Organizational Power or Politics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organizational Power or Politics - Term Paper Example They should serve as guiding principles for the success of an organization and particularly in managing and empowering employees. Power is such an important element for the success of an organization, but it is a broad concept at the same time. It could either harm or help an organization depending on how it is implemented. In the context of an organization, it is defined as the ability to do or acquire something (Nelson & Quick, 2011). In this definition, power is concerned on the capacity of an individual to influence and employ authority over a certain organization or group. In other words, there is a clear distinction between power, influence and authority. Power is the ability, influence is a process and authority is the right of a person to create impact on the lives of others (Nelson & Quick, 2011). Power can be significantly viewed as the ability to influence and employ one’s authority. Thus, power should consist of combined ability to apply influence and authority. It is in this reason why power is such an important concept that for a long period of time continues to be one of the most signific ant issues that need to be taken into account in leadership and other related essential activities within an organization. In this paper, the proponent tries to discuss and analyze the basic and essential concepts of power and political behavior in an organization based on the ideas of Nelson and Quick. The essay starts with the discussion of their ideas on power and political behavior, followed by analysis and conclusion. Nelson and Quick discuss important issues regarding power and political behavior primary within the context of a group or an organization. First, they place substantial distinction among the concepts of power, influence and authority. For them, each of these has different impact and usage. A manager may have the right to take control over employees but this would not