Power And Politics

Power & Politics

Organizational power is "the ability to get someone to do something you want done or the ability to make things happen in the way you want them to" (Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn, 2005, p. 357 chap. 12). Managers in organizations are normally the ones who can do this some supervisors and lead employees. Organizational politics is defined as "management influence to obtain ends not sanctioned by the organization or to obtain sanctioned ends through nonsanctioned influence means. Managers are often considered political when they seek their own goals or use means that are not currently authorized by the organization" (Schermerhorn, et al, 2005). Power and politics are similar in that influence is what gets things done. The difference is the means that is used to get the process done.

The last sentence of organization politics applies to my previous employment at Eagle Electronics. At Eagle, there was a manager who used untruthful means to get what she wanted and that was to get me fired from my job. The collections manager, Charlene, apparently was upset that I left my position in A/R to work for the accounting manager, Ken, in A/P. Charlene used her influence on the owner, Larry, stating things that were not true. Larry felt that I had compromised his confidentiality and therefore told the accounting manager, Ken, to let me go. Ken is a "yes sir" man and did not stick up for me when he knew that the information given was not the truth. In my opinion, too much power given to managers' causes instability and rifts within the organization and politics in the organization should not be permitted or allowed.

Reference

Schermerhorn, J. R., Hunt, J. G., & Osborn, R. N. (2005). Organizational Behavior (9th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons.