Academic analysis of Power, Politics and Conflict in organisations

This report provides an academic analysis of power, politics and conflict in organisations, with a focus on Unilever. It covers the concept of power in leadership and business, application of Machiavelli's The Prince and French and Raven's 6 Bases of power, meaning of organisational politics and application of organisational politics theory, nature of conflicts and their impacts on the outcomes of the organisation.

Academic analysis of
Power, Politics and
Conflict in organisations

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
ACADEMIC ANALYSIS...............................................................................................................1
Power...........................................................................................................................................1
Politics..........................................................................................................................................3
Conflicts.......................................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFLECTIVE STATEMENT.........................................................................................................6
Explaining what an individual learned on the module with regard to power, politics and
conflicts. ......................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Power, conflicts and politics are three essential as well as crucial pillars which help
organisations in order to rests its organisational activity. All of these plays a significant role in
order to decide the structure of the working environment of an organisation. Every organisation
uses power and politics in order to control their employees as well as members to maintain and
obtain for achieving their goals and objectives in better manner (Adrot and Salzman, 2019). For
the following report, selected company is Unilever which is multinational consumer goods
company of UK. The company was founded by Lever Brothers and Margarine Unie on 2
September, 1929 and its headquarters is in London, England. The report cover the concept of
power in leadership and business and application of Machiavelli's The Prince and French and
Raven's 6 Bases of power along with the meaning of organisational politics and application of
organisational politics theory. It further cover nature of the conflicts and how it was created and
its impacts on the outcomes of the organisation. In addition to this, it also covers reflective
statement in order to analyse what an individual learned from this module.
ACADEMIC ANALYSIS
Power
Power refers to an ability of an individual which helps them to exercise some form of
control over another person. The concept of power has a direct link with the leadership within a
business. This implies that an individual may exert power if it is not a leader but an individual
can not be a leader without power (Bosco, 2022). In respect of Unilever, it describes the ability
of its leaders in order to control as well as influence their employees in better manner so, they
perform their task effectively to help companies to perform their task in better manner. The
Machiavelli's The Prince is an effective concept that describes that the successful leadership is
arrived when influence is brings about results and behaviour that were deliberate by the leader.
As per this, it has been analysed that the leaders of Unilever should be feared instead of loved to
avoid a revolt. This concepts makes leaders to achieve proper support from their employees in
order to take effective actions in difficult situation. French and Raven's 6 bases of power theory
is an effective theory that define 6 power which makes important for the companies in order to
being aware about them, enables them in to have a positive influence in order to lead as well as
manage their employees for achieving their higher performance. In context of Unilever, its 6
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bases of power which helps its leader in order to manage and control their employees are
described below:
Coercive power- Force – This power uses force threat for gaining the compliance from
others. The main reason behind to this concepts is that an individual or group of individual force
other individual or group of individual in order to conduct a particular task (Gorbunova and
Deviatovskaia, 2018). The leaders of Unilever uses this power when they wants from their
individual to conduct particular task in better manner.
Reward power- Carrot and Stick – This power is based on someone's right for offering
or denying social, emotional, tangible or spiritual rewards to some other to conduct what is
wanted or expected of them. This power makes leader of Unilever to offer effective rewards in
order to make their employees in order to conduct the task in better manner.
Legitimate power- Elected – This power is derive from a selected, appointed or elected
position related to an authority along with the ability for administrating to another some feeling
of notions or the notions related to the responsibility. This power provide opportunity to their
employees in order to select the best leader in order to perform their task according to them.
Referent power- Shared vision – This power rooted in the connections that the group of
individuals makes within an organisation. This will helps in sharing the vision in between the
members of group in order to achieve their goals in better manner. By the use of this power help
the leader of Unilever in order to manage their employees in better manner through shared vision
with them.
Expert power- Specialist – This power is based on what an individual knows about their
talents, skills or experience. Expertise can be demonstrated through credentials, expertise,
reputations and actions (Melin, 2021). This makes Unilever to provide power to those individual
who has effective skill, talent as well as experience in order to lead a group in better manner.
Informational power- Data controller – This power derives from the outcomes of
gaining knowledge about the others need or want. This persuasion or influence would be
effective if there is lack of timing and efforts it may not suited best. This refers to a most
effective power for the Unilever in order to influence their employees to give their best by
properly knowing about their needs.
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Politics
Organisational politics describes an agenda as well as self-interest of an individual within
an organisation without any concern about its influence on the objectives of the business
organisation for achieving their goals. It refers to a process that relates with the self-serving
behaviour and interactions of an human involving power and authority. It describes the different
types of activities related with the use of influence tactics for improving the organisational or
personal interest of an organisation (Qiuyun, and et.al., 2020). It shows that individuals who
consist effective political skills can perform their task in better manner in order to gain more
personal power along with this they can effectively manage the stress as well as job demands.
They also provides greater impacts on organisational performance. The different types
organisational politics which helps leader of Unilever in order to manage politics are described
below:
The Weeds- This consist personal influence along with the informal networks rule.
Because of its dynamic nature in which it grow naturally without any maintenance are refers to
an the Weeds. This makes leader of Unilever to get involved enough in order to understand the
informal networks of the organisation for operating their business in better manner.
The Rocks- The power describes on this type of organisational politics is the individual
interactions and formal sources of authority which includes expertise, role, title or access to
resources. It nay also includes the political capital that derive from the membership with the high
status group which includes a special task force, finance committee or the senior management
team. This can symbolise as a stabilising foundation which helps in keeping the Unilever steady
in the crisis times.
The high ground- This type of organisational politics combines the organisational
systems with formal authority. This describes the structures, policy guidelines, rules as well as
procedures that makes the basis of political activities (Rahmanseresht and Joneidi Jafari, 2018).
The advantages of these rules and procedures are they provide a proper check against the whims
of charismatic, individual level or autocratic individuals.
The woods- It describes that the company also consist some implicit norms, unspoken
routines and hidden assumptions. This can used to provide proper safety to the people of an
organisation or even bewildering the environment where goods ideas as well as necessary
changes would get lost.
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Conflicts
It is the responsibility of an organisation to create a working environment that enables
people to thrive. If there is a differences and disagreement of opinion that escalate into conflict
then the organisation need to intervene immediately. Conflicts is describes misunderstanding or
disagreement resulted from perceived or actual dissent of beliefs, needs, resources as well as
relationship between the members of the organisation (Scott, 2021). It can be in destructive or
constructive for an organisation. It may be referred to as breakdown in the standard of decision-
making as well as it arise when an individual or group of individuals found difficulty in order to
select an alternative. It may also arise when an individual or group of individuals encounter goal
that both parties cannot obtain satisfactorily. As there are many reason exists that cause conflicts
in the working environment of Unilever are described below:
Task interdependencies- It describes that if there are higher level of task
interdependencies among employees of Unilever which cause greater level of conflicts due to
different expectations or goals of them. This is make more challenging for the leader of Unilever
in order to avoid conflicts and make them to perform their task in better manner. As the task is
not conducted in proper manner may create difficulties to them in order to achieve their goals in
better manner.
Jurisdictional ambiguities- This also creates conflicts among the department in that
situation when one department is agree for a particular decision or other party reject them. This
may create problem for the leader of Unilever in order to resolve this conflict in order to make
their business operations smooth in order to gain various advantages from it (Smith, Yellowley
and McLachlan, 2020).
Communication problems- This refers very common reason which has been found in
every organisation which it create conflicts in their working environment or may even create
loss. When an employee of Unilever misunderstand a particular message or when the
information is overloaded which makes them in order to respond with anger and frustration. This
will also affects the organisational performance or even creates conflicts in between the
employees and leaders in order to control and manage them in proper manner.
Dependence on common resource pool- This type of conflicts arise when the several
department of Unilever must compete for scarce resources. This will become difficult for the
leader in order to solve this conflicts in better manner. Some times resources are limited in their
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working area in which one department gets those resources and others not may affects their
emotions and even cause problems in order to conduct their task in better manner.
Lack of common performance standards- If there are huge difference in performance
criteria and reward systems of the organisation also creates conflicts within an working area of
Unilever. As the lack of common performance standards among the different groups in their
organisation creates conflicts in between them which may also affects their performance and
productivity (Tang, 2019).
Individual differences- There are different types of individual differences which
includes personal traits, abilities and skills which can affects the nature of interpersonal relation.
This will also creates conflicts within a working environment of Unilever. Individual
aggressiveness, dominance, tolerance and authoritarianism for ambiguity all appear to impacts
how an individual deals with possible conflict. The employees of Unilever has different skills,
traits as well as abilities which also creates conflicts in between each other in order to perform
their task in better manner (Van Bunderen, Greer and Van Knippenberg, 2018).
CONCLUSION
From the above mentioned report, it has been concluded that power is important for every
organisation in order to ensure their employee commitment as well as compliances within the
organisation. This will helps in avoiding the resistance among employees in order to ensure that
they coexist in the organisation which also helps in increase in their productivity. Coercive
power- Force, Reward power- Carrot and Stick, Legitimate power- Elected, Referent power-
Shared vision, Expert power- Specialist and Informational power- Data controller are different
types of power according to French and Raven's 6 bases of power theory. Organisational politics
is important in every organisation as it provides proper understanding of the informal processes
related to conflicts as well as co-operations in organisation along with their influence on the
organisational performance. Task interdependencies, Jurisdictional ambiguities, Communication
problems, Dependence on common resource pool, Lack of common performance standards and
Individual differences are some reason which creates conflicts in the organisation. This will
helps in enabling the leader of an organisation in order to revisit their roles and goals.
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REFLECTIVE STATEMENT
Explaining what an individual learned on the module with regard to power, politics and conflicts.
Power refers to an ability that makes thing happen as per the perspectives of an individual
by getting someone else will conduct task for them. Organisational politics is also important for
every organisation which helps their leader in order to motivate their employees, increased
productivity, resisting indiscipline, influence employees as well as gain dignity and recognition
in better manner (Waggoner, 2020). There are many factors exist in the organisation which
creates conflicts within an organisation which may affects the organisational performance. By
the analysis of power, politics and conflicts in an organisation I can effectively understand their
importance in the organisation in order to lead and manage employees within an organisation in
better manner. By the learning from this module I can effectively understand about the
leadership skills which helps me in order to lead my future team in better manner. As there are
various of skills related to leadership that are important for me in order to develop them for
becoming a future leader as well as enhance my academic career also (Wang,and et.al., 2020).
Communication skills is most important skills which is required in every leader in order to
communicate and interact with my future group in better manner in order to influence them to
conduct their task in effective manner. The other important skill is motivation skills which I also
need to develop which helps in finding an effective ways ion order to motivate my future
employees so they perform their task in better manner which helps in achieving my targets.
Delegating skill is also an essential skills for the leaders which helps me to identify the skills of
each employees properly in order to assign duties as per the skill set of each employees. This will
helps in making my future employees effective in order to conduct their task in easiest manner.
The other things which helps me to lead and manage my future team is positive attitude which
helps me to create happy and healthy working environment in order to make their employees
stress free so they can conduct their task in better manner. The other things is trustworthiness
which helps me to make future employees comfortable to ask their concerns and questions
related to their task so they perform their task in better manner. This will helps to become open
and honest for their employees which helps me to encourage the same sort of honesty with their
employees in better manner. All these things makes me effective in order to become a future
leader and enhance my academic career as well as manage and control my future team in better
manner.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Adrot, A. and Salzman, A., 2019. " Do as I say, not as I do": the emergence of a peacebuilding
organization and its struggle with conflicts (No. hal-02638893).
Bosco, F.A., 2022. Accumulating Knowledge in the Organizational Sciences. Annual Review of
Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 9.
Gorbunova, Y.A. and Deviatovskaia, I.V., 2018. The nature of destructive organizational
behavior: Theories of naturalist anthropology. Дискурс, 4(5).
Melin, M.M., 2021. The business of peace: understanding corporate contributions to conflict
management. International Interactions, 47(1), pp.107-134.
Qiuyun, G., and et.al., 2020. Leader humility and employee organizational deviance: the role of
sense of power and organizational identification. Leadership & Organization
Development Journal.
Rahmanseresht, H. and Joneidi Jafari, M., 2018. The effect of organizational justice on
organizational citizenship behavior by mediating job commitment in the context of
project management. Management Studies in Development and Evolution, 27(87),
pp.127-146.
Scott, J., 2021. RESOLVING CONFLICT. The American Music Teacher, 70(5), pp.16-19.
Smith, P.E., Yellowley, W. and McLachlan, C.J., 2020. Organizational Behaviour: Managing
People in Dynamic Organizations. Routledge.
Tang, K.N., 2019. Leadership styles and organizational effectiveness. In Leadership and change
management (pp. 11-25). Springer, Singapore.
Van Bunderen, L., Greer, L.L. and Van Knippenberg, D., 2018. When interteam conflict spirals
into intrateam power struggles: The pivotal role of team power structures. Academy of
Management Journal, 61(3), pp.1100-1130.
Waggoner, D.P., 2020. The use of political skill in organizational change. Journal of
Organizational Change Management.
Wang, H., and et.al., 2020. The effect of digital transformation strategy on performance: The
moderating role of cognitive conflict. International Journal of Conflict Management.
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