INDEX

Details Page
Part A 02
Question 01 02
Question 02 03
Question 03 04
Part B 06
ReIerences 07

PART A
Question 01
Who had power in this organization? What type of power did Sarath
Silva have?
eIIery PIeIIer a proIessor oI Organizational Behaviour deIines power as the
ability to inIluence behaviour, to change the course oI events, to overcome
resistance and to get people to do things that they would not otherwise do.
Power can be divided into 2 categories, which are Iormal power and personal
power. Formal power is based on an individual`s position in the organization.
This usually reIlects his/her level oI authority. Personal power on the other
hand is based on the individual`s unique characteristics.
There are 3 classiIications oI Iormal power and 2 classiIications oI personal
power identiIied by psychologists ohn French and Bertram Raven.
1. Formal Power:
oercive power is a power which is dependent on Iear. It is based on
one`s ability to cause an unpleasant experience to another.
Reward power which is the opposite encourages individuals to
comply with directives Ior which once perIormed they will receive
positive beneIits.
egitimate power is based on one`s structural position and represents
the Iormal authority one has to control and use organizational
resources.
2. Personal Power:
xpert power is the inIluence one has as a result oI one`s expertise,
special skills or knowledge.
ReIerent Power on the other hand is based on a person`s desirable
resources or personal traits. This power develops out oI admiration.
The case study throwing away a golden opportunity` clearly indicates that in
this organization it is the committee members and the General Manager Sarath
Silva who have the power. ven though the Managing Directress is oI a higher

Iormal position to Sarath Silva in the organization structure it is Sarath who

has reIerent power.
One oI the ways in which individuals acquire reIerent power is through
charisma. As previously mentioned in this report reIerent power need not
always be linked to a person`s Iormal position in the organization. Some
individuals who while not in Iormal leadership positions still have reIerent
power and are able to exert inIluence due to their charismatic dynamism,
likability and the emotional eIIect they have on others.
This reIerent power is the power Sarath Silva exercised over the selection
committee when he convinced them to not consider Roger Seneviratne Ior the
vacancy available in international sales. When leaders such as Sarath Silver
exert reIerent power they take care to exert this power in a manner that
Iollowers think that they themselves would like to make these same decisions.
This was the strategy used by Sarath Silva when he convinced the selection
committee to support his decision with regards to Roger Seneviratnes` career
progression.

Question 02
Do you think Roger played company politics well? If so why didn`t he get
the international sales job?
Organizational politics could be deIined as the activities that are not required
as part oI an individual`s Iormal role in the company but that inIluence or
attempt to inIluence the distribution oI advantages and disadvantages within
the organization. Organization politics is believed to inIluence the goals,
criteria and processes used Ior decision making.
The case indicates that Roger Seneviratne played company politics well by not
relying solely on one person but consulting his idea with both the General
Manager and the Managing Directress oI the organization.
However the mistake Roger Seneviratne made is assuming that the Managing
Directress has superior power due to her higher Iormal position in the

organizational structure. Hence due to this misjudgement he Iocused all his

eIIorts in convincing only the MD that he was the man Ior the job, where as he
only inIormed Sarath Silva oI his decision. His mistake was underestimating
Sarath Silvas` power in the organization and thereby not successIully selling
himselI to Sarath Silva as the man Ior the job.
Roger Seneviratne did not get the sales job that he desired as he overlooked
the reIerent power that Sarath Silva had in the organization. Roger only
considered the legitimate power as per the Iormal organizational structure.

Question 03
At this point what would you do if you were Roger Seneviratne? What
political strategies will you use to strengthen your position in the
organization?
II I was Roger Seneviratne I would understand that there is a very thin line
between power and politics. Power transpires into politics when it is used
outside the area oI established authority, policies, procedures, job description
and organizational goals.
I would adopt the Iollowing political strategies to help strengthen my position
in the organization:
I would take counsel with Sarath Silva explaining my disappointment but
accepting the decision made by the selection committee
xhibiting conIidence at this point is essential as it depicts that I am
adoptable and accepting to the situation
I will work on building alliances with powerIul people in the organization
At this stage I would take care to progress one step at a time to ensure that
in 2 years I secure the position oI General Manager
I would be aware oI critical resources oI the organization and acquire the
ability to control these resources

I would restrict communication about my real intentions and the

conversation that I had with the Managing Directress, withdrawing myselI
Irom petty internal disputes

PART B
Q. No. 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Total Marks
Answer D D A D A
Q. No. 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16
Answer A A D D
Q. No. 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24
Answer A D B A D B A
Q. No. 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 2.32
Answer D D A D* B B B A
Q. No. 2.33 2.34 2.35 2.36 2.37 2.38 2.39 2.40
Answer A A A D A

2.28 D*
Proponent oI reinIorcement theory view behaviour as being
environmentally caused

REFERENCES
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d.), Prentice Hall oI India.