CHAPTER 10: ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR:

POWER, POLITICS, CONFLICT, AND STRESS

CH 10© 2015 SAGE Publications

Organizational Behavior• The study of actions that affect performance in the

workplace• The goal of organizational behavior theorists is to explain

and predict actions and how they will affect performance• The field of organizational behavior has three levels of

focus: • The individual • The group• The organization

Personality• A combination of behavioral, metal, and emotional traits

that define an individual• Based on genetics and environmental factors• Affects behavior as well as perceptions and attitudes• Four traits:

• Locus of Control• Optimism vs. Pessimism• Risk Propensity• Machiavellianism

Locus of Control• Lies on a continuum between believing that control over

one’s destiny is external (externalizers) or believing that it is internal (internalizers)• Externalizers believe that they have no control over their fate

and that their behavior has little to do with their performance • Internalizers believe that they control their fate and that their

behavior has a direct effect on their performance

Optimism vs. Pessimism• Optimistic people believe that things will go well, and

they tend to be generally happier and more confident• Pessimistic people believe that things will not go well.

They tend to be unhappy much of the time and experience more stress than optimistic people.

Risk Propensity• The degree to which someone is willing to face

uncertainty

Machiavellianism• Based on the belief that the ends can justify the means

and power should be used to reach desired ends• High “Machs” are generally considered effective in situations in

which bargaining and winning is important, such as jobs involving negotiation and sales

The Big Five Personality Dimensions

Extroversion

Agreeableness

Emotionalism

Conscientiousness

Openness to Experience

Perception• The process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting

environmental information• Self-esteem (self-concept)• Self-efficacy: The belief in your own capability to perform in a

specific situation.

The Attribution Process• Determining the

reason for an individual’s behavior and whether it is• Situational: out of

control of the individual

or• Intentional: the

individual is consciously behaving this way

Bias in Perception• Selectivity • Frame of reference • Stereotyping • Expectations• The “like me” assumption

Attitudes• Positive or negative evaluations of people, things, and

situations

Attitude Formation• Family, friends, teachers, coworkers, the mass media,

and so on affect your attitude formation• Negative attitudes toward change tend to lead to

behavioral resistance to the change, and vise versa• Not only can employees’ attitudes have an effect on

their own performance, but they can also have an effect on the performance on their coworkers

• The Pygmalion effect is the theory that managers’ attitudes toward and expectations and treatment of employees largely determine their performance

Job Satisfaction• Is generally measured along a continuum from

satisfied/positive/high to dissatisfies/negative/low• Affects absenteeism and turnover rates• Affects citizenship behaviors and counterproductive

work behaviors• Is shaped by personality, the work itself, compensation,

growth and upward mobility, coworkers, management

Power• The ability to influence others’ behavior

• Position power: derived from top management & is delegated down the chain of command

• Personal power: derived from followers, based on an individual’s behavior

• Empowerment: giving power to employees

Types of Power • Coercive Power: Involves threats and/or punishment to

influence compliance• Connection Power: Based on the user’s relationship with

influential people• Reward Power: Based on the user’s ability to influence

others by providing something of value to them• Legitimate Power: Based on the user’s position power in

the organization

• Referent Power: Based on the user’s personal power relationships with others

• Information Power: Based on others’ need for data• Expert Power: Based on the user’s skills and knowledge

Types of Power

Politics• The process of gaining and using power

• Networking: The process of developing relationships for the purpose of socializing and career building

• Reciprocity: The creation of obligations and the development of alliances that are used to accomplish objectives

• Coalition Building: A network of alliances that help a manager achieve an objective

Political Behaviors and Guidelines for Developing Political Skills

Conflict• Exists whenever people are in disagreement &

opposition• With globalization and increasingly team-based structures, the

frequency and intensity of conflict will only continue to increase

The Psychological Contract• Composed of the implicit expectations of individual

parties• Conflict arises when the contract is broken, which

happens when:• We fail to make explicit our own expectations & fail to inquire

into the expectations of others• We assume that others have the same expectations that we

hold

Functional and Dysfunctional Conflict• Exists when disagreement & opposition support the

achievement of organizational goals• Functional conflict can decrease complacency and

reveal inefficiencies• Exists when conflict prevents the achievement of

organizational goals• Too little or too much conflict is dysfunctional

Conflict Management Styles• Avoiding Conflict Style• Accommodating Conflict Style• Forcing Conflict Style• Negotiating Conflict Style• Collaborating Conflict Style

The Negotiation Process

Conflict ResolutionWhen initiating a conflict resolution, you may want to use the collaborative conflict resolution model:

1. State the problem in terms of behaviors, consequences, and feelings

2. Get the other person to acknowledge the problem or conflict3. Ask for and/or present alternative resolutions to the conflict4. Come to an agreement

Responders and Mediators• Responding To Conflict Resolution:

• In the role of responder, you have a responsibility to contribute to successful conflict resolution when someone confronts you with a problem

• Mediating Conflict Resolution: • Frequently, parties in conflict cannot resolve their dispute

alone. In these cases, a mediator may be used.• A mediator is a neutral third party who helps resolve a

conflict

Conflict Management Styles

Arbitrators in Conflict Resolution• If the conflict cannot be resolved by mediation, an

arbitrator may be used as a follow-up • An arbitrator is a neutral third party who resolves a

conflict by making a binding decision• The arbitrator is like a judge whose decision must be

followed

Stress• The body’s reaction to environmental demands

• Stressors: Factors that cause people to feel overwhelmed by anxiety, tension, and/or pressure

• Functional Stress: Helps improve performance by challenging and motivating people to meet objectives

• Dysfunctional Stress: Stress that is severe enough to lead to burnout

Causes of Job Stress• Personality Types• Organizational Culture• Organizational Change• Management Behavior• Type of Work• Interpersonal Relations

Stress Management• Time Management• Relaxation• Nutrition• Exercise• Positive Thinking• Support network

Relaxation Techniques