Handbook of Principles of Organizational Behavior - Soltanieh ...

USE POWER EFFECTIVELY TO INFLUENCE PEOPLE
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and future students. His strong rational appeals were supplemented with inspirational
appeals based on student loyalty to the program. Most of the students volunteered to participate
in the fundraising effort, and they were very effective in getting donations from
program alumni who had not previously contributed funds to the university.
Department Y
The chairperson of Department Y had little referent power with students who specialized
in the graduate program associated with his department. He was arrogant and conceited in
the classroom, he spent little time interacting with the students outside of class, and he did
not develop close supportive relationships with them. At a meeting with the students to
talk about the fundraising campaign, he said that the university needed more donations
from alumni but did not explain how the department or the program would benefit.
This weak rational persuasion was combined with pressure tactics. He demanded
that the students participate and told them that they did not have any choice in the
matter. The chairperson was able to pressure some of the students to agree to help with
the fundraising, but discussions among the students after the meeting revealed that they
resented this coercion. Several students decided to complain to the provost. As a result,
the provost decided not use any of the graduate students from Department Y for the fundraising.
Instead, she hired some undergraduate students and paid them an hourly wage to
telephone department alumni. These undergraduate students were much less effective in
getting donations from alumni.
CONCLUSION
Knowledge about power and influence tactics is useful for people who must gain
cooperation and support from others to perform their job effectively. To infl uence
people, it is essential to develop and maintain a substantial amount of expert and
referent power. In addition, it is desirable to have sufficient position power to back
up personal power. Position power should be exerted in a subtle, careful fashion that
minimizes status differentials and avoids threats to the target person’s self - esteem.
People who exercise power in an arrogant and manipulative manner are likely to
engender resentment and resistance.
The outcome of an influence attempt depends on what tactics are used, how
skillfully they are used, and the context in which they are used. Some of the tactics
require a specific type of power to be effective. For example, exchange requires
reward power, hard forms of pressure require coercive power, rational persuasion
requires expert power, and a personal appeal requires some referent power.
Combining tactics is usually more effective for a difficult request than using a single
tactic. In general, the four “ core tactics ” that are most useful for eliciting commitment
are consultation, inspirational appeals, collaboration, and strong forms of
rational persuasion. Apprising, ingratiation, or exchange can be useful supplementary
tactics when combined with one or more of the core tactics. Before making an
influence attempt that involves an important objective, it is essential to diagnose the
situation carefully and select tactics that are mutually compatible and appropriate
for the situation.