Introduction
Each business has characteristics that make it unique in regard to how it operates, its internal and external environment, and the processes correlating with its work. A variety of factors are included in the establishment of a company’s influences. Managers can implement strategies to generate a more balanced environment while acknowledging that the outside and inside impacts cannot be hindered. The current paper exemplifies influence tactics, leadership measures, size, and politics as influences that can be navigated via a proper selection of actions that are appropriate depending on the context of the issue.
Influence Tactics
Organizational power can be multifaceted depending on existing resources, influence, and position. Based on said power, various tactics can be employed by entities wielding each type of corporate authority. Legitimate, reward, and coercive powers are often referred to when it comes to the ability to make an impact. The legitimate subtype implies that the organizational hierarchy, by definition, employs techniques that allow certain individuals to have more decision-making opportunities.
For example, a leader can implement new rules to maximize internal safety (Kim & Gausdal, 2020). The persuasion techniques correlate with the adoption of policies, regulations, and communication with others for the sake of impacting a process, individual, or pattern. The reason correlating with the methodology is the sole fact that it is an authority power designed according to the company’s hierarchy, which means that the individual in charge is able to have a more substantial influence compared to other employees with fewer responsibilities.
Reward power, on the other hand, is linked to reinforcement of positive behavior, such as hard work and compliance with rules and guidelines. Motivational approaches include bonuses, increased salaries, promotions, additional leaves, or paid expenses. The reason for such actions is the fact that employees are motivated to reach rewards via reaching corporate goals, and those with the opportunities to fulfill said rewards are likely to apply the method.
On the contrary, coercive authority uses punishment for negative behavior instead of praise for beneficial one (Hofmann et al., 2022). Coercive methods include disciplinary actions, denial of rewards, adverse schedule changes, termination, demotion, and written warnings. Such strategies are employed due to the need to advance in rule compliance, and punishment can minimize existing risks and threats.
Personal influence can be categorized via expert and referent power. The tactics correlating with expert impact include reasoning, logical explanations, persuasions, and communication. They are applied because influence is centered around expertise and experience, which is reassuring. Simultaneously, referent authority is linked to one’s likability (Quiñones-González, 2022). Procedures such as motivational speeches, personal discussions, and leading through examples are often applied for the sake of maximizing cooperation, drive, and personal connections among employees.
Soft and Hard Leadership Tactics
An effective leader implements both soft and hard influence tactics depending on the situation, requirements, and objectives. Soft skills, in particular, include communication, flexibility, empathy, and the ability to solve conflicts in a positive manner (Williams, 2023). Soft tactics are more likely to generate a favorable outcome under the scenario that the team requires encouragement and empowerment.
The leader can motivate team members to be creative, apply their skills in a professional setting, and facilitate new ideas via communication and personal connections. Additionally, the method is useful when the organizational culture is weak. Collaboration, conflict resolution, and building a welcoming workplace are the circumstances in which the tactic can be efficiently implemented.
Hard skills are also essential for any corporate environment. They relate to technical and practical matters (Lamri & Lubart, 2023). For example, team management in which directions are to be provided can be exemplified through this strategy. Supervision of projects, ensuring performance is high, and making sure an implementation does not exceed a predetermined budget are circumstances in which the approach is likely to be more needed. It is certain that, when it comes to the extent to which hard and soft skills are applied, a 50/50 technique is required. However, the percentage changes according to the objectives that are to be achieved and the nature of the company in which such measures are employed.
Relevance of Organizational Size
The size of a company affects multiple aspects of its operation. For example, corporate politics have a contrasting nature in small, innovative start-ups compared to large multinational corporations. In newly established firms, leaders employ an entrepreneurial style to motivate coworkers to reach a common goal (Nguyen et al., 2021). Such companies are typically small, have a tight circle of workers who share a vision and an objective, and are based on informal communication.
The organization is flexible by nature and transparent in information sharing, which hinders the engagement of politics. Hence, they are less likely to be characterized via power dynamics. As a result, start-ups are less influenced by political behaviors, implying that the size of the company matters in regard to the aforementioned circumstance.
Large corporations, on the other hand, can be characterized as more formal and complex in their structures and hierarchies. Such rigidity is required due to the fact that more processes are to be managed and supervised (Russo & van Houten, 2021). In substantial organizations, various departments, offices, and branches generate the need to implement strict hierarchies to minimize possible disruptions and risks.
This, however, maximizes the implications of political maneuvers. Securing resources and competition among various entities within a corporation fosters rivalry. In this case, the larger the size of the business, the more likely individuals and teams will employ certain strategies to increase their opportunities for influence and strength.
Organizational Politics
Organizational politics relate to the impacts that facilitate specific outcomes in companies. Depending on the political approach, various processes lead to changes, transformations, and patterns. Four distinct organizational politics can be highlighted, including the weeds, the rocks, the high ground, and the woods. Each element is a metaphor for the factors that generate influence and participate in decision-making (Olusegun, 2019). Coordinators are to account for potential negative impacts correlating with every political model.
The Weeds
The weeds represent individual and informal leadership, the metaphor highlighting the fact that it appeared organically. Negative consequences can derive from this specific political approach, namely by facilitating an organizational imbalance (Olusegun, 2019). The manager must be involved in the team and communicate to determine who holds informal influence, to what extent it is present, and how it is being applied. If it is being exercised negatively, the element can be isolated or moved to a more appropriate team.
The Rocks
The rocks correlate with the weeds due to the importance of authority in both political styles. However, in this case, the focus is on legitimate control (Olusegun, 2019). For example, the leader undermines the decisions of supervisors and employees. One potentially effective tactic is to redirect the entity exercising authority according to its interests and goals. For example, a leader who is focused on a major problem is less likely to interfere with much-needed corporate changes supported by workers and implemented by managers.
The High Ground
The high ground, once again, shares characteristics with the rocks. However, in this case, formal power is combined with existing policies, guidelines, and structures (Olusegun, 2019). As power is mainly tied to corporate rules, the environment can lack flexibility and creativity in decisions, ideas, and internal projects for change and improvement. As a manager, it can be helpful to measure risks when proposing changes. Since a regulation-based organization aims to create a strong structure, risk aversion is most likely to be one of the goals.
The Woods
As the high grounds are the formal policies, the woods are the informal, unspoken rules. Every organization is a unique organism with predetermined processes and characteristics formed within, which is why the political influence is called the woods (Olusegun, 2019). To ameliorate the conditions, it is critical to obtain feedback to determine how the company is viewed from the outside. As a result, the behavior can be corrected via discussions and conversations with employees who prioritize informal rules over formal ones.
Conclusion
Every organization differs depending on its size, politics, and influence measures. The unique characteristics establish an environment in which the powers are created both organically and inorganically. However, managers are able to navigate various elements within the organizational process, such as power tactics, soft and hard traits, and politics, to yield positive outcomes both for the workforce and the companies as a whole. In order for adverse consequences to be minimized, it is important to consider the characteristics of the entity that is being managed.
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