CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT. CHAPTER 4: POWER AND POLITICS.

Learning Outcomes. Upon successful completion of this chapter, you will be able to: Define power. Contrast power, leadership, and authority. Recognize symbols of managerial power. Explain the relationship between power and dependency. Review the bases of power. Compare the different use of power bases and the likelihood that they will result in resistance, compliance, or commitment. Summarize common power tactics used in the workplace. Define politics. Identify individual and organizational antecedents of political behaviour, Recognize common influence tactics and their outcomes. Describe potential directions of influence. Explore suggestions for how-to use power and politics ethically in the workplace. Define bullying, harassment, and violence. Recognize that bullying and harassment disproportionally impact some groups more than others. Review types of bullying. Compare response to bullying and harassment. Identify the role or organizations in reducing and addressing bullying and harassment.

Power I. Power can be defined as an interpersonal relationship in which one individual (or group) has the ability to cause another individual (or group) to take an action that would not be taken otherwise..

Power II. The concept of power is closely related to the concepts of authority and leadership.

Power II. The concept of power is closely related to the concepts of authority and leadership.

Power III. Symbols of Managerial Power: How do we know when a manager has power in an organizational setting? Harvard professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter (2004) has identified several of the more common symbols of managerial power. Managers have power to the extent that they can intervene/mediate favorably on behalf of someone in trouble with the organization. Managers have power e.g. when they can get a desirable placement for a talented subordinate or get approval for expenditures beyond their budget. When Manager have the ability to secure above-average salary increases for subordinates and The ability to get items on the agenda at policy meetings. Manager is powerful when he /she can gain quick access to top decision makers or can get early information about decisions and policy shifts. A Manager who can get through to the boss, and who cannot? Who is “connected,” and who is not? Finally, power is evident when top decision makers seek out the opinions of a particular manager on important questions. Who gets invited to important meetings, and who does not? Through such actions, the organization sends clear signals concerning who has power and who does not..

Power IV. Relationship Between Dependency & Power Dependency is directly related to power. The more that a person or unit is dependent on you, the more power you have. The strategic contingencies model provides a good description of how dependency works. Dependency is power that a person or unit gains from their ability to handle actual or potential problems facing the organization (Saunders, 1990). You know how dependent you are on someone when you answer three key questions surrounding scarcity, importance, and substitutability..

Power IV. Relationship Between Dependency & Power Scarcity: Scarcity (actual or perceived) is often involved in conflict. In the context of dependency, scarcity refers to the uniqueness of a resource. The more difficult something is to obtain, the more valuable it tends to be. Importance: It refers to the value of the resource. The key question here is “How important is this?” If the resources or skills you control are vital to the organization, you will gain some power. Substitutability: It refers to one’s ability to find another option that works as well as the one offered. The question around whether something is substitutable is “How difficult would it be for me to find another way to this?” The harder it is to find a substitute, the more dependent the person becomes and the more power someone else has over them..

Power V. Bases of Power What are the sources of one’s power over others? Researchers identified six sources of power, which include: Legitimate, Reward, Coercive, Expert, Information, and Referent. (French & Raven, 1960)..

Power V. Bases of Power What are the sources of one’s power over others? Researchers identified six sources of power, which include: Legitimate power is power that comes from one’s organizational role or position. It is synonymous with authority. Reward power is the ability to grant a reward, such as an increase in pay, a perk, or an attractive job assignment. Reward power tends to accompany legitimate power and is highest when the reward is scarce. Coercive power is the ability to take something away or punish someone for noncompliance. Coercive power often works through fear, and it forces people to do something that ordinarily they would not choose to do..

Power V. Bases of Power What are the sources of one’s power over others? Researchers identified six sources of power, which include: Expert power comes from knowledge and skill. In an organization include long-time employees, such as a steelworker who knows the temperature combinations and length of time to get the best yields have expert power. Information power is similar to expert power but differs in its source. Experts tend to have a vast amount of knowledge or skill, whereas information power is distinguished by access to specific information. Referent power stems from the personal characteristics of the person such as the degree to which we like, respect, and want to be like them. Referent power is often called charisma the ability to attract others, win their admiration, and hold them spellbound..

For our purposes here, we will adopt Pfeffer’s (2011) definition of politics as involving “those activities taken within organizations to acquire, develop, and use power and other resources to obtain one’s preferred outcomes in a situation in which there is uncertainty or dissensus about choices” (p. 8)..

Politics and Influence II. Reasons for Political Behaviour.

Politics and Influence III. Commonly Used Influence Tactics Researchers have identified distinct influence tactics and discovered that there are few differences between the way managers, subordinates, and peers use them. Rational Persuasion Inspirational Appeals Consultation Ingratiation Personal Appeals Exchange Coalition Tactics Pressure Legitimating.

Politics and Influence IV. Direction of Influence The type of influence tactic used tends to vary based on the target. For example, you would probably use different influence tactics with your boss, with employees working under you, or with a peer..

Politics and Influence V. Upward Influence Upward influence, as its name implies, is the ability to influence your manager and others in positions higher than yours. Upward influence may include appealing to a higher authority or citing the firm’s goals as an overarching reason for others to follow your cause..

Politics and Influence VI. Downward Influence Downward influence is the ability to influence employees lower than you in the institutional hierarchy. This is best achieved through an inspiring vision. By articulating a clear vision, you help people see the end goal and move toward it..

Ethical Use of Power and Politics I. The Ethical Use of Power People are often uncomfortable discussing the topic of power, which implies that somehow they see the exercise of power as unseemly. On the contrary, the question is not whether power tactics are or are not ethical; rather, the question is which tactics are appropriate and which are not..

Ethical Use of Power and Politics II. Several guidelines for the ethical use of power can be identified. Referent power Expert power Legitimate power Reward power Coercive power.

Ethical Use of Power and Politics III. The Ethical Use of Politics Similar to power, there is not inherent good or bad in politics. Politics in organizations cannot be eliminated. Yet to some extent, the negative aspects of it can be neutralized if managers carefully monitor the work environment and take remedial action where necessary..

Ethical Use of Power and Politics IV. Several strategies can be identified that can help manage organizational politics. Four basic strategies that can be used are: Reduce System Uncertainty Reduce Competition Break Existing Political Empires/Coalitions Prevent Future Political Empires/Coalitions.

Bullying, Violence, and Harassment I. Harassment, bullying, and violence are examples of psychosocial hazards that negatively affect worker health and safety. These behaviours are unacceptable and illegal, but nonetheless, still occur. These abuses are often grounded in misuse of power and are often visible during dysfunctional and escalating conflicts..

Bullying, Violence, and Harassment II. Workplace harassment is behaviour aimed at an individual (or group) that is belittling or threatening in nature..