Power and Politics

Power and Politics

MGT307

Jason White

June 13, 2010

Power and Politics

In any corporate environment, there will always be a presence of power and politics. These two factors are great influences on a company’s organizational culture, beliefs and health. Power and politics can be used in a positive manner or if used negatively have grave consequences. It is important to understand how power and politics can play a role within an organization.

Power can be loosely defined as the ability and authority to get someone to perform as one sees fit. Power can be broken down into two broad groups; positional and personal power. Each broad type of power can be used to influence persons or interest in a variety of ways.

One form of positional power is known as reward power. This is basically the authority to reward a person for his or her actions. A good manager will have the skills to understand the benefits of this power and to use it to gain competitive advantage.

Next is coercive power, which is basically the opposite of reward power. Coercive power is the authority given to an individual to deny reward or to administer some sort of punishment. Corporations will define what and how this power is to be used to ensure fairness and ethical behavior. This type of power can have a negative effect on the organization if it is used excessive or if the punishments are unwarranted.

Legitimate power is what most people think of when defining power. Legitimate power is the basic understanding that certain positions within and organization have the right to lead. Again, managers must develop the skills to keep that right or risk losing respect amongst subordinates.

Next there is the power of information. Some positions within the company are granted access to sensitive or confidential information. This knowledge can be used in an effort to lead individuals based on visions that may not be seen by subordinates. Managers must understand where to draw...