Chapter 8

Organizational Behavior:
Power, Politics, Conflict,
and Stress
PowerPoint Presentation by Charlie Cook
Copyright © 2003 South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved.
 Learning Outcomes

Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–2

 Learning Outcomes (cont’d)

Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–3

 Organizational Behavior
• Organizational Behavior (OB)
–The study of actions that affect performance in the
workplace.
–The goal of OB is to explain and predict actions
and how they will affect performance.
–OB focuses on three levels: individual, group, and
organizational.
• Win-win Situation
–A situation in which both parties get what they
want.

Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–4

 Personality
• Personality
–A combination of traits that classifies individuals.
–Developed based on genetics and environmental
factors.
–Affects the long-term performance of individuals.

Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–5

 Single Traits of Personality
• Locus of control
–External: outside forces are in control.
–Internal: individual is in control.
• Optimism versus Pessimism
• Risk Propensity
–From risk taking to risk avoidance.
• Machiavellianism
–The degree to which people believe that ends
justify the means and use power to get what they
want.

Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–6

 Big Five Personality Traits

From Trait To

Extrovert Extraversion Introvert

Cooperation Agreeableness Competition

Emotionally stable Emotionalism Emotionally unstable

Responsible/ Irresponsible/
Conscientiousness
Dependable Undependable

Openness to
Open Closed
Experience

Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–7

 Perception
• Perception
–The process of selecting, organizing, and
interpreting environmental information.
–Based on internal factors (e.g., personality) and
external factors (e.g., accuracy of information).
–Self-esteem describes how individuals perceive
themselves.

Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–8

 The Attribution Process

• Attribution
–The process of determining the reason for an
individual’s behavior.
–Situational: out of the control of the individual.
–Intentional: individual is consciously behaving.

Model 9–1
Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–9
 Bias in Perception
• Selectivity
–Screening information in favor of the desired
outcome.
• Frame of Reference
–Seeing things from your point of view rather than
another’s.
• Stereotypes
–The process of generalizing the behavior of a
group to one individual.
• Expectations
–Perceiving what is expected to be perceived.

Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–10

 Attitudes
• Attitudes
–Persistent positive or negative evaluations of
people, things, and situations.
• Attitude Formation
–Attitudes are based on perceptions.
• Attitudes and Behavior
–Attitudes reflect feelings and affect behavior.
• Pygmalion Effect
–Managers’ attitudes and expectations of
employees and how they treat them largely
determine employee performance.

Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–11

 Attitudes
• Attitudes and Job Satisfaction
–Job satisfaction is a person’s attitude toward his
or her job.
• Job Satisfaction and Performance
–Affects absenteeism and turnover.
–Doesn’t guarantee performance.
–Affects off-the-job behaviors.
• Determinants of Job Satisfaction
–Personality, the work itself, compensation, growth
and upward mobility, coworkers, management

Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–12

 Power
• Power
–The ability to influence others’ behavior.
• Position power
–Derived from top management and is delegated
down the chain of command.
• Personal power
–Derived from the follower
based on the individual’s
behavior.

Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–13

 Sources and Bases 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 with
something of value to them.

Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–14

 Sources and Bases of Power
• Legitimate Power
–Based on the user’s position power given by the
organization.
• Referent Power
–Based on the user’s personal power relationship
with others.
• Information Power
–Based on data desired by others.
• Expert Power
–Based on the user’s skills and knowledge.

Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–15

 Sources and Bases of Power

Exhibit 9–1
Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–16
 Organizational Politics
• Politics
–The process of gaining and using power.
• Political Behavior
–Networking
• The process of developing relationships for the purpose
of socializing and politicking.
–Reciprocity
• Involves creating obligations and developing alliances
and using them to accomplish objectives.
–Coalition
• A network of alliances that will help a manager achieve
an objective.

Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–17

 Political Behaviors and Guidelines for Developing Political Skills

Exhibit 9–2
Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–18
 Managing Conflict
• Conflict
–Exists whenever people are in disagreement and
opposition.
• Functional Conflict
–Exists when disagreement and opposition support
the achievement of organizational goals.
• Dysfunctional Conflict
–Exists when conflict prevents the achievement of
organizational goals.
–Complacency and confrontation are both
dysfunctional forms of conflict.

Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–19

 Conflict Management Styles

Exhibit 9–3
Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–20
 The Negotiation Process

Model 9–2
Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–21
 • BCF Statement
–A statement that describes a conflict in terms of
behaviors, consequences, and feelings, in a way
that maintains ownership of the problem

Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–22

 The Collaborating Conflict Style

Model 9–3a
Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–23
 The Collaborating Conflict Style (cont’d)

Model 9–3b
Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–24
 The Collaborating Conflict Style (cont’d)

Model 9–3c
Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–25
 The Stress Tug-of-War

Exhibit 9–5
Copyright © 2003 by South-Western/Thomson Learning. All rights reserved. 9–26