Ob Journal Bosses From Hell And The Legal Implications

Ob Journal Bosses From Hell And The Legal Implications

Assignment 3: OB Journal - Bosses from Hell and the Legal Implications Politics and the misuse of power cannot be eliminated from organizations. Consider a worse case scenario: You are working on your Business Management Certificate in the hope to advance yourself. You realize that with the present economy, you may have to work in a position until you earn your degree. Your present sales representative position for a telecommunications company does puts bread on the table for your family; but is highly competitive and here's the kicker... Your boss is the ultimate personal power person. He has acquired personal power as regional sales manager and is not afraid to manipulate employees for purely personal gain. His psychological profile would read: very pragmatic with the ends justifying the means, capable of lying to achieve personal goals, and is more likely to persuade than be persuaded. Moreover; he is like the Godfather in that he is more likely to win in win-lose situation. He is known around the water cooler as The Boss from Hell. Your Boss from Hell calls you into his office and wants you to alter the price of a sales agreement you have recently negotiated with an important customer. The benefit of the altered price is that your boss would now be entitled to an executive bonus for increasing sales in his territory. He claims that the customer would probably not notice the increased price as they do repetitive business with your company. You are resisting and boss says: "Do it dam it!" If not, I will plaster your employment file with enough incident reports and bad appraisals that you will not be able to get another job." What do you do? Directions Create a journal entry entitled " Organizational Politics and the Misuse of Power ." Consider the organization you work for (or another organization) and describe at least two (2) situations of organizational politics you've observed (or been involved in) in which a supervisor or manager used her/his personal power to influence an individual or group. Refer to Table 11.2-Influence Tactics Used in Organizations to identify situations. Describe at least one (1) action for each situation in which you think the individual or group could have taken to counter the undue influence tactics of the supervisor or manager. Refer to Table 11.3-Managing Your Relationship with Your Boss for possible counteractions. Purpose The purpose of this assignment is to examine a situation in which management exerts personal power upon a subordinate to achieve personal goals.

Paper For Above instruction

The scenario outlined highlights a critical issue in organizational politics—the misuse of personal power by managers or supervisors for personal gain. Such situations are rife in organizations where individuals in positions of authority leverage their influence unethical or manipulative tactics to sway employees, often at the expense of organizational integrity and ethical standards. This paper explores two such instances within organizational contexts, examines the influence tactics used, and discusses possible countermeasures based on established management strategies to mitigate undue influence and promote ethical leadership.

Case 1: The Coercive Tactics of a Power-Hungry Supervisor

The first observed situation involves a supervisor who employs coercive influence tactics to compel a subordinate to perform an unethical act—altering a sales agreement’s price to benefit the manager’s personal bonuses. The supervisor, akin to the archetype of a domineering figure, threatens the subordinate with negative consequences such as damaging employment records and poor performance appraisals if he refuses to comply. This mirrors the influence tactic of pressure or coercion, where the supervisor uses threats to get the subordinate to act against their ethical judgment (Robbins & Judge, 2019). Such tactics diminish employee morale, damage trust, and can lead to legal repercussions if the unethical act involves fraudulent practices like price manipulation.

Counteraction strategies for the subordinate include employing tactics such as asserting personal integrity and seeking support from higher management or HR. According to Table 11.3, maintaining open communication and emphasizing personal values, and seeking allies can serve as defenses against undue influence (Alderfer, 1972). For instance, refusing to participate in fraudulent activities and reporting the supervisor’s behavior to appropriate authorities can safeguard against unethical coercion, while also aligning with ethical standards and legal obligations (Treviño & Nelson, 2017).

Case 2: The Use of Legitimate Power for Personal Gain

The second scenario involves a manager leveraging their formal authority to influence a decision-making process unfairly. The manager may use their legitimate power to frame requests and exert influence on subordinates, compelling them to undertake actions that benefit the manager’s personal objectives rather than organizational interests. For example, a supervisor might assign a subordinate to perform tasks that serve the manager’s personal network or financial interests, citing organizational authority but actually pursuing personal favoritism (French & Raven, 1959).

In confronting this, individuals can employ influence tactics such as rational persuasion or consultation, as indicated in Table 11.2, to challenge the unfair use of power. Engaging in open dialogue to understand the underlying motives, or proposing alternative approaches that serve organizational goals, can serve as countermeasures (Pfeffer, 2010). Furthermore, fostering transparency and accountability through documentation can reduce the risk of manipulative practices and promote an ethical organizational climate (Brown, Treviño, & Harrison, 2005).

Legal and Ethical Implications of Power Abuse

Unethical use of power has profound legal implications, including violations of corporate governance standards, employment laws, and possibly legal liability for fraud or misconduct. As illustrated in the first scenario, altering a contractual agreement covertly may constitute fraud, which can lead to criminal charges and damage the organization’s reputation. Leaders who misuse personal power undermine trust, potentially leading to a toxic work environment and legal sanctions (Schermerhorn et al., 2015). It is essential for organizations to establish clear ethical guidelines and educate employees about their rights and ethical conduct to prevent such abuses (Trevino & Nelson, 2017).

Conclusion

Situations involving the misuse of personal power, as illustrated in the scenarios above, demonstrate the critical need for ethical influence management within organizations. Employees must be educated about influence tactics and their countermeasures, emphasizing integrity and accountability. Organizations should foster a culture of transparency, ethical leadership, and legal compliance to mitigate the negative impacts of organizational politics and uphold organizational integrity. Implementing policies that encourage reporting unethical behavior and protecting whistleblowers is fundamental in combating the misuse of power at all levels of management.

References

• Alderfer, C. P. (1972). Human needs in organizational settings. New York: Free Press.
• Brown, M. E., Treviño, L. K., & Harrison, D. A. (2005). Ethical leadership: A review and future directions. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(6), 595-616.
• French, J. R., & Raven, B. (1959). The bases of social power. In D. Cartwright (Ed.), Studies in Social Power (pp. 150–167). Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research.
• Pfeffer, J. (2010). Power: Why some people succeed and others fail. Harper Business.
• Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2019). Organizational Behavior (18th ed.). Pearson.
• Schermerhorn, J. R., Hunt, J. G., & Osborn, R. N. (2015). Organizational Behavior (13th ed.). Wiley.
• Treviño, L. K., & Nelson, K. A. (2017). Managing Business Ethics: Straight Talk about How to Do It Right. Wiley.
• Trevino, L. K., & Nelson, K. A. (2017). Managing Business Ethics: Straight Talk about How to Do It Right. Wiley.
• Additional sources relevant to organizational influence tactics and ethics literature are included in the references.