The Political Frame

Presented by Ryan Lorico

Points to Discuss

Politics

In a General View In an Organizational Perspective In an Educators Point of View

Political Frame Bolman and Deal Organization as Coalition Power and Decision Making Conflict in Organization Lessons Learned

The Political Frame: General View

Random Interview On How they view/define Politics in the most common sense..

Respondents: House help, Students, Office workers, Results:

Power Government Implementation of Law and policies Corruption Red Tape Avenue for Change Decision Making

The Political Frame: Organizational Perspective

Organizations are made of the following:

Diverse Groups of Individuals

Background Skill Ideals Culture Belief Interest Goals

The Political Frame: Organizational Perspective

The challenge for Management:

To mold this diversity into a functional, decision making unit. There are not enough resources to give everyone what he or she wants, and there is always going to be conflict. To Manage and Control differences

The Political Frame: Educators Point of View

According to Richard M. Jacobs, OSA, Ph.D. Professor at Villanova University in the USA

Interdependence, power relations, and the scarcity of necessary resources impinge upon people and influence their decision-making processes. For managers and leaders, the question is not whether organizations will have politics...but the kind of politics they will have. Not about how managers and leaders avoid politics... but about how they deal with politics. Not whether managers and leaders will use their current position as a steppingstone towards greener pastures but how they will manage and lead workplace politics towards positive and productive ends.

The Political Frame: Bolman and Deal

Politics is a realistic process of making decisions and allocating resources in a content of scarcity and divergent interests. Views organization as arenas hosting ongoing contests of individual and group interest Points of interest are power, conflict, and coalition.

Power defined as the capacity to make things happen.

The Political Frame: Bolman and Deal

Primary Metaphor for Organization:
Jungle

Central Concepts:

Managerial And Leadership Image:

Advocate Referee Mediator

Fundamental Challenge:

Self-Interest Power Conflicts Competition Politics Intrigue

Develop agenda Form coalitions and build power base Acquire good intelligence Dispense information wisely

The Political Frame: Assumptions and its Implications

1.

Organizations are coalitions of assorted individuals and interest groups

Members of organization are interconnected because they need one another though their interest overlap

2.

Coalition members have enduring differences in values, beliefs, information, interest, and perception of reality

Political activity is more visible and dominant under conditions of diversity rather than homogeneity Agreement and harmony are easier to achieve when everyone shares similar values, beliefs, and culture.

The Political Frame: Assumptions and its Implications

4.

Scarce resources and enduring differences put conflict at the center of day-to-day dynamics and make power the most important asset

Makes power a key resource. Jeffrey Pfeffer of Stanford University defines power as:

The potential ability to influence behavior, to change the course of events, to overcome resistance, and to get people to do the things they would not otherwise do.
5.

Goals and Decision emerge from bargaining and negotiations among competing stakeholders jockeying for their own interest
Goals are not set by edict at the top but evolve through an ongoing process of negotiations and bargaining.

Organizations as Coalition

Organizations are coalitions of diverse individuals and interest groups. Organizations, especially major, complex ones, have a number of sub-groups and individual people who have their own roles and agendas. From Assumptions: Members of organization are interconnected because they need one another though their interest overlap.

Organizations as Coalition

Traditionally organizations are seen as pyramidlike, where at the top, one person wields the most power (hierarchical structure)

Academics and managers alike have assumed that organizations have, or ought to have, clear and consistent goals set at the apex of authority. In a business, the owners or top managers set goals such as growth and profitability. Goals in a government agency are presumably set by the legislature and elected executives

Organizations as Coalition

But in coalition of organization:

Hierarchical structure is not prevalent.

Different players bargain with each other for specific roles, benefits, interests, and power.
Power is not yielded to only one person or group, but is shared or delegated to certain groups.

Organizations as Coalition

Richard Cyert and James March (Behavioral Theory of the Firm, 1963)

Economist and Political Scientist respectively Articulated the difference between structural and political views of goals Came up with four Relational Concepts implicit rules in managing decisions commonly used by firms

Their view implied that the central idea of the political frame is this: goals emerge out of a bargaining process among coalition members.

Four Relational Concept for Managing Decisions used by Firms

Quasi-resolution of conflict

Instead of resolving conflict, organizations break problems into pieces and farm pieces out to different units.
Organizations employ a range of simplifying mechanisms such as standard operating procedures, traditions, and contracts that enable them to act as if the environment is clearer than it is.

Uncertainty avoidance

Four Relational Concept for Managing Decisions used by Firms

Problemistic search

Organizations look for solutions in the neighborhood of the presenting problem and grab the first acceptable solution.

Organizational learning

Over time, organizations evolve their goals and aspiration levels, altering what they attend to and what they ignore, and changing search rules.

Power and Decision Making

Power as an asset can come in different forms:

Ranging from authoritative or personal power to expertise or controlling agendas and rewards.
Includes far more than controlling raises, position appointments, and punishments. Includes the power to use ones influence, expertise or charisma to reframe disputed points and gain support from other coalition forces. The political frame views authority as only one among many forms of power.

Power and Decision Making: Authorities and Partisans

William Gamson (1968), a sociology professor at Boston College describes the relationship between Authorities and Partisan

Authorities are entitled to make decisions binding on their subordinates. Any member of the coalition who wants to exert bottom - up pressure is a potential partisan.

Authorities are the recipients or targets of influence, and the agents or initiators of social control. Potential partisans have the opposite roles as agents or initiators of influence, and targets or recipients of social control

Power and Decision Making: Authorities and Partisans

Authority is essential to anyone in a formal position because social control depends on it. Management should use it cautiously.

Authority can be brought about by respect or fear. Without these, managers have no power. Can use other sources of power such as expertise, persuasion, etc.

If partisans trust authority, they will accept and support it in the event of an attack (Gamson, 1968; Baldridge, 1971).

Power and Decision Making: Sources of Power

A number of social scientists (Baldridge, 1971; French and Raven, 1959; Kanter, 1977; Pfeffer, 1981, 1992; Russ, 1994) have tried to identify the various wellsprings of power:
1.

Position Power (Authority)

Legitimate authority

2.

Control of Rewards

The ability to deliver jobs, money, political support, or other rewards brings power

3.

Coercive power

rests on the ability to constrain, block, interfere, or punish.

Power and Decision Making: Sources of Power

4.

Information and Expertise

Power if you have information, skill, or know-how to solve important problems

Reputation builds on expertise. In almost every area of human performance, people develop track records based on their prior accomplishments. Individuals who are attractive and socially adept because of charisma, energy, stamina, political smarts, gift of gab, vision, etc

5.

Reputation

6.

Personal power

Power and Decision Making: Sources of Power

7.

Alliance and Networks

Keeping relationship/network intact to gain friends and allies who can help/support you in terms of conflict.
Influenced by alliance, some individuals or groups will have more access to decisions/information that other individuals/groups. Ability to shape meaning and articulate myths that express identity, beliefs, and values. Ability to convince others to accept and support things that are not in their best interests

8.

Access and Control of Agendas

9.

Framing: control of meaning and symbol

Distribution of Power

Clayton Aldefer (1979) and L. D. Brown (1983)

Formulated the 2 systems in power distribution

Overbound system
Underbound system

Power in the organizational system...

overbounded
highly concentrated

underbounded
diffuse throughout

tightly regulates everything

system loosely controlled

Regulates politics with a firm hand

Openly encourages conflict and power games

Conflicts in Organization
diverse beliefs diverse values
resulting in

diverse interests Scarcity of resources

C O N F L I C T

Conflicts in Organization

Since conflict is natural and inevitable in human organizations...

conflict is not a problem or a sign that something is amiss

The situation requires managers and leaders who understand and are capable of dealing directly and effectively with conflict

Understanding Conflict

conflict challenges the status quo conflict can stimulate personal and social change, interest, creativity, and innovation (Heffron, 1989, p. 185).

Effective managers and leaders focus not on eliminating conflict but on strategies and tactics that channel conflict toward positive and productive ends.

Types of Conflict...

Conflict is particularly likely to occur at boundaries, or interfaces, between groups and units.
Vertical
(boundary between departments or divisions)

types of organizational conflict

horizontal cultural

(border between levels)

(between groups with differing values, traditions, beliefs, and lifestyles)

Challenge in dealing with Conflict

The management challenge is to recognize and manage interface conflict.

be a persuasive advocate for their group on a political field with many players representing competing interests. They need negotiation skills to develop alliances and cement deals that enable their group to move forward with without physical or psychological bloodshed and with wisdom as well as grace (Peck, 1998, p. 71).

Lessons Learned Personal Ramblings

Our world is always a political battleground. It may sound too harsh for a politicsallergic individual like me, but its inevitable. Conflicts will always arise due to our differences (interests, ideals, culture, etc) and not everyone will agree on what you believe in. This diversity makes us unique, and it enriches our world as one gigantic organization.

Lessons Learned Personal Ramblings

It is, therefore, my responsibility (or shall I say ours) to learn every facet of the political framework enabling us to organize successful groups whose entities can work and make wise decisions despite the differences. Furthermore, Management must accept and recognize coalition. There will always be unity in diversity when given an avenue for expression and resolution.

Lessons Learned Personal Ramblings

Just like what Peter Parker said, With great power comes great responsibility. Power will always be an asset as well as responsibility. When utilized in a diplomatic way, it can result to lasting authority of respect and adulation. Always be in the power of persuasion, respect, and expertise rather than in the clout of fear and bullying. People will always follow you (regardless of what they believe in) if courted in those perspectives.

Thank you!