Go back to the self-assessment that you took for the Module 1 Discussion on power and influence skills. Based on what you've learned over Modules 1-4, have you met some of your goals in terms of improving your power and influence skills and knowledge? What are some areas that you plan on learning more about in your future career?
In addition, explain how taking this course has given you new insights into your own profession and career. Describe two concepts from this course that you think are most applicable to your career.
After responding to the Reflective Discussion questions above, please complete an anonymous Course Evaluation Survey. Instructors are not able to view course evaluation reports until after the grade submission period is over. Thank you for your feedback.
Module 1discussion: Power and Influence
- For your first post in the first week of the module, take the following self-assessment regarding your power and influence skills: http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/uzzi/ftp/page292.html
• Based on this assessment, what do you think you want to get out of this class, and what areas are you most interested in improving or learning more about this session?
Module 1 Discussion Initial Post:
Hello Professor and Classmates,
One of the areas I expect to improve is the ability to influence my seniors. Often there is a tense relationship between top managers and subordinate employees or supervisors. An employee or supervisor may have an idea that may improve an organization for the better, but hesitate to share it with the seniors. Such hesitations may come from the worry of the bosses would perceive the idea, and further what happens if the concept fails despite a hefty financial commitment. Through this course, I expect to acquire skills to share my thoughts with my seniors without the worry of victimization or fear of rejection.
I wish to learn how to issue proposals to them without threatening the status, while at the same time getting recognized for a positive effort. Organizations are composed of different stakeholders with diverse interests, which at times could create conflict. I have my career objectives and targets as an employee or supervisor. I expect that in the end, I will learn how to balance personal goals, those of my bosses, and the overall goal of the organization with minimal conflict of interests.
So far, I have learned about different sources of power, which apply to specific scenarios. Among the mentioned sources are expertise, coercion, legitimacy, and reward, among others (Anderson, 1998). I anticipate that upon course completion, I will in a position to apply each approach in a respective place without compromising the relationship with my juniors. For instance, expert power is acquired by having skills or expertise that only a few members of an organization possess. I expect the module to guide me on how to enjoy expert power without belittling my juniors who lack those particular skills. Again, I anticipate that it will cultivate my teamwork skills that will facilitate a collaborative approach to ensure that I pull together with my co-workers.
V/r
References
Anderson, D. A. (1998). Using power and influence tactics for better results. Marine Corps Gazette, 82, 37-38. Available from ProQuest in the Trident Online Library.
Module 1 - Home
Influence Tactics and Sources of Power
Modular Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, the student will be able to satisfy the following outcomes:
• Case
o Identify and explain the main sources of organizational power.
o Identify and explain the main influence strategies used by leaders.
o Analyze a contentious situation for the strength of the sources of power being used by each party.
• SLP
o Identify and explain the main sources of organizational power.
o Identify and explain the main influence strategies used by leaders.
o Analyze a contentious situation from your workplace for the strength of the sources of power being used by each party.
• Discussion
o Discuss and assess the effectiveness of video presentations on the use of organizational power.
Module Overview
In this module, we will be looking at sources of power. We have described power as the ability to get people to do something that they otherwise would not do. For some, this connotes having the authority to “order” or “force” someone to act in a certain way. However, in this module, we will see that there are multiple other ways to get results—in addition to the power conferred by authority.
Legitimate power is the power that comes from a position of authority. But in addition to reacting to authority, employees are more likely to do what you say if you have strong expertise and knowledge. This is called expert power. If you have earned a lot of respect and admiration from your employees, they are also much more likely to do what you say. This type of power is called referent power. Other types of power that you will read about in this module are coercive power and reward power.
Exerting your power does not just mean giving orders. Typically a leader will use influence strategies, which go above and beyond just giving an order. This might involve rational persuasion, which involves explaining the logic and reason why the employee should do what you say. Inspirational appeal is another highly effective method, which involves appealing to the deeply held values of your employees. Other influence tactics you will read about include consultation, ingratiation, and exchange. No single influence strategy is the best one for all situations, but as a leader you need to be aware of all of the main strategies available to influence your employees to get the job done and meet organizational goals.
Module 1 - Background
Influence Tactics and Sources of Power
Required Reading
A good place to start is a short video from Dr. DeRue from the University of Michigan as well as a short article from Marine Corps Gazette that will introduce you to some of the basic concepts from this module:
Burg, Bob. ( © 2017). Influence is pull, not push. [Video File]. [Books24x7 version]
Anderson, D. A. (1998). Using power and influence tactics for better results. Marine Corps Gazette, 82(12), 37-38. Available from ProQuest in the Trident Online Library.
[Note: In general when looking up articles or books in the search engines start with just the title of the article rather than the whole reference. For better results, enter the following search term into the search engine. For example, Using power and influence tactics.]
Headnote
Good leadership employs a plethora of tactics beyond those afforded by the providence of rank and position.
Marine leaders may often fail to employ the best forms of power and influence tactics to get the desired results from others. Those often used relate to one's legitimate power, which is given by rank and position. Typically it is the only form of power readily taught in both military and business cultures; therefore, it is the only one well understood and exercised. However, more often than not, it is the least effective form to use. There are other, more effective forms of power and influence available to Marine leaders. Many leaders have them and may not realize it. Yet, others may knowingly have some of these powers but not recognize their positive effects on others. This article is written to heighten awareness of the various forms of power and influence, their effectiveness, and when to use them for optimum results.
Power is the capacity to produce effects on others or the potential to influence others. Power is afforded to those believed to have a right to it. The person with power has it only because it is given by others. The classic taxonomy of power consists of five sources:
Legitimate Power. The formal authority attributed to one's rank and/or organizational role.
Expert Power. The power of knowledge and expertise. Because expert power is a function of the amount of knowledge one possesses relative to others, it is possible for subordinates to have considerably more expert power than leaders in certain situations.
Referent Power. The potential influence one has due to the strength of the relationship between the leader and subordinates. Referent power is a two-way street: The stronger the relationship, the more influence leaders and subordinates have over each other.
Reward Power. The control over desired resources and benefits. Examples include the power to promote subordinates; to select people for special assignments; to distribute desired resources like computers, offices, parking spaces; and to recognize with awards.
Coercive Power. The use of negative means to influence subordinates. It is the opposite of reward power. It is the ability to control others through fear of punishment, also known as "leadership by fear" or "leadership by intimidation." Coercive power may take the form of something as simple as glares to temperamental outbursts and poorly controlled anger.
Whereas power is the capacity or potential to influence others, influence is the degree of actual change of others as a result of the leader's use of influence tactics (the tools available to influence others). Influence tactics include:
Legitimizing Tactics. Making requests based on position or authority.
Rational Persuasion. Using logical arguments or factual evidence to influence others.
Consultation. The leader's use of others to participate in the planning.
Ingratiation. The leader attempts to get you in a good mood before making a request.
Personal Appeals. Asking a favor out of friendship and/or professional relationship.
Exchange. Exchanging favors.
Coalition Tactics. Seeking the aid or support of others to influence the targeted person or group.
Inspirational Appeals. A request or proposal designed to arouse enthusiasm or emotions.
Pressure Tactics. Using threats or persistent reminders to influence others.
The types of power you possess as a leader, each situation you encounter, and the personalities involved should determine the most effective influence tactic to use. In any case, you must be seen as having the right to use a particular influence tactic. The more power you have, as seen by others, the wider the variety of influence tactics you can justifably use. The leadership challenge is in properly assessing the intended outcome and the situational environment, then choosing the most appropriate influence tactic to employ based on one's power. In making your choice, you must be conscious of the typical effects of each and why your choice of influence tactic is the most logical and effective.
In general, Marine leaders have at least legitimate and coercive power. Many of these same leaders have reward power, and yet some further have expert and referent power. We all would agree that the use of coercive power is inappropriate for Marine leaders. However, the other forms can serve Marine leaders well when appropriately employed.
Leaders who have or only choose to use legitimate power, may be able to use only coalition, legitimizing, or pressure tactics to influence others. Their lack, or use of, other sources of power typically manifests itself into such things as personal insecurity, overcontrol of subordinates to get their cooperation, becoming petty, territorial, rules-oriented, and riskadverse. These type leaders are far less effective in the long run, and are detrimental to their unit/organization.
Those with expert power can readily use rational persuasion and exchange tactics. These same tactics are best used when those involved are relatively equal in power, when resistance is not anticipated, and when the benefits are organizational as well as personal. The most effective tactics in influencing superiors are through factual, logical analyses (i.e., rational persuasion), involving others for support (i.e., coalition tactics), and thorough preparation.
Research indicates that those who possess referent power not only have the widest range of influence tactics available (e.g., inspirational appeals, consultations, ingratiation, personal appeals, exchanges, and even coalition tactics), they possess the most effective form of power for influencing others. Leaders with referent power generally do not use legitimizing or pressure tactics to influence others, they simply do not have to.
If you have reward power but do not properly exercise it in recognizing the efforts of your subordinates, the less likely they are to sustain or increase their performance level for you in the future. If your position puts reward power constraints on you, you may be able to create alternative rewards. A great starting point would be through ample doses of praise of individuals, particularly in front of other Marines.
When given a chance, always remember to empower others. By giving power, you are getting power. In today's Marine Corps, empowering others is necessary to be effective. The old school of leadership taught us to believe we had to be technical experts and conductors in carrying out our responsibilities. The new age leader needs to be more of a facilitator than an expert or conductor, focusing on problem solving, getting the job done, getting subordinates' participation, developing subordinates and their decisionmaking skills, etc. Leaders of the 21st century will be evaluated more on the efforts of their subordinates than of themselves. Any choice that fails to empower others is likely to be a poor one. Remember, by giving power, you get power. The more control you share with others the greater will be your support by them, thus increasing your influence and effectiveness.
It is the individual leader's responsibility, as well as those in a position to mentor them, to help develop the widest possible array of power and influence tactics. The best choice of power and influence tactics is dependent on the leader, the situation, and those individuals involved. Leaders should select influence tactics based on their experience, their power relationship with others, and their intended outcomes. They should be conscious of the effects of the tactics they use and why they are employing them. Choosing and skillfully executing influence tactics takes a conscious effort and lots of practice over time to be effective. Those leaders willing to make this commitment will be amply rewarded for their efforts.
Sidebar
Some other generalizations about power:
Sidebar
Effective leaders use all of their sources of power.
Power should not be self-serving or abusive.
The best use of power considers the effects on others.
Sidebar
- Influence efforts intended to build people up frequently lead to positive outcomes. Effective organizations are characterized by high degrees of influence sharing between leaders and subordinates.
The appropriate use of all of one's power is positively related to a leader's performance evaluations and promotion rates.
There is a strong tendency for leaders to resort to hard tactics (i.e., legitimizing or pressure tactics) whenever they have an advantage in clout if other tactics fail to get results and/or they anticipate resistance. Hard tactics can be effective, however, they should be tactics of last resort. Relying on them can change the way we see others or how others see us.
The best power relationships feel like partnerships, whereby partners recognize that they can only be successful in the long run if they maintain genuine respect, cooperation with each other, and share success.
AuthorAffiliation
Maj Anderson is an instructor of economics at the U.S. Naval Academy. He holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Webster University, and United States International University.
Word count: 1429
Copyright Marine Corps Association Dec 1998
Now take a closer look at source of power and influence tactics in the following two book chapter readings. The first book chapter is written by Dr. Fred Luthans of the University of Nebraska and the second book is by Tayla Bauer of Portland State University. They are both leading authorities on management and organizational behavior:
Luthans, F., Luthans, K. W., & Luthans, B. C. (2015). Chapter 10: Power and Politics. Organizational behavior: An evidence-based approach. Charlotte, North Carolina: Information Age Publishing, pp. 280-287. Available in the EBSCO eBook Collection in the Trident Online Library.
[Note: you don’t have to read the whole chapter above, just the first part on organizational power. You will be reading the last section on organizational politics for Module 2.
Also, when looking up books in eBook collections, don’t copy and paste the entire reference into the search engine. Instead, only include the name of the author and title of the book. For example, to find the above book, enter the following search terms into the search engine: Organizational Behavior: An Evidence-based Approach Luthans]
Bauer, T., & Erdogan, B. (2012). Chapter 13.3: The power to influence. Organizational Behavior. Flatworld Knowledge. Retrieved from https://www.saylor.org/site/textbooks/Organizational%20Behavior.pdf
Required Case Assignment Reading
Schulman, D. (2014, July). Koch vs. Koch. Mother Jones, 39(4), 16–27. Available in the Trident Online Library.
Tomsho, R. (1989, August 9). Blood feud: Koch family is roiled by sibling squabbling over its oil empire: Fired by his brother, William sues often, helps feds to probe Koch Industries, haling mother into court. Wall Street Journal [ProQuest]
Optional Reading
Pfeffer, J. (2010). Power play. Harvard Business Review, July-August, Vol 88 Issue 7/8, p. 85-92. [Business Source Complete]
Robbins, S. (1997). Chapter 11: Power and politics. Essentials of Organizational Behavior. Pearson Education, New York, NY. Retrieved from www.rim.edu.bt/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/OBCDCH116.pdf
Hellriegel, D. & Slocum, J. (2004). Chapter 9: Power and political behavior. Organizational Behavior 10th Edition. Mason, Ohio: Thomson/South-Western. Retrieved from http://www.swlearning.com/management/hellriegel/ob10e/isc/web_chapters/00-032C09.pdf
Haneberg L. (2012). Chapter 5: Positively using your power. The ASTD Management Development Handbook: Innovation for Today's Manager. Alexandria, Va: American Society for Training & Development. [EBSCO eBook Collection]
Module Overview
In this module, we will be looking at sources of power. We have described power as the ability to get people to do something that they otherwise would not do. For some, this connotes having the authority to “order” or “force” someone to act in a certain way. However, in this module, we will see that there are multiple other ways to get results—in addition to the power conferred by authority.
Legitimate power is the power that comes from a position of authority. But in addition to reacting to authority, employees are more likely to do what you say if you have strong expertise and knowledge. This is called expert power. If you have earned a lot of respect and admiration from your employees, they are also much more likely to do what you say. This type of power is called referent power. Other types of power that you will read about in this module are coercive power and reward power.
Exerting your power does not just mean giving orders. Typically a leader will use influence strategies, which go above and beyond just giving an order. This might involve rational persuasion, which involves explaining the logic and reason why the employee should do what you say. Inspirational appeal is another highly effective method, which involves appealing to the deeply held values of your employees. Other influence tactics you will read about include consultation, ingratiation, and exchange. No single influence strategy is the best one for all situations, but as a leader you need to be aware of all of the main strategies available to influence your employees to get the job done and meet organizational goals.
Module 2 - Home
Organizational Politics
Modular Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, the student will be able to satisfy the following outcomes:
• Case
o Identify and explain the main sources of organizational politics.
o Identify and explain the main types of political behavior.
o Apply the three main areas of organizational ethics towards political actions.
• SLP
o Identify and explain the main sources of organizational politics.
o Identify and explain the main types of political behavior.
o Apply the three main areas of organizational ethics towards political actions.
• Discussion
o Identify examples of organizational politics in popular culture.
Module Overview
No matter how well run an organization is or how well qualified its employees are, the simple fact is that organizational politics are unavoidable. Organizations have people, and where you have people you have politics. However, some characteristics of organizations and of individuals are more likely to lead to political behavior.
If your organizational has unclear expectations or reward systems, then employees will be more likely to use political behavior in order to advance themselves. The more clearly defined performance expectations are, the more likely employees are to focus on their job rather than engage in politics. Also, creating an atmosphere of trust is another factor that minimizes politics. A lack of trust is one reason why people will resort to political behavior. In this module, you will learn about several other important individual and organizational factors that lead to political behavior.
There are numerous types of political behavior. For example, employees may selectively distribute information and keep some information to themselves in order to advance themselves or their agendas. Employees may go even further and attack or blame other employees. Another common political tactic is to form a coalition with other employees or departments that share their same political agenda. These are just a few examples of political behavior that you will read about.
As a leader, you can use your knowledge of political behavior and its causes to minimize the level of politics in your organization and keep everyone focused on doing their jobs. Likewise, you can also use politics to advance your own power or promotion. No matter how much distaste for politics you might have, some political behavior may be necessary to effectively do your job. But at the same time, you also need to be aware of the ethical considerations of political behavior. For any act of political behavior, you need to weigh the utilitarian outcome of your actions. That means ensuring that more good is done than harm as a result of your action. You also need to consider the individual rights of your employees. No action can be considered ethical if anyone’s rights are violated. Finally, you also need to consider distributive justice—which means ensuring that employees are treated equitably and fairly. In summary, politics are not necessarily evil but at the same time true leaders need to avoid the “dark side” and make sure they carefully consider the consequences of their actions.
Module 3 - Home
Conflict and Negotiation
Modular Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, the student will be able to satisfy the following outcomes:
• Case
o Identify and explain the main sources of organizational conflict.
o Identify and explain the main conflict management styles.
• SLP
o Identify and explain the main sources of organizational conflict.
o Identify and explain the main conflict management styles.
o Apply negotiation steps and methods to real-world situations.
• Discussion
o Analyze and assess your own conflict management style.
Module Overview
In Modules 1 and 2 you learned about organizational power and politics as well as some contentious situations that arose in real-world organizations as a result of the exercise of power and political behavior. As a leader, you will need to know how to defuse contentious disputes that are inevitable in any organization.
It should be noted that not all conflict is bad. If everyone blindly agrees with everyone else, problems and solutions cannot be identified. Some debate and conflict is healthy for the organization as legitimate concerns need to be openly aired and discussed. Any conflict that is healthy for the organization is called a functional conflict. One the other hand, conflict can also lead to a hostile environment and distract people from completing their jobs. Any conflict that hinders the goal of an organization is called a dysfunctional conflict. But regardless of their type, all conflicts need to be resolved, and even functional conflicts can become dysfunctional conflicts if they are not dealt with effectively.
In this module you will learn about the main causes of conflict as well as some of the main conflict management styles. In addition, you will also learn about the art of negotiation, which is often necessary to resolve a conflict. One of the major roles of leaders is to use their power and authority to resolve conflicts. This module will give you some tools for this important role.
Module 3 - Background
Conflict and Negotiation
Required Reading
Start off with two short videos from Professor Debow of the University of California, Irvine that will give you an overview of the main principles of conflict and negotiation:
Liddle, David. ( © 2017). Managing conflict: a practical guide to resolution in the workplace. [Books24x7 version]
Guttman, Howard M.. ( © 2015). Managing conflict in high performance teams. [Video File]. [Books24x7 version]
Now dig deeper into this topic with the following two book chapters. The following two readings are especially important for the Case Assignment so go through these chapters carefully:
Luthans, F., Luthans, K. W., & Luthans, B. C. (2015). Chapter 9: Stress and conflict. Organizational behavior: An evidence-based approach. Charlotte, North Carolina: Information Age Publishing, pp. 258-264. [EBSCO. Note: you don’t have to read the whole chapter, just the second part on organizational conflict]
Bauer, T., & Erdogan, B. (2012). Chapter 10: Conflict and negotiations. Organizational Behavior. Lardbucket.org
Shearouse, S. H. (2011). Chapter 5: How we respond: Approaches to conflict. Conflict 101: A manager's guide to resolving problems so everyone can get back to work. New York: AMACOM. [eBook Business Collection]
Optional Reading
Sims, R. (2002). Chapter 10 Conflict and negotiation at work. Managing Organizational Behavior. Greenwood Press Westport, CT [eBook Academic Collection]
Module 4 - Home
Persuasion
Modular Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this module, the student will be able to satisfy the following outcomes:
• Case
o Identify and explain the elements of persuasion.
o Apply persuasion techniques to managerial situations.
• SLP
o Assess your own orientation toward power, influence, and persuasion.
• Discussion
o Discuss and assess the effectiveness of video presentations on the use of persuasion.
Module Overview
We have described power as the potential to affect decisions and allocate resources, influence as the mechanism by which power is exercised—and in this module we will address the concept of persuasion—or the message that is used to sway people's opinions, attitudes, and behaviors. Persuasion is a subset of influence in that it involves the communication process in order to influence others' attitudes and behavior. Anyone who is skilled at persuasion has a special ability to make things happen.
Persuasion is more important than ever. The continuing emphasis on teams, decentralization and a flattening of hierarchy means that the old command-and-control style of leadership is no longer effective in the new organizational structure. In addition, cultural changes have spawned a workforce were younger workers no longer accept being told what to do—and certainly do not respond with unquestioning obedience. They expect to be approached with reason and given a logical explanation for why things should be done a certain way.
In this module, we will examine the elements of persuasion and learn some tools which can increase your capacity for sending a persuasive message.
Module 4 - Background
Persuasion
Required Reading
To introduce yourself to the topic of this module, take a look at the following short article by a leading expert in the area of persuasion, Dr. Robert Cialdini:
Cialdini, R. B. (2013). The six principles of persuasion. [Books24x7 version] Available in the Trident Online Library.
Now take a look at this more detailed reading to expand your knowledge of persuasion:
McLean, S. (2012). Chapter 14: Presentations to persuade. Communication for Business Success. Lardbucket.org
Finally, note that for the SLP you will have to write your own persuasive memo. The above links will give you an overview of the basic concepts of persuasion. But for some practical guidance here are a few persuasion guides that will be of great assistance to you in preparing for your Case Assignment. No need to go through all of them in detail, but take a look and use one of them as part of your guidance for your SLP.
Optional Reading
McIntosh, P., Davis, J. H., & Luecke, R. (2008). Chapter 9: When you aim to persuade. Interpersonal communication skills in the workplace. New York: AMA Self-Study. [EBSCO eBook Business Collection]
Conger, J. A. (1998). The necessary art of persuasion. Harvard Business Review, 76(3), 84-95. [Business Source Complete]