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 Debenhams. It explores the different forms of power, the role of politics in organisations, and the nature of conflict. The report also links theory to practice and provides a reflective statement on the module.

Academic analysis of
Power, Politics and
Conflict in organisations

Contents
Contents...........................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
ACADEMIC ANALYSIS...............................................................................................................1
Power...........................................................................................................................................1
Politics.........................................................................................................................................3
Conflict........................................................................................................................................4
Linking theory to practice............................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFLECTIVE STATEMENT.........................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Power, politics as well as conflict are three significant pillars on which activities of company
rests (Sullivan, 2019). These are essential for organisational behaviour practices of people and
groups. It influences processes of team and leadership within organisational behaviour. All these
are integrated processes which are required to be managed together with used in effective
manner to achieve individual addition to organisational cohesion in addition to ventilate the
differences. Machiavelli’s The Prince Theory is propounded by Machiavelli who believes that it
was better to be feared than to be more loved. French and Raven Theory of Power is based on the
assumption that power is key source for compliance from others and achieving results. The aim
of the report is to explore role of power, conflicts together with politics to aspect to happenings
in real companies. For analysing power, politics along with conflict, Debenhams is chosen
organisation which is a retailer that operates range of departmental stores from headquarters at
London, UK since 1778.
The report covers information about power in leadership and company. It also highlights
organisational politics and nature of conflict. A reflective statement is produced about learning in
the module about power, politics and conflicts.
ACADEMIC ANALYSIS
Power
Concept of power is termed as the potentiality of a person to control along with direct
others. It dynamics tends to impact decisions addition to people transactions heavily. In
leadership, power is said to an influence which leaders have on followers for persuading others
for supporting efforts in addition to perform what is asked (Bettiza and Lewis, 2020). Similarly,
leadership in business refers to capacity of management of enterprise for establishing along with
accomplishing determined goals, frame quick decisive actions, outperforming competition and
inspiring others for working with great efficiency to achieve highest level which they can. For
example, leaders use power in Debenhams for influencing subordinates for attaining greater
performances, stakeholders to ensure vitality and superiors or peers for devising significant
rational decisions. At same time, effective leadership in the establishment cultivates a sense of
greater good, bolsters teamwork and provides directions. In leadership and business, power plays
significant role of controlling members, maintaining addition to preserving themselves for great
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performances. As per French and Raven, there are six forms of power which can be applied by
leaders and company to influence workforce. The different types of power affects ongoing
relationships with others being influenced in multiple manner. All the forms of power stated by
French and Raven are explained in context to Debenhams:
Coercive power: It includes making force on others for carrying out something against
their will. With coercive power, leaders in company opts threat of force for gaining compliance
from others. For example, if leaders of Debenhams use coercive power, they could exercise the
practice of forcing others for performing something that employees do not desire for.
Reward power: It entails proving benefits to others for performing working. Leaders uses
reward power for influencing people perform tasks to the point wherein reward are earned,
subsequently there is no ongoing incentives (Adhikari, 2019). For example, in Debenhams,
leaders if uses reward power they provide the right of certain to offer or deny social, spiritual,
tangible or emotional rewards to personnel for performing what is expected or wanted of them.
Legitimate power: The power is derived from set of formal relationship at workplace. In a
company, leaders in hierarchies along with elected officials possess legitimate power. For
example, in association to Debenhams, when leader uses legitimate power to influence people to
perform what they are asked for because of regulations of society and organisation.
Expert power: The power is derived from expertise of an individual. It is the skills,
experience and competence that make them trustworthy together with influential to others. For
example, within Debenhams, leaders if use expert power their motive is required for attainment
so to convince subordinates for trusting them.
Referent power: This form of power is derived from perceived value, attractiveness and
worth of a person. For example, in Debenhams, if leaders use referent power, they can provide
others with feeling so approval, worth addition to personal acceptance. Organisational leaders
can inspire workforce for being committed to jobs and effective collaboration.
Informational power: A potential of a person for controlling the flow of information
which is required for getting things complete. For example, in Debenhams, leaders can use
informational power that is dependent to control information that is required by others for reach
significant objective.
From the explained forms of power, it is analysed that leaders of Debenhams performs
practices with reward power as to enhance satisfaction together with contentment of staff
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members. Raven and French arguable believed that reward power when used by leaders results
in making employees feel financial secured and connected with company. Role of reward power
in company is to incentivise higher performances from staff members through offering reward to
members who meet particular job targets (Eatough, 2021). With the power, leaders and
organisations have full as well as formal power for providing or removing privileges to personnel
that depends on their work performance addition to behaviour with others.
Politics
Organisational politics is said to self-serving behaviours which people adopts to enhance
probability of obtaining positive results at workplace. In other words, it is the behavior which in
human interactions comprises authority together with power (Franke and Foerstl, 2018). At a
company, politics assess operational capacity addition to balance diverse perspectives of
involved or interested parties. In is one of informal manner people attempts for exercising
influence over others on a company through management of shared meanings. In a company, for
example, Debenhams, politics aims at personal advantages arising out of use of power, rather
than organisational benefits.
Machiavelli is theorists founded “Machiavelli’s The Prince” who says that political
thoughts are more recognised. Working of the theorist influenced political power through saying
that it is better to become feared against loved. In accordance to Zaleznik (2021), thoughts as
well as actions in politics of business life are subject for range of errors including error of
omission along with those of commission. Besides situations of competition, politics in business
grows out of the existence of constituencies. For example, in Debenhams, superior might content
themselves with shifts of resource allocation, but represents others who might not be happy with
changes due to personal reasons. Within the establishment, it has been analysed that politics
positive politics creates an environment of healthy competition that motivates people for
achieving success and being noticed that improves overall business. However, negative politics
at workplace makes people difficult to confide in peers because of fear of secrets getting leaked.
It changes attitude and behaviour of personnel, even making them feel losing interest in working.
Organisational politics plays significant role on real life business. For example, in
Debenhams, workplace politics plays role of distribution of tasks by enabling staff members to
share their tasks to other lower level personnel. The another role played by organisational
politics is motivation and morale (Buchanan and Badham, 2020). In this, organisational politics
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play role of creating morality among workforce with increased delegation of concerned
authority. It enhances confidence level of manpower through motivating them for greater
performances. Better coordination is a role played by organisational politics when various
operations along with activities are set internally or externally, it leads to efficiently completion
of projects.
Politics in company, for example, Debenhams, damages trust as when some person
becomes known to use office politics as well as builds a reputation as manipulator, it impacts on
the trust level of rest of team that is harmful for success of personnel and business. Furthermore,
at the time when office politics addition to ample rumors are circulating nearby to office, it
makes staff members facing complexity in concentrating on working. Employees are easily
distracted addition to their emphasis shifts from assigned operations to achieve an advantage
over peers resulting in more number of mistakes contributing to being less productive (Terhalle
and Streck, 2018). Politics when used in negative ways, leaders of company might manipulate
information for performing in own favours. It causes higher management getting alternative
version of practices that are happening art workplace and someone wrongly taking blame or
credit for something. In politically driven business environment, most dedicated personnel tend
to lose interest in working that prevents them to work to best of abilities and impact on
engagement and profits.
Conflict
Conflict is said to struggle along with clash of opinions or interests. Organisational conflict
is termed to a state of misunderstanding or disagreement, resulting from actual or perceived
dissent of resources, requirements, relationships and beliefs among members of company
(Cameron, 2021). Conflict is natural on all walks of day to day life of person and organisation. In
aspect to a company, for example, Debenhams, nature of conflict is process as it occurs in layers
wherein first layer is misunderstanding and other layers entail differences of viewpoints, values
and interpersonal perspectives. It is evitable as it exists everywhere as no two persons are
similar.
Conflict arises at workplace due to various reason. In Debenhams, interpersonal
relationship is one of factor that create conflict. It is because every member of company
possesses distinct kind of personality that plays significant function in creating
misunderstanding. Interpersonal relationships or issues impacts adversely on outcome of venture
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as it creates distractions which needs efforts and time for resolution contributing to completion of
tasks together with putting gaols of team at risk (Hall, 2018). Furthermore, Misrepresentation of
interest also creates conflict at workplace as distortion among personal objectives of individuals
and goals of company results in conflicts that hinders overall business success. It has been
analysed that the factor when arises in company, for instance, Debenhams, it affects decision
making of personnel at work along with influences potential for completion of job duties along
with loyalty of employer.
Linking theory to practice
The theory of French and Raven’s power is applied in business life of Debenhams. Each
form of power when opted for influencing personnel has distinct impacts of relationship addition
to outcomes that are somewhat better than others. With use of reward power, leaders of
Debenhams provide incentives addition to benefits to workforce for obedience together with
compliance of business targets. Reward power is leadership trick used at company to optimally
utilise capabilities through providing reward in form of compensation, salary increase, bonuses,
more off days, etc to encourage them for performing in more productive manner (Geels, 2019).
Machiavelli’s The Prince Theory encapsulates political thought of Nicolas Machiavelli.
With positive politics, leaders of Debenhams use formal methods to influence employees of all
levels. It is the behaviours which is designed for influencing others at workplace with objective
of assisting both, employees and organisations.
CONCLUSION
From the report, it is concluded that leaders or businesses uses politics and power for the
purpose of controlling members, maintaining together with preserving themselves to achieve
cohesion as well as ventilate differences. With application of The theory of French and Raven’s
Power, reward power enhances incentives of workforce to perform. When reward power is in
use, employee is promised by managers and leaders a day off in lieu of working a weekend for
fulfilling a tight deadline. It promotes loyalty of people to the establishment, encourages
workforce to attain reward, create healthy competition and develops strong bond. Some of issues
related to reward power is it inflate egos of personnel, give them unwanted sense of self
significance, harm morale and breed resentment. Machiavelli’s The Prince Theory states that it is
better to be broadly feared than to be greatly loved. Positive and negative politics influences
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output of personnel along with the efficiency of business. They perform role of distribution of
tasks, better coordination, motivation and morale. Politics impacts of organisational uncertainty,
development of future fiefdoms and interunit competition are some of issues faced at workplace.
Conflicts within an enterprise causes its members to become frustrated and feel that their
opinions go unrecognised through others. Some causes of conflict at Debenhams are
interpersonal relationship and misrepresentation of interest.
REFLECTIVE STATEMENT
In the module of Leadership and Leading, I have gained knowledge about role of power
politics and conflicts in leaders together with company. I have learned that power is used for
influencing and stimulating actions. At micro scale, leaders set rules for manpower which are
expected to be followed by manpower. In more formal business concerns, administration sets
regulation for employees to be followed in upcoming duration (Sung and Choi, 2021). Human
capital have natural inclination as well as preference towards reward power. Among all forms of
power as stated by French and Raven, reward power is more suitable as the propensity of human
resources for being compensated at the time of achieving objectives makes them better
performers. I have learned that when employees outperform themselves as well as excels in
performance, reward power plays role of being justified and logical. At same time, politics
comprises usage of power addition to social networking in a company for attaining changes
which benefits people and venture. At academic level, we all have things which are required to
get on in career. Politics can be positively or negatively that depends on pertaining
circumstances. It teaches people to monitor self, enhances stress level, motivates through
competition, damages trust, mirrors behaviors for improvising relations and aligns people to
strategies. Similarly, I have learned in the module that conflicts play great role in improving
workforce productivity, better problem solving, earlier problem identification, personal growth
and healthy relationships.
In the module on Leadership and Leading, I have learned about academic writing skill
that acts a tool for communication which conveys acquired knowledge in the particular field of
study. For me, writing academically assist in analysing, conveying, understanding, performing
critical thinking as well as putting more emphasis on style. Along with this, I have learned about
problem-solving skill that is key in politics, power and conflicts. With the skill, political leaders
of company handle unexpected situations and provide guidance to employees (Alatailat, Elrehail
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and Emeagwali, 2019). Moreover, critical analysis skill is learned by me in the module. The skill
helps me to make decisions about what information is significant for consideration, conducting
research about politics and developing logical conclusions for conflicts.
From the module, I have learned that I can work as transactional leader that rely on
system of rewards or punishments for the purpose of motivating subordinates. It involves clear
exchange among team members and leaders (Wang, Xu and Song, 2021). With this leadership
style, my goal is to influence employees for adhering to instructions and ensure that performance
standards are fulfilled promptly. In future, I will use power in my career to control access to
people, information, agenda and selective usage of objective criteria.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Adhikari, B., 2019. Power politics and foreign aid delivery tactics. Social Science Quarterly. 100
(5). pp.1523-1539.
Alatailat, M., Elrehail, H. and Emeagwali, O. L., 2019. High performance work practices,
organizational performance and strategic thinking: A moderation
perspective. International Journal of Organizational Analysis.
Bettiza, G. and Lewis, D., 2020. Authoritarian powers and norm contestation in the liberal
international order: Theorizing the Power Politics of Ideas and Identity. Journal of
Global Security Studies. 5(4). pp.559-577.
Buchanan, D. and Badham, R., 2020. Power, politics, and organizational change. Sage.
Cameron, D. R., 2021. The politics and economics of the business cycle. In The Political
Economy (pp. 237-262). Routledge.
Franke, H. and Foerstl, K., 2018. Fostering integrated research on organizational politics and
conflict in teams: A cross-phenomenal review. European Management Journal. 36(5).
pp.593-607.
Geels, F. W., 2019. Socio-technical transitions to sustainability: a review of criticisms and
elaborations of the Multi-Level Perspective. Current Opinion in Environmental
Sustainability. 39. pp.187-201.
Hall, J. R., 2018. Introduction: the reworking of class analysis. In Reworking class (pp. 1-38).
Cornell University Press.
Sullivan, M. P., 2019. Transnationalism, Power Politics, and the Realities of the Present System.
In Globalism Versus Realism: International Relations' Third Debate (pp. 195-221).
Routledge.
Sung, S. Y. and Choi, J. N., 2021. Leader status behaviors and team creativity: The role of
collective interactions and status conflict among members. Journal of Organizational
Behavior. 42(8). pp.1120-1133.
Terhalle, M. and Streck, C. eds., 2018. The New Power Politics of Global Climate Governance.
Routledge.
Wang, Z., Xu, H. and Song, M., 2021. Exploring how and when ethical conflict impairs
employee organizational commitment: A stress perspective investigation. Business
Ethics: A European Review. 30(2). pp.172-187.
Online:
Eatough. E. 2021. Reward power in the workplace and how to motivate employees. [Online].
Available through: https://www.betterup.com/blog/reward-power
Zaleznik. A. 2021. Politics in Organisational Life by Abraham Zaleznik. [Online]. Available
through: https://hbr.org/1970/05/power-and-politics-in-organizational-life
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