L3: Power and Influence

Question 1

what are sources of power?

Answer 1

where does a leader’s influence come from?

Question 2

what are influence tactics?

Answer 2

behaviour that is used intentionally to influence the attitudes & behaviour of another person

Question 3

define power

Answer 3

assymetric control over valued resources in social relations
aka the capacity of one party (the agent) to influence another party (the target)

Question 4

where does power come from?

Answer 4

• position power (like wearing a uniform, ppl respect ur authority cause of the role youre playing)
• personal power(is like being someone others naturally look up to, no uniform required)

Question 5

what are 11 proactive influence tactics?

Answer 5

1. Rational persuasion (logic/facts)
2. Inspirational appeals (values/emotion)
3. Consultation (asking for input)
4. Collaboration (offering help)
5. Apprising (showing personal benefits)
6. Ingratiation (praise/flattery)
7. Exchange (give to get)
8. Personal appeals (pulling on loyalty)
9. Legitimating (invoking rules or authority)
10. Pressure (threats, persistent demands)
11. Coalition tactics (ganging up, involving others)

Question 6

what proactive influence tacitcs work best for commitment?

Answer 6

• rational persuasion
• consultation
• collaboration
• inspirational appeals
• apprising

Question 7

what are the least effective proactive influence tactis?

Answer 7

• pressure
• legitimating
• coalition tacitcs

especially if overused or perceived as manipulative

Question 8

how does context influence the effectiveness of proactive influence tacitc?

Answer 8

Tactic effectiveness depends on the relationship, target’s values, timing, trust, and ethical application.

Combining tactics strategically boosts success—if done skillfully.

Question 9

what is position power/where does it come from?

Answer 9

influence derived from legitimate authority:
- make important decisions
- control over the use of resources and access to info
- control over the use of rewards & punishment

Question 10

what is personal power/where does it come from?

Answer 10

influence dervied from
- agent expertise (knowledge, skills etc)
- relationships/friendship w the target person

Question 11

what are the subtypes of position power?

Answer 11

• legitimate power
• reward power
• coercive (using force/threats) power
• info power

Question 12

what is legitimate position power?

Answer 12

based on formal authority, and it involves the power derived from rights, obligations, and duties associated w a particular position in an organisation

Question 13

what is reward position power?

Answer 13

power perception by the target person that an agent can provide important resources and rewards that are desired by the target person

Question 14

what is coercive position power?

Answer 14

authority over punishment, based on using force/threats

Question 15

what is information position power?

Answer 15

power based on access to vital info & control over its distribution to others

Question 16

what are the subtypes of personal power?

Answer 16

• referent power
• expert power

Question 17

what is referent personal power?

Answer 17

power derived from a target person’s strong feelings of affection, admiration, and loyalty toward the agent

Question 18

what is expert personal power?

Answer 18

power derived from task relevant knowledge & skills but others need to be dependent on that type of expertise

Question 19

what are the 2 theories on how ppl gain or lose power?

Answer 19

• social exchange theory
• strategic contingency theory

Question 20

how does social exchange theory explain how ppl gain / lose power?

Answer 20

power is earned, not given
- idea: power & influnece dont come just from position, it comes from earning trust and credibility over time by providing value (like support, loyalty, competence)
- idiosyncrasy credit: “do it ur own way credit”: leaders build up “credits” or goodwill by contributing positively (being competent, fair, respectful) -> these credits allow leader to later deviate from norms or make tough calls w/o losing support
- if a leader stops giving value or misuses their influence, followers may withdraw their support and power fades

Question 21

how does strategic contingency theory explain how ppl gain / lose power?

Answer 21

power depends on who can solve strategic issues?
- idea: power in organisations goes to the departments (subunits) that can solve the most important & uncertain porblems that others cant
- 3 factors influencing power:
- expertise in coping w important problems
- centrality of the subunit within the workflow
- the subunit’s expertise is unique rather than substitutable

Question 22

what are the 3 broad categories of influence tactics?

Answer 22

• impression management (aka the host)
• proactive tactics (aka the chef)
• political tactics (aka the networker)

Question 23

what is the impression management influence tactic?

Answer 23

tactics intended to influence ppl to like the agent (provide praise, act friendly, offer assistance)

Question 24

what is the proactive influence tactic?

Answer 24

tactics that have an immediate task objective, getting the target person to carry out a new task, changed procedure, provide assistance on a project

Question 25

what is the political influence tactics?

Answer 25

tactics used to influence organisational decisions or gain benefit for an individual or group eg influencing the agenda for meetings to include ur issues

Question 26

what is participative leadership?

Answer 26

- power is shared - many of the activities of managers involve making & implementing decisions - involving others in making important decisions - involves consultation, joint decision making & delegation

Question 27

how much influence do followers get in participative leadership? | 4 decision procedures

Answer 27

- autocratic decisions: manager makes decision alone w/o asking for the opinion or suggestsions of others, theres no participation - consultation: managers asks other ppl for their opinions and ideas then makes the decision alone after considering their suggestions & concerns - joint decision: manager meets w other to discuss the decision problem & make a decision together; the manager has no more influence than any other participant - delegation: manager gives others the authority & responsiility for making a decision, often within limits

Question 28

what are the benefits of higher participation?

Answer 28

- higher decision quality when ppl conftribute w their info & knowledge knowledge by leader - acceptance: if ppl have influence in decision making process, they identify more & better understand choice - satisfaction: when ppl can express their opinions "voice" & these are taken seriously, theyre more likely to be satisfied w the process - skill development: helping to make a complex decision, increases skill & confidence

Question 29

what are the explanatory processes for why theres so many benefits to participative leadership?

Answer 29

- better understanding of the problem - integrative problem solving - identification w solution - feelings of procedural justice

Question 30

what does the causal model of participative leadership explain?

Answer 30

how & when participative leadership works and what factors influence its effectiveness

Question 31

what contextual factors influence the effectiveness of participative leadership?

Answer 31

- importance of decision - distribution of knowledge - goal congruence - time pressure - member traits & values

Question 32

what is the normative decision model?

Answer 32

a framework to help leaders decide how much involvement their team should have in making decisions based on decision quality needed, importance of acceptance, time constraints, and group expertise & cohesion 5 decision making styles ranging from - autocratic (a1, a2): leader decides alone a1, maybe after gathering info a2 - consultative (c1, c2): leader consults individuals c1, or group c2, but decides alone - group based (g2): leader & team make decision together

Question 33

what are the moderators in the relationship between decision procedure & decision quality/acceptance (normative decision model)?

Answer 33

- decision importance: how criticial is the quality of the decision for success - info distribution: does leader enough info or is info spread across team? - subordinate attitudes: are followers cooperative? - dependence on subordinates: is successful implementation dependent on the teams effort & cooperation?

Question 34

what explains (mediates) the relationship between decision procedure & team performance? | normative decision model

Answer 34

- decision quality: best alternative is selected - decision acceptance: commitment to implement decision

Question 35

what is empowering leadership?

Answer 35

leadership style where leaders actively encourage, support, and facilitate the dev of their team members. invovles a leaders behaviours, actions, and approach to leadership that promote autonomy, trust, and self efficacy among employees

Question 36

what is empowerement?

Answer 36

outcome that comes from giving individuals the power, confidence, and resources to take control over their work & decisions

Question 37

how can u promote empowerement?

Answer 37

- participative leadership ("what do u think") - supporting personal growth, expressing confidence in high performance ("you got this") - by providing all relevant info ("heres all u need") - by givign autonomy & removing controls ("ti trust u can do this, see u next week") - through formal empowerement programs (eg leader election rather than appointment)

Question 38

what is the hidden dark side of empowering leadership?

Answer 38

when hindrance stressors are high, empowering employees may lead them to justify unethical actions (= moral disengagement), resulting in unethical pro org behaviour (UPB) - actions intended to benefit the org but that are ethically questionable

Question 39

define moral disengagement

Answer 39

when ppl convince themselves that unethical behaviour is okay, so they can act wrongly without feeling guilty (" its okay to spread rumours to defend those you care about")

Question 40

define hindrance stressors

Answer 40

the kind of stressors at work that feel pointless, frustrating or like they're holding you back, they dont help you grow, they just make things harder (eg administrative hassles, conflicting requests, unclear job tasks etc)

Question 41

how was the dark/unethical side of empowering leadership studied?

Answer 41

- questionnaire filled in at 3 times by ppl who had a direct supervisor - 1st time: empowering leadership - 2nd time: hindrance stressors & moral disengagement - 3rd time: unethical decision making - results: moderating effect of hindrance stressors on the relationship between empowering leadership & oral disengagement: - for ppl w low hindrance stress: when leadership is empowering, moral disengagement goes down aka ppl feel more responsible & ethical - for ppl w high hindrance stress: when leadership is empowering, moral disengagement goes up: maybe they feel overwhelmed/depleted etc

Question 42

define abusive supervision

Answer 42

- when employees **perceive** their supervisor as consistenly hostile (verbal or nonverbal) w/o physical violence (ex: public ridicule, blame shifting, etc) - since its about perception, not objective reality (so context, personal bias, and sensitivity all play a role)

Question 43

what are the consequences of abusive supervision?

Answer 43

- leads to low morale, mental health issues, job dissatisfaction, higher turnover - boosts counterproductive behaviours like sabotage, absenteeism - rare evidence that its "motivating" - some ppl handle it better than others (depends on job alternatives, emotional strength, and support systems)

Question 44

what are some issues in research on abusive supervision?

Answer 44

- most data comes from surveys as experiments have low realism (so need more realistic lab setups or objective data) - researchers focused more on consequences than causes - need for better coping research (what works, what doesnt) - want to know if abuse ever leads to higher performance - how does abuse interact w other leadership styles

Question 45

what are 3 theories that explain why abusive supervision occurs?

Answer 45

- social learning theory - identity threat - self regulation failure

Question 46

how does social learning theory explain abusive supervision?

Answer 46

- leaders copy behaviour they see from their own bosses or parents - abusive environments normalize abusive behaviour

Question 47

how does identity threat explain abusive supervision?

Answer 47

supervisors may lash out when they feel insecure, challenged, or threatened, especially by high performing or rebellious subordinates

Question 48

how does self regulation failure explain abusive supervision?

Answer 48

- burned out, emotionally drained supervisors lose impulse control and lash out - factors like ego depletion, lack of sleep, or stress increase the risk

Question 49

how does context matter in abusive supervision?

Answer 49

- culture plays a role: in high power distance countries abusive behaviour may be more accepted or normalized - abuse looks different depening on team dynamics, performance levels, and org norms

Question 50

what is decision making like in real life?

Answer 50

- messy, political, emotional (so not all rational!) - done informally, adapting as things change - routine deicison (like scheduling) differ greatly from strategic ones (like restructuring)

Question 51

what is participative leadership?

Answer 51

involving others in decisions that affect them

Question 52

what are the benefits of participative leadership?

Answer 52

- improves decision quality (more brains = better solutions) - boosts acceptance & motivation - encourages innovation & teamwork

Question 53

what are things to watch out for in participative leadership?

Answer 53

- doesnt work if theres low trust, conflicting goals, or no time - requires serious conflict management & faciliation skills from leaders

Question 54

define delegation?

Answer 54

assigning responsibility & authority to others

Question 55

what are the benefits of delegation

Answer 55

- grows ur people - frees up your time - improves motivation & job satisfaction - builds future leaders

Question 56

what are the barriers to delegating?

Answer 56

- leaders often hold back due to trust issues, control freak tendencies, or ego - effective delegation means choosing the right tasks & coaching, not just offloading

Question 57

define psych empowerement

Answer 57

the feeling ppl have when they believe they - have autonomy - do meaningful work - can make an impact

Question 58

how can leaders boost psych empowerement?

Answer 58

- sharing power - providing support & recognition - involving people in meaningful decisions

Question 59

what are empowerement programs?

Answer 59

Organizational tools that include: - Shared decision-making structures. - Transparent info sharing. - Opportunities to influence leadership and outcomes. Note: Empowerment only works if conditions are right (e.g., skilled staff, open culture, supportive management). Otherwise, it just causes confusion and resentment.