DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What power(s) does your instructor have?
An instructor has legitimate power, expert power, referent power, coercive power, reward power, and
persuasive power. An instructor has been hired by the university (legitimate power), knows the
2. What influence tactics does your instructor use to motivate you to learn?
The most effective influence tactics that an instructor can use to motivate students include:
Rational persuasion—using logic and facts to persuade students to get a college degree.
3. Describe a time in the last week that someone influenced you to do something you would not
otherwise have done. What influence tactic(s) did she or he use?
4. Is another person’s ethics important to you in your decision to allow that person to influence
you? Why or why not?
Yes. A good reputation for ethical behavior decreases my concern that another person might behave
5. How can you ethically use power, influence, and politics to get a promotion?
A person can ethically use expert power and personal to influence a decision maker, a manager, to get
6. Have you ever tried to influence your boss to do something? What upward influence tactics did
you try? Were you successful? Why or why not?
Students can share their experiences. I tried to influence my dean to offer certain courses. I
7. Are office politics bad? Why or why not?
Office politics are bad because they take time away from performing valuable tasks for the
8. How do you use impression management at work?
Students can share their experiences. I’ve used impression management techniques with positive
GROUP EXERCISE – Influencing Your Instructor
Learning Objective: Describe what you can do to increase your power in an organization.
Summary: Students form small groups and identify a spokesperson. They develop a strategy to influence
the instructor to change the evaluation criteria for this course (although it is likely too late in the semester
for any changes to actually be made). They identify the influence tactics as well as the sources of power.
They make a brief presentation to the class and instructor. The class will vote on which group is the most
persuasive.
Task: Questions to guide the discussion:
1. What is the role of impression management in this situation?
2. What is the role of empowerment?
VIDEO EXERCISE
Numi Organic Tea: Value Chain, IT, and E-Business
Summary:
1. Describe the power relationship between Numi and its supply chain partners.
Numi relies on international partners to produce, package, and deliver its high-end organic teas.
Factories, warehouses, tea farms and other third parties work closely with Numi’s marketing teams to
deliver great products in a cost-effective manner. In return, partners earn revenues from Numi.
2. In the video, what issues with China-based suppliers require Numi’s managers to use influence
and persuasion tactics?
Numi is dedicated to the concepts of sustainability and social responsibility. However, partners in
China have trouble comprehending Numi’s fair-trade, organic, and sustainability ideals, and they
One story about Numi’s dealings with a Chinese factory illustrates the ongoing challenge: No matter
3. How does Numi get suppliers to comply with its policies?
Numi expects supply chain partners to adhere to its ethical standards, and it refuses to partner with
any company that does not comply. Since many companies do not view sustainability and
Now What?
Imagine learning that your boss is trying unsuccessfully to influence a peer of yours to organize the
company picnic again this year. When you are asked to try to influence the stubborn subordinate to agree
to plan the picnic, what do you say or do? Go to this chapter’s “Now What?” video, watch the challenge
video, and choose a response. Be sure to also view the outcomes of the two responses you didn’t choose.
OB Concepts Applied: legitimate power; coercive power; reward power; referent power; rational
persuasion; ingratiation; inspirational appeals; coalition tactics; exchange
influence tactic; personal appeals; pressure; commitment; compliance; passive
resistance; active resistance
Discussion Questions
1. Which influence tactics do you think were the most effective and why would they work?
The most effective influence tactics were rational persuasion (It would be easier this year.),
2. If you were to use power to try to get the subordinate to do the task, which forms of power
would work best and why? Which would be ineffective and why?
Legitimate power would work but would likely make Allison resentful and mad. Reward power may
work but since Allison does not want to organize the party, the rewards would have to be big. Alex
3. Did you detect any organizational politics, and if so, what types?
4. How else might you persuade your coworker to organize the picnic using power and influence?
Allison has expert power because she knows how to organize the picnic. The co-workers could
persuade her to share her expertise and train others to put on future picnics. If Allison knows that she