Ch. 14 Managing Conflict, Power, and Politics PDF

§14 Managing conEict, power, and poli cs 14.1 What is organiza onal conEict? Organiza onal conEict is the clash that occurs when the goal-directed behaviour of one group blocks or thwarts the goals of another. Con:ict can be benecial for an organizaon because it can overcome organizaonal inera a...

§14 Managing conEict, power, and poli cs 14.1 What is organiza onal conEict? Organiza onal conEict is the clash that occurs when the goal-directed behaviour of one group blocks or thwarts the goals of another. Con:ict can be benecial for an organizaon because it can overcome organizaonal inera and lead to organizaonal learning and change. However, beyond a certain point, con:ict stops being a force for good and becomes a cause of organizaonal decline. In a somewhat vicious cycle, the slow and ponderous decision-making characterisc of organizaons in decline leads to even greater con:ict because the consequences of failure are great. To take advantage of the value-creang aspects of con:ict and avoid its dysfunconal e*ects, managers must learn how to control it. 14.2 Pondy’s model of organiza onal conEict Louis R. Pondy views con:ict as a process that consists of ve sequenal episodes or stages. 68 Stage 1: latent conEict In this stage, no outright con:ict exists. However, the potenal for con:ict to arise is present, although latent, because of the way an organizaon operates. According to Pondy, all organizaonal con:ict arises because vercal and horizontal di*erenaon lead to the establishment of di*erent organizaonal subunits with di*erent goals and o2en di*erent percepons. Five potenal sources of con:ict can be idened: - Subunits’ interdependence: each subunits’ desire for autonomy comes into con:ict with the organizaon’s desire for coordinaon; Subunits’ di*ering goals; Bureaucrac factors; Incompable performance criteria: the way an organizaon designs its structure to coordinate subunits can a*ect the potenal for con:ict; Compeon for resources. Stage 2: perceived conEict This stage begins when a subunit or stakeholders group perceived that its goals are being thwarted be the acons of another group. Each subunit begins to dene why the con:ict is emerging and to analyse the events that have led up to it. Normally at this point the con:ict escalates as the di*erent subunits or stakeholders start to ba9le over the cause of the problem. Stage 3: felt conEict In this stage, subunits in con:ict quickly develop an emoonal response to ward one another. Typically, each subunit closes ranks and develops a polarized us-versus-them mentality that puts the blame for the con:ict squarely on the other subunit. Stage 4: manifest conEict In this stage, one subunit gets back at another subunit by a9empng to thwart its goals. Manifest con:ict can take many forms. A very e*ecve form is passive aggression: frustrang the goals of the opposion by doing nothing. Managers need to do all they can to prevent con:ict from reaching the manifest stage, for two reasons: because of the breakdown in communicaon that is likely to occur and because of the a2ermath of con:ict. Stage 5: conEict aKermath Every episode of con:ict leaves a con:ict a2ermath that a*ects the way both pares perceive and react to future episodes. If a con:ict is resolved before it gets too the manifest con:ict stage, then the a2ermath will promote good future working relaonships. 14.3 Managing conEict: conEict resolu on stages An organizaon must balance the need to have some ‘good’ con:ict with the need to prevent ‘good’ con:ict from escalang into ‘bad con:ict’. The method an organizaon chooses to manage con:ict depends on the source of the problem. Two common strategies managers use to resolve con:ict involve: (1) changing an organizaon’s structure to reduce or eliminate the cause of the con:ict, or (2) trying to change the a3tudes of individuals or replacing the individuals themselves. Ac ng at the level of structure 69 Altering the level of di*erenaon and integraon to change task relaonships is one way to resolve con:ict. One way is to increase the number of integrang roles in the organizaon and assign top mangers the responsibility for solving con:ict. Another way is to make sure the design of an organizaon’s hierarchy of authority is in line with its current needs. Fla9ening the hierarchy, so that authority relaonships are clearly dened, and decentralizing authority can remove a major source of organizaonal con:ict. Ac ng at the level of aOtudes and individuals One way to harness con:ict between subunits and prevent the polarizaon of a3tudes that result during a con:ict, is to set up a procedural system that allows pares in con:ict to air their grievances and hear other groups’ point of view. Another way is by the exchange and rotaon of people between subunits to encourage groups to learn each other’s point of view. When a3tudes are di;cult to change because they have developed over a long period, the only way to resolve a con:ict may be to change the people involved. AOtudinal structuring is a process designed to in:uence the a3tudes of the opposing party and to encourage the percepon that both pares are on the same side and want to solve a dispute amicably. 14.4 What is organiza onal power? Organiza onal power is the mechanism through which con:ict gets resolved. It can be dened as the ability of one person or group to overcome resistance by others to achieve a desired objecve or result. Con:ict and power are inmately related. Con:ict arises because although di*erent managers or subunits must cooperate to achieve organizaonal goals, at the same me they are in compeon for organizaonal resources and have di*erent goals and priories. 14.5 Sources of organiza onal power All funcons and divisions gain power from one or more of these seven sources: authority, control over resources, control over informaon, non-substutability, centrality, control over uncertainty and unobtrusive power (the power of the ‘dominant coalion’). 14.6 Using power: organiza onal poli cs 70 Organiza onal poli cs compromises, In the words of Je*rey Pfei*er, “acvies taken within organizaons to acquire, develop, and use power and other resources to obtain one’s preferred outcomes in a situaon in which there are uncertainty or disagreement about choices.” Tac cs for playing poli cs The reward for success is change that gives them a greater share of organizaonal resources. Individuals and subunits can use many polical taccs to obtain the power they need to achieve their goals and objecves. - - - - Becoming indispensable: the can be achieved by an increase in non-substutability or an increase in centrality. Becoming non-substutable: non-substutable managers and subunits need to be called in to solve specic problems as they arise, and their ability to come up with soluons increases their status and presge. Becoming central. Associang with powerful managers: by supporng a powerful managers and making oneself indispensable to that person, it is possible to rise up the organizaonal ladder with that person. Indicators of power include an individual’s personal reputaon and ability to (1) in:uence organizaonal decision-making outcomes, (2) control signicant organizaonal resources, and (3) display symbols of presge and status such as access to the corporate jet or limousine. Building and managing coalions. Ability to manipulate decision making, which is one of the most important polical taccs a manager can use to in:uence the polics of decision making. Possessing and using power is only the rst skill needed to play polics, knowing how and when to use power is equally important. Controlling the agenda Brining in an outside expert. The cost and bene=ts of organiza onal poli cs Organizaonal polics can improve the choices and decisions that an organizaon makes, but it can also produce problems and promote con:ict if it is not managed skilfully. To manage organizaon polics and gain its benets, an organizaon must establish a balance of power in which alternave views and soluons can be o*ered and considered by all. It is also important for the balance of power to shi2 over me, toward the part that can best manage the uncertainty and conngencies facing the organizaon. Ulmately, whether power and polics benet or harm an organizaon is a funcon of the balance of power among organizaonal stakeholders. 71 Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)