Power and Politics in Organisations

Module title	Power and Politics in Organisations
Module code	BEM3080
Academic year	2025/6
Credits	15
Module staff	Professor Andreas Wihler (Lecturer)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks		11

Number students taking module (anticipated)	120

Module description

Power and politics permeate all organisations, although to varying extents. This module provides you with a comprehensive overview of the different elements of organizational politics and social influence in organisational settings. It covers the various sources of power and various types of influence tactics (and their effects). Given the negative connotation of organizational politics we will also shed light on the ethical considerations on an organisational and individual level. The module aims to equip you with a clear understanding of power structures, enabling you to navigate organizational environments with confidence and contribute constructively to collaborative efforts within their professional roles.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The module aims to:

introduce you to all aspects of organisational politics, influence tactics, and power sources
develop your understanding of the complexity of organisational politics and influence
provide you with practical ideas and techniques to assess and navigate organisational politics

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Explain ways in which individuals and organisations can be characterized as political
2. Explain how to connect elements of organisational politics with individual and organisational objectives
3. Assess the importance of organisational politics for organisational functioning using theories of political influence

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

4. Explain the consequences of organisational politics on organisational effectiveness on different levels
5. Assess the implications of organisational politics and influence tactics
6. Apply theory to support and challenge the occurrence of political behaviour in organisations

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

7. apply practical problem-solving skills to real-world challenges involving organisational politics
8. Study independently and conduct own research into topic area
9. Critically discuss political dynamics at work

Syllabus plan

Introduction to the nature and role of organisational politics to understand organisational functioning and achievement of objectives by understanding various aspects of organisational politics research.
Political characteristics: The importance of political skill and political will to achieve organisational and personal objectives, theories of political influence; practical application and development.
Political actions: Understanding what constitutes political actions; leveraging influence tactics, impression management tactics, voice behaviour, and general political behaviours and considering their consequences,
Political outcomes: How to achieve positive outcomes, like gaining power and creating a positive reputation, building and maintaining social networks; implications of perceived organisational politics at work

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
27	123	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	27	3 teaching blocks over term /each block focuses on one specific aspect of the dimensions of organisational politics; blocks involve lectures, case study discussions, practical examples, group activities
Guided independent study	123	Preparatory and further reading, assignment preparation

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Regular verbal feedback on in-class on discussion and participatory activities	In class	1-9	Verbal feedback to individual students and groups

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
0	0	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Individual written assignment	70	2500 words	1-9	written
Individual reflection assignment	30	1000 words	1-9	written

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Individual written assignment	Individual written assignment (70% - 2500 words))	1-9	Referral/deferral period
Individual reflection assignment	Individual reflection assignment (30% - 1000 words)	1-9	Referral/deferral period

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you have been deferred for any assessment you will be expected to submit the relevant assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be expected to submit the relevant assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 40%

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Ferris, G. R., & Treadway, D. C. (Eds.). (2012). Politics in organizations: Theory and research considerations. Routledge.
Pfeffer, J. (1981). Power in organizations. Boston, MA: Pitman.
Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. (2018). Essentials of Organizational Behaviour (Chapter 13). Pearson.
Vigoda-Gadot, E., & Drory, A. (2016).Handbook of Organizational Politics. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Selected references:

Burns, T. (1961). Micropolitics: Mechanisms of institutional change. Administrative Science Quarterly, 6, 257-281.
Ellen III, B. P., Ferris, G. R., & Buckley, M. R. (2013). Leader political support: Reconsidering leader political behavior. The Leadership Quarterly, 24, 842-857.
Fedor, D. B., & Maslyn, J. M. (2002). Politics and political behavior: Where else do we go from here? In F. Dansereau & F. J. Yammarino (Eds.), Research in multi-level issues (Vol. 1, pp. 287–294). Oxford, UK: Elsevier Science/JAI Press.
Ferris, G. R., Adams, G., Kolodinsky, R. W., Hochwarter, W. A., & Ammeter, A. P. (2002). Perceptions of organizational politics: Theory and research directions. In F. Dansereau & F. J. Yammarino (Eds.), Research in multi-level issues: The many faces of multi-level issues (Vol. 1, pp. 179 –254). Oxford, U.K.: Elsevier Science/JAI Press.
Ferris, G. R., Ellen, B. P., McAllister, C. P., & Maher, L. P. (2019). Reorganizing Organizational Politics Research: A Review of the Literature and Identification of Future Research Directions. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 6(1), 299–323.
Ferris, G. R., Treadway, D. C., Perrewé, P. L., Brouer, R. L., Douglas, C., & Lux, S. (2007). Political Skill in Organizations. Journal of Management, 33, 290–320.
Gandz, J., & Murray, V. V. (1980). The experience of workplace politics. Academy of Management Journal, 23, 237-251. DOI: 10.5465/255429.
Gray, B., & Ariss, S. S. (1985). Politics and strategic change across organizational life cycles. Academy of Management Review, 10, 707-723.
Mayes, B. T., & Allen, R. W. (1977). Toward a definition of organizational politics. Academy of Management Review, 2, 672-678.
Mintzberg, H. (1985). The organization as political arena. Journal of Management Studies, 22, 133-154.
Tushman, M. L. (1977). A political approach to organizations: A review and rationale. Academy of Management Review, 2, 206-216.

Key words search

Power, influence, organisational politics

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	BEM2047
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	7
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	01/02/2024
Last revision date	25/06/2024