Craig E. Johnson, Organizational Ethics, Third Edition
Instructor Resource
Lecture Notes
Chapter 5
Exercising Ethical Inluence
Organizational Ethics: A Practical Approach (3rd ed.)
Introduction
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•We spend considerable time inluencing others in organizational
settings.
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•Exercising inluence is NOT an option.
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•Must inluence others to carry out our roles
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•Our inluence choices will help determine the ethical health of our
organizations
Questions of Power
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•Power = the capacity to control the behavior of others
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•The greater the power, the more likely that others will comply
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•To wield power ethically, must answer these questions:
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•Are some forms of power more ethical than others?
Craig E. Johnson, Organizational Ethics, Third Edition
Instructor Resource
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•Is it possible to have too much power?
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•Should I play politics?
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•What factors contribute to empowerment?
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•How do I overcome barriers to empowerment?
Question 1: Are Some Forms of Power More Ethical Than Others?
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•Sources of Power:
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•Coercive power: based on penalties or punishments
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•Reward power: deliver something of value to others (tangible or
intangible)
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•Legitimate power: resides in the position
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•Expert power: knowledge, skills, education
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•Referent (role model) power: rests on admiration of another person
Are Some Forms of Power More Ethical Than Others?
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•No form of power is inherently immoral
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•Must draw upon a variety of power sources to be efective
Craig E. Johnson, Organizational Ethics, Third Edition
Instructor Resource
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•Should employ power towards worthy objectives
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•Hard power linked to organizational position (coercive, reward,
legitimate) is more dangerous than soft power linked to the person
(expert, referent)
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•Coercive power is most dangerous and should only be used as a last
resort.
Question 2: Is It Possible to have too much power?
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•Concentration of power produces unethical behavior.
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•“Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Lord
Acton
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•Positional power is most susceptible to abuse
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•Why unfettered power is abused:
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•Powerful individuals project their inner darkness
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•Powerful individuals are more susceptible to judgment biases
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•The powerful attack those they perceive as threats
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•Powerful individuals rely more heavily on positional power
To reduce the dangers of concentrated power:
Be open to inluence
Craig E. Johnson, Organizational Ethics, Third Edition
Instructor Resource
Enact formal mechanisms to limit the exercise of power
Is it possible to have too much Power?
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•Powerlessness also poses ethical dilemmas
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•The powerless focus on maintaining limited power
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•Powerless individuals take out their frustrations on others and the
organization
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•Powerlessness impairs cognitive functioning
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•How to cope with a low power position
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•Highlight your interdependence with the powerful person
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•Be persistent
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•Stay actively engaged with the person in power
Question 3: Should I play Politics?
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•Deinition: use of informal (non sanctioned) power to achieve
personal and/or organizational objectives
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•Informal power is a fact of organizational life
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•While informal power is often misused we need to use informal power
to achieve worthy objectives
Craig E. Johnson, Organizational Ethics, Third Edition
Instructor Resource
Should I play politics?
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•Abandon negative politics and practice positive politics
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•Negative politics: self-centered, controlling, manipulative; win at all
costs; violates ethical standards; focus on eiciency
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•Positive politics: supports the group; power used to serve; focus on
shared vision and values; collaborative; considers ethical implications
and following moral standards
Question 4: What Factors Contribute to Empowerment?
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•Giving power away supports ethical values and boosts the bottom line
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•Empowerment can increase your power
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•Psychological empowerment—the increased motivation to carry out
tasks associated with work roles
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•Factor 1: meaning (values placed on the task)
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•Factor 2: competence (belief that can do the job required)
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•Factor 3: self-determination (choice over how to carry out the
task
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•Factor 4: Impact (extent of inluence over the larger
organizational environment)
Craig E. Johnson, Organizational Ethics, Third Edition
Instructor Resource
Question 5: How do I Overcome Barriers to Empowerment?
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•Empowerment barriers
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•Keeping authority is often rewarded
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•Risk of a new approach
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•Managers lose control
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•Requires a new skill set
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•Follower anxiety about a new system
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•Stages of Empowerment
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• Stage 1: Starting and orienting the process of change
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• Stage 2: Making changes and dealing with discouragement
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• Stage 3: Adopting and reining empowerment to it the
organization
Ethical Issues in Inluence
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•Importance of choosing the right inluence tactic
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•Ethical considerations should play a central role
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•Overview of Organizational Inluence Strategies