Power Tactics and Power Bases.

¶ … power tactics and power bases. What are some of the key contingency variables that determine which tactic a power holder is likely to use?

A power base is the source of an individual's power. Leaders derive power from personal sources, such as the knowledge the leader has, the personal charisma the leader projects and the perceived effort the leader exerts for the organization. Leaders also derive power from their formal position in the organization including the centrality, criticality, flexibility, visibility, and relevance of their title (Michelson 194). Depending on the amount of individual and formal power they posses, they may use different tactics, such as coercively relying on fear of retribution or indirectly using intimidation and coercion. They may stress norms of shared obligation to influence others or use more direct forms of bargaining to get what they want from another person. They might use persuasive arguments based on an appeal to personal or organizational values or present facts to the individual to demonstrate an immediate need for action based in reasoned principles.

The use of different tactics will be influenced by whether a manager is dealing with a superior or a subordinate, the level of experience of the person being influenced, the experience and power base or source of the manager, and whether the required action is of immediate or long-term need. The organizational culture will also influence the types of power that are deployed by different individuals. For example, in a hierarchical organization, a leader's position will hold more influence than in a more diffusely organized, less authoritarian organizational structure and culture. Organizations with strong, cohesive cultural values allow leaders to stress those values when exerting direct or indirect influence. They can also use the possibility of mentorship as a means of leading subordinates. Highly internally competitive organizations may require managers to resort to more direct forms of bargaining and rewards to exert influence over individualistic employees.

Which source of resistance to change do you think is the most common? Which is the most difficult for management to deal with?

Six common reasons for employee resistance to organizational change are as follows: "(1). If the nature of the change is not made clear to the people who are going to be influenced by the change. (2). If the change is open to a wide variety of interpretations. (3). If those influenced feel strong forces deterring them from changing. (4). If the people influenced by the change have pressure put on them to make it instead of having a say in the nature or the direction of the change. (5). If the change is made on personal grounds" or in other words, if the change does not seem to be motivated by the common good but instead for political reasons and finally (6). "If the change ignores the already established institutions in the group" (Bolognese, 2002). Forms of resistance may take the path of active-resistance or passive-resistance. "Symptoms of active-resistance include finding fault, ridiculing, appealing to fear, and manipulating. Passive-resistance symptoms include agreeing verbally but not following through, feigning ignorance and withholding information" (Bolognese, 2002).