3
Diagnosing Power and Dependence
To be successful in getting things done in organizations, it is critical that you be able to diagnose the relative power of the various participants and comprehend the patterns of interdependence. One needs to know and understand not only the game, but also the players. After studying power and influence in a British organization that was purchasing a computer, Andrew Pettigrew observed that “an accurate perception of the power distribution in the social arena in which he lives is . . . a necessary prerequisite for the man seeking powerful support for his demands.”1 As we will see in the next section of the book, which treats sources of power, knowledge of the power distribution is itself an important source ...
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