Politics and Power in the Workplace - Term Paper Example

Power is often viewed as a negative coercive force used by superiors. This is often not the case, in fact, power, authority and politics are all integral parts of working in an organization, and employees and employers should know how to create synergies from them. Power and politics are influential for every member at the workplace as they are the main determinant factors of who gets what and how workers will be treated.

 The concept of power stems from the concept of hierarchy in an organization and therefore power has to be exerted to get work done. Hence power backed with politics is an essential force to create change in an organization which leads to innovation. Power and politics can be used in both positive and negative ways. Balanced use of power inappropriate ways to regulate and monitor employees with strong leadership qualities can bring both satisfaction at the workplace and huge rewards for the organization. In contrast, forceful manipulation and abuse of power to dominate others are extremely harmful to both the workers and the organization.

 Since power is always a bone of contention in the workplace, its proper usage can be tricky. Appropriate use of power should result in the form of happy, contented employees, a peaceful workplace, and efficient performance. But by no means should the authority stop from exerting necessary power to prevent offending the employees. Appropriate use of power will be rewarding employees on their performance. This power can easily result in the reinforcement of the positive activities of the worker. These rewards do not necessarily have to be tangible but they can be small intangible praises that can be very meaningful for the employee and will boost his morale. (7 types of power in the workplace)Efficient use of power is also creating the right balance between being an ignorant leader and being a control freak. The employees should not be able to take advantage of the boss' lenience but simultaneously should not be fed up with his micromanagement and criticism. The right ways to use power are dependent upon the organization and the workers but they all result in better performance, effective leadership and satisfied employees. 

 When exerting power, it is very easy to cross the line and abuse it because with power comes the tendency to overuse it. Inappropriate use of power will immediately result in disturbed, demoralized employees and their performance will easily fall. Power can be abused resulting in workplace harassment. Physical and verbal abuse is often a result of power exhibitionism. The need to display power can result in its unfair use for example an employer may unfairly punish a worker or force him to work overtime because he feels that he has the authority to do so. Similarly, micromanagement by people in a power position and constant criticism and verbal abuse can also result from excessive use of power.