tailieunhanh - Ebook Organizational behavior - An evidence-Based approach (12th edition): Part 2

(BQ) Part 2 book "Organizational behavior" has contents: Power and politics; groups and teams, behavioral performance management, effective leadership processes, great leaders - An evidence based approach,.and other contents. | 11/25/09 4:40 PM Page 312 Chapter Ten Power and Politics Learning Objectives • Define power and its relationship to authority and influence. • Identify the various classifications of power. • Discuss the contingency approach to power. • Describe the empowerment of employees. • Relate the political implications of power. • Present some political strategies for power acquisition in modern organizations. Over the years, groups, informal organization, interactive behavior, conflict, and stress have received considerable attention as important dynamics of organizational behavior; power and politics, however, have not. As Rosabeth Kanter observed a number of years ago, “Power is America’s last dirty word. It is easier to talk about money—and much easier to talk about sex—than it is to talk about power.”1 Yet it is becoming clear, and anyone who has spent any time in a formal organization can readily verify, that organizations are highly political, and power is the name of the game. For example, a major problem for most firms today is not necessarily formulating effective strategies, but implementing and executing A recent large survey of executives identified “trying to execute a strategy that conflicts with the existing power structure” as a major obstacle to strategy However, from a political perspective of power, this same survey suggests that “an ability to form coalitions and gain the support of influential people in the organization will help immensely with the execution of formulated plans.”4 Power and politics must be brought out from behind closed doors and recognized as an important dynamic in organizational behavior. For example, the dynamics of power—how to use it and how to abuse it—were discovered by Joseph O’Donnell, who was abruptly fired from his high-level executive position with JWT Group Inc. when he proposed stripping the CEO and chairman Don Johnston of his day-to-day operating duties. In other cases, .