Chapter 6 Power and Influence

Question 1

The nature of power and influence:

Answer 1

 The fine texture of organizations, indeed all interactions.
 Influence is the process whereby A seeks to modify the behaviour of B.
 Power is what enables A to do it.

Question 2

Power in Organisations:

Answer 2

 Organizations can be looked at as a fine weave of influence patterns whereby individuals or groups seek to influence others to think or act in particular ways.
 Power is a word mostly shunned, as it implies levels and hierarchy.

Question 3

Power and Influence:

Answer 3

• The study of power and influence has proved to be a “bottomless swamp”.
  At least this is the view of Yale’s Robert A. Dahl, aka the Dean of Social Scientists and author of Democracy and its Critics (1989).

Question 4

Power and Influence:

Answer 4

 The one thing we all want more of – even if we do not like the responsibility that goes with it.
 No standard definition in OB. Suggested use of words: Influencing (verb) is the use of power (noun). In other words, power is the resource behind influence.

Question 5

Authority vs Influence:

Answer 5

 Authority is when power is used and has official backing.
 To say someone has influence is really saying he/she has the power to influence.
 To say someone has authority is recognizing and accepting his power source.

Question 6

Sources of individual power:

Answer 6

Sources of individual power:
1) Physical Power: Bully, big man, dictatorial boss, law enforcers…“Power of last resort”
2) Resource Power: Reward power – implies (a) control and (b) desirability of the reward. This is why unions seek to create labour monopolies!
3) Position Power: Legal or legitimate power, depending on role in organization.
Must ultimately be underwritten by physical a/o resource power.
Rests on control over information (horizontal, vertical), right to access ‘ex officio’, and the right to organize.
4) Expert Power: Vested in someone because of acknowledged expertise. Expert power is “comparative”. It is hard to repair if abuse is discovered.
5) Personal Power: Charisma, popularity and socio-metrically central. Note: Both expert and personal power can only be “given” by those over whom it is to be exercised.
6) Negative Power: The power to stop things happening, to block or distort, to screen out information. The clerical worker, but also the staff worker (gatekeeper) uses it.
 It is used legitimately and illegitimately.
 Mostly latent, and often triggered if other influencing attempts fail.

Question 7

The determinants of power:

Answer 7

 The Relativity of Power. Values determine the effectiveness of power.
 The Balance of Power. Power is rarely one-sided. Money is often considered to overrule expertise though.
 The Domain or Locus of Power. A question of authority.

Question 8

Methods of influencing:

Answer 8

Sources of Power: Physical Resource Position Expert Personal
Overt Influence: Force Exchange Rules & Procedures Persuasion
Unseen Influence: Ecology Magnetism

Question 9

Ecology* or Environmental Control:

Answer 9

All behaviour takes place in an environment.
 Seating Patterns, office layout, parking orders…
 Small groups / large groups.
 Interactions / Sentiments.
Ecology (aka the vocabulary of the organization) is powerful despite, or because it is often unrealised.
* Ecology = the study of the relationship between an environment and its organisms

Question 10

Magnetism or Pulling Power

Answer 10

 Invisible but felt pull of a stronger force. Often inexplicable and illogic attraction of another person.
 Not easily measured and therefore easier to find in novels that in OB textbooks.
 In the eye of the beholder.
 Favorite mechanism of demagogues, salesmen, guerilla leaders…

Question 11

Choosing the influencing method:

Answer 11

 Credibility: A power source is only as good as it is believed to be. If you have to demonstrate your resource power, you have already failed to use its latent ability to influence.
 Multiplex or Uniplex: A relationship which has only one strand is weaker than a multi-stranded one.

Question 12

Psychological Mechanisms for adjusting to influence:

Answer 12

 Compliance: The reliable and quick approach “because I say so”
 Identification: Pleasurable for the influencer, but makes the influenced dependant. In the long term often bad for organizations.
 Internalization: Self-maintaining commitment. Most desired but hardest to obtain. No pressure must be applied for true internalization.

Question 13

Psychotherapists (and management consultants)

Answer 13

• Lasting success relies on internalization – the client believing she cured herself – she internalized the therapy and it thereby became an integral part of her. Much the same applies to organizations “treated” by consultants.

Question 14

Dissonance Theory:

Answer 14

 Dissonance between influencing patterns: e.g. The fact that we can admire people and still disagree with them.
 As people grow older, and hopefully more mature, they can live with higher levels of dissonance.
 Dissonance may though lead to unexpected results. Handle with care in the workplace!

Question 15

Messages for the Leader/Manager:

Answer 15

 Beware of false agreements “I take it that we all agreed?” which at the best achieve compliance, but not internalization.
 The preferred method of influence is a “hygiene factor”. If out of sync, individuals will leave the firm, and good people not join it.

Question 16

Questions for the manager:

Answer 16

 Must we de-systemize work?
 Do we have to break up large units?
 Is the assembly line doomed?
 Do we have to re-engineer organizations, to take account of changing values regarding power and influence?