Power and Politics in Organizations

This resource provides an overview of power and politics, considers the effect of conformity, and reviews studies on the effects of conformity. The text explores the relationship between dependency and power. It uses Steve Jobs as an example of all six types of power, including legitimate power, expert power, reward power, information power, coercive power, and referent power. Because leaders can abuse power, the text also examines the direction of influence.

Organizational Politics

Learning Objectives

  1. Understand what organizational politics are.
  2. Examine political behavior within organizations.