
106 Organizational Change and Development
which is, you like it or not, a hardcore reality of organizational life. Nevertheless, people are reluctant to
discuss power and politics openly as these two terms seem to carry a negative overtone.
WHAT IS POWER?
Simply put, power refers to the ability to inuence others.
Power signies the situation when one compels an indi-
vidual to submit to his wishes and behave accordingly. The
ones who are powerful may not necessarily exert the power
they possess. Sometimes people may be unaware that they have any power over others. A person, for
instance, with charming personality, may not know about ...