O&E: Power school

Question 1

What are the uniquenesses of the Power School?

Answer 1

• Assumes conflicting interests within the organization
• Middle/top managers have their own goals
• Their ambition = to gain more power

Question 2

Zald en Berger have described 3 social movements (power and change emerge) in organizations:

Answer 2

• Coup d’etat
• Insurgency
• Mass movements

Question 3

What are the key premises of the Power School?

Answer 3

• Strategy shaped by power & politics
• Micro power = internal coalitions, persuasion, bargaining
• Strategies are often emergent (not planned)
• Macro power = org seeks advantage via strategic manoeuvring

Question 4

What are positive outcomes of micro power:

Answer 4

• Strongest become leaders
• All options fully debated
• Promotes change
• Politics helps execute change

Question 5

What are negative outcomes of micro power:

Answer 5

• Divisive
• Costly
• Burn energy
• Might obstruct organizational processes
• Form unnecessary camps within the organization

Question 6

What are key Laws of Power?

Answer 6

• Conceal intentions
• Win by actions, not arguments
• Crush enemy totally
• Stay unpredictable
• Turn weakness into power
• Focus your forces
• Reinvent yourself
• Control options given to others
• Stay calm, unsettle enemies
• Preach reform, avoid trauma
• Be formless and mobile

Question 7

What is macro power and its objectives?

Answer 7

• Manage demands of actors
• Selectively use actors
• Reduce dependency
• Accommodate actors

Question 8

What are 3 tactics to respond to different stakeholder groups?

Answer 8

1. Focus on each group one at a time
2. Withhold/disclose info strategically (e.g., hide costs)
3. Divide and conquer – play groups against each other

Question 9

What are strategies for external control using stakeholders?

Answer 9

1. Stakeholder analysis
2. Strategic manoeuvring
3. Co-operating in strategy making

Question 10

What are key characteristics and assumptions of the Power School?

Answer 10

• Organizations = political arenas
• Power is the main currency, not consensus
• Conflict is inevitable & neutral
• Decisions are political outcomes

Question 11

What are the limitations of the Power School?

Answer 11

• Overemphasizes power, overlooks collaboration
• Politics hard to study & understand
• Politics can cause waste & distortion
• Ignores positive collaboration side
• May lead to cynicism

Question 12

When does the Power School NOT work well?

Answer 12

• Major change periods with power shifts
• Large, mature organizations
• Complex, decentralized expert orgs
• When strategic change is blocked
• During flux with unclear direction