Power

Question 1

What is power?

Answer 1

The capacity of a person, team or organization to

influence others.

Question 2

What are the features of power?

Answer 2

1. Potential to change others attitudes/behavior.
2. Based on the targets perception.
3. Asymmetric dependence of one party on another.
4. Depends on a minimum relationship of trust.

Question 3

Give a rough definition of the sources of power?

Answer 3

These are places where power resides in an organization that can be leveraged by people.

Question 4

What are the 5 sources of power?

Answer 4

1. Legitimate
2. Reward
3. Coercive
4. Expert
5. Referent

Question 5

Which of the sources of power typically reside in a power holders org role (formal or informal).

Answer 5

Legitimate, reward and coercive.

Question 6

Which of the sources of power typically reside in a power holders characteristics?

Answer 6

Expert and referent.

Question 7

Define legitimate power.

Answer 7

Legitimate power is an agreement among organizational members that people in certain roles can request a set of behaviors from others.

Question 8

What is the ‘zone of indifference?’

Answer 8

This is a range of behaviors that the target of a power holder will be willing to engage in at the others request.

Question 9

What influences the size of the ‘zone of indifference?’

Answer 9

1. The level of trust in the power holder.
2. Values (e.g. high power distance)
3. Personality traits
4. Org culture

Question 10

What is the norm of reciprocity?

Answer 10

This is a feeling of obligation to help someone who has helped you.

Question 11

What is a subsection of legitimate power that is mentioned in the text?

Answer 11

Information control.

Question 12

Why is information control a particularly powerful form of legitimate power?

Answer 12

1. Info is a resource that people rely on the gatekeeper for.
2. Gatekeepers can gain power by selectively distributing info and altering perceptions.

Question 13

What is reward power?

Answer 13

Reward power is derived from the person’s ability to control the allocation of rewards valued by others and to remove negative sanctions (i.e. negative reinforcement).

Question 14

What is coercive power?

Answer 14

Coercive power is the ability to apply punishment.

Question 15

What is expert power?

Answer 15

Expert power originates mainly from within the power holder. It is an individual’s or work unit’s capacity to influence others by possessing knowledge or skills valued by others.

Question 16

What is an important form of expert power?

Answer 16

The ability to manage uncertainties in the business environment.

Question 17

What are the three ways that expertise can help companies cope with uncertainty?

Answer 17

1. Prevention
2. Forecasting
3. Absorption

Question 18

What is referent power?

Answer 18

People have referent power when others identify with them, like them or otherwise respect them. It is largely a function of a persons interpersonal skills.

Question 19

(Conceptually) What are contingencies of power?

Answer 19

Contingencies of power determine the extent to which people can leverage the power they have to make things happen within organizations.

Question 20

What are the 4 contingencies of power?

Answer 20

1. Substitutability
2. Centrality
3. Visibility
4. Discretion

Question 21

What is substitutability?

Answer 21

Substitutability refers to the availability of alternatives.

Question 22

What is centrality?

Answer 22

Centrality refers to the power holder’s importance, based on the degree and nature of interdependence with others.

Question 23

What is discretion?

Answer 23

The freedom to exercise judgment—to make decisions without referring to a specific rule or receiving permission from someone else.

Question 24

What is a social network?

Answer 24

The social structures of individuals or social units

(e.g. departments, organizations) that are connected through one or more forms of interdependence.

Question 25

Why do social networks exist?

Answer 25

Because people have the innate drive to bond.

Question 26

What is the mechanism of social networks that generates power?

Answer 26

Social Capital.

Question 27

What is social capital?

Answer 27

The goodwill and resulting resources shared among members in a social network.

Question 28

What are the types of social capital that people receive from social networks?

Answer 28

1. Information 2. Increased visibility 3. Increase referent power

Question 29

Why are 'ties' important in social networks?

Answer 29

Because the volume of information, favours and other social capital that people receive from networks usually increases with the number of people connected to them.

Question 30

What are strong ties?

Answer 30

Strong ties are close knit relationships.

Question 31

What influences the strength of social ties?

Answer 31

1. How often we interact with people. 2. Resource sharing. 3. Multiple or single purpose relationships.

Question 32

What are the advantages of strong ties?

Answer 32

They offer resources more quickly and more plentifully.

Question 33

Which is better, strong ties or weak ties?

Answer 33

Weak ties if you have more and they are diverse.

Question 34

What are two factors that effect individuals value gained through social networks?

Answer 34

1. Number and strength of ties. | 2. Centrality in the network.

Question 35

What factors determine a persons 'centrality' in a network?

Answer 35

1. Between-ness 2. Percentage of connections to others in the that network. 3. Closeness of relationships in that network.

Question 36

What is a 'structural hole?'

Answer 36

This is the gap between two social clusters.

Question 37

What are two kinds of power?

Answer 37

1. Power over self | 2. Power over others

Question 38

What are the effects of high power over self?

Answer 38

1. Motivation 2. job satisfaction 3. org commitment 4. job performance 5. Increase automatic thinking (decreases mindfulness)

Question 39

What are the effects of high power over others?

Answer 39

1. Sense of duty 2. Mindfulness 3. Less stereotyping

Question 40

What is influence?

Answer 40

Any behavior that attempts to alter someone's attitudes or behavior.

Question 41

What are the different kinds of influence tactics?

Answer 41

1. Silent Authority 2. Assertiveness 3. Information control 4. Coalition formation 5. Upward appeal 6. Persuasion 7. Impression management 8. Exchange

Question 42

What are the categories of influence tactics?

Answer 42

1. Hard. | 2. Soft.

Question 43

Why are hard influence tactics called this?

Answer 43

Because they influence others by relying on positions of power.

Question 44

What are soft influence tactics called this?

Answer 44

Because they influence others by relying on personal characteristics and skills.

Question 45

What is silent authority?

Answer 45

Compelling compliance due to requestors legitimate power and subjects role expectations.

Question 46

What is assertiveness (influence)?

Answer 46

Actively applying legitimate or coercive power.

Question 47

What is information control?

Answer 47

Influencing others by controlling access and flow of information.

Question 48

What is coalition formation?

Answer 48

Form a group of people in order to achieve more influence.

Question 49

Why are coalitions influental?

Answer 49

1. Pools power and resources. 2. Symbolic of issue legitimacy 3. Taps into power of social identity.

Question 50

What is upward appeal?

Answer 50

Calling on higher authorities or expertise of others to influence.

Question 51

What is persuasion?

Answer 51

Influencing via presenting facts and a logical argument.

Question 52

What is impression management?

Answer 52

Influencing via the shaping of impressions that others have of us.

Question 53

What is exchange (influence)?

Answer 53

Promising of benefits and resources in exchange for compliance with a request.

Question 54

What are the 3 common reactions to influence tactics?

Answer 54

1. Resistance 2. Compliance 3. Commitment

Question 55

Which do people react to better - soft or hard influence tactics?

Answer 55

Soft.

Question 56

What are the 3 contingencies of influence tactics?

Answer 56

1. Which sources of power are strongest? 2. Position/status of target. 3. Values or org/person/culture

Question 57

Is a flat org structure associated with needing power or influence to get things done?

Answer 57

Influence.

Question 58

What is organizational politics?

Answer 58

When influence tactics are self-serving, counterproductive or used to further individual goals.

Question 59

Is org politics good or bad?

Answer 59

Bad, it is associated with personal drops in almost every wellbeing factor.

Question 60

What influences whether influence tactics are viewed positively or negatively?

Answer 60

Political Skill.

Question 61

What is political skill?

Answer 61

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.

Question 62

What are the 4 dimensions of political skill?

Answer 62

1. Social astuteness 2. Interpersonal influence 3. Networking ability 4. Apparent sincerity

Question 63

What factors control the level or org politics?

Answer 63

1. Amount of resources 2. Simplicity of resource allocation decisions. 3. Level of org change 4. Tolerance and reinforcement of political behavior. 5. Personal levels of machiavellianism.

Question 64

Need definitions of political skill dimensions here.

Answer 64

TBC