasion," Harvard Business Review, October 2001, pp. 72-79.


Power Concepts

• Social Power: The ability to get things done with human, informational, and material resources

– Power is not power OVER others

– Power is the ability to GET THINGS DONE

– Influence


What Do You Think?

• Which source of power would be most applicable when influencing the following targets?1. Your manager

2. Your peers/co-worker

3. Your subordinate

a. Reward

b. Coercive

c. Legitimate

d. Expert

e. Referent

?


Power Concepts

McClelland - Achievement, Affiliation

and Power.

Personalized Power – used for personal gain

Socialized Power– used to create motivation– used to accomplish

group goals


What Do You Think?

Jarrett has a strong need for power. He enjoys the challenge of making difficult decisions that have a major impact on the organization. At times he makes decisions that have negative consequences for himself and his team but are good for the larger organization. Jarrett….

a. Plays politics to get what he wants

b. Has personalized power

c. Demonstrates socialized power and mutuality of interest

d. Is driven to protect his self-interests


French & Raven: Power Sources

• Position– Reward: If you do it I’ll

give you something– Coercive: If you don’t do

it something bad will happen

– Legitimate: Do it because the boss asks you to• Can be positive or

negative


French & Raven: Power Sources

• Personal– Expert: Do it because

I know a lot about this subject

– Referent: Do it because you like me


What Do You Think

• Which strategy would be most effective in each situation?1. Upward influence

2. Peers

3. Downward• What is the best

combination of strategies?

a. Reward

b. Coercive

c. Legitimate

d. Expert

e. Referent


Empowerment

• Empowerment sharing varying degrees of power with lower-level employees to tap their full potential


Power Evolution

None

High

Deg

ree

of E

mp

ower

men

t

Domination Consultation Participation Delegation

Influence Sharing

Manager/leader consults

followers when making

decisions

Power Sharing Manager/lea

der and followers

jointly make decisions

Power Distribution Followers are granted authority to

make decisions

Authoritarian Power

Manager/leader impose

decisions


Personal Initiative

Taking Action

Asking for approval to act

Asking someone else to act

Telling someone about a problem

Noncompliance

Apathy

Levels of Action

Decreasing timeto action to

solve a problem


Randolph’s Empowerment Model

The Empowerment Plan

Share InformationCreate Autonomy

Through StructureLet Teams Become

the Hierarchy

Remember: Empowerment is not magic; It consists of a few simple steps and a lot of

persistence


Organizational Politics

• Organizational Politics intentional enhancement of self-interest

• …but the self-interest should be aligned with the organization’s interests

“Politics isn’t about winning at all costs. It’s about maintaining relationships and getting results at the same time.”

--John Eldred, MGMT Professor & Consultant, Kingston U. UK.


Uncertainty Causes Politics

1. Unclear objectives2. Vague performance

measures3. Ill-defined decision

processes4. Strong individual or

group competition5. Any type of change


What Do You Think?

Given what we know about causes of political behavior, who would be most likely to engage in self-interested politics?

a. A new, relatively young employee starting out her career or

b. An older, more established employee.

andc. Employee’s whose pay and promotion are based on

their manager’s rankings of them

d. Employee’s whose pay and promotion are based on an established, known set of standards

1.

2.


Political Action Levels

Network Level

Coalition Level

Individual Level

Distinguishing Characteristics

Cooperative pursuit of general self-interests

Cooperative pursuit of group interests in specific issues

Individual pursuit of general self-interests


Political TacticsFor each tactic, estimate the effectiveness of using this tactic to promote organizational objectives

1. Highly unlikely to be effective

2. May or may not be effective

3. Highly likely to be effective

1. Attacking or blaming others2. Using information as a

political tool3. Creating a favorable image

(impression management)4. Developing a base of

support5. Praising others (ingratiation)6. Forming political coalitions

with strong allies7. Associating with influential

people8. Creating obligations

(reciprocity)


Political Tendencies

Bully; misuse information,

cultivate and use “friends” and other contacts

Manipulate; use fraud and deceit when necessary

Self-serving and predatory

Politics is an opportunity

Sharks

Negotiate, bargain

Network; expand connections; use

system to give and receive

favors

Further departmental

goals

Politics is necessary

Sensible

None—the truth will win

out

Tell it like it is

Avoid it at all costs

Politics is unpleasant

Naïve

Favorite tactics

Techniques

Intent

Underlying attitude

Characteristics


Reasonable Boundaries• Screen out overly political individuals at hiring time• Create and open-book management system• Make sure every employee knows how the business

works and has a personal line of sight to key results• Have nonfinancial people interpret periodic financial

and accounting statements for all employees• Establish formal conflict resolution and grievance

processes• As an ethics filter, do only what you would feel

comfortable doing on national television• Publicly recognize and reward people who get real

results without political games


Which Would You Prefer?

ob - empowerment & engagement

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