Power and Politics    

Power and Politics

MGT 331

Team B

May 3, 2007

Gary Denney

Abstract

Political activity is inevitable in any organization.  Politics can be either positive or negative depending on the strength of self-interest that pervades.  Organizational politics are a natural result of the fact that people think differently and want to act differently.  Power, the ability to make decisions and control resources, originates in the dynamics of the relationships between people.  This diversity creates a tension that can best be resolved through political means.  Politics is part of the corporate culture of every organization and it is important to understand how it plays into an organization.  There are specific actions an organization can take to exert influence over a group.

Power and Politics

A Corporation is a living, breathing, and growing entity.  It changes on an irregular basis, adapts to its environment, and sometimes performs acts that seem almost ludicrous.  In this way, a corporation is very much like a human being.  As a part of this being, one must learn how to grow and change.  Most of the time, this information is not evident.  However, part of the task of becoming a viable asset to this being is to look beyond the surface and find out where things are going.  Politics are a natural result of the fact that people think differently and want to act differently.  Most of us view office politics as a bad thing, creating stress and blocking productivity, but that is not the complete picture.  This essay will explain why politics are a perfectly fair means of making organizations work by comparing and contrasting power and politics in organizations.

According to Aristotle, politics stems from a diversity of interests.  To understand the politics of the organization, it is necessary to explore the processes by which people engage in politics.  Consistent with Aristotle's conceptualization, it is a given that, within the organization, all employees bring their own interests, wants, desires, and needs to the workplace.

Politics is like the Force: it holds the universe together, but offers terrible power to those who are tempted by the dark side.  Politics at its worst can be incredibly ugly.  However, at its benign best, politics is a social lubricant, allowing people to work together with minimal interpersonal friction.  By understanding the politics whizzing around the workplace, it enables any individual to get the resources needed to do their job well; and may even help defend him and his team, in the event of a political disaster.

In the traditional hierarchical company, power carefully measures out from the smoke-filled boardroom downwards.  People know their roles, and how they should perform; at least in theory.  Politics is how the officially less powerful or the powerless can obtain power.  A classic example is The Boss's Secretary- She is more then likely, not on the organization chart, but get on the wrong side of her and your career is toast.  

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Power is the ability to make things happen, and politics is like the art of obtaining power.  If people do not have power of their own, they need to find someone who does and influence him or her to make their things happen.  Nelson Mandela overthrew the odious apartheid regime from his prison cell.  Gandhi changed the fate of 500 million people, taking India out of the British Empire without military backing or political office.  Influence is the key and often carries more real power than the official kind.  The deep-seated beliefs and behavior patterns that comprise organizational culture can ...

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