Leadership

BUSM 4177 / 4194

Leading for Change

Topic 4: Leadership power and influence

Learning Objectives

Power and influence in leadership:

1. Understand the process by which power is acquired or lost in organisations.

2. Understand the consequences of power for leadership effectiveness.

3. Understand ways to use power effectively.

4. Understand the different types of influence tactics used in organisations.

5. Understand how the tactics are used to influence subordinates, peers, and superiors.

6. Understand effective ways to use the tactics.

Defining Power

A non-tangible characteristic of

a position-holder in an

organisation The capacity of one person to

influence another

Ability to reward or punish

Access to resources

that others do not have

A persuasive personality

trait

A force that may be

individually or

organisationally

based

Power Concepts

Power

• Capacity of one party to influence another

• A sense of direction (powerful to powerless)

• Only exists within a context

• Dynamic variable that may change with time or circumstance

Authority

• Rights, obligations an duties associated with particular positions in

organization

• Duty for those on the receiving end to obey

• May be limited in scope or context

Who or what has power in organisations … and how is it deployed?

Some conversation starters…

RMIT University© School of Management

French and Raven (1959) original power types

1. Reward

2. Coercive

3. Legitimate

4. Referent

5. Expert

And more recently added:

6. Information

7. Ecological

Position power

Personal power

Position power

RMIT University© School of Management 7

Using the French and Raven power types

Yukl suggests how best to “deploy” each power type

For example – deploying reward power:

 Offer the type of reward that people desire

 Offer rewards that are fair and ethical

 Don’t promise more than you can deliver

 Explain the criteria for giving rewards

 Provide rewards as promised if requirements are met

 Use rewards symbolically (not in a manipulative way)

See textbook for examples of deploying other reward types

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The four faces of power

(Fleming and Spicer 2007)

1. Coercion – one individual getting another to follow his/her orders

2. Manipulation of agendas through behind the scenes politicking

3. Domination over the preferences and opinions of participants

4. Subjectification – people are moulded with certain understandings of

themselves and the world around them (Fleming and Spicer 2007)

Fleming, P and Spicer, A (2007) Contesting the Corporation: Struggle, Power and

Resistance in Organisations, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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The four faces of power - application

COERCION

Direct coercion is about getting another

person to do something that he or she

would otherwise not have done

MANIPULATION

• Exclusion from decision making authority

• Power as manipulation - There is no direct

exercise of power but an implicit shaping

of issues considered important or

irrelevant.

DOMINATION

• Power that shapes our preferences,

attitudes and political outlook

• Implication that power is used to achieve

outcomes that are contrary to the

individual’s interests

Examples:

• Men dominating women

• Corporations dominating workers

SUBJECTIFICATION

• Focus of the constitution of the very

person who makes decisions

• The organisation moulds people into a

certain type

• Use of knowledge to produce compliance

• The culture of the customer (but people

often undermine these types of

organisational cultures – there is

resistance)

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The four faces of power – ways of resisting

RESISTING COERCION

• Refuse to do what the person in the

position of power tells him / her to do.

• Aim to block the effects of power by

undermining the domination rather

than changing it

RESISTING MANIPULATION

• Gain access to power in order to

express voice:

• Internal – Women’s groups,

trade unions

• External – social movements

• Sabotage the organisation / plan

RESISTING DOMINATION

• “Escape” - ie mentally disengage

from the world of work

• Use cynicism, scepticism and dis-

identification in response to

domination

RESISTING SUBJECTIFICATION

• Create something that was not

intended by those in authority

• Make use of parody or criticism eg

Union newsletter

The influence of power on leadership effectiveness

I hope I can convince

the committee to

agree to my proposal

The influence of power on leadership effectiveness (continued)

Effective Leaders:

 Have more expert and referent power

 Rely on personal power more than position power

 Have a moderate amount of position power

The influence of power on leadership effectiveness (continued)

Power and organisational change

 Expert and referent power for persuasion

 Personal and position power increase the likelihood of success

Copyright© 2013 Pearson Education Leadership in Organizations

8-13

The influence of power on leadership effectiveness (continued)

 Position power is an important source of influence

 Position power can enhance personal power

 Control over information complements expert power

 Reward power facilitates deeper exchange relationships

 Reward power enhances referent power

 Some coercive power is necessary to support legitimate and expert power

 Coercive power is needed to restrain disruptive influences

Influence Concepts

Influence tactics – four major approaches (not mutually exclusive!)

• Impression management

• Provide praise, self-promote, offer unconditional help

• Political

• Influence decision-making, manipulate agendas, silence critics, deceive

• Proactive

• Change procedures, support change, allocate new tasks, provide assistance

• Reactive

• Resist unwanted influence, modify the request, undermine leader

Influence Concepts (continued)

Proactive influence is often labelled as the most ethical and desirable of the four

tactics

Research into the proactive approach has identified sub-types of this tactic.

The graphic on the next slide is Gary Yukl’s view on how this could / should work.

In his language, the “agent” is the person attempting to influence and the “target”

is the person who is on the receiving end of the influence.

REFLECTION

POINT Is influence purely one-way (ie from the agent to the target)?

Can you imagine a situation where the influence is bi-directional?

Influence Concepts (continued)

Yukl’s definition of the 11 proactive influence subtypes

Influence Concepts (continued)

The concept of an “escalation” or “sequencing” of tactics to achieve outcome

Typically, a manager will start with the tactic that is least intrusive or

resource-costly

If resistance is anticipated a more intrusive tactic might be deployed

People using power to influence employee behaviour have a responsibility

to act ethically.

REFLECTION

POINT What influence tactic would you consider “intrusive” ?

How might organisational or situational factors affect influence

tactics?

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Influence Concepts (continued)

Influence outcomes

Review questions

1. Which sources of power stem primarily from personal attributes and

which sources of power stem from organisational position?

2. What types of power are related most strongly to leadership

effectiveness?

3. Can multiple influence tactics be used at the one time?

4. What example of “unethical” misuse of power can you suggest?

5. Which influence tactics would you feel comfortable and confident to

apply? Why?

6. Thinking critically, what are the downsides of leadership power and

influence?

Images included in this presentation are licenced under creative commons. Learn more about the creative commons scheme here.

RMIT is proud to partner with Pearson Australia in the development of the

customised resources for this course.

This presentation draws on material from chapter four of the course textbook

Sustainable Leadership people, technology and design – an RMIT Custom

Publication, Pearson® Australia and is subject to copyright.

Presentation developed by Ian Woodruff, School of Management,

RMIT University

Graphics used in this presentation were created using Presenter Media Software

licenced to Ian Woodruff, RMIT University.

Presenter Media retains copyright for these graphics.

Acknowledgements

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