Managing With Power

11

Interpersonal Influence

We are not simply influenced by the context of the situation, as we saw in the last chapter; we are also influenced directly by the actions of others. Organizations are not collections of isolated individuals making decisions and taking action in splendid solitude. They are, above all, social settings in which people interact with their colleagues. We are influenced by what our colleagues are saying and doing—the ef fect of social proof—and we are swayed by the things others do to get us to like them and feel good about them. We are also influenced by the emotions that are created and used in social settings. These three topics—the principle of social proof, the use of ingratiation, and the role of emotions in interpersonal ...