Political Implications of Power

..POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF POWER..

Made by:Ajay Verma

Arvind KumarKumar Praveen Saurabh

Manish Deepak TirkeyPayal BiswasRaisa Gupta

..Power and Politics..

• Power and politics are very closely related concepts.

• It is how one can pragmatically get ahead in an organization.

• Companies are always engaged in internal conflicts.It’s normal life.

• Those who lack political skills will gain a reputation of folding under pressure and having no convictions.

..Power and Dependancy..

Power

• A capacity that A has to influence the behavior of B so that B acts in accordance with A’s wishes.

Dependency

• B’s relationship to A when A possesses something that B requires

..Power and Dependancy..

..The Bright side of Power and Politics..

• Managers can use power to control people and other resources so that they cooperate and help to achieve an organization’s current goals.

• Managers can use power to engage in politics and influence the decision-making process to help promote new, more appropriate organizational goals

..The Dark Side of Power and Politics..

Power and politics often have negative connotations because people associate them with attempts to use organizational resources for personal advantage and to achieve personal goals at the expense of other goals.

..Pfeffer’s Political Strategies..

Make powe

r unobtrusi

veBuild Legitimacy

Build base of supportEffective politics

..Postulates Helping Focus on Political Realities..

• Coalitions competing for RESOURCES,ENERGY and INFLUENCE.

• Coalitions seek to protct their interests and positions of influence.

• Dehumanizing effects of unequal distribution of power.

• Exercise of power within organisations.

..The want to INFLUENCE..

..Power and Organisational Politics..

• Power: The ability of one person or group to cause another person or group to do something that they otherwise might not have done.

• Organizational Politics: Activities in which managers engage to increase their power and to pursue goals that favor their individual and group interests.

..Organisational Politics..

Organisational politics consists of intentional acts of influence undertaken by individuals or groups to enhance or protect their self-interest when conflicting courses of action are possible.

..Areas in an Organisation which are Political rather than Rational.. ..• Resources• Decisions• Goals• Technology and

External Environment• Change

..Goals..

..Taxonomy of Political Strategies..

Research 1-Supervisor-focused political strategy=higher levels

of career success.Job-focused political strategy=lower levels of

success.Research 2-Information strategyFinancial incentive strategyConstituency building strategy

..Political Strategies for Attaining Power in Organisations..

• Taking counsel • Maintaining maneuverability• Promoting limited

communication• Exhibiting confidence• Controlling access to

information and persons• Making activities central and

nonsubstitutable.

..Some More Political Strategies for Attaining Power in Organisations..

• Creating a sponsor-protege relationship

• Stimulating compétition among ambitious subordinates

• Neutralizing potential opposition• Making strategic replacements• Committing the uncommitted• Forming a winning coalition• Developing expertise

..Furthermore Political Strategies for Attaining Power in Organisations..

• Building personal stature• Employing trade-offs• Using research data to support one’s own

point of view• Restricting communication about real

intentions• Withdrawing from petty disputes

..Organisational Conflict..

The struggle that arises when the goal-directed behavior of one person or group blocks the goal-directed behavior of another person or group.

..Indian Cinema has showcased the Power-Politics relation really well..

..Optimum Level of Conflict..

..Organisational Conflict..

..A Perfect Real Life example..

THE AMBANI BROTHERS: Are family values eroding for want

of control over the INR 990 billion business empire?

Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani,chairman and vice chairman,Reliance Industries,were in the limelight for their disagreement regarding ownership and management issues.Mother settled the ownership issue amicably.

..Political Tactics Derived from Research..

• Pressure tactics• Upward appeals• Exchange tactics• Coalition tactics• Ingratiating tactics• Rational persuasion• Inspirational appeals • Consultation tactics

Power Tactics

Ways in which individuals translate power bases into specific actions.

..DuBrin’s List of Strategies for Modern Managers..

• Maintain alliances with powerful people• Embrace or demolish• Divide and rule• Manipulate classified information• Make a quick showing• Collect and use IOUs• Avoid decisive engagement(Fabianism)• Attacking and blaming others• Progress one step at a time(Camel’s head in the tent)• Wait for a crisis(Things must get worse before they get better)• Take counsel with caution• Be aware of resource dependence

..3 Political Activities out of the 10 most Unethical Activities..

• Making arrangements with vendors for the purpose of personal gain.

• Allowing differences in pay based on friendship.

• Hiring,training and promoting personal favourites rather than those who are most qualified.

..Common Problem in Organisations..

..Favouritism..

..Guidelines to Overcome the Negative Impact of Politics on Ethics.. ..• Keep lines of communication open• Role-model ethical and non-political

behaviours• Be wary of game players acting only in their

own self-interests• Protect individual privacy interests• Always use the value of judgement ’Is this

fair?’

..THANK YOU..