2. MANA3335
HowPoliticalAreYou?
1. You should make others feel important through an open appreciation of their ideas and work.
2. Because people tend to judge you when they first meet you, always try to make a good first impression.
3. Try to let others do most of the talking, be sympathetic to their problems, and resist telling people that
they are totally wrong.
4. Praise the good traits of the people you meet and always give people an opportunity to save face if
they are wrong or make a mistake.
5. Spreading false rumors, planting misleading information, and backstabbing are necessary, if somewhat
unpleasant, methods to deal with your enemies.
6. Sometimes it is necessary to make promises that you know you will not or cannot keep.
7. It is important to get along with everybody, even with those who are generally recognized as windbags,
abrasive, or constant complainers.
8. It is vital to do favors for others so that you can call in these IOUs at times when they will do you the
most good.
9. Be willing to compromise, particularly on issues that are minor to you, but important to others.
10. On controversial issues, it is important to delay or avoid your involvement if possible.
True or False
3. MANA3335
Add a footer 3
‘‘One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that
you end up being governed by your inferiors.’’ — Plato
Office Politics: Use of power and influence in organizations
4. MANA3335
Politicalbehaviorinorganizations
• Actions not officially sanctioned by an organization
• Taken to influence others in order to meet one’s
personal goals
“Politics isn’t about winning at
all costs. It’s about
maintaining relationships and
getting results at the same
time.”
--John Eldred, MGMT
Professor & Consultant,
Kingston U. UK.
Conditionsencouragingpoliticalactivity
• Unclear goals
• Autocratic decision making
• Ambiguous lines of authority
• Scarce resources
• Uncertainty
5. MANA3335
Success in political environments
• Understand the social/political context
• Accumulate and use power effectively for
good of the organization
• Excel at the art of influence
6. MANA3335
Power:Abilitytoinfluenceanotherperson
Exerted by means of:
• Authority: (Mutually agreed upon) Right to influence another person
or
• Influence: Ability to affect the thoughts, behavior, and feelings of another person
Zone of indifference: Range in which attempts
to influence a person will be:
Perceived as legitimate
Acted on without a great deal of thought
7. MANA3335
Identifyyourpowerbase
Reward Power Score = _____
1. I can reward persons at lower levels.
2. My review actions affect the rewards gained at
lower levels.
3. Based on my decisions, lower level personnel may
receive a bonus.
Coercive Power Score = _____
1. I can punish employees at lower levels.
2. My work is a check on lower level employees.
3. My diligence reduces error.
Legitimate Power Score = _____
1. My position gives me a great deal of authority.
2. The decisions made at my level are of critical
importance.
3. Employees look to me for guidance.
Expert Power Score = _____
1. I am an expert in this job.
2. My ability gives me an advantage in this job.
3. Given time, I could improve the methods used on
this job.
Referent Power Score = _____
1. I attempt to set a good example for other
employees.
2. My personality allows me to work well in this job.
3. My fellow employees look to me as their informal
leader.
0-1 Weak power base
2 Moderate power base
3 Strong power base
8. MANA3335
Interpersonalformsofpower
• Reward power: Ability to control rewards
• Coercive power: Ability to cause an unpleasant experience
• Legitimate power: Based on position and mutual agreement
• Referent power: Based on interpersonal attraction
• Expert power: Based on specialized knowledge or skills
0-1 Weak power base
2 Moderate power base
3 Strong power base
9. MANA3335
Usingpowerethically
FORM GUIDELINES
Reward Make reasonable and ethical requests.
Offer desirable and credible rewards.
Coercive Clarify rules and penalties.
Warn before punishing.
Administer punishment uniformly and consistently.
Punish in private.
Legitimate Be polite, confident and clear. Verify understanding.
Make reasonable and appropriate requests.
Enforce compliance.
Be sensitive to concerns.
Referent Be fair. Be sensitive to others’ needs.
Be a role model.
Expert Maintain credibility.
Stay informed.
10. MANA3335
Positiveversusnegativepower
• Personal power: Used for personal gain
• Social power: Used to motivate and accomplish group goals
People who use social power tend to:
• Believe in the authority system
• Prefer work and discipline
• Exhibit Altruism
• Believe in justice
David McClelland
13. MANA3335
Tend to be promoted more rapidly, enjoy greater career mobility4
Are likely to be in an organization’s top 20% of high-performers3
1. Burt, 1992 3. Cross & Thomas, 2008 4. Burt, 2009
Peoplewitheffectivenetworks
Receive greater emotional, instrumental, and development support2
Hear new information early and can capitalize on opportunities that require merging
of disparate expertize1
2. Higgins & Kram, 2001
15. MANA3335
ChangingMindsets
Focus on the value you can
bring to the relationship
Performance
Frequency of
Instrumental
Networking
+
+
Invest in your development –
like anything else worthwhile
it takes effort
Make developing relationships
part of your job
+
+
18. MANA3335
Burt, R. S. (2005). Brokerage and closure: An introduction to social capital. Oxford University Press.
19. MANA3335
Takeacloserlookatyour
network…
• Do most people you know
also know each other?
• Can you identify different
social worlds?
• Are the people within
your various worlds
connected?
BW
R
G
R
F
Y
C
W
P
HL
E
M
Open
20. MANA3335
VERTICAL HORIZONTAL STAKEHOLDER DEMOGRAPHIC GEOGRAPHIC
Yip, Ernst, & Campbell, 2009; Ernst & Chrobot-Mason, 2010
Are you connected to people who hold different
views/opinions than you?
27. MANA3335
What do you do to influence the
people in your network or other
key stakeholders?
What of influence?
28. MANA3335
Tactics Description
Pressure Use of demands, threats, or intimidation to convince someone to comply with a request
Upward appeals Convince someone that a request is approved by higher management or appeal to higher
management to gain someone’s compliance with a request
Exchange Explicit or implicit promise to provide rewards or tangible benefits if you comply with a
request
Coalition Seek the aid of others to persuade someone to do something
Ingratiation Try to get someone in a good mood or to think favorably of you before asking that person to
do something
Rational persuasion Use logical arguments and factual evidence to persuade someone
Inspirational
appeals
Make an emotional request or proposal that arouses enthusiasm by appealing to a person’s
values and ideas or increasing confidence that you can do it
Personal appeals Ask to carry out a request or support a proposal out of friendship
Consultation Have a person participate in a decision or planning how to implement a proposed policy,
strategy, or change.
31. MANA3335
“Political skill is the ability to effectively
understand others at work, and to use
such knowledge to influence others to
act in ways that enhance one’s personal
and/or organizational objectives.”
How of influence?
34. MANA3335
Today’s work environment
• Globalization
• Downsizing
• Reduced layers of management
• Team-based structures
• Flexible work-patterns
TO SUCCEED …
INFLUENCE WITHOUT AUTHORITY
Whyelseis political skill soimportant?
35. MANA3335
Political skill can be cultivated, trained, improved.
• Self-awareness and self-assessment
• Seek feedback
• Learn your environment
• Listen to others
• Activate your networks
• Seek training and mentors
“If you have political skill, you appear not to
have it. Truly skillful execution of the
behaviors associated with politics is usually
perceived as genuine, authentic,
straightforward and effective. Leaders who
are not politically skilled come off as
manipulative or self-serving” – Gerald Ferris
Developing PoliticalSkill
Self Exercise: How Political Are You?
Objectives: 1. To get to know yourself a little bit better. 2. Within an organizational context, to assess your political tendencies. 3. To consider the career implications of your political tendencies.
Introduction
Instructions
For each of the 10 statements below, select the response that best characterizes your behavior. You do not have to engage in the behavior at all times to answer true.
1. You should make others feel important through an open appreciation
of their ideas and work. __x__ True ____ False
2. Because people tend to judge you when they first meet you, always try
to make a good first impression. __x__ True ____ False
3. Try to let others do most of the talking, be sympathetic to their problems,
and resist telling people that they are totally wrong. __x__ True ____ False
4. Praise the good traits of the people you meet and always give people an
opportunity to save face if they are wrong or make a mistake. __x__ True ____ False
5. Spreading false rumors, planting misleading information, and backstabbing
are necessary, if somewhat unpleasant, methods to deal with your enemies. ____ True __x__ False
6. Sometimes it is necessary to make promises that you know you will not or
cannot keep. __x__ True ____ False
7. It is important to get along with everybody, even with those who are
generally recognized as windbags, abrasive, or constant complainers. __x__ True ____ False
8. It is vital to do favors for others so that you can call in these IOUs at times
when they will do you the most good. __x__ True ____ False
9. Be willing to compromise, particularly on issues that are minor to you,
but important to others. __x__ True ____ False
10. On controversial issues, it is important to delay or avoid your involvement
if possible. __x__ True ____False
Scoring and Interpretation
The author of this quiz recommends the following scoring system:
A confirmed organizational politician will answer “true” to all 10 questions. Organizational politicians with fundamental ethical standards will answer “false” to questions 5 and 6, which deal with deliberate lies and uncharitable behavior. Individuals who regard manipulation, incomplete disclosure, and self-serving behavior as unacceptable will answer “false” to all or almost all of the questions.
Questions for Discussion
1. Did this instrument accurately assess your tendencies toward organizational politics? Explain.
2. Do you think a confirmed organizational politician would answer this quiz honestly? Explain.
3. Will your political tendencies help or hinder your career? Explain.
4. Are there any potential ethical problems with any of your answers? Which ones?
5. How important is political behavior for career success today? Explain, relative to the industry or organization you have in mind.
Score your various bases of power for your current (or former) job, using the following scale:
1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree
Arbitrary Norms
3–6 = weak power base
7–11 = moderate power base
12–15 = strong power base
SOURCE: Adapted and excerpted in part from D L Dieterly and B Schneider, “The Effect of Organizational Environment on Perceived Power and Climate: A Laboratory Study,” Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, June 1974, pp 316–37.
Burt, R. S. (1992). Structural hole. Harvard Business School Press, Cambridge, MA.
Burt, R. S. (2009). Structural holes: The social structure of competition. Harvard university press.
Cross, R., & Thomas, R. J. (2008). How top talent uses networks and where rising stars get trapped. Organizational dynamics, 37(2), 165-180.
Lee, I. (2013). Network building and the performance of subsidiary managers. European Group of Organizational Studies Conference July 4, 2013
Now, getting back to why networks are important. This is pulling from 40 years of network research and is all summarized in 4 major bullet points.
Leaders with effective networks hear about information earlier. They’re about to capitalize on it and create opportunities for themselves.
They’re likely to be in the top 20% of the company’s annual performance ratings
Research done where they looked at 8 professional services firms, mapped the core professional network of individuals working in that firm, and compared it to HR performance ratings.
Found that those who score in the top 20% as far as HR ratings, they have a very particular pattern in their network, which is what makes them a high performer
I’ll tell you more about this pattern as we go through this session
Lots of work over the past 30 years with Rob Burt at the University of Chicago studying financial services networks, investment banks, and entrepreneurs, shows that if you have an effective network, you get greater career mobility.
You actually get promoted more quickly, you get paid more, and your bonuses are higher
This is new research, where they looked at multi-national corporations, and all of the subsidiaries underneath the corporation and the leader’s individual network.
What they found was that when the subsidiary was in a complex industry, and that leader had an effective network, it boosts overall performance of the subsidiary by 75%
The idea is that the more complex environment you have, the more important it is to have an effective network.
Casciaro, T., Gino, F., & Kouchaki, M. (2014). The contaminating effects of building instrumental ties: How networking can make us feel dirty. Administrative Science Quarterly, 59(4), 705-735.
Kuwabara, K., Hildebrand, C. A., & Zou, X. (2018). Lay Theories of Networking: How Laypeople’s Beliefs About Networks Affect Their Attitudes Toward and Engagement in Instrumental Networking. Academy of Management Review, 43(1), 50-64.
Before we get started talking about networks and networking – I want to ask you 2 questions – these question connect to the mindsets people have networking
How you think about this topic?
Networking is important
Not enough time; I don’t like doing it..
How many people feel dirty or guilty --- ?
Tizaiano Cascario… half of the people feel guilty; distinction is that those who feel guilty from those who don’t tend not to feel like they have something to offer the relationship
If you feel like you have something to offer – think what can I offer to this relationships – MINDSET 1
Casciaro, T., Gino, F. & Kouchaki, M. (2016), “Learn to love networking,” Harvard Business Review. May: 104-107
Mindset 2 – people think of networking as something that is done after hours, at specific events,
The things we do to create the relationships we need to be effective ato work is NETOWRKING – this is part of your job - its not a side activity!
Mindset 3 – it’s something that some people are good at and others are Not – i.e., I can’t change or get better at it..
Kuwabara, K., Hildebrand, C. A., & Zou, X. (2018). Lay Theories of Networking: How Laypeople’s Beliefs About Networks Affect Their Attitudes Toward and Engagement in Instrumental Networking. Academy of Management Review, 43(1), 50-64.
Before we get started talking about networks and networking – I want to ask you 2 questions – these question connect to the mindsets people have networking
How you think about this topic?
Networking is important
Not enough time; I don’t like doing it..
How many people feel dirty or guilty --- ?
Tizaiano Cascario… half of the people feel guilty; distinction is that those who feel guilty from those who don’t tend not to feel like they have something to offer the relationship
If you feel like you have something to offer – think what can I offer to this rlationships – MINDSET 1
Casciaro, T., Gino, F. & Kouchaki, M. (2016), “Learn to love networking,” Harvard Business Review. May: 104-107
Mindset 2 – people think of networking as something that is done after hours, at specific events,
The things we do to create the relationships we need to be effective ato work is NETOWRKING – this is part of your job - its not a side activity!
Mindset 3 – it’s something that some people are good at and others are Not – i.e., I can’t change or get better at it..
Kuwabara, K., Hildebrand, C. A., & Zou, X. (2018). Lay Theories of Networking: How Laypeople’s Beliefs About Networks Affect Their Attitudes Toward and Engagement in Instrumental Networking. Academy of Management Review, 43(1), 50-64.
