Lecture 8: Chapter 10: Power and Influence in the Workplace Flashcards
What is power? Give a general description + 4 important aspects
The capacity of a person, team or organization to influence others
- Potential to change attitudes/behavior (not actual attempt)
- Based on perception of others, if they believe you have power
- Asymmetric dependence of one person on another
- Requires minimum level of trust by both parties
What is the dependence model of power and what is countervailing power?
Person A is perceived as controlling resources that help or hinder Person B’s goal achievement
Countervailing power = influence a less-powerful person has over the more powerful party, which is what maintains the exchange relationship between 2 parties
see slide 32 or book p 362
What are the 5 main sources of power in human interactions and how can we divide them in two groups?
Person granted sources of power formally by organization or informally by workers:
1. Legitimate
2. Reward
3. Coercive
Power originated from the power holder’s own characteristics
4. Expert
5. Referent
What is legitimate power? What is a limitation? Also give an example of subtle legitimate power
An official agreement that people in specific positions can request behaviors from others
Limitations:
–> Zone of indifference
Subtle legitimate power:
–> Norm of reciprocity: feel obligation to help coworker that helped you
What is the zone of indifference and how can you increase it?
A set of behaviors that individuals are willing to do at another person’s request that are seen as legitimate and don’t need a lot of thought
Increases with level of trust people have in the person in power
In which 2 ways do information gatekeepers have power?
- Information is a resource, so those who need info, are dependent on the gatekeeper to provide it
- Gatekeepers gain power by selective distritbution of information. They can frame flow of information, to steer decision maker toward a choice
What is reward power?
Power that a person or organization has due to their ability to control rewards and remove sanctions
E.g. pay, promotions, vacations, assignments, lending work resources
What is coercive power?
Power that a person or organization has due to their ability to control punishments
E.g. firing employees, peer pressure
What is expert power? What is the most important form of expert power?
Power a person has due to possessing knowledge or skills valued by another party.
Important: managing uncertainties
How do people gain power by using expertise (3)?
- Prevent environmental changes (prevent negative things happening)
- Forecast environmental changes (predict changes)
- Absorb environmental changes (react appropriately to changes)
What is referent power?
Power someone has when others identify with them, associated with charisma.
E.g. very open and talkative
What is charisma?
Personality trait that increases interpersonal attraction and increases referent power
What are deferential followers to power?
Followers that minimally evaluate the appropriateness of the requested behavior. They don’t investigate if the power holder is legitimate authority.
They gave in to the human tendency to follow guidance of people who are charismatic
What are the 4 contingencies of power?
- Nonsubstitutability
- Centrality
- Visibility
- Discretion
What is the contingency of nonsubstitutability? How do you increase it (3)?
The extent to which someone can be replaced
–> Power increases with nonsubstitutability
Increase by:
- differentiating resource
- control access to resource
- develop personal brand (authentic, unique)
What is the contingency of centrality and what does high centrality mean?
The importance of an individual based on the degree to which others depend on him
High: if a lot of people depend on the person
–> leads to more power
What is the contingency of visibility? How do you increase power with it?
The extent to which your contributions are obvious to others
Social interaction and using symbols of power increases visibility
What is the contingency of discretion, what limits discretion and when do you have more power with it?
The extent to which the person is the one who makes judgement and decisions.
More rules limit discretion
More discretion increases power
What is the model of power in organizations?
Sources of power + contingencies of power –> power over others
Summary p. 24
What are the 2 different consequences of power?
- Feeling empowered: power over themselves, high motivation and performance, less mindful thinking, less empathy, more stereotypes
- Power over others: produces sense of duty and responsibility, less stereotyping, more empathy, more mindful of own actions
What are social networks?
Social structures comprised of people who are connected with one another through interdependence and they together possess social capital
What is social capital?
All the resources (information, knowledge etc.) that are available in social networks
What is the difference between strong and weak ties in social networks? Why are individuals who have weak ties with diverse people sometimes seen as more valuable than people with strong ties?
Strong = provides closesness and rely on similarity (friends, family)
Weak = more diverse and potentially more valuable for carreers (acquaintance)
Strong ties emphasize similarity between one another and thus information doesn’t change much when exchanged
What is social network centrality and on what 3 things does it depend?
The importance of a person in a social network
Depends on:
1. Betweenness: how much you’re located between others
- Degree centrality: number of connections you have to others
- Closeness: high = strong ties
