CONFLICTS, LEADERSHIP, POWER, AND POLITICS

Conflict and Influences of Leadership, Power, and Politics on Organization's Performance



Conflict and Influences of Leadership, Power, and Politics on Organization's Performance

There are numerous aspects of an organization that may affect their success and moral. Few of these areas which could play a vital part in the organization are; politics, code of conduct, power, objectivity, personal agendas, business intentions, and organizational goals. Power and politics have both a positive and negative affect on any organization. Businesses decisions must be objective and also should insure their intentions remain in line with the organization's goals. Establishments must not permit personal agendas to intervene with the business decisions and should make sound ethical decisions. Organizational politics could have a prejudicial affect on employee's, moral, loyalty, and trust.

Task and Relationship Conflict

Recent research distinguishes task conflict from relationship conflict and argues that the two have different performance consequences (e.g., Amason & Sapienza, 1997; de Dreu, 1997). Jehn (1995) has summarized the distinction fine: Task conflict or cognitive conflict is a perception of disagreements amongst members about the content of their decisions and involves differences in viewpoints, ideas, and opinions. Relationship conflict or emotional conflict is known as a perception of interpersonal incompatibility and typically includes tension, annoyance, and animosity among group members.

The difference in task and relationship conflict is critical for both managerial prescription and theory development. Task conflict is usually associated with two interrelated and beneficial effects. Organizations that experience task conflict are likely to make better decisions than those that do not because task conflict encourages greater cognitive understanding of the issue being discussed. This effect has been found at both the individual level (Putnam, 1994) and the group level. A second effect that is beneficial of task conflict is affective acceptance of group decisions, a number of researchers have found that task conflict can lead to increased satisfaction with the group decision and a desire to stay in the group (Amason, 1996).

The association between task conflict and group performance may not perfect. However a number of scholars have also noted that extremely high levels of task conflict sometimes lead to reduced member satisfaction and commitment to the team (e.g., Amason, 1996).

Relationship conflict also negatively affects group decision quality in three interrelated ways. First, relationship conflict limits the information processing ability of the group because group members spend then" time and energy focusing on each other rather than on the group problems.

Second relationship conflict confines organization members' cognitive functioning by increasing their stress and anxiety levels (Jehn & Mannix, 1997; Staw, Sandelands, & Dutton, 1981). Third relationship conflict also encourages antagonistic or sinister attributions for other group members' behavior, which can create a self-fulfilling prophecy of mutual hostility and conflict escalation. In conclusion substantial literature has indicated that relationship conflict is detrimental to decision quality and to affective commitment to the organization.

Power and Politics

Power can be motivators in both a positive and negative manner. Wideman (2003), states that power is the ability to persuade others to do the following; ...