How politics and power-play may have influenced the organization’s culture

POSITION PAPER: POWER, POLITICS, AND CULTURE Due Week 8, worth 250 points Power and politics greatly influence an organization’s culture. In business, the culture can make or break an organization’s productivity. In this assignment, you’ll analyze the ways power and politics have influenced an organization’s culture. You’ll apply best practices you learned in course resources and your own research to make recommendations for improving this organization’s culture.

PREPARATION Using the same organization from the first two assignments, imagine the CEO has now requested your task force investigate the influence of power and politics on the corporate culture. You have been asked to prepare a position paper that presents and supports your recommendations to improve the culture.

Prepare for this assignment by delving into the organization’s culture and identi- fying the resources you, the task force leader, will use to create your research-supported position paper. Use at least two quality resources such as the course textbook, company website, business websites (CNBC, Bloomberg, etc.), resources from the Strayer Library, and/or outside sources. Note: Wikipedia and web-based blogs do not qualify as credible resources.

ASSIGNMENT 3

INSTRUCTIONS Develop your position paper, addressing the following components:

1. Influence of Politics and Power Explain how politics and power-play may have influenced the organization’s culture.

2. Sources of Power Explore the sources of power and describe how management could use this influence to benefit your department and improve organizational performance.

3. Leadership Behavior and Culture Make recommendations that support how the study of power and politics could influence leadership behavior and improve the organization’s culture.

4. Leadership Influence Discuss the importance and complexity of leadership behavior. How does it influence organizational structure and performance?

5. Executive Summary Prepare an executive summary that presents your recommendations for ways in which the organization could build a stronger culture. Note: An executive summary is a condensed version of your full report. It should summarize briefly all the main points in concise paragraphs. It should be written clearly and should use language appropriate for the audience.

This course requires use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The format is different than other Strayer University courses. Please take a moment to review SWS documentation for details.

*Grading for this assignment will be based on the following criteria and evaluation standards:

1. Influence of Politics and Power Weight: 20%

Does not explain how politics and power-play may have influenced the organization’s culture.

Partially explains how politics and power-play may have influenced the organiza- tion’s culture. Identifies some issues but does not fully explore them or make a strong connection to their impact. Uses little research support.

Satisfactorily explains how politics and power-play may have influenced the organiza- tion’s culture. Identifies some core issues and connects them to the impact on the culture. The explana- tion uses research support.

Completely explains how politics and power-play may have influenced the organiza- tion’s culture. Accurately identifies the core issues and strongly con- nects them to the impact on culture. The explanation is well-supported by research.

POINTS: 250

Criteria Unacceptable Below 70% F

Fair 70-79% C

Proficient 80-89% B

Exemplary 90-100% A

ASSIGNMENT 3: POSITION PAPER: POWER, POLITICS, AND CULTURE

2. Sources of Power

Weight: 20%

Does not identify the sources of power or describe how management could use this influence to enhance organizational performance. There is no reference to research.

Partially identifies the sources of power and describes how management could use this influence to enhance organizational performance. Not all key concepts are identified and there is a loose connection to performance. There is little research support.

Satisfactorily identifies the sources of power and describes how management could use this influence to enhance organizational performance. Most key concepts are accurately identified and there is a connection to enhanced performance with research support.

Completely identifies the sources of power and describes how management could use this influence to enhance organizational performance. Uses relevant key concepts and makes valid connections to enhanced performance that are well-supported by research.

3. Leadership Behavior and Culture Weight: 20%

Does not recommend how the study of power and politics could influence leadership behavior and impact the organization’s culture. There is no reference to research.

Partially recommends how the study of power and politics could influence leadership behavior and impact the organization’s culture, but the recommendations are unclear or unrealistic. There is no clear connection to the impact on culture. There is little or no research support.

Satisfactorily recommends how the study of power and politics could influence leadership behavior and impact the organization’s culture. Recommendations are clear and mostly realistic; there is a connection to the impact on culture. Research sup- port is evident

Provides excel- lent recommendations as to how the study of power and politics could influence leadership behavior and impact the organization’s culture. Recommendations are credible and relevant with a strong connection to the impact on culture backed by well-support- ed research.

4. Leadership Influence

Weight: 20%

Does not discuss how the importance and complexity of leadership behavior influences organizational structure and performance. There is no reference to research.

Partially discusses how the importance and complexity of leadership behavior influences organizational structure and performance. Some key concepts are missing and there is little or no research support.

Satisfactorily discusses how the importance and complexity of leadership behavior influences organizational structure and performance. Most key concepts are presented with research support.

Thoroughly discusses how the importance and complexity of leadership behavior influences organizational structure and performance. Relevant key concepts are presented with strong research support.

5. Executive Summary

Weight: 10%

Did not prepare a one-page executive summary.

Prepares a partial executive summary. The issue and problem are not clearly stated and the main points are not summarized. Paragraphs are not short or concise. Language could be more appropriate for the audience.

Satisfactorily prepares an executive summary. The issue and problem are stated and most of the main points are summarized. Paragraphs could be more concise. Language is appropriate for the audience.

Prepares an exemplary executive summary. The issue and problem are clearly stated. All of the main points are summarized. Paragraphs are short and concise, providing the right amount of detail. Language is ideal for the audience.

6. Write Professionally Using Quality Resources Weight: 10%

Writing does not meet minimum standards. Tone is not professional. Communication is wholly lacking in logic, clarity, and/or consistent formatting. Contains many spelling, mechanical, formatting, citation, and/or grammatical errors. References are not provided.

Writing is satisfactory. Professional tone is developing. Shows moderate logic, clarity, and/or consistent format- ting. May contain more than a few spelling, grammar, mechanical, formatting, or citation errors. Does not meet the required number of references; some or all references are of poor quality.

Writing could be improved, but meets acceptable standards. Tone is professional. Shows logic, clarity, and consistent formatting. May contain few or no spelling, mechanical, and/or grammatical errors. There may be minor format- ting or citation errors. Meets the number of required references; all references are high-quality choices.

Writing is excel- lent. Tone is professional and sophisticated. Shows logic, clarity, and consistent formatting. Contains no spelling, mechanical, or grammatical errors. Is free of formatting and citation errors.

Exceeds number of required references; all references are high-quality choices