Organizational Political SavvyLearn Management Articles on management-info.biz. Organizational Political Savvy article will help answer your questions on Management Articles.We at management-info.biz specialize in Management Articles. Management Articles at management-info.biz provides the most up to date news and articles. If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
In organizations, individuals and groups are continually vying for scarce resources. Each one is attempting to maintain or enhance its self interests. Many leaders and consultants underestimate these powerful forces. Any attempt to implement organizational change will invariably threaten one of these individuals or groups. Organizational change is frequently accompanied by conflicting interests, unethical behavior, and emotional turmoil. Change leaders must learn to navigate these dangerous waters. Power and Change The word 'power' has positive and negative connotations. In this chapter, we will concentrate on the positive, ethical uses of power. Burke (1982) believes 'for change to occur in an organization, power must be exercised' (p.127). Let's take a brief look at Richard Emerson's Power-Dependency Theory. Emerson's (1962) theory depicts a social relationship between two parties in which scarce resources (commodities and rewards) are controlled by one party and desired by another. Thus, power is inherent in any social relationship in which one person depends on another. 'Commodities' in power-dependency theory can include social commodities, such as respect, praise, influence, and information. French and Bell (1999) state, 'We enter into and continue in exchange relationships when what we receive from others is equivalent to or in excess of what we must give to others' (p.284). Bases of Power Managers and consultants should be able to recognize the bases of power individuals, groups, and coalitions exert in organizations. French and Raven (1959) suggest five bases of power: 1. reward power - based on the ability to reward another 2. coercive power - based on the ability to punish another 3. legitimate power - based on the holder's position 4. referent power - based on charisma (i.e. popularity) 5. expert power - based on knowledge or expertise Mintzberg (1983) also speaks of five bases of power: 1. control of a critical resource 2. control of a critical technical skill 3. control of a critical body of knowledge 4. legal prerogatives (e.g., exclusive rights) 5. access to any of the other four bases Additionally, Mintzberg believed the influencer must have both the 'will and skill' to use his or her base(s) of power. Salancik and Pfeffer (1977) also contribute some valuable insights into our understanding of power in organizational settings. They view power as a positive and necessary force for change and progress in organizations. They believe power bases can be created by the placement of allies in key positions. Using Political/Power Skills For change efforts to succeed, managers/change agents must develop and use power skills. The first skill required is the ability to analyze the current political situation. Failure in this assessment phase invariably leads to frustrated change efforts. French and Bell (1999) believe, 'one gains a quick understanding of the overall political climate of an organization by studying its methods of resource allocation, conflict resolution, and choosing among alternative means and goals' (p.286).
Greiner and Schein (1988) believe change agents must be able to assess their own power and to identify key stakeholders. Only after assessing their own power base(s) can they determine how to use it/them to influence others. This assessment will also reveal areas where enhancement of power is necessary. Some of these weak areas can be strengthened by developing allies in the organization.
|
More Articles:1. Transparency: A Key To Your Effectiveness By Roger Schwarz Last month I talked about the Skilled Facilitator principle of being curious. This month I want to talk about the complementary principle transparency. Transparency has recently become a popular topic in business as organizations seek to build (or rebuild) trust with customers, shareholders, and employees. This morning as I opened the op-ed page of my Sunday New York Times, the title read, "The New Public [NY Times] Editor: Toward Greater Transparency." Whether you are a leader, consultant, fa… 2. Employers - Protect Yourself from Custody Battles that Hold Your Company Hostage By Charlotte Hardwick Child custody? How'd that get to be an employer's concern?When an employee faces child custody litigation, it will effect their ability to do their job. And it often causes legal consequences for their employers as well. Unless you know where to draw the lines regarding your legal obligations and exposure, you could find your employee's custody difficulties costing the company in a variety of ways.Custody problems have a major impact in the workplace, where they effect other employees, as well… 3. Management Consultants, Creativity, Innovation By Kal Bishop Most firms have intelligent, capable, knowledgeable managers who are very good at day-to-day problem solving. So why do they need management consultants? There are occasions when consultants bring in specialist competencies, but if that is not the case then their value only really lies in their outside perspective - their ability to frame break from the “company way” and their ability to come up with and implement good ideas that would not otherwise have been thought of.From this it follows th… 4. Whadda Jerk! By George Ebert If one does not understand a person, one tends to regard him as a fool. Carl Jung Sadly, public discourse today seems to have degenerated into warring parties spitting epithets at one another. With little inclination to see the other’s point of view, the parties are reduced to name calling, labeling and the simplification of complex issues. The only commonality is the shared belief that the other guy is a jerk. Thanks to Jung’s pioneering work on personality type, we know that there ar… |
||||
