Building Trust

The section I found most interesting in chapter 11 was on building trust. I found this interesting because trust is a key component in working well with others and if it does not exist, can negatively impact the group’s ability to function.

The first method mentioned is communication. It is important that team members be informed and able to share ideas. If communication is lacking, it is possible to de- value a teammate or slow down efficiency. Respect is absolutely necessary to protect communication so that all members of the group feel comfortable sharing their opinions.

Being supportive is another tactic in gaining trust. The chapter describes being supportive as being approachable, along with providing help, coaching, and encouragement. These actions build a strong foundation for communication and help to improve the dynamic of the team.

By relating these ideas mentioned in the chapter to previous experiences of working in a group, I came to the conclusion that they will in fact build trust amongst team members. In my experiences, communication has been both the success and downfall of the group. When the lines of communication are open, the entire team seems to work more efficiently, whereas when communication is failing, the quality of work deteriorates and motivation falls for those who feel they cannot get their point across.

Chapter 17: Generic Organizational-Effectiveness Criteria

In chapter 17 an essential concept which helps with the effectiveness of any situation is that assessing organizational effectiveness is an important topic for an array of people such as managers, job hunters, stockholders, government agencies, and OB specialists. There are four generic approaches it mentions which are goal accomplishment, resource acquisition, internal processes, and strategic constituencies satisfaction. Even though there are four main approaches the most significant one seems to be goal accomplishment. In order for any type of business to run smoothly they have to have a goal which they are aiming for. This will make it easier for them to go about accomplishing anything they want to be seen in their business.

Philip Selznick explains in his article titled American Sociological Review that trade unions, governments, business corporations, political parties, are all formal structures in the sense that they represent rationally ordered instruments for the achievement of stated goals. Philip mentions that through the goals businesses set, it is easier to facilitate the accomplishment of some agreed purpose through the allocation of functions and responsibilities. Goal setting and accomplishment is seen as a system of coordinated activities or forces of many persons. As illustrated by Philip having a mind set on goal accomplishment is vital for any business or structure to be effective.

Source: Selznick, Philip. "FOUNDATIONS OF THE THEORY OF ORGANIZATION." American Sociological Review 13.1 (1948): 25-35. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 19 Apr. 2010.

Do you think an individual can effectively manage 24 employees? Explain

 I am sure it is possible for an individual to manage 24 employees.

 Indeed, the employees are men and women who can be implied in the company's values so that they do their best to perform at work. The manager can do feedbacks and reports with the differnt teams, and thus he can see what works or not in his company.

 I think that it is important to divide the whole group in different teams, not to create competitions between the employees but to make them easier to know and to manage.

The best way for a manager to manage his employees is to know them and to be well known and appreciated by them. 

He also can delegate his authority to some subordinates; but he must never lose his acquaintances with his employees. It is the best way to manage them well.

He must show them that he is present, and that he is aware of their requirements. 

Chapter 17: Matrix Organization

The matrix organization is an attempt to combine the advantages of the pure functional structure and the product organizational structure. Project managers usually use the matrix organization, and large projects enjoy the matrix organization. The advantages of the matrix organization are 1) people can be shared, and the project cost are minimal, 2) conflicts are minimized, 3) time, cost, and performance are better balanced, 4) stress is dispersed among members, and 5) authority and responsibility is equal. In the matrix organization, different people from different positions are put into one team for an assignment without having to leave their primary position, for example engineers, accountants, and marketers. The employees have to report to the managers or superiors on a day-to-day basis to update on the assignment. Through the matrix organization, there are multiple control and command structures. The matrix organization allows members to share information and enjoys specialization.

However, some of the controversies with the matrix organization involve loyalty, confusion, and the use of the organization for today's society. Some opponents say that there are loyalty conflicts that have the workers unsure of the positions hierarchy. People may not be sure of who is the authority and who has certain leadership since all workers are specialized in their specific fields. Also, because the workers are specialized, confusion on what to do and how to distribute the information found may be unsure to those in the team. Since those who are not majored in certain aspects, they may not fully understand a concept or may understand the information differently. Lastly, opponents argue that the matrix organization may be outdated.



Sources: http://www.visitask.com/matrix-organization.asp

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/matrix-organization.html

CH15

Out of chapter 15, the most interesting topic, in my opinion, was the section on influence tactics. I think this section was interesting for most people, I mean who doesn't want to get their way and influence people? This section focused on the best approach to get people to carry out your wishes. Research done by David Kipnis in the 1980s, provides us with a list of nine influence tactics:
-Rational persuasion
-Inspirational Appeal
-Ingratiation
-Personal Appeals
-Exchange
-Coalition
-Pressure
-Legitimating tactics

As one can see, they are ranked in diminishing order of use in the workplace. The first five are considered "soft tactics" because they are friendlier than the last four which are considered "hard tactics".
I have found that in real world situations, if someone really wants something they rarely start out with a “hard tactic”. They always start with kind reasoning and logic, and then if they don’t get their way, they will move down the list to harder tactics.
When you are the persuader and use your favorite tactic to try and get your way there is normally 3 influence outcomes
-Commitment
-Compliance
-Resistance
In the workplace, the only acceptable one is commitment, compliance and resistance will not sit well with your boss.
I found an article on careerbuilder.com which is titled “How to get your way at work”. This had a more condensed and simpler list of three which was comparable to Kipnis’ nine.
-Be realistic
-have a plan
-ask for feedback
Honesty plays a big key in getting your way, if you’re a slimball and nobody trusts you, rarely will they do what you want.

http://www.careerbuilder.com/Article/CB-1013-Getting-Ahead-How-to-Get-Your-Way-at-Work/?ArticleID=1013&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=475864f7070d4b53b1b19e55e5678966-324912372-VE-4&ns_siteid=ns_us_g_how_to_get_your_way

Chapter 17: Innovation

Innovation the workplace was something that was discussed in Chapter 17. Innovation was defined as something new brought to the table that the public can use. Chapter 17 explained innovation in various different ways. First of all, it cleared up two myths about innovation. According to the text, innovation took preparation—it was not something that came out of thin air, nor was it something that could be regulated. From there, innovation was then described as a growing tree. Innovation, as it was written in the chapter, stemmed from the seed of hard work, dedication, necessity, curiosity, and more.

This chapter also discussed that there were several challenges that one could come across when being innovative. These challenges included: finding an idea, developing a solution, funding, reproduction, reaching for customers, beating competitors, timing, and keeping older customers happy while trying to garner new ones through innovation.

The last aspect of innovation that the chapter discussed was what made innovation effective and grow. There was only one answer to that, which was management. Training the workers, having good leadership, and making sure that creativity was not stifled, were a just some of the things that were needed to perform effective innovation.

Seeing as this part of the chapter talked a bit about Apple and its innovation, I found a video online which showed how Apple’s products have evolved throughout the years and how they kept innovation alive. Since this was made a year ago, products such as the new iPhone and iPad were not shown yet.

Power in the office

I don't have too much time for a post today, seeing as how I'm producing music for a feature film, and I have an appointment to headbutt grizzly bears at 3:30 (only one of those is a blatant lie).

Anyways, I want to talk about office power today. While reading our incredibly fascinating book, I came across the part in chapter 15 about the bases of power. I remembered talking about this in-class. If Mr. Miyagi is involved, you bet your ass I'll remember it.

So there are 5 kinds of power bases: Reward, Coercive, Legitimate, Expert, and Referent. For this post, I'm going to use my imagination to paint a picture of what a manager adhering to each of these power styles would look like.

Reward power, according to the book, is one who "obtains compliance with promised or actual rewards." Let's take Mark, a manager slaving away at a mid-level cardboard box supplier (they exist, trust me). He has noticed that his numbers are down, and he needs to get people in gear to start earning more money. He doesn't want to lose the monthly sales numbers contest to the Lodi branch again. So he tells his employees that, in addition to him throwing a badass picnic (badass picnic? What?), he'll make sure that they will each receive a bonus as a reward if they win two monthly sales contests.

Coercive power is the kind of power wielded by assholes. As stated in the book, "obtaining compliance through threatened or actual punishment." Let's look at Howard, a short fat guy who just got promoted to a management position. Unfortunately for everyone working underneath him, he is a man filled with spite, and takes sadistic pleasure in punishing people. Someone yawned once during one of his meetings. They were never seen again. He gets people to work hard by constantly hovering punishments over their heads. One time, he saw one of his subordinates at a bar with a hot date. In a fit of jealousy, he fired him the following Monday. This guy is cold-blooded.

Legitimate power is a little more formal and clear-cut. It's simply respecting the chain of command. If a guy occupies the position of "manager," then he gets to "manage" you. It's pretty simple. Obviously, someone with legitimate power can turn into a douchy coercive or nice rewarding manager, but legitimate power seems to be almost more passive and in the middle. You have authority because of your title. Case in point, Ron, who works for Boring Industries, a company that makes springs for printer cartridges. He just got promoted to a management position, but he's still totally the same guy that he was before. He just has management authority now. People listen to him and complete tasks that he requests of them. He sees it as the same job he had before, and he only gets to manage because of what his job title says.

Expert power is the most badass kind of power. Mr. Miyagi falls into this category. He knows his shit, and that's why he's practically bursting with awesome. If someone commands respect simply by what they know and what skills they have, then they are simply better than everyone else. Let's consider the case of Paul, a manager who has been in his industry (the fake vomit manufacturing business) for fifteen years. He knows his industry and workers inside and out, and he studies Krav Maga in his spare time (Krav Maga is the martial arts used by Israeli special forces). On top of that, he is a professional base jumper, expert chef, and has a respectable credit score. He commands respect by simply being an expert in the things he does. When he talks, people tend to listen because there is a good chance this man knows what he is talking about. Also, Krav Maga.

Referent power is, to put it lightly, the kind of power wielded by people who are just good with other people. It's all about charisma and raw appeal. Let us consider Gunther, a new manager who didn't go to college, doesn't have any particularly good skills, doesn't really focus on rewarding or punishing people, and doesn't know Krav Maga. But people LOVE him. Why? He gets people. Never underestimate this power. Upper management is populated almost entirely by human beings, and you can be the most qualified and knowledgeable person out there, but if you don't get people, forget about it. Gunther just gets people, and that's why he got promoted and you didn't.

Political Tactics in the Workplace

There are eight common political tactics in organizations. First one tactic is attacking or blaming others by avoiding or minimizing association with failure. This usually happens when scapegoating occurs. Second, people often use information as their political tool by purposely withholding or distorting information. Often they obscure an unfavorable situation by overwhelming superiors with all sorts of information. Thirdly, creating a favorable image by dressing for success and impression management occurs. Also this happens when people take credit for others’ accomplishments. Fourth, people develop a base of support prior to decision making by building others commitments. Fifth, praising others is tactics by making influential people feel good. Sixth, business people tend to form power coalitions with strong allies to gain success and results. Seventh, associating with influential people is often a behavior by networking inside and outside of the organization that they are with. Lastly, people create obligations and social debts.

In the article “Workplace Etiquette: The Political Savvy Individual” it addresses that in order to successful in today’s evolving workplace, you need talent, hard work, good job performance, a share of good breaks as well as political savvy. “Political savvy means ethically using office politics to your advantage.” People must think of this as to practice sensible and ethical office politics. This article addresses that office politics were played by supervisors and managers attempting to climb the ladder of success. Office politics are omnipresent, which means they are everywhere all the time. The last thing that this article stressed was if someone was “to ignore office politics is to ignore those underlying forces that account for the success between equally talented people.”

"Workplace Etiquette: The Political Savvy Individual (identify the Characteristics of Successful Teams in a Workplace with Etiquette)." Famous Entrepreneurs, Small Business, Young, Successful, Women, Toronto Resources. Web. 17 Apr. 2010. .

Chapter 14

Reflecting back on the case study we read today in class about how the notice of the company policy being changes from 5 years of service to 12 years of service in order to receive certain benefits was sent out in an e-mail, I realized how much we really do depend on technology, especially in circumstances that make it inappropriate. What has become an increasing and somewhat disgusting trend is the whole "dumping you over a text message" thing. It is really sad that people have come to hide behind cell phones and computers when facing something awkward or uncomfortable. I can't say I have never chickened out and confronted someone via text message when I should have said it to their face, but nevertheless it is a bad habit that we are all falling in to. Nothing is formal anymore. In fact, many people even feel awkward getting a phone call nowadays becuse they are so useed to texting. One reason I really prefer texting is because I have time to respond--it is not immediate like a phone call--and I have time to think before I speak, which has proven to be a problem of mine in the past! It is extremely casual and is often a means of hiding. In the case study, I feel like the e-mail was sent as a barrier between the people and the problem. In general, I think we need to start manning up and telling people important things to their face rather than hiding behind technology.

Chapter 13

Conflict resolution is something that I have recently gained a lot of insight on. For my group's interviews, we were assigned the theme of conflict resolution to base our questions on for our interviewees. What I found to be very interesting was that all 3 of my interviewees, who work in completely different fields, had the common belief that there is no such thing as a conflict-free workplace. At first I thought this was kind of sad and depressing to think about, that at some point in every organization, people will fight with each other. But then I realized that not only is it natural for human beings to conflict, but that it serves as an excellent opportunity to grow and learn from both personally and as an organization. Conflict in organizations reminds me a lot of fighting with my sisters when I was a little girl. We would bicker over something trivial then be forced to reconcile and apologize by our parents. I never understood the point of forced reconciliation because it was so insincere and everybody knew that. So isn't no apology better than a fake one? Well looking back on those years now I have learned the answer. While insincerity is useless, not saying anything and just waiting for the other to apologize first or for it all to blow over is even worse. If we all just sit around waiting or doig nothing, then nothing gets done but the tension is still there and it grows. Negotiation seems like a loss for both parties, because each person is losing something, but it is better that each gain something small than nothing at all. This is applicable to organizational conflict resolution because we might feel like if we don't get our way then the world will end, but in reality, its much better to just swallow our pride and walk away with something rather than nothing.

Chapter 12

Which is better, individual or group decision-maiking?

It really all depends on the issue being decided and on the group that is being included in the decision. For example, in my opinion, it is better to make a decision that affects your health independently becuase in the end, it is you/your body that is being effected, not everyone else's. However, if you are trying to decide how to tell somebody something that is hard to hear, I find it best to ask a group of people (usually peers) on how and when best to approach the matter so as to cause as little harm as possible. Some people share experience or insight that is very valuable that you would not get out of them unless you asked about a specific situation, and these are the time when I think group decisions are best. After all, I am only one person and I have only experienced the events in my own life, so it is not easy for me to look at things for certain other perspectives. The complication with group decision-maiking though is that it can very easily start fights when disagreement arises and it can also confuse people by offering too many alternative options. I personally like to keep things as simple as possible and avoid conflict at all costs, however I generally like to get several people's inputs before making a decision because I can be very indecisive. This is why I think that there is no right answer to the question stated above, because it is all situational.

Chapter 11

The difference between a group and a team is quite simple. A group is a collection of randomly selected people, who may know each others' names, but not much more, and are collected for some purpose. A team is a collection of people who have gotten to know each other very well, work interdependently, and are working to achieve a purpose or goal. Teams are way more interactive, personal, and goal-driven. Groups are all business and do not care to take their relationship to any level beyond the basics that they need for whatever their given purpose is. While not all teams get along, they at least have had an opportunity to learn whether or not they like one another; groups never get to this stage. In my opinion, teams work better than groups do. This is because they have gotten to the level of feeling comfortable with one another, so they can correct each other when they see a mistake or speak up when they wan to share something. Group members might feel more intimidated to speak up because they do not know how the other members will react and they do not want to look stupid in front of everyone.

Chapter 9

"Performance Management is an organizationwide system whereby managers integrate the activities of goal setting, monitoring, and evaluating, proving feedback and coaching, and rewarding employees on a continuous basis." (Kreitner & Kinicki)

While many managers probably consider themselves to be "performance managers", it is often less likely the case in reality. It is hard for all of these tasks to be placed on one person, let alone a person who is in a position of athority, but it is even harder for a person to accomplish all of these things well. What it takes to be a good manager differs from person to person, but in my own personal definition/criteria, I would say that a good manager is a person who genuinely cares and is not willing to sacrifice morals for ratings or money. People like this are hard to come by, and usually when you do come across them, they are not in positions of leadership, management, or any kind of power. By reaching a goal and helping people get there, you earn respect and gain wisdom along the way that could only have been obtained through experience. Trying to dictates and belittle employees makes them unwilling, unmotivated, and unhappy. If people feel like they can trust and depend on the person who they report to, they are much more likely to perform well at work, which in turn will make the company better. So, it is exptremely important to build that rapport with your employees so that you are not a "good manager" according to a definition in a book, but rather an actual good manager.

Chapter 8

Motivation of employees is extremely important in order for an organization to function well. If there is no incentive for employees to try or to care about the progress of the company, then the company will fail. It seems kind of trivial and like the work that employees produce should be the number one priority, but in reality, a company is only as strong as the people who make it up. There are several ways that a manager can motivate their employees, one of the best is by offering prizes to the employee who performs the best during a set period of time. Competition tends to bring out the best and worst in people, so it would also be a good way to see how people react under a set of certain circumstances. Another way to motivate employees is by having company retreats or office parties. These put people in a good mood, which makes them more willing to perform better, and also gives them a sense of belonging in their work environment--creating a family atmosphere.

Chapter 6

Commitment to an organization is a very important quality when looking for prospective employees. It is not one of those things that really sticks out to me or that I would think of when being interviewed (or hiring someone). However, it is a hassle for a company to be constantly looking for new employees, training them, and just getting used to the change of things, only to find out that they are leaving soon. I know I would be very frustrated if I were an employer. Part of the challenge of staying with a company for so long is the fear that the company will essentially become your life. Most people are not used to the idea that they will be stuck somewhere or committed to something forever, and they wan the opportunity to expand and explore before they find themselves in a rut. I can understand this need to figure out what else is out there, but at the same time, interviewees should make it clear to their employer if they are having doubts about staying with that company for a long period of time. One thing to be noted is that those employees who do stay with an organization for several years and have proven their commitment are generally the ones who are promoted to more powerful and higher paying positions. So, there is an incentive to work hard and be loyal.

Coming up with ideas

In Chapter 17, innovation and creativity are discussed. It is explained how new products and ideas are used to create other innovative products and ideas. In order fot this to occur, there has to be good organizational structure (good managers, workers, teams, etc.) that are open to taking on challenges and brainstorming together for answers and creative ideas. Sounds easy, right? Wrong. Just like it is difficult to simply sit down and start writing a 10 page paper, ideas do not just pop into a person's head overnight. I've been told that if you think of a problem and then sleep on it, by morning you'll have an answer. This doesn't often work. In order to come to a solution, communication is necessary.

As the article, "No Ideas, You're Not Alone" says, "Thomas Edison didn't work alone. The invention of the light bulb was the work of an entire lab team; it was one of his assistants who came up with the idea of screwing the bulbs into sockets instead of just mounting them straight up. Same goes for J.R.R. Tolkien, who wrote his Lord of the Rings novels at the same time C. S. Lewis was creating The Chronicles of Narnia. Both authors generated ideas for their stories in a weekly literary group of Oxford scholars called the Inklings. Charles Darwin's work on evolution wasn't dreamed up in a vacuum, either: While doing his research, he was corresponding with dozens of scientists across Europe." In other words, our traditional idea of genius is not well grounded. Oftentimes, companies still think that people can single-handedly invent something and solve a problem. Well, they can't. They may come up with a good idea now and then, but the end product of this idea is the result of other's input and continuous trial and error. This is why some companies are starting to let their employees have more freedom in organizing their teams. Sometimes, they know best how to do their jobs and without a manager imposing a structure upon them, they are able to use their knowledge to improve their system. When there is good base organization within a firm, the whole company profits and innovation is able to occur.

Source:

Ewers, Justin, and E. J. "No Ideas? You're Not Alone." U.S. News & World Report 142.22 (2007): 50-52. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 13 Apr. 2010.

Chapter 17

The matrix structure of traditional organization designs are used to promote stronger cooperation to meet goals. It combines a vertical structure with a horizontal structure overlay, which incorporates functional and divisional processes to form a grid. Matrix structures have had bad reviews of being too complicated and confusing because it requires a lot of work to collaborate and use the structure effectively. People don’t know how to compliment and reinforce the matrix; therefore many companies fail to use the structure to its full affect. An example of this would be a division of project elements, where a worker on the matrix has to report to the project manager and the company manager who reports to the CEO. This helps to facilitate communication of company activities to various management personnel so that they have a clearer idea company expenses and revenues. It also allows for more collaboration of different ideas between the different management departments in order to have the best solution for project goals.

On the website, Matrix Organization and project management by Visitask.com, matrix structures are best for project oriented companies, such as construction companies. Information sharing is a required part of the system because it allows for flow of communication. A project manager is responsible for the completion of the project; however, sometimes other people are needed to assist with the job. The functional part of the company is responsible for functional and technical elements required to operate. The functional manager’s job is to ensure that the department is unified and that all information is being exchanged between departments and projects. Matrix structures are used to create cooperation between departments through shared responsibilities. It also helps to reduce costs and conflicts, create a better balance between time and performance, and distribution of authority and stress. This website helped me to gain a more in-depth insight into the advantages and purposes of the matrix structure. In my opinion, this is a very effective structure when a company is working to achieve better team work amongst its employees and to obtain more effective project results.

Works Cited
Matrix Organization and project management. 12 April 2010 (http://www.visitask.com/matrix-organization.asp).

Levels of Communication

The various levels and corresponding types of communication, including horizontal, vertical, external, and casual, are very important to understand in any organization. When communicating with superiors, subordinates, co workers, or external relations of an organization, it is important to emphasize the role by exemplifying the appropriate qualities. This includes utmost courtesy and respect of superiors, friendliness toward external relations, and cooperation with co workers. Each person has a specific role, and therefore each person will decode the information they receive differently, and determine how it will affect them. For example, it is important for a supervisor to communicate effectively with his/her subordinates when there are problems with the company and it's industry. Employees are generally concerned with this matter, and will feel more safe if they are informed by a superior. The quality exemplified here is responsibility by the supervisor when he effectively communicates with the employees about the status of the company.

Good communication abilities are essential to properly communicating a vision and action plan in any organization. When a person is in a leadership position with followers, it is the responsibility of the leader to effectively communicate the vision of the organization, so as to create purpose and consent among all those involved. The effective communication of the vision will also lead to motivation and employees feeling as though they are part of something bigger, if they agree and want to help achieve the organization's vision.

Kreitner, Robert. Organizational Behavior. 9th ed. Vol. 1. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2010.

Komives, Susan R. Et al. Exploring Leadership. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. San Francisco: 2007.

Pros and Cons of Email

In Chapter 15, Kreitner discusses communication in a digital era. The most practical piece of information (in my opinion) is the discussion of the pros and cons of using e-mail as a communication channel. According to Kreitner, the pros include: reduced costs of distributing information, increased teamwork, reduced paper costs, and increased flexibility; the cons include: wasted time and effort, information overload, increased costs to organize and store, an neglect of other media. So how do we utilize this form of technology in a way that benefits us in the best way possible?

The article, "Liability of Certification Service Providers Towards Relying Parties and the Need for a Clear System to Enhance the Level of Trust in Electronic Communication" offers a solution. In this article, Balboni talks about how trust is a huge issue in communicating electronically. To make emailing safer and more efficient for us, he conducts an analysis of using the Electronic Signatures Directive. After balancing the pros and cons of the system recommended by the European legislator. This system is based on the concept of a different type of liability for different types of information provided in the certificates by certification service providers. His findings allow him to, in the end, propose another program quite similar to this.

Although it's not guaranteed that this will build trust up 100%, it certainly is a step in the right direction. With the ease of accessibility of the internet nowadays, it's hard to distinguish what's right and wrong. Taking measures to prevent incorrect information, or fraud to thrive in the digital world can help do this. Email, should therefore, be used in moderation in unveiling certain information. The cons to emailing can still pose a threat.

Source: Balboni, Paolo. "Liability of Certification Service Providers Towards Relying Parties and the Need for a Clear System to Enhance the Level of Trust in Electronic Communication." Information & Communications Technology Law 13.3 (2004): 211-242. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.

Nine Generic Influence Tactics

Chapter 15 discusses how to influence, empower, and deal with politics in the business world. Chapter 15 says that there are 9 generic influence tactics that can be used just about anywhere in business. With that said, David Kipins, a psychologist, states that through multiple studies he has discovered only 8 to truly be considered "successful influence tactics" (Kipins). Chapter 15 utilizes previous studies and projects conducted by David Kipins. The study from the 1980's involved employees responding to ways that successfully persuaded there bosses, coworkers, or subordinates to do what they wished of them. The study took place over a 13 year period, and eventually "yielded nine influence tactics" (Kreitner 438).
Kipins more recent study minimizes the older study, to state there are eight current tactics. Kipins states that his most recent study found "8 dimensions of influence: Assertiveness, Ingratiation, Rationality, Sanctions, Exchange, Upward Appeals, Blocking, and Coalitions" (Kipins 442).
There are only slight differences with those from his first study that is showcased in the text.
1. Rational Persuasion: trying to convince someone with reason, logic or facts
2. Inspirational Appeals: trying to build enthusiasm by appealing to others' emotions, ideals or values
3. Consultation: getting others to participate in planning, making decisions, and changes
4. Ingratiation: getting someone in a good mood prior to making a request
5. Personal Appeals: referring to friendship and loyalty when making a request
6. Exchange: making express or implied promises and trading favors
7. Coalition Tactics: getting others to support your effort to persuade someone
8. Pressure: demanding compliance or using intimidation threats
9. Legitimating Tactics: basing request on one's authority or right, organizational rules or policies, or express or implied support from superiors
These approaches are ranked in success in ascending order based on the study. These are memorable tactics to use when in the work field, and importance and value can not be underestimated.

Intraorganizational influence tactics: Explorations in getting one's way.
Kipnis, David; Schmidt, Stuart M.; Wilkinson, Ian
Journal of Applied Psychology. Vol 65(4), Aug 1980, 440-452

Kreitner, Robert. Organizational Behavior. 9th ed. Vol. 1. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2010.