SEMINAR ON

POWER AND POLITICS

 Power has been defined as having control,

influence, or domination over something or
someone.
Chandler (1992)
Power is defined as the ability to get things
done, to mobilize resources, to get and use
whatever it is that a person needs for the goals
he or she is attempting to meet.
Kanter (1993)

 Power includes caring practices by nurses which

are used to empower patients. - Benner (2001)

Power may also be viewed as a positive, infinite

force that helps to establish the possibility that
people can free themselves from oppression.
- Ryles (1999)

THE NEED FOR POWER:

To provide competent, humanistic, and affordable
care to people
To participate in health care policy development
To gain leverage proportionate with their numbers
To ensure that nursing is an attractive career choice
for all who want to provide care, influence, and
improve nursing, heath care, and health policy.

 LEVELS OF POWER:
The power to be (being)- The maintenance of a
purely vegetative existence requires minimum force
(exist).
The power of self-affirmation- Efforts to define
self and establish significance require greater force
than that required for existence
The power of self-assertion- Compelling others
to reckon with ones individuality and rights
requires greater force than that needed for self
affirmation.

 The power of aggression- Moving into and

taking possession of anothers territory requires
force beyond that needed to define personal
identity and rights
The power of violence-Application of harmful
force against another person or property reflects
a disturbed definition of self, other, and
property.

 POWER PRINCIPLES
Power is dynamic and elusive and must be
continuously replenished.
Power can be obtained only through active means;
that is, it must be expressed against resistance and
wrested from opponents.
A power oriented manager uses any means of control
that will manipulate circumstances in her/his favour.
To win in the game of organizational politics requires
a persons total commitment to goals.

 Restraint is needed to use power appropriate. A

person should use only as much force as needed to
achieve desired objectives.
Power relations in an organization are situational,
that is, a persons ability to apply force to another
is contingent on specific circumstances that would
not exist at another place or time.
Power has spatial dimensions.
desire clear definitions of power and control
relationships

 Sources of Power
Formal source of power
Informal source of power

 According to Filley and Grimes,

Responsibility & function

Formal authority
Control of resources
Collegial
Manipulation
Default
Bureaucratic rules
Traditional rules
Expertise
Friendliness
Equity

 John R P French and Bertram Raven,

Legitimate
Reward
Coercive
Expert
Referent power

TYPES OF POWER
According to French and Raven (1959), the
following are the types of power.

Reward power
Punishment or coercive power:
Legitimate power:
Expert power:
Referent power:
Informational power

 WAYS TO ACHIEVE POWER

Broad human networks: the more networks and
the more extensive they are, the more power
potential.
Broad information networks: the more diverse
types of information controlled the more power.
Multiple formal and informal leadership roles:
high engagement and visibility bring increased
power.

 Ability to assess situations accurately and to

solve problems.
Authority over others and resources via
legitimate work organizational roles.
Vision for the future and creativity
Ability to grant services to others, which builds
debts.
Expertise that is sought by others

WAYS TO INCREASE EXPERT POWER

Participate in interdisciplinary conferences to
broaden knowledge, develop skills, and build
networks.
Keep knowledge and skills current to maintain
and extend power. Continuing education
offerings, books, and journals are effective means.
Earn higher degrees; education brings expertise
and enhances credibility.

 Participate actively in professional associations such as the

ANA, state nurses associations, and speciality groups to
broaden networks, hone expertise, and develop legitimate
and referent power.
- Participate in nursing research to develop knowledge and
increase expertise
- Problem-solve with colleagues in nursing and other
disciplines to develop expertise and networks and to polish
skills.
- Participate in nursing and interdisciplinary committees to
develop and enhance expert, referent, and legitimate power.

 Publish to develop expert power.

Learn from mentors; be a mentor to develop
expertise and connections or referent power.

 EXERCISING POWER AND INFLUENCE IN THE

WORKPLACE AND OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS:
-To use influence effectively in any organization, one must
understand how the system works
-develop organizational strategies. Developing organizational
savvy includes identifying the real
-decision makers and those persons who have a high level of
influence with the decision makers.
-Recognize the informal leaders within any organization.

 Collegiality and collaboration

An empowering attitude
Developing coalitions
Negotiating

The key factors contributing to ones power image

Self-image: Thinking of ones self as powerful and
effective
Grooming and dress: Ensuring that clothing, hair, and
general appearance are neat, clean, and appropriate to
the situation
Good manners: Treating people with courtesy and respect
Body-language: Maintaining good posture, using gestures
that avoid too much drama, maintaining good eye
contact, and being confident in your movement.

 Speech: Using a firm, confident voice; good

grammar and diction; an appropriate
vocabulary; and strong communication skills
Belief in power as a positive force
Belief in value of nursing to society

TOOLS FOR IMPROVING POWER IMAGE

Communication skills
Networking
Mentoring
Goal setting
Developing expertise
High visibility

A person becomes powerless when:

Being threatened by the competence of others
Accepting a job without sufficient training or
experience
Depending on others to meet own needs
Transferring feelings of inferiority to others while
demanding perfection from subordinates.
Nitpicking over small things

 Wanting to keep things predictable

Being trapped by roles and stereotypes
Devaluing the group process

Contingencies of Power
Substitutability
Centrality
Discretion
Visibility

POLITICS

Definitions
The use of power to influence decision making.
It is power and influence based on coalitcs
buiding.
-Pettigrew (1973)
Organizational power is linked to dysfunction in
organization

Allen et al (1975)

 Politics refers as individual or group behaviour

that is information divisive, and above all, in the
technical sense, illegitimans sanctioned neither
by formal authority, accepted ideology nor
certified; system of influence, linked to conflict;
result both in games and positive change.
Mintzberg
Organizational power has been described as
impression management
-Gardner & Marinko

THE FOUR STAGES OF POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT

FOR THE PROFESSION
OF NURSING
- Cohen, Mason, Kovner, Leavitt, Pulcini, and Sochalski, 1996
Buy- in: Recognizing the importance of activism.
Self-interest: Developing and using political expertise to
further the professions self interests.
Political sophistication: Moving beyond self-interests,
recognizing the need for activism on behalf of the public.
Leading the way: Providing true leadership on broad
healthcare interests.

Kalisch and Kalisch (1982)

Apathy: no membership in professional
organizations; little or no interest in legislative
politics as they relate to nursing and healthcare.
Buy-in: recognition of the importance of activism
within professional organizations and legislative
politics related to critical nursing issues.
Self-interest: involvement in professional
organizations to further ones own career; the
development and use of political expertise to further
the professions self-interest.

 Political sophistication: high level of

professional organization activism (e.g., holding
office at the local and state level) moving beyond
self-interests; recognition of the need for
activism on behalf of the public.
Leading the way: serving in elected or
appointed
positions
in
professional
organizations at the state and national levels;
providing true leadership on broad healthcare
interests within legislative politics, including
seeking appointment to policy-making bodies
and election to political positions.

 POLITICAL ANALYSES
Effective use of power and politics to facilitate
strategy development for the policy process
requires systematic analysis of the issues.

COMPONENTS OF POLITICAL ANALYSIS

Identify and analyze the problem
Outline and analyze proposed solution
Understand the background, including its
history and attempts to solve the problem
Locate the political situation and its structure

 Evaluate the stakeholders

Conduct a values assessment
Ascertain financial and personnel needs to attain
goals
Analyze power bases

 POLITICAL STRATEGIES
Persistence
Look at big picture
Frame issue adequately
Develop and use networks
Assess time

 Collaborate
Prepare to take risks
Understand the opposition

SKILLS AND TACTICS IN THE

WORKPLACE
Build your own team
Choose your second-in command carefully
Establish alliances with superiors and peers
Use all possible channels of communication
.

 Do not be naive about how decisions are made

Know priority
Be courteous
Maintain a flexible position and maneuverability
Disclose information judiciously

 Use passive resistance when appropriate to gain

time.
Project an image of confidence, status, power,
and material success
Learn to negotiate and collaborate.

 Meier (1999) recommended some basic

strategies for political action
Join political organizations
Build a working relationship with a single
legislator
Invite a legislator to a professional organization
meeting
Invite a legislator or staff person from the
legislators office to spend a day with you at work.

 Brendtro and Schwerin offered additional

strategies for political action to shape policy
Use power effectively
Always appear self confident
Empower others to work on policy issues
Build your visibility
Build relationships through coalitions and networks

 Identify resources, human and physical, that can

support your efforts.
Enhance the image of nursing in all policy efforts
Communicate message effectively and clearly
Develop expertise in shaping policy
Seek appointive positions or elective office to
shape policy more effectively

Characteristics of Organizational Politics

The readiness of people to use power in their
efforts to since others
To secure personal or collective interests
To avoid negative outcomes within the
organization

Techniques Used in Organizational Politics

Controlling Information
Controlling Lines of Communication
Controlling the Agenda
Attacking and Blaming

 Listing Outside Experts

Game Playing
Image Building
Building Coalitions

 Factors/Conditions influencing Political

Behaviour

Managing Organizational Politics

Knowledge about Political Behaviour
Eliminate the Factors Causing
Organizational politics
Provision of Sufficient Resources
Free Flow Information

 Quick Action
Manage Change Effectively
Remove Political Norms
Hire Low Political staff
Have Peer Pressure against Politics

THANK YOU