Power and Politics in Organizations
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Power and Politics in Organizations

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What does organisational politics primarily refer to?

  • The economic transactions within an organisation
  • The strategic planning processes of an organisation
  • The network of social relations between individuals in and around organisations (correct)
  • The formal structures of management within an organisation

    • How is power characterized in the context of organisational studies?

  • It results from a person's personal traits
  • It is determined entirely by the position title
  • It is a result of a position in a network of relations (correct)
  • It is solely based on individual charisma

    • According to Max Weber, what is essential for authority?

  • It requires the consent of those being managed (correct)
  • It must be declared by law
  • It must be enforced through fear
  • It is irrelevant to the effectiveness of management

    • Which of the following types of authority is NOT recognized by Max Weber?

    <p>Organic authority</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the relationship between power, legitimacy, and uncertainty in organisations?

    <p>Legitimacy often provides a framework for power amidst uncertainty</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What aspect does 'soft domination' relate to in organisational politics?

    <p>Informal influence and persuasion</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which type of power does NOT involve structural and positional characteristics?

    <p>Charismatic authority</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a total institution according to the context provided?

    <p>An entity where all aspects of life are controlled and regulated</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What defines charismatic authority according to Weber?

    <p>Quality of an individual personality that sets them apart as having exceptional powers.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which characteristic is NOT associated with rational-legal authority?

    <p>Established through inherited family tradition.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does legitimacy imply in the context of power?

    <p>Power recognized and accepted as just and valid by the dominated.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Crozier and Friedberg, what is a critical resource of power in the workplace?

    <p>The ability to master and sustain uncertainty.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What describes the nature of organizations according to the content?

    <p>Organizations are political arenas marked by conflicts and tensions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a common resistance to change within organizations?

    <p>Organizational activities aiming to disrupt change initiatives.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the concept of a 'zone of uncertainty' refer to in the discussion on power?

    <p>An area of unpredictability that increases individual power.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements about power is inaccurate?

    <p>Power dynamics are universally accepted without contestation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What concept does Bentham's panopticon illustrate in the context of surveillance?

    <p>Centralized surveillance</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a total institution as defined by Goffman?

    <p>Members have complete autonomy in decision-making</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What percentage of participants in the original Milgram experiment continued to administer shocks?

    <p>65%</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Hannah Arendt, how can individuals who commit acts of evil be characterized?

    <p>As ordinary people influenced by situational factors</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is identified as a method to break obedience in authority structures?

    <p>Referencing personal values and ethics</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What trend does the rise of digital panopticon suggest about privacy in the 21st century?

    <p>Privacy is becoming increasingly negligible</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was scientists' initial expectation regarding the Milgram experiment's outcomes?

    <p>Only a small percentage would obey authority</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which technological tool is an example of the digital panopticon in use?

    <p>Google Analytics</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a primary factor that influences political relations within organizations?

    <p>Management of meaning and organizational symbolism</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the concept of salience of issues imply regarding power claims within organizations?

    <p>Issues concerning top management are more likely to be the basis for power claims.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characterizes 'soft domination' in organizations?

    <p>It emphasizes the appearance of equality among peers.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does governmentality differ from traditional forms of governance?

    <p>It promotes self-governance and self-surveillance.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes the idea of 'dominancy' within organizations?

    <p>Structures of dominancy from society are replicated in organizations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a consequence of soft domination regarding resistance within organizations?

    <p>Resistance to authority becomes less legitimate.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of students represents a small percentage in higher education from working-class backgrounds according to the provided content?

    <p>Students in business schools</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is often seen as a method of organizational control in modern domination?

    <p>Using electronic surveillance and self-policing.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which group is likely to face more challenges in social mobility according to the content?

    <p>Working-class students</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the complexity and degree of uncertainty in organizational dilemmas impact?

    <p>The ability to deliver power effectively.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Power and Politics in Organizations

    • Course: Organizations Management Course
    • Instructor: Dr. Thierry VIALE
    • Contact: [email protected]

    Outline

    • Learning objectives
    • Introduction to organizational politics and power
    • Sources of power
    • Political arenas and resistance
    • Domination and social structure
    • Soft domination
    • Total institutions
    • Experiments with authority

    Learning Objectives

    • Understand organizational politics and power's interconnectedness
    • Recognize the normalcy of politics in organizational life
    • Understand surveillance, resistance, and empowerment practices
    • Critically evaluate empowerment ethics

    Introduction

    • Organizational politics is pervasive
    • Refers to social relations within and around organizations
    • Power results from positional relationships within networks
    • Power is structural and positional
    • Authority relates to personal attributes, charisma, and power embodiment
    • Legitimacy is about perception, belief, and recognition

    Sources of Power

    • Max Weber established foundational concepts of power in organizations (Economy and Society, 1922)
    • Differentiated between authority and domination
    • Authority requires consent, while domination implies lacking granted legitimacy to superiors
    • Weber identified three types of authority:
      • Charismatic authority: based on exceptional personal qualities
      • Traditional authority: rooted in established beliefs and traditions like inheritance
      • Rational-legal authority: based on codified rules and procedures (e.g., modern law, bureaucracy)

    Charismatic Authority

    • Exceptional personal qualities make individuals stand apart and are attributed supernatural or exceptional powers

    Traditional Authority

    • Power derived from a belief in time-honored traditions, traditions, and inheritance
    • Power based on codified rules, procedures, and modern law/bureaucracy in the modern era

    Power from Legitimacy

    • Legitimacy is the acceptance of power by the dominated
    • Legitimacy attaches to actions and wider social structures based on widespread belief in their validation and righteousness.

    Modern Theories of Power

    • Actors are guided by self-interest
    • Mastering and sustaining uncertainty in the workplace is a crucial source of power within organizations.
    • Power is often played out in conflicts over uncertain informal games that aren't apparent in official charts and organization schemes.
    • Unpredictability leads to more power.
    • Knowledge can be a contested resource

    Organizations as Political Arenas

    • Organizations are arenas for conflict and tension
    • Resistance to change is an organizational activity aiming to impede change
    • Power, tensions, and conflict may be important to understand as organizational dynamics.
    • Power, conflict, and tension can be present and relevant in different organization contexts.
    • Spin doctors, consultants, and coaches—examine their relevance in organizational contexts.
    • The importance of political factors in organizations and markets

    Organizations as Political Arenas (cont.)

    • Politics arises from several contributing factors
    • Meaning and symbolic factors within an organization, including myths, beliefs, language, and legends shape perceptions and understandings that form the culture of an organization.
    • Divisions and different roles and identities, associated values, and styles (e.g. in creative industries)

    Organizations as Political Arenas (cont.)

    • Complexity and Degree of Uncertainty: Control over uncertainty isn't a measure of power unless it's significant.
    • Salience of Issues: Issues that concern management more directly are more likely to be power-related.
    • External Pressure: Stakeholder pressure can empower individuals and groups within an organization.

    Dominance as a Reflection of Social Structure

    • Organizations perpetuate existing social structures related to dominance
    • Traditional social structures influence and are reflected in organizations
    • Examples, like those in old countries (e.g., France or UK), show significant socioeconomic disparities

    Modern Domination: Soft Domination

    • Soft domination appears equal but is a system of control
    • Legitimate techniques of control used by management
    • Tools include electronic surveillance, empowerment tactics, and mutual control
    • These tactics cause resistance to feel less legitimate

    Modern Domination: Soft Domination (cont.)

    • Governmentality, a shift from power-using to self-governing
    • Individuals become subjected to their government and are actively incentivized to engage in self-governance
    • Self-policing and surveillance are common
    • Subjugation, achieved through coercion, is replaced by consent
    • This strategy for control is now pervasive in the digital age

    Digital Surveillance/Domination

    • Bentham's Panopticon concept: centralized surveillance
    • Modern usage of digital surveillance and social media as tools for control and data collection
    • Total institutions, like those previously discussed, characterized by strict regulations and constant surveillance of individuals

    Experiments with Authority/Power

    • Banality of Evil: Nazi criminals were ordinary people, and the actions were not inherently monstrous.
    • Milgram Experiment: Investigating human obedience to authority in an experiment regarding delivering perceived shocks to others.
    • Replication in Poland: 90% of participants did not stop administering perceived shocks in the experiment.

    When it's Time to Say No

    • Ethical and personal values and bravery are crucial
    • Courage as a valuable way to overcome obedience-based power structures

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    Description

    This quiz explores the interconnections between power and politics within organizations. It covers various sources of power, political arenas, and concepts such as soft domination and total institutions. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for evaluating organizational life and ethical practices in empowerment.

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