Position Paper: Power, Politics, And Culture Week 8 Worth 25

Position Paper Power Politicsand Culturedue Week 8 Worth 250 Poi

Power and politics greatly influence an organization’s culture. In business, the culture can make or break an organization’s productivity. In this assignment, you’ll analyze the ways power and politics have influenced an organization’s culture. You’ll apply best practices you learned in course resources and your own research to make recommendations for improving this organization’s culture.

Using the same organization from the first two assignments, imagine the CEO has now requested your task force investigate the influence of power and politics on the corporate culture. You have been asked to prepare a position paper that presents and supports your recommendations to improve the culture. Prepare for this assignment by delving into the organization's culture and identifying the resources you, the task force leader, will use to create your research-supported position paper. Use at least two quality resources such as the course textbook, company website, business websites (CNBC, Bloomberg, etc.), resources from the Strayer Library, and/or outside sources. Note: Wikipedia and web-based blogs do not qualify as credible resources.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

Organizational culture is profoundly shaped by the dynamics of power and politics within the corporate environment. These elements influence decision-making processes, resource allocation, and interpersonal relationships, ultimately impacting organizational effectiveness. Understanding the influence of power and politics is essential for developing strategies to foster a healthy organizational culture that promotes collaboration, transparency, and ethical behavior. This paper examines how politics and power have historically influenced the organization’s culture, explores the sources of power available to management, offers recommendations for leadership behavior improvements, and underscores the importance of effective leadership influence in shaping organizational performance.

Influence of Politics and Power

Politics and power play a pivotal role in shaping an organization’s culture. Political behavior often arises from competing interests among stakeholders, leading to alliances, conflicts, and manipulations that permeate the organizational fabric. In the organization under review, political maneuvering has resulted in a culture where loyalty and alliances often take precedence over meritocracy and transparency. For instance, preferential treatment to certain departments or individuals has fostered a culture of favoritism, undermining trust and morale among employees. This political environment encourages self-interest, which can hinder innovation and collaborative efforts, stifling organizational growth. As Pfeffer (2010) notes, power struggles and political behavior are intrinsic to organizational life, and if unmanaged, they can perpetuate a toxic culture detrimental to long-term success.

Sources of Power

Management possesses various sources of power that can be leveraged to improve organizational performance and foster a positive culture. According to French and Raven’s (1959) classic model, sources of power include legitimate, reward, coercive, expert, and referent power. In this organization, management primarily relies on legitimate power derived from position authority. To foster a supportive culture, management should also utilize reward power by recognizing and rewarding ethical behavior and team accomplishments. Expert power, grounded in knowledge and skills, can be instrumental in guiding organizational change initiatives. Additionally, referent power, built on admiration and personal respect, can foster stronger relationships and trust between leaders and employees. When management strategically employs these sources of power, it can promote fairness, motivation, and innovation, leading to an improved organizational performance.

Leadership Behavior and Culture

Effective leadership behavior is crucial for shaping a resilient and ethical organizational culture. Leaders influence culture through their communication, decision-making, and role modeling. Recommendations include training leaders to practice transformational leadership, which emphasizes inspiring and motivating employees, fostering a shared vision, and demonstrating integrity. As Bass (1985) argues, transformational leaders can positively impact organizational culture by encouraging participation, innovation, and ethical conduct. Furthermore, understanding power dynamics enables leaders to navigate organizational politics effectively, promoting transparency and reducing the negative effects of political behavior. Developing leaders’ emotional intelligence and political acumen can help them mitigate conflicts, build trust, and act as change agents to cultivate an ethical and inclusive culture.

Leadership Influence

The influence of leadership behavior on organizational structure and performance cannot be overstated. Leaders set the tone for organizational values and norms, guiding employee behavior and shaping organizational processes. A leader’s ability to manage power effectively—using it ethically and transparently—determines the health of the organizational culture. Complex organizational structures often reflect the power distribution; hierarchical structures can concentrate power, potentially leading to bureaucracy and rigidity, while flatter structures may encourage collaboration and agility. Effective leadership can adapt organizational structures to align with strategic goals and cultural values. As Yukl (2010) explains, leadership influence is complex and context-dependent, requiring skilled leaders to balance authority with servant leadership principles, ultimately improving organizational performance and employee engagement.

Executive Summary

In summary, understanding the influence of power and politics within the organization is vital for cultivating a healthy culture. Recommendations include promoting transparency in political behavior, leveraging diverse sources of power ethically, and developing transformational leadership behaviors that inspire trust and collaboration. Leaders should focus on building emotional intelligence and political skills to navigate organizational complexities effectively. By aligning leadership behaviors with strategic goals and fostering ethical use of power, the organization can strengthen its culture, enhance employee morale, and improve overall performance. Implementing these strategies will create a more inclusive, ethical, and productive organizational environment poised for sustainable growth.

References

• Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and performance beyond expectations. Free Press.
• French, J. R. P., & Raven, B. (1959). The bases of social power. In D. Cartwright (Ed.), Studies in social power (pp. 150-167). University of Michigan.
• Pfeffer, J. (2010). Power: Why some people have it—and others don't. HarperBusiness.
• Yukl, G. (2010). Leadership in organizations (7th ed.). Pearson.
• Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2019). Organizational Behavior (18th ed.). Pearson.
• Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.
• Kotter, J. P. (2012). Leading change. Harvard Business Review Press.
• Goleman, D. (1998). Working with emotional intelligence. Bantam Books.
• O’Reilly, C. A., & Tushman, M. L. (2013). Organizational ambidexterity: Past, present, and future. Academy of Management Perspectives, 27(4), 324–338.
• Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice (8th ed.). Sage Publications.