Exam 2 Prep Flashcards
(27 cards)
Problems with Organizations as coalitions
Sometimes goals conflict within an organization
Sources of power
Position Power Control of rewards Coercieve power information and expertise reputation personal power alliances and networks access and control of agenda Framing control of meaning and symbols
Conflicts in Organizations
Conflict is natural Political frame can focus on strategy for dealing with conflict Forms of organizational conflict -Hierarchical -Horizontal -Cultural
Moral Mazes: The Politics of Getting Ahead
Getting ahead is a political process
Organizations can’t eliminate politics, but they can influence the kind of politics they have.
Conclusion of Political Frame
The Political Frame sees a very different world from the traditional view of organizations.
Traditional: organizations are hierarchies, ran by legit authorities who set goals
Political view: organizations are coalitions whose goals are determined by bargaining among other contenders.
Assumptions of political frame
- Organizations are coalitions
- Allocation of scarce resources
- Scares resources create conflicts
- POWER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASSET
- Goals and decisions arise from negotiation
Skills of the manager as a politician
Agenda setting
-vision or objective
Mapping the political terrain
-determine channels of informal communication
Networking and building coalitions
-identify/create relationships
Bargaining and Negotiation
-value creating: looking for joint gain, win-win solutions
-value claiming: try to maximize your own gains
Value Creating (fisher)
Separate people from problem
Focus on interest, not positions
Invent options for mutual gain
Value Claiming (Schelling)
Bargaining is a mixed-motive game Process of interdependence decisions Emphasize threats, not sanctions Threats are only effective if credible Calculate the right level of threat
Morality and Politics
Mutuality - are all parties operated under the same understanding of rules
Generality- does a specific action follow a principle of moral conduct
Openness - are we willing to make decisions public?
Caring - Does the action show we care for the interest of others?
Managers + Politicians
Fashion & Agenda
Map political terrain
Networking and building coalitions
Negotiating
Organizations as Political Agents
Organizations exist in ecosystems -Depend on environment for resources -Need the skills of a politician Ecosystem -Competitors and allies co-evolve
Ecosystems
Business Ecosystems -Windows + Intel = Wintel Public Ecosystems -Schools Business-Government Ecosystems -Pharmaceutical companies
Pfeffer and Salancik (external control of organization)
Organizations are controlled more than they control their external environment
Organizations are “other-directed”
Dilemma: alliances are essential to gain influence, but reduce autonomy
Core assumptions (Symbolic Frame)
People create symbols to resolve confusions, find direction, anchor hope and belief.
Organization Symbols
Vision: image of future
Heroes and Heroines: Icons and living logos who model core values
Stories and Fairy Tails: Good stories convey information
Ritual: Repetitive, routinized activities that give structure and meaning to daily life.
Ceremony: Grand, Infrequent symbolic occasions
Organization Symbols (II) (metaphor, humor, play)
Metaphor: image to compress ambiguity and complexity into an understandable message.
Humor: way to illuminate and break frames
Play: permits relaxing rules to explore alternatives
Organizations as Culture
Culture: “how things are done around here”
Culture is both product and process
Managers who understand culture better equipped to understand and influence organizations.
Culture/Symbols Conclusion
Symbols help make sense of confusing realities
Culture as basic organizational glue: “the way we do things around here”
Symbols embody and express organizational values, ideology
Sources of Success
Play
Spirit
Culture
How a culture becomes successful
How someone becomes a part of the group is important Diversity provides competitive advantage Examples, not command, hold a team together Language fosters commitment Stories carry history Humor can reduce tension Ritual and ceremony lift spirits Soul is the secret to success
Organizational Theater
A convincing dramaturgical performance builds confidence
Drama may have happy endings
Dramaturgical Theory
Internal Focus (organizational participants are players in a drama)
Institutional Theory
External Focus on how organizations project image to external audience
