Power and Politics
Abstract
Power and politics it is said there cannot be one without the other. Power can be both formal and informal, and can be used for the good of the organization or solely for the good of an individual, therein is where power became corrupted and turns into politics.
According to the Merriam Webster dictionary the definition of power is "possession of control, authority, or influence over others." (2009) While many feel that politics and power are synonymous, in fact, politics by definition deals with influencing how a government is run, while a person in politics may have power, just being in politics does not guarantee power. Unfortunately politics, is more often than not corrupt while it influences how something is run, there is no longer altruism in the actions but selfishness. As organizations grow and expand, so do the unsavory aspects of politics. As politics come into play in the workplace, the ability for an employee to perform outside the box becomes prohibitively restricted. Many people with power do not need the power in itself, but need the power as a means to achieve and end goal. First we will look at the different types of power and what each means.
Power can be either formal or informal, a title may give a person power, but that does not mean that the person with the power has the power, whereas a person my inherently have power not based on title or job but who that person is. Power can be either used or abused, in the case of Steve Jobs with Apple, he has both formal and informal power, not only does he have the power from the position he holds within the company, he has power because it is who he is, he instills confidence in those around him to follow his lead. Steve Jobs wants to make sure that the people around him are empowered to do the best that they can do, Mr. Jobs quoted in an article with Fortune magazine "When you hire really good people you have to give them a piece of the business and let them run with it. … I want [them] making as good or better decisions than I would. So the way to do that is to have them know everything, not just in their part of the business, but in every part of the business" (2008) In contrast to Mr. Jobs style of management and the power that he holds is the organization that I work for. My organization works hard to segregate the employees and does not foster any sort of innovation or individual thinking. There is also the formal kind of power, where the title held, gives the power to the individual, and without the title, the individuals would have no power. At some organizations that are still stuck in the past innovation and creativity are frowned upon, and pushed aside; change is something that is feared not embraced as it is at Apple. Where power can be pure, politics is often seen as lying and scheming to get ones way.
When discussing power and politics, power is observed as both good and bad depending on how it is used. More often than not the word politics brings up negative connotations of dishonesty and manipulation for the good of one not all. According to Schemerhorn, as seen in “Machiavelli’s classic fifteenth-century work The Prince, which outlines how to obtain and hold power through political action. To Machiavelli the ends justified the means. It is important, however, to adopt a perspective that allows politics in organizations to function in a much broader capacity.” (2009) Politics is often seen as favoritism, and rewards or promotions that are not based on merit. For many that truly want to go to work and do the best job they can do without playing games, organizational politics cause job dissatisfaction, increased turnover and a decrease in productivity, due to people either having to play the political game or be left behind.
Power can either be used for the good of all, or the good of the individual holding the power. Politics can be used for good, to better a group of people, or as it is most often seen, bettering one person to the detriment of many. Thomas Jefferson once stated "An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his fellow citizens." (2009) Power when wielded with a benevolent hand, and is used for good can do great things. The power Steve Jobs holds both at Apple and at Dreamworks shows how a man with power can use it for the good of the companies, he holds everyone to a higher standard, and doesn't allow for workplace politics to interfere with what is right. While dissecting the differences between politics and power, the images of right and wrong, good and bad, yin and yang came out. While the two are intertwined in many ways, someone with informal power, someone who doesn't need the power to know who they are, will always stand out from the politician, who needs power to define who they are.
References
CNN Money.com. (2008) Steve Jobs speaks out. CNN Money.com, Retrieved on Jan 22, 2009 from http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fortune/0803/gallery.jobsqna.fortune/9.html
Merriam Webster Dictionary (2009) Power. Retrieved on Jan 22, 2009 from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/power
Schemerhorn, J.R., Hunt, J.G., & Osborn, R.N., (2008) Organizational Behavior 10/E. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
The Quotations Page. (2009) The quotations page.com. Retrieved on Jan 23, 2009 from http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/power/
|
