Power and Politics Paper
Power and Politics Paper
Power and Politics are necessary influences in most organizations today. Power is not a necessary evil and is most often contained within the position of authority. Politics is a little harder to describe. People often see it when an individual is attempting to influence a decision or position within an organization without a formal role or authority. In this paper I will analyze an organizational management and leadership practices that impact organizations. I will also provide a couple real-world examples of the relationships between power and politics and how this relates to management and leadership practices.
Organizational Power Power in an organization is defined as the ability to get someone to do something you want done or the ability to make things happen in the way you want them to (Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn, 2008). Some power is derived from the position of leadership and the exercise of power over an individual or group to perform a task or job in a certain way. An example would be the chief executive officer of an organization to exercise power over others within the organization. A lower level of power would be where a supervisor exercises power over their subordinates. The amount of power is mostly relative to the formal authority in the organization. Organizational Politics Politics is different from power in that it is normally not derived from authority but from the ability to persuade others to perform or act in a way that corresponds to your best interests. Political behavior is someone attempts to sway an opinion, influence a decision or gain an advantage normally outside of that person’s control. Sometimes power and politics are similar when the person with the power is also attempting to gain approval for an unpopular decision and get team members on board. Politicking is done at after hour activities, social gathering and company meetings and different events in which the individual can speak
Power and Politics are necessary influences in most organizations today. Power is not a necessary evil and is most often contained within the position of authority. Politics is a little harder to describe. People often see it when an individual is attempting to influence a decision or position within an organization without a formal role or authority. In this paper I will analyze an organizational management and leadership practices that impact organizations. I will also provide a couple real-world examples of the relationships between power and politics and how this relates to management and leadership practices.
Organizational Power Power in an organization is defined as the ability to get someone to do something you want done or the ability to make things happen in the way you want them to (Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn, 2008). Some power is derived from the position of leadership and the exercise of power over an individual or group to perform a task or job in a certain way. An example would be the chief executive officer of an organization to exercise power over others within the organization. A lower level of power would be where a supervisor exercises power over their subordinates. The amount of power is mostly relative to the formal authority in the organization. Organizational Politics Politics is different from power in that it is normally not derived from authority but from the ability to persuade others to perform or act in a way that corresponds to your best interests. Political behavior is someone attempts to sway an opinion, influence a decision or gain an advantage normally outside of that person’s control. Sometimes power and politics are similar when the person with the power is also attempting to gain approval for an unpopular decision and get team members on board. Politicking is done at after hour activities, social gathering and company meetings and different events in which the individual can speak