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LESSON 06
POWER AND POLITICS
At the end of the lecture the students will be able to understand the following:-
- concept of power and politics
- types of power and conflict
- the importance of power in organization
The main contributors of power and politics school are:- Harold Laswell Robert Dhal Antony Jay (reintroduced Machiavelli’s concept of power)
This school attempts to understand the concept of power in organization. It defines power as personal characteristics by which one person can influence or dominate another person. In organizations, power is the ability of one person or department, to influence other people or departments, in order to bring about the desired results. Without power, organizations will not be able to achieve their goals, because managers exert influence to force people to do things that they want. Another element in organization is politics.
Politics is about controlling resources (material, human, financial, information etc.). It is also about distribution of resources. Who gets what, how, when and where (Harold Laswell 1936). Politics is often understood as undesirable, because it is perceived as “maneuvering” and manipulation” by people.
Power is synonymously defined with authority. Authority comes with the job that one is holding, and power and authority are perceived as one, although power subsumes authority. “Power and Politics School” views authority as only one of the available sources of organizational power.
It may be mentioned that power is aimed at in all directions in the organizations, i.e. the top managements power would be felt from top to bottom sideway as well. It can be understood as the presence of an individual being felt.
Figure
There are various types of power that managers use in the organization. These are: Legitimate Power Reward/Punish Power Expert Power Referent Power
Bottom
Middle
Top
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Legitimate Power It is the authority given by the organization to the formal management position a manager holds. For example: Power of DCO, Nazim, and Policeperson. These personnel have power because they hold certain position.
Reward / Punish Power The power which stems from the ability to bestow rewards which include benefits like food allowance, overtime cash allowance and other fringe benefits. Example: Adults can reward or punish children; managers give cash awards to their sub-ordinates for good performance.
Expert Power It is the power possessed by an individual based on experience, or some skills and ability. Example: computer expert, specialist doctor
Referent Power Organizations are always finding ways of using the effective and suitable way of utilizing the experience and knowledge of reputable managers as far as employee referrals are concerned.
Conflict Conflict is a natural outcome of the close interaction of people. It is defined as difference, disagreement and dissension. When there is disagreement and dissension people will have a view point and suggestion that is different. In order to have their views prevail people will try to find means by which give and take will occur.
Therefore, individuals and groups will use power and political activity to handle their differences and manage conflict.
Conflict- as Positive and Negative Conflict can have positive or negative affect on the organization. The positive affect is when manager agree to some new view points of the disagreeing group/individual.
Conflict can be a positive force because it challenges the status quo, encourages new ideas and approaches, and leads to change.
However, too much conflict can be harmful to any organization. Because too much conflict can lead to dead lock and things may not move. Some degree of conflict always occurs in all human relationships.
Reactions of Managers Most managers have a negative view toward politics and believe that politics will more often hurt than help an organization in achieving its goals. Politics is also seen as a negative element. But some kind of politics is always there in organization and if that is understood managers can use it in a positive way.
Political behaviour is common to practically all public or private organizations, and should be used positively by involving people in decision making.
Most managers think political behaviour occurs more often at upper rather than lower levels in organization. But political behaviour is common to people in organization, therefore, it occurs at all levels, but it is more at the top.
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