Power and Organizational Politics - Example

Introduction It has been found out that organization needs power and power does not always need organization. It has been also found out that organization considers power as equivalent to oxygen is considered to breathing. Power – the central concept of the social sciences – need not always be regarded as something to be avoided. Power can be a positive force; it can achieve great things” (Clegg S.R., et al, 2006, p3). Great managers of organizations has been found of doing controversial things like playing favorites and using power to support people who support them and they have been found to be devoting equal time to everybody. The poor managers has been found to do the opposite and they have been seen using power to support the worst performers and that can be seen as worst use of power and that can end up in losing best performers. The companies ca learn a lot by using the process of power within and that is like learning from people within.There are situations when an employee may have come with an excellent solution and that has been turned down by those having power and they would take solution from outside the company and that can affect the morale of the organization as a whole. The aim of this report is to find how organizations try to manage the behavior of employees using the concept of positive power. This has to be understood in the context of organizations having work force that is diverse and is acting globally. Positive power Saying something positive to our colleague will be representing humane and decent behavior to our fellow beings. The way an issue is presented has the power of influencing the way the issue is dealt with. The people who are having power should have the ability to understand the objectives and perspectives of the colleagues and should have the ability to use the power in a supportive manner. The people or employees should be feeling dependent on each other and that should be the aim of the use of positive power. The access or knowing key information can be said of positive power and the ability of preventing some other person gaining information will become positive or negative power based on the context it is used. The power can be said as of using to make a decision or to delay a decision making process. The positive power has the ability to control issues on which decisions can be made and positive power has the ability to make sure that certain issues are keeping of the agenda. The power is a normal feature of the organization and the managers should have the ability of using power in positive enabling and empowering manner. The manager should have the ability to use the ideal power in a way that the end result is not stifled. The organization should be clear in the aims that they are trying to achieve. The manager should be clear in using the power and the organization top management should remember that the subordinates will be trying to get back with power. The usage of power will be used to full advantage only if used creatively. The positive uses of power creatively can make the things to happen, new things to happen, listening to others rather than forcing something and working as a team with others rather than acting as team leader and imposing ideas on others. The challenge with the present day organizations is to manage with power very effectively. The organization should have the ability of respecting the diversity of opinion and should have the ability of listening to make sure that the power is used positively. The use of the coercive power should be considered as the last resort for organizations to be considered as a good organization. The positive aspect of the power is considered as the active listening and active denial is not considered as positive power. Managing the behavior of employees using positive power The power that has been defined as the ability to influence the thought and actions should be used effectively to manage the behavior of employees. The organizations of the present age have undergone change in the global format and the use of coercive power has been found to be ineffective in this era. The best way of power or situation that is ideal for employees is the shared power. The aim of the power has to be psychologically change the person and employees. Types of Positive Power Reward power is both material or psychological (Carlos W. Moore).Reward Power is a way of sincerely praising the employee for doing good things, by bringing the good deeds done by the subordinates to the top management and bringing the positive feedback about others and all these measures bring about cooperation among team members ad decrease resistance. Reward power can be subtle like managerial praise, improved status,attention,greater access to information, ability to design one job and so on.( Patrick J. Montana )The organizational environment will be changing the moment reward power is used and it will be changing in the positive direction. Reward power has been found to be opposite to the coercive power which has been used as a negative power and trying to make others obey without any question being asked and raised. There will be use of punishments or threat of punishments under coercive power and this type of attitude will be avoided when using reward power.( Robert B. Denhardt) Coercive power punishments will be taking place in many ways like just ignoring the employee and by blocking the salary of employee. The other method of coercive punishment will be taking place in the form of employee not working very hard. There will be withdrawn of information from both sides. The resistance will be more in coercive power and this is the situation that every management should be trying to avoid and this can be used effectively by reward power. But that does not mean that only reward power has all the advantages. Coercive power has to be used in certain situations when the employee is refusing to perform and is creating problems that can cause rift among team members. There are situations when referent power has been used. That means the psychological association between persons. It in simple terms means, people are influenced by people whom they admire. People tend to do anything for the people whom they admire. The reward power has been seen to increase the referent power while the coercive power has been found to be decreasing referent power. The use of positive influence will be increased definitely by reward and referent power. The respect and admiration of the people has to be earned by treating everyone in the organization very well. The aim should be to influence the behavior of others in appositive manner. There has been another form of power in the form of expert power which means listening to the expert opinion of others. This becomes valued like the technical expertise of computer skills and this will become advantageous when a person in the organization may be having a insight knowledge which the competitors may not be having. Being an expert in the area of work will be giving the advantage that is needed and that can be made the person more valuable, persuasive and powerful.The disadvantage is that expert power may be working only in the area of knowledge.( Ira Asherman) There are other ways managers creating power by doing favors and that can create a sense of obligation in others and make others do something back. The reputation that is being gained by being expertise is the other way of proving to be powerful. Usage of power in present day situations The usage of power has been seen in various forms. There are found to be high levels of decentralized forms of units in the present organization and interdependence among the branches is found to be increasing. There are various aspects of power like the boss asking the subordinate to do a project which the subordinate does not like and if the project is associated with promotion, the subordinate will be taking. The subtle form of using power will be having the advantage of least resistance. The power in present global organizations is that it is not unidirectional and there has been instance of question being asked back or issues being raised. The present day employees has been put under pressure in various forms like refusing to be given credit for the good work done and that can create a conflict in the mind of employee being resentful and unhappy. The employee will be inclined to be unproductive and this has to be overcome by the employee by being professional and keeping a track of the work and improvement being done. That makes the employee being less dependent on the boss and that can also make the employee to look for outside sources to be mentally rewarded. That can result in a situation in which the employee goes in search of green pastures and that can reduce the commitment on the part of employee. These types of situations should be avoided by keeping the ego aside and by acknowledging the contribution of the employee in positive manner. Positive power has to be needed for organizational functioning The relative importance of power to organizational effectiveness with particular reference to the complicating factors of organizations which have diverse workforces and/or operate in the global market place. The complicating factors in multi cultural organization is that there is wide range of individuals working in an organization. The modern era will be seeing carious form of power struggle in the form of alien or a foreigner coming to the head of organization. This will be happening in multinational corporations and transnational corporations. There are other instances of women coming to the top of an organization which is functioning in a culture that believes women should not be coming to the top management. All these can create an issue of power struggle with the subordinates finding it difficult to understand the rules and regulations. This can be understood by an example. The contribution of women has not been acknowledged and the use of reward power has been withheld so that women are not taken into the top mangment.The problem with women having at the top or being at the top has been seen in a different manner like the male subordinates refusing to obey the orders. This has to be dealt in a sensitive manner. As a woman on top, the best way to use power is to be part of team and lead the way. It is easy to be laid back and start giving orders. But that will be seen as coercive power and resentment will arise. It will be better to use the expertise power in which the women can display the area of expertise in the relevant field and that will be able to create an impression in subordinates who are unwilling to obey or acknowledge the female boss. The reward system in which the female boss will be acknowledging the contribution of the team members will be gaining the respect of the subordinates and that will be creating less tension. Women has been seen as low as 5% of the total position of power in the top management and it has been seen as only one of the fortune 500 company is headed by a women (Diana Bilimoria, Sandy Kristin Piderit ).United States has been seen as the only one country where management top positions has been taken by women and that does not mean women has made much advances in this area (Marilyn Davidson, Ronald J. Burke). Still 95 % of the top management positions has been kept by men and that can influence the variations in the power being extorted.The director board of the companies are being dominated by the men. This has not been limited to business organizations alone. It has been found out that employed men has higher chance of reaching the top when compared with women and this is another form of power failure .All over the world women has been found to be working or putting in the same hours as men but that has not helped the cause. That has been changing in recent years but in minority. The other issue is the role of a foreigner getting to the top of a multinational organization. For example American Company being dominated by an Arab Ceo or something likes that. The culture difference will have to be understood by everyone and the reason for having a foreigner to the top has to understand by everyone. The first step that the new ceo will have to take will be to understand the organizational culture though it is easy to say that Multinational corporations will be following the same culture throughout. The next step is to reassure the employees and get them to work together as a cohesive unit. The main thing that should be addressed will be to make sure that every team member will feel reassured and contribute to the team. Here also the best way to express the power will be the reward system and the expertise power. The need for the company to bring in a foreigner to take in the top reins will be understood clearly by the expertise shown. It can be in financial or technical area. The other way of showing power is in the reward power and this can be shown by giving due acknowledgement. This has to be done keeping in mind that the assessment or review process should be done in such a way that the sub ordinates will not feel disenchanted and the ceo should not be keeping the doors closed in front of other members of the team. This principle applies to all those who have power. The referral system has to be fool proof and that will be making sure that the employees will feel happy. The employees will have to be knowledgeable to the mission and vision of the organization and that has to be addressed by the ceo. The employees will have to be given chance of reducing the cultural barriers and workshops and training programs can be undertaken. When decision are to be taken, a decentralized form can be implemented with everyone having the right to express their opinion and that can give a feeling that the company or organization is respecting their feelings and that means the power that will be used will be positive. Conclusion It is very important to create an environment where employees will feel like working and it is the ability to use power positively and wisely that will determine it. The 21st century will be in search for power wielders who has the ability to function in varied cultural atmosphere and having a good academic record and team management skills. It is like the best power talent will be searched all over the world. The modern era is in need for more positive power uses that can help the organization to reach the goals. The role of coercive power has been lessened due to increased organizational values and the improvement in the role played by employees to the organizational mission and vision. The employees are having a situation in which they are allowed share their ideas and it is the era of reward power. Reference Carlos W. Moore, Justin Gooder,2008,"Reference Groups",Managing Small Business By ,pp.365 Diana Bilimoria, Sandy Kristin Piderit,"Career development of women",Handbook on women in business and management,pp.109-132. Ira Asherman, Pike Bob, Johnson Randall ,2001,"Expert Power",The Negotiation Sourcebook ,pp.71 Marilyn Davidson, Ronald J. Burke,"Women in management",Women in management worldwide,pp.195 Patrick J. Montana, Bruce H. Charnov,2008,"Reward Power", Management,pp 256 Robert B. Denhardt,2001,"Power and Organizational politics"Managing human behavior in public & nonprofit organizations,pp.221-251. Stewart Clegg, David Courpasson, Nelson Phillips,2006, "What is power",Power and organizations,pp.3 Read More