1. ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
S T E P H E N P. R O B B I N S
WWW.PRENHALL.COM/ROBBINS
T E N T H E D I T I O N
© 2003 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved. PowerPoint Presentation by Charlie Cook

2. OBJECTIVES
AFTER STUDYING THIS CHAPTER,
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO:
1. Contrast leadership and power.
2. Define the four bases of power.
LEARNING
3. Clarify what creates dependency in power
relationships.
4. List seven power tactics and their
contingencies.
5. Explain how sexual harassment is about the
abuse of power.
6. Describe the importance of a political
perspective.
© 2003 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved. 13–2

3. O B J E C T I V E S (cont’d)
AFTER STUDYING THIS CHAPTER,
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO:
1. List the individual and organizational factors
that stimulate political behaviors.
2. Identify seven techniques for managing the
impression one makes on others.
3. Explain how defensive behaviors can protect
LEARNING
an individual’s self-interest.
4. List the three questions that can help
determine if a political action is ethical.
© 2003 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved. 13–3

4. A Definition of Power
B
A
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5. Contrasting Leadership and Power
 Leadership  Power
– Focuses on goal – Used as a means for
achievement. achieving goals.
– Requires goal – Requires follower
compatibility with dependency.
followers. – Used to gain lateral
– Focuses influence and upward
downward. influence.
 Research Focus  Research Focus
– Leadership styles – Power tactics for
and relationships gaining compliance.
with followers.
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6. Bases of Power
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7. Bases of Power
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8. Personal Power
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9. Personal Power
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10. Dependency: The Key To Power
 The General Dependency Postulate
– The greater B’s dependency on A, the greater the
power A has over B.
– Possession/control of scarce organizational resources
that others need makes a manager powerful.
– Access to optional resources (e.g., multiple suppliers)
reduces the resource holder’s power.
 What Creates Dependency
– Importance of the resource to the organization
– Scarcity of the resource
– Nonsubstitutability of the resource
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11. Power Tactics
Tactical Dimensions:
• Reason
• Friendliness
• Coalition
• Bargaining
• Assertiveness
• Higher authority
• Sanctions
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12. Use of Power Tactics: From Most to
Least Popular
EXHIBIT 13-2
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13. Power in Groups: Coalitions
• Seek to maximize their
size to attain influence.
• Seek a broad and diverse
constituency for support
of their objectives.
• Occur more frequently in
organizations with high
task and resource
interdependencies.
• Occur more frequently if
tasks are standardized
and routine.
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14. Sexual Harassment: Unequal Power in the
Workplace
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15. Politics: Power in Action
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16. Politics Is in the Eye of the Beholder
EXHIBIT 13-3
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17. Factors That Influence
Political Behaviors
EXHIBIT 13-4
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18. Employee Responses to
Organizational Politics
EXHIBIT 13-5
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19. Defensive
Avoiding Action: Behaviors
• Overconforming
• Buck passing
• Playing dumb Avoiding Blame:
• Stretching • Buffing
• Stalling • Playing safe
• Justifying
• Scapegoating
Avoiding Change:
• Misrepresenting
• Prevention
• Self-protection
EXHIBIT 13-6
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20. Impression Management (IM)
IM Techniques:
• Conformity
• Excuses
• Apologies
• Self-Promotion
• Flattery
• Favors
• Association
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21. Is Political Action Ethical?
Utilitarianism Rights Justice
EXHIBIT 13-8
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