Organizational Power
Preliminary remarks
This article continues the
study of stupidity. In the preparation
of this article I asked for stories of management decisions that were made
without consulting those affected by the decisions. Some of the results made the situation
worse. Since the story tellers wanted
anonymity, all the stories used here are composites; retold to support the
ideas expressed in this article. That is the reason the examples have no
citations.
Q: In the Bible
(Deuteronomy 1:12-18)[1] Moses admits that he does not know have the
power to govern without help. He is told
to appoint heads of tribes, captains, and officials who will help lead and
adjudicate disputes. Those appointed should be wise and men of knowledge. Rarely have I seen a job description or
written job requirements that require wisdom.
Those running for political office here have no requirement concerning
knowledge, wisdom or academic preparation.
Given that officials or
officers need some kind of power and authority to do their jobs, how does one
use power wisely?
A: In
order to form any kind of group one must give up a part of one’s self. Group living even in two
Let me start with some
descriptions of power that effect those involved every day. 1) An architect designs a visually
fascinating building that is artistically beautiful. The architect has the power to make the space
fit the needs or the customer or fit some sort of artistic vision; 2) A space
designer designs an office that looks great, but doesn’t serve the occupants
needs; 3) A member of the information technology staff orders and installs
equipment that does not fit the room or solve the users’ needs.
The architect and space
designer think that because they have done x number of projects, they are the
experts in buildings. They are not the
experts in knowing how my company uses space. The IT expert may know the computer equipment,
but not how it is used in a particular space. They have the power to design as they
please. That is not the best way to use
power as an administrator I have to empower my managers and supervisors and
trust they know how to do their jobs. If
I can’t trust them, it is time to part company.
Q: How does institutional power flow in the
College?
A: We have an academic side and an operational side. The operational side includes financial,
building maintenance, human resources, and infrastructure. The operational side has to work similar to a
business or any other organization. On
the academic side we have departments and faculty. Faculty are managers of their classes. Some of the power and authority comes from
the district office. The district office controls the finances such as collecting
tuition and fees and authorizing disbursements.
One of our complaints is how
the decisions are made that the College has no input. I can tell you my theory of how I want the College
to be run, but I am limited by outside forces such as state laws, federal
regulations and district operations. Power flow from above. The organizational structure dictates who has
what powers.
Q: Is there another kind of
organization? I’ve heard of something
called a matrix organization.
A: A matrix organization
has multiple reporting lines. It has a
great ability to work on projects and solve problems. People
with similar skills work together. A limitation
is people working on multiple projects may have multiple bosses. Middle management
sometimes gets frustrated because they are unclear as to what should be the priorities.
They may find a lack of clarity and feel
overburdened. One advantage is that people
can be assigned according to their abilities. The departments may compete to the get the job
done better or at a lower cost.
Some of the matrix management ideas can be applied to the college.
For special projects we can appoint a project manager. An academic committee operates with this theory. A class that divides into group projects uses
this kind of management. The class or committee has one member who is in charge
or the chairman.
Q: How does one use
consultants in the college? I have heard of some organizations that bring in
lots of consultants and just ignores their advice.
A: We work with consultants for computer systems. They have the global knowledge of many companies,
but recognize that we have the knowledge of the College’s people and hardware. We work well together because we understood our
roles, knowledge, and limitations. Consultants are needed to augment internal knowledge. They can learn about products and processes
that internal people don’t have to time or ability to master. For short term
projects consultants may be cost effective. For long time needs, consultants can
bring outside knowledge that internal people don’t have and can’t easily obtain.
In a non-functional organization,
management hires a consultant to prove what they already decided. Or the consultants spend a lot of time doing analysis
work and the management ignore their advice. Management just wanted to show that
they did their “due diligence.”
Another example of not
listening occurred many times when school is building a new building. For example: The powers that be budget for a building, but
forget about furnishings. They build a library,
but make no provision for staffing and books. They build beautiful spaces, but forget
to properly sound proof them, making working difficult. They build spaces that make future changes
costly or impossible. They build spaces that
inappropriate for the age of the students.
Architects even forgot about locating light switches and power outlets in
ways that are easy to use. I have heard
of classrooms with light switches on one wall and the other side of the room had
the switch for the computer projector and screen.[2]
Q> How does an organization
encourage the cooperation needed for the success and well-being of itself?
A> Positive communication
and social interaction are essential for the success of most groups. The group could be a couple, a class, or a
formal organization. Leaders need to create or enhance social bonds so that
members feel they have a stake in the outcomes. Positive social bonds make members more committed
to success. When leaders fail to create
lines of communication and create divisions among the group members, the
leaders are failing to strive for success. Divisiveness is counterproductive to the group’s
success. This “divide and conquer” strategy is frequently used in military situations
to defeat enemies. It dates back to ancient
times and is attributed to Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great.
According to Case and Maner
leaders who do not enhance cooperation are protecting their power. If the organization from the very top on down
made people more secure i.e. not afraid to lose their jobs, people would be able
to be more loyal to the success of the group?
Some leaders become more concerned with the benefit of power than fostering
the groups goals and organizational success.
When leaders think their power is threatened, they start using strategies
such as threats, intimidation, ostracization, and withholding of information so
that power can be protected.
To encourage success these negative
behaviors, need to be recognized and removed from the organization. Sometimes the unwanted behaviors are so subtle
that they are not recognized. People grumble
and senior management is clueless as to how to identify and solve the problems.
The vicious circle repeats itself – misuse of power leads to a breakdown of social
connections, which leads to unhappy workers, which leads to lost productivity. Getting workers to recognize the misuse of power
is a major role of senior management. Misuse
of power is not limited to managers.
Even a clerk or tradesperson can misuse his/her authority and power. For example, a tech person may be slow to do
his job because he has the power to fix or install a machine and does not want
to have anyone take away his powers. Case
and Maner[3] conclude that understanding
the divide and conquer strategy has important implications for understanding the
fundamental forces that lead to group success.
If one understands the forces of misuse corrupt uses of power, we can build
a better group.
Q> If I understand you correctly, all
the stories of people not listening to subordinates or consultants is based on
a misuse of power. Is that correct?
A> Everyone wants power.
Everyone want control over their lives. Sometimes the misuse of
power is a subconscious malady; sometimes is part of a calculated plan. Understanding the flow of power helps the
organization to root out the misuse of power and take step to make a better organization.
Q> We are out of time for this
interview. This is obviously an emotionally charged issue. Thank you very much.
Resources
Case, Charleen R.; Maner,
Jon K. “Divide and conquer: When and why leaders undermine the cohesive fabric
of their group” From: Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, Vol 107(6), Dec 2014, 1033-1050. Retrieved Aug. 15, 2016 from: http://research.chicagobooth.edu/~/media/7880566048174CF589470DE074B18FAA.pdf
DeCelles,
Katherine A. et al “Does Power Corrupt
or Enable? When and Why Power Facilitates
Self-Interested Behavior” from Journal of Applied Psychology 2012, Vol. 97, No. 3, 681–689. Retrieved on August 15, 2016 from : http://www-2.rotman.utoronto.ca/facbios/file/DeCelles%20et%20al%202012%20JAP.pdf
Maner, John K. “The Essential Tension Between Leadership and
Power: When Leaders Sacrifice Group Goals for the Sake of Self-Interest” / Jon K. Maner and Nicole L. Mead. Journal
of Personality and Social Psychology 2010, Vol. 99, No. 3, 482–497.
Retrieved on August 15, 2016 from: http://research.chicagobooth.edu/~/media/CAB26C2AD4CB4DDDBD9220FE274DA809.pdf
Stone, Emily. “Why Bad
Bosses Sabotage Their Teams : Bosses who crave power but fear they might lose
it can undermine their teams’ productivity”
: from Evanston, IL : Kellogg Insight, Northwestern University, January
5, 2015. Retrieved on August 15, 2016 from : http://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/why-bad-bosses-sabotage-their-teams
Based on the research of Jon Maner and Charleen
R. Case.
[1]
This was read in the weekly portion for Shabbat August 13, 2016.
[2]
In the example a person wrote about, the reporter said if she turned off the
lights, she had to walk the length of the library in the dark to get to the computer.
She surmised that the electricians and
the projector installers did not follow the plans. The room light switch was next to a door that
led to a service hallway. It was not
used to enter the classroom.
Another person reported that the room with the computer projector could not be made dark enough to easily see the screen. There are other stories of administrators who move around teachers and librarians so much that no quality work can be done. Administrators have been known to hire aids who are not certified librarians to supervise the libraries. They have been known to hire library help without consulting the certified librarians in charge.
Another person reported that the room with the computer projector could not be made dark enough to easily see the screen. There are other stories of administrators who move around teachers and librarians so much that no quality work can be done. Administrators have been known to hire aids who are not certified librarians to supervise the libraries. They have been known to hire library help without consulting the certified librarians in charge.
One librarian, new to her school, told a story about a
volunteer who previously ordered books. The
volunteer had no concept of collaboration with teachers or building collections
that served the students. The librarian
could stop her even when the principal supported the librarian. The volunteer didn’t want to surrender the “power”
even when it was harming the organization and possibly was illegal fiscal mismanagement.
[3]
Case and Maner page 16.
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