Langton OB 5ce ch08

Chapter 8:
Power and Politics
Organizational
Behaviour
5th Canadian Edition
Langton / Robbins / Judge

Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education Canada
8-1
Chapter Outline
• A Definition of Power
• Bases of Power
• Dependency: The Key to Power
• Influence Tactics
• Empowerment: Giving Power to Employees
• The Abuse of Power: Harassment in the
Workplace
• Politics: Power in Action
Langton, Robbins and Judge, Organizational Behaviour, Fifth Cdn. Ed. 8-2
Power and Politics
1. What is power?
2. How does one get power?
3. How does dependency affect power?
4. What tactics can be used to increase
power?
5. What does it mean to be empowered?
6. How are power and harassment related?
7. Why do people engage in politics?
Power and Politics
• Power
– A capacity that A has to influence the behaviour of B
so that B acts in accordance with A’s wishes.
• Dependency
– B’s relationship to A when A possesses something that
B needs.
Exhibit 8-1
Measuring Bases of Power
1. Coercive Power
– Power that is based on fear.
2. Reward Power
– Power based on the ability to provide benefits or
rewards to people.
3. Legitimate Power
– Power based on relative position in the
organizational hierarchy.
Exhibit 8-1
Measuring Bases of Power
4. Expert Power
– Power based on a person’s experience and knowledge.
5. Referent Power
– You like the person and enjoy doing things for him or
her.
6. Information Power
– The person has data or knowledge that you need.
Evaluating the Bases of Power
People will respond in one of three ways:
1. Commitment – The person is enthusiastic about the

request and carries the task out.
2. Compliance – The person goes along with the
request grudgingly, putting in minimal effort.
3. Resistance – The person is opposed to the request
and tries to avoid it.
Exhibit 8-3 Continuum of Responses
to Power
Leaders’ Use of Power
• The least effective power bases are the ones most likely to
be used by managers.
– Coercive, legitimate, and reward
– Easiest to implement
• Effective leaders use referent and/or expert power.
• Deadline pressures increase group member reliance on

individuals with expert and information power.
Dependency: Key to Power
• Importance
– The things you control must be important.
• Scarcity
– A resource must be perceived as scarce.
• Non-substitutability
– The resource cannot be substituted with something else.
Increasing Dependency
• How to increase the dependency of others on you:
– Control things viewed as important.
– The resources must be viewed as scarce.
– The resource must have few or no substitutes (non-

substitutability).
Influence Tactics
• Rational persuasion
• Inspirational appeals
• Consultation
• Ingratiation
• Personal appeals
• Exchange
• Coalition tactics
• Pressure
• Legitimating tactics
Political Skill
• The ability to influence others in such a way as to

enhance their own objectives.
• Research indicates that:

– Politically skilled individuals use influence tactics more
effectively.
– Political skills appear to be more effective when stakes
are high.
– Politically skilled people are able to exert influence
without others detecting it.
Empowerment: Giving Power to
Employees
• The freedom and the ability of employees to make
decisions and commitments.
• Managers disagree over definition of empowerment.

– Empowerment as delegating decision making within a set of
clear boundaries
versus
– Empowerment as “a process of risk taking and personal
growth”
Degrees of Empowerment
• Job content
– Tasks and procedures necessary for carrying out a
particular job.
• Job context
– Reason for the job and the setting in which it is done.
• Includes organization’s structure, culture, and reward systems.
Stages of Empowerment
• No Discretion (Point A) • Participatory
– The employee is assigned Empowerment (Point B)
the task, given no – Autonomous work groups
discretion, and most likely that are given some
monitored by a supervisor. decision-making authority
over both job content and
• Typical assembly-line job job context.
—highly routine and
repetitive. • Some evidence of higher
job satisfaction and
• Can lead to lowered productivity in such
satisfaction and groups.
productivity.
Stages of Empowerment
• Self-Management (Point C)
– Employees have total decision-making power for both

job content and job context.
• Generally reserved for those in top management, although it is

also sometimes granted to high-level salespeople.
• Very rewarding to those who hold it.
Conditions for True Empowerment
1. There must be a clear definition of the values and mission

of the company.
2. Company must help employees acquire the relevant skills.
3. Employees need to be supported in their decision making,

and not criticized when they try to do something
extraordinary.
4. Employees need to be recognized for their efforts.
Exhibit 8-4
Employee Empowerment Grid
Exhibit 8-5 Characteristics of
Empowered People
• Sense of self-determination
– Employees are free to choose how to do their work; they are not
micromanaged.
• Sense of meaning
– Employees feel that their work is important to them; they care
about what they are doing.
• Sense of competence
– Employees are confident about their ability to do their work well;
they know they can perform.
• Sense of impact
– Employees believe they can have influence on their work unit;
others listen to their ideas.
Source: R. E. Quinn and G. M. Spreitzer, “The Road to Empowerment: Seven Questions Every Leader Should Consider,” Organizational Dynamics, Autumn 1997, p. 41.
The Abuse of Power:
Workplace Bullying
• Bullying can happen across levels of the
organization, or among co-workers.
• Recent research found that:

– 40 percent of the respondents noted that they had experienced one
or more forms of bullying weekly in the past six months.
– 10 percent experienced bullying at a much greater level: five or
more incidents a week.
The Abuse of Power:
Sexual Harassment
• The Supreme Court of Canada definition
– Unwelcome behaviour of a sexual nature in the workplace that
negatively affects the work environment or leads to adverse job-
related consequences for the employee.
• There is disagreement as to what specifically constitutes

sexual harassment.
– Unwanted physical touching.
– Recurring requests for dates when the person is clearly
uninterested.
– Coercive threats that a person will lose her or his job if she or he
refuses a sexual proposition
Additional Examples of Sexual
Harassment
• More subtle forms (harder to interpret):
– Unwanted looks or comments
– Off-colour jokes
– Sexual artifacts such as nude calendars in the
workplace
– Sexual innuendo
– Misinterpretations of where the line between “being
friendly” ends and “harassment” begins
Sexual Harassment: How Managers Can
Protect Themselves and their Employees.
• Make sure a policy is in place.
• Ensure employees that they will not face retaliation if a

complaint is filed.
• Investigate every complaint.
• Make sure that offenders are disciplined or terminated.
• Set up in house seminars to raise employee awareness.
Politics: Power in Action
• Political behaviour is those activities that

influence, or attempt to influence, the distribution
of advantages and disadvantages within the
organization.
– Legitimate: Normal, everyday behaviour.
– Illegitimate: Extreme political behaviours that violate

the implied rules of the game.
Why Do Politics in an Organization
Exist?
• Organizations are made up of groups and
individuals who have differing values, goals and
interests.
• Resources in organizations are limited.
• Performance outcomes are not completely clear

and objective.
Exhibit 8-6 How Political Is Your
Workplace?
Types of Political Activity
• Attacking or blaming others

• Using information
• Managing impressions
• Building support for ideas
• Praising others
• Building coalitions
• Associating with influential people
• Creating obligations
Impression Management
• The process by which individuals attempt to

control the impression others form of them.
• Researchers have compared applicants who use

two distinct approaches in job interviews
– Self promotion: promoting one’s accomplishments
– Ingratiation: complimenting the interviewer and
finding areas of agreement
Making Office Politics Work
• Nobody wins unless everybody wins.
• Don’t just ask for opinions—change them.
• Everyone expects to be paid back.
• Success can create opposition.
Summary and Implications
1. What is power?
– The capacity that A has to influence the behaviour of B, so that
B acts in accordance with A’s wishes.
2. How does one get power?
– There are six bases for power: coercive, reward, legitimate,
expert, referent, and information.
3. How does dependency affect power?
– To maximize your power, you will want to increase others’
dependence on you.
4. What tactics can be used to increase power?
– One study identified nine strategies: rational persuasion,
inspirational appeals, consultation, ingratiation, personal
appeals, exchange, coalition tactics, pressure, and legitimating
tactics.
Summary and Implications
5. What does it mean to be empowered?

– Empowerment refers to the freedom and the ability of employees
to make decisions and commitments.
6. How are power and harassment related?
– People who engage in harassment in the workplace are typically
abusing their power position.
7. Why do people engage in politics?
– People use politics to influence others to help them achieve their
personal objectives
OB at Work
For Review
1. What is power? How do you get it?

2. Contrast the bases of power with influence tactics.
3. What are some of the key contingency variables
that determine which tactic a power holder is
likely to use?
4. Which of the six power bases lie with the
individual? Which are derived from the
organization?
5. State the general dependency postulate. What does
it mean?
For Review
6. What creates dependency? Give an applied

example.
7. Identify the range of empowerment that might be
available to employees.
8. How are power and politics related?
9. Define political behaviour. Why is politics a fact of
life in organizations?
10.Define sexual harassment. Who is most likely to
harass an employee: a boss, a co-worker, or a
subordinate? Explain.
For Critical Thinking
1. Based on the information presented in this chapter, what would
you do as a recent graduate entering a new job to maximize your
power and accelerate your career progress?
2. “Politics isn’t inherently bad. It’s merely a way to get things
accomplished within organizations.” Do you agree or disagree?
Defend your position.
3. You are a sales representative for an international software
company. After four excellent years, sales in your territory are off
30 percent this year. Describe three impression management
techniques you might use to convince your manager that your sales
record is better than should be expected under the circumstances.
4. “Sexual harassment should not be tolerated at the workplace.”
“Workplace romances are a natural occurrence in organizations.”
Are both of these statements true? Can they be reconciled?
5. Which impression management techniques have you used? What
ethical implications, if any, are there in using impression
management?
Breakout Group Exercises
• Form small groups to discuss the following topics

1. Describe an incident where you tried to use political
behaviour in order to get something you wanted. What tactics
did you use?
2. In thinking about the incident described above, were your

tactics effective? Why?
3. Describe an incident where you saw someone engaging in

politics. What was your reaction to observing the political
behaviour? Under what circumstances do you think political
behaviour is appropriate?
Working With Others Exercise
Understanding Bases of Power
Instructions for Role Play
• Working in your group, read the instructions for

the assignment.
• You have 10 minutes to develop a 3-minute role

play, using the source of power assigned to your
group.
• You MUST stick to the time limit.

Role Play Scenario
• You are the leader of a group that is trying to develop

a website for a new client. One of your group
members, who was assigned the task of researching
and analyzing the websites of your client’s
competition, has failed twice to bring the analysis to
scheduled meetings, even though the member knew
the assignment was due. Consequently, your group is
falling behind in getting the website developed. As
leader of the group, you have decided to speak with
this team member, and use your specific brand of
power to influence the individual’s behaviour.
Sources of Power
• COERCIVE
– Depends on fear. It is the ability to punish or withhold privileges.
• REWARD
– Based on one's control over things that others desire such as vacations,
raises, promotions, and office locations.
• LEGITIMATE
– Person holding power has right to it because of position or role. Thus the
person has a formal right to direct others in certain matters and the
subordinates have a duty to obey those directions.
• EXPERT
– The perception by others that one has superior judgment or knowledge on
some topics, often specialized in nature. Unlike information power, this
power base does not involve sharing of the facts or reasoning behind a
decision.
• REFERENT
– Develops out of subordinates' admiration for leader and his/her desire to
model behaviour and attitudes after that person. The person builds
feelings of support, liking, admiration, and respect with subordinates.
Mean Responses to Type of
Influence
Q#1 Q#2 Q#3 Q#4
Comply Temp. vs. Resistant vs. Worse vs.
Long Acceptant Better
Coercive 4 3.1 2.1 1.6

Reward 3.9 3.6 4.2 4.2
Legitimate 3.3 2.1 2.4 1.2
Expert 3.7 3.3 3.4 3.6
Referent 2.9 2.2 3.4 4.6
Discussion Questions
1. Which kind of influence is most likely to

immediately result in the desired behaviour?
2. Which will have the most long-lasting effects?
3. What effect will using a particular base of power
have on the ongoing relationship?
4. Which form of power will others find most
acceptable? least acceptable? Why?
5. Are there some situations where a particular type
of influence strategy might be more effective than
others?
Purpose of Exercise
• Observe different types of power, and see how

they affect you.
• Develop an understanding for which types of
power are more likely to achieve positive (or
negative) effects.
– Which gets the desired behaviour?
– Which has most long lasting effect?
– How does it affect relationship?
– Which is most acceptable?
Concepts to Skills: Politicking
1. Frame arguments in terms of organizational

goals.
2. Develop the right image.
3. Gain control of organizational resources.
4. Make yourself appear indispensable.
5. Be visible.
6. Develop powerful allies.
7. Avoid “tainted” members.
8. Support your manager.

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Chapter 8:

Power and Politics

Langton / Robbins / Judge

People will respond in one of three ways:

1. Commitment – The person is enthusiastic about the

• Effective leaders use referent and/or expert power.

• Deadline pressures increase group member reliance on

• How to increase the dependency of others on you:

– Control things viewed as important.

– The resources must be viewed as scarce.

– The resource must have few or no substitutes (non-

• The ability to influence others in such a way as to

• Research indicates that:

• Managers disagree over definition of empowerment.

– Employees have total decision-making power for both

• Generally reserved for those in top management, although it is

1. There must be a clear definition of the values and mission

2. Company must help employees acquire the relevant skills.

3. Employees need to be supported in their decision making,

4. Employees need to be recognized for their efforts.

• Recent research found that:

• There is disagreement as to what specifically constitutes

• Make sure a policy is in place.

• Ensure employees that they will not face retaliation if a

• Investigate every complaint.

• Make sure that offenders are disciplined or terminated.

• Set up in house seminars to raise employee awareness.

• Political behaviour is those activities that

– Legitimate: Normal, everyday behaviour.

– Illegitimate: Extreme political behaviours that violate

• Resources in organizations are limited.

• Performance outcomes are not completely clear

• Attacking or blaming others

• The process by which individuals attempt to

• Researchers have compared applicants who use

• Nobody wins unless everybody wins.

• Don’t just ask for opinions—change them.

• Everyone expects to be paid back.

• Success can create opposition.

5. What does it mean to be empowered?

1. What is power? How do you get it?

6. What creates dependency? Give an applied

• Form small groups to discuss the following topics

2. In thinking about the incident described above, were your

3. Describe an incident where you saw someone engaging in

• Working in your group, read the instructions for

• You have 10 minutes to develop a 3-minute role

• You MUST stick to the time limit.

• You are the leader of a group that is trying to develop

Coercive 4 3.1 2.1 1.6

Legitimate 3.3 2.1 2.4 1.2

Expert 3.7 3.3 3.4 3.6

Referent 2.9 2.2 3.4 4.6

1. Which kind of influence is most likely to

• Observe different types of power, and see how

1. Frame arguments in terms of organizational

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