Power and politics in organizations are common. In most cases, each concept is necessary and executed with skill and precision. Unfortunately, power can lead to conformity from those around us, and this occurring conformity can breed corruption. The amount of power you have has strong ties to how much others depend on you. If you are deemed a valuable resource within an organization, then you can wield that dependability to make demands and get others to do what you want. Besides having an innate or acquired control over resources, there are several social aspects of power to draw on.
Methods for obtaining more power in an organization can often led to political behaviors. As one person seeks to influence another to support an idea, politics begins to play out. Though necessary in some instances, many people that follow the rules see the politics of an organization as resulting in an unfair distribution of resources. Still others, despite understanding the politics of a given organization, see it as an unnecessary time consumer.
Politics, influence, and power can often reside within your social network. When an individual is core to a social structure, they will often have some degree of control over others. Social networks can also help you acquire jobs, make beneficial connections, and generally make life easier. It is often a good idea to analyze your social network and determine if it needs to be strengthened or tailored.
To answer the questions below you may need to do some research on Power, Influence and Politics. However, on the other hand you may not if you were paying attention to the recent election campaign and its outcome. Take a close look at the organized political demonstrations in the various US states. There is an obvious source of power and influence behind this movement. In some sense it’s no different from how Corporate America sometimes behaves and dissatisfied employees react and strike back.
Assignment Question:
In 4 paragraphs answer the following question below.
1. In your opinion, which of the five sources of organizational power – legitimate, reward, expert, referent, or information – is the easiest to deal/work with as an employee? Explain it
