Power and Resistance to Change
ReChapter 8 Power and Resistance to Change
Power, Politics and Change * Concept of power emerged from social theory, viewed as the ability of one party to get another to do something they would not do otherwise -set of behaviours intended to change another set of behaviours * Power is associated with the influence, the allocation & mobilisation of resources, the ability to manipulate situations, the capacity to affect systems & processes, the fulfilment of needs & the achievement of objectives. * Power = chief vehicle through which resistance is tackled or avoided * Power also linked to politics & control * Politics = process where disparate concerns clash, creating inevitable partisan interests * Organisation change a politicised process because decisions must be made in the face of uncertainty * Political skill has been reframed as an interpersonal style that can help managers to facilitate change.
Perspectives on Power
Sociological theory perspectives on power * Power derives from control of resources & is used to control people * Power is fixed within a social groups formal structure & relationships * Power is inequitably distributed & is associated with knowledge * Power is observable & assumes all parties are aware of their power positions
Organisational Theory of Power * Power is hidden, ambigious or even unconscious * Power is not confined to conflict * Power is not necessarily “hard” or “direct” or “confrontational” * Power is complex & subtle * Established bases & sources of power exist * Political behaviour is an accepted & persuasive dimension of the role of change agents
Bases of Power
French & Raven’s ,5 bases of power: * Reward Power: based on belief change initiator has access to valued rewards that is dispensed in return for compliance -based on hope that extrinsic reward will compensate for a loss of autonomy -commonly
Power, Politics and Change * Concept of power emerged from social theory, viewed as the ability of one party to get another to do something they would not do otherwise -set of behaviours intended to change another set of behaviours * Power is associated with the influence, the allocation & mobilisation of resources, the ability to manipulate situations, the capacity to affect systems & processes, the fulfilment of needs & the achievement of objectives. * Power = chief vehicle through which resistance is tackled or avoided * Power also linked to politics & control * Politics = process where disparate concerns clash, creating inevitable partisan interests * Organisation change a politicised process because decisions must be made in the face of uncertainty * Political skill has been reframed as an interpersonal style that can help managers to facilitate change.
Perspectives on Power
Sociological theory perspectives on power * Power derives from control of resources & is used to control people * Power is fixed within a social groups formal structure & relationships * Power is inequitably distributed & is associated with knowledge * Power is observable & assumes all parties are aware of their power positions
Organisational Theory of Power * Power is hidden, ambigious or even unconscious * Power is not confined to conflict * Power is not necessarily “hard” or “direct” or “confrontational” * Power is complex & subtle * Established bases & sources of power exist * Political behaviour is an accepted & persuasive dimension of the role of change agents
Bases of Power
French & Raven’s ,5 bases of power: * Reward Power: based on belief change initiator has access to valued rewards that is dispensed in return for compliance -based on hope that extrinsic reward will compensate for a loss of autonomy -commonly