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 be one of the strongest influences in supporting or constraining strategic action in corporations.
One of the critical factors in understanding a corporate culture is the degree to which it is leader-centric. The behavior that the leader and the management team models profoundly shapes the culture and practices of the organization. The leader and each individual externally and internally control the coordination of individual efforts. Setting the example is a personal, internal manner of control that we hope others will model (when it is positive and appropriate). As the leader, he watches to see that the job is complete on time. He makes sure group members are appropriately dressed and equipped. He encourages everyone to do their best, sees that delegated work is properly done, and sets positive examples at all times.
Control is most often an overt behavior of the leader. There are specific actions a leader can take to exert influence over a group. The leader in a group deploys the people in his patrol in a manner to promote control, breaking up destructive cliques, to encourage greater participation, etc. He stands at certain times to maintain or assert control. He counsels an individual to help him "set a better example."
One of the most powerful actions you can take to control the group is by publicly praising individuals when they contribute to either getting the job done or keeping the group together. If you have ever been around a small child, and we were all one at some point in our lives, you might recall how much they love praise. You can heap praise on a small child until you think you are going to embarrass them, lay it on thick with a towel, until you just know they are going to tell you to stop--and they never do. They just soak it up. As adults, we love praise no less, but we are embarrassed to admit it. Our sense of self-worth, whether positive or negative, often gets in the way of allowing others to give us compliments. Overall, the leader is looking to see that the employee does the job correctly, on time, at the right place, in the right manner. He is making sure the group profited from the experience.
The most common form of power resides in a given position of authority. People in these positions of power can influence others to take actions and behave in a certain fashion. They are the ones who control the critical resources and makes decisions on organizational issues (Hatch, 1997). Internally, many large corporations engage in non-productive habits to gain power for security and control. With a constant changing economy that forces variable layoffs with no notification, this mentality is dominant in a slowing economy. The possibility of a career with any major corporation is limited.
Thus, members of organizations are constantly struggling over power. Sometimes, it is direct power for position; other times, it is influence through personal networks. A common metaphor used is “it is not what you know, it is who you know, and that makes the difference in job advancement and security”. The use of power can be beneficial to the organization or the individual. Based on an individual’s preferences and goals, the use of power gained in politics is to improve the organization. More often than not, one will usually use it for personal gain.
Attention to ethics in the workplace guides management and staff to how they should act and helps ensure that when they are struggling in times of crisis and confusion, they will retain a strong moral understanding. A major intent of a well-designed policy is to ensure ethical treatment of employees, in matters of hiring, evaluating, disciplining, firing, etc. Drake and Drake (California Management Review, V16. pp. 107-123) note, “An employer can be subject to suit for breach of contract for failure to comply with any promise it made, so the gap between stated corporate culture and actual practice has significant legal, as well as ethical implications.” Ethics programs align employee behaviors with those top priority ethical values preferred by leaders of the organization. Usually, an organization finds surprising disparity between its preferred values and the values actually reflected by behaviors in the workplace.
Today the pace of change is so rapid, particularly in the high tech industries. Only organizations that can adapt to this fast changing environment can survive. The initial step in being a responsible corporate entity is to better the relationship with all employees. Many companies look to distribute stock to its workers, therefore making the workers the owners. Businesses will do this through the company’s 401k plan. Corporations using self-managing or empowering their workers show fewer turnovers, less absenteeism, and a higher rate of productivity. This leads to a duel bottom line of achieving both higher financial gains, and valuing workers.
Attention to ethics is strong public relations and managing ethics should not be done primarily for reasons of public relations. However, frankly, the fact that an organization regularly gives attention to its ethics can portray a strong positive to the public. People see those organizations as valuing people more than profit, as striving to operate with the utmost of integrity and honor. Aligning behavior with values is critical to effective marketing and public relations programs. Consider how Johnson and Johnson handled the Tylenol crisis versus how Exxon handled the oil spill in Alaska. Bob Dunn, President and CEO of San Francisco-based Business for Social Responsibility, puts it best: “Ethical values, consistently applied, are the cornerstones in building a commercially successful and socially responsible business.”
The most profitable business combines virtue and interest, as it maximizes the present value of future earnings. The first requirement, therefore, of business success is sustainable profits. A great way to give back to those who have helped support a business is by investing in the community. For example, Bank of Hawaii has contributed funds to many different non-profit organizations though out their community. This Corporation has stood by their philosophy of giving and through reinvestment, philanthropy, and corporate-giving activities; Bank of Hawaii proudly continues their long-standing commitment.
There are often, in any society, groups of people who wish to change or influence government or businesses behavior and decisions. These groups may exert pressure on businesses through picketing, boycotting, publicity in the press, political lobbying etc. Sometimes organizations respond to what they see as the general feeling of the public on an issue.
In recent headlines, more than 150,000 lives were lost due to the horrific earthquake and tsunami that hit Indonesia nearly two weeks ago. While the death poll is still rising, survivors have lost family members, their homes, and left without anything to eat. U.S. Corporations have donated millions of dollars in cash and supplies to victims of the tsunami along the Indian Ocean. Among the biggest corporate givers is Pfizer Inc., which has donated $10 million in cash and $25 million worth of drugs to relief agencies; Coco-Cola Co., donated $10 million, Exxon Mobil Corp., donated $5 million.
In today’s society, image is everything. Corporations will make use of a global tragedy, similar to the one mentioned above, as an opportunity to manipulate the public. With their money, they are able to control the media, make political donations, and manipulate consumers. Some organizations will respond positively to this sort of pressure and some will see it as a threat to their achievement of the organizations goals.
Among the growing list of contributions made to the tsunami victims, some of these companies have suffered bad press lately. Pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Merck have recently had to deal with stories about increased risks of heart problems for patients taking their painkillers. While helping these tsunami victims just seems like the humanitarian thing to do, companies that have experienced negative public relations will try to soften their negative image with generous donations. It is a form of apology and goodwill, and another form of doing right.
Many people believe that this is better than the other systems of government, most notably communism and socialism. One of the problems is that no institution willing gives up power. The irony of our system is that as corporate power grows, the more corporations rely on democracy. Some people believe that a form of democracy for business and society would benefit both businesses and social well-being.
To help us understand organizations, we might consider them as political systems. The political metaphor helps us understand power relationships in day-to-day organizational relationships. If we accept that power relations exist in organizations, then politics are an essential part of organizational life. Organizational decision-making and problem solving, while on the surface a rational process, is also a political process. Organizational actors seek to satisfy not only organizational interests, but also for their own self-interest. Organizational politics arises when people think differently and want to act differently.
Ultimately, all politics is about power. The person with the most power is the one who is least dependent on others. Therefore, the art of gaining power is to make others dependent on you and make yourself independent of them. Politics is not about defeating others; it is about tapping into possibilities for action that solve problems. Politics is a practice. Dealing well with it requires preparation and learned skills. That involves knowing who you are, what your goals are, and how to handle yourself in the midst of conflict. Politics is not about winning at all costs. It is about maintaining relationships and getting results at the same time. That kind of knowledge helps you decide which battles are worth fighting.
References:
Hatch, Mary Jo. (1997). Organization Theory: Modern, Symbolic, and Postmodern Perspectives. New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press.
Lakoff, G. and Johnson, M. (1982). Metaphors We Live By. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Maggie Biggs. (2000, September). Tomorrow's workforce. InfoWorld: CTO FirstMover,S59-S61. Retrieved January 3, 2005, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 60644665).
Mike Pedler. (2002). Beyond the Learning Organization. Management Learning, 33(2), 270. Retrieved January 3, 2005, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 128815861).
Triandis, H. C. (1994). Culture and social behavior . New York: McGraw-Hill.
Weiss, Alan Jay. (1978, August). Surviving and Succeeding in the “Political” Organization: Becoming a Leader. Supervisory Management, 23(8), 27. Retrieved December 29, 2004, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID:1317286).