University of South Week 1 Module 4 Sociopolitical Skills Discussion
Module 4 discussion board
Week 1: Sociopolitical Skills
Organizational structure, norms, values, culture, etc., all have an impact on a leader’s success. Consider the new or advancing leader. Such a leader is expected to learn how to effectively perform all of the important administrative and professional/technical tasks. In addition, the leader needs to master the necessary social skills associated with early effectiveness in the new position. Below are 10 “sociopolitical” categories which may influence a transitioning leader’s early (and enduring) effectiveness. These include, in no particular order, the ability to:
Enter into an established leader/employee “network.”
Sense, as well as use, appropriate communication; influence behaviors.
Sense and appropriately act on keen organizational norms.
Become aware of, and sensitively interact with, organizational “blockers” and “enablers.”
Build political bridges by identifying and relating to key formal/informal power sources.
Become known as a “go-to/can-do” individual.
Be perceived as a “team player.”
Sense key organizational issues upon which to create early vision, initiatives, and value.
Identify and appropriately respond to the requirements of superiors/peers/subordinates.
Be perceived as having organizationally appropriate ethics, values, and beliefs.
Please note that these are behavioral skill categories, not actual behaviors. You likely use many of the actual behaviors (such as “interpersonal communication”) within a category every day.
Week 1 Discussion Question:
Does this list of “sociopolitical” skill categories match your sense of what is most required to help ensure a leader’s early success in a new role/position? What might you add or subtract to help ensure the most effective transition into a new job?
Week 2: Sociopolitical Skills
Week 2 Discussion Question:
In your view, how important to your enduring success in the job are your early efforts in a new leadership role? Presuming you have already practiced some or all of the 10 items, how did you learn to do so?
Remember, after you submit your answer each week to the Discussion Question itself, you also need to respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts.
Module 4 Background
Organizational Structure and Culture
All background materials (as well as materials referenced on the home page) are required unless designated as optional or general reference materials.
Organizational Culture
Have you ever observed how some organizations just seem to be shining stars in their fields, even if the product or service they produce is not that much different from their competitors? Have you noticed that it seems that they are the ones who are the most successful? Did you ever wonder why? Read the following material on organizational culture for some insights into what culture is, what it does, how it is formed, and how it is taught to newcomers in the organization. This reading is available in the Trident University Library.
Flamholtz, E. & Randle, Y. (2011). Corporate Culture: The Invisible Asset. Corporate Culture: The Ultimate Strategic Asset. (pp. 3-25), Stanford, CA: Stanford Business Books.
This material on organizational culture type may be particularly helpful as you prepare your Module 4 SLP assignment.
McNamara, C. (2000) Organizational Culture. Adapted from the Fieldguide to Organizational Leadership and Supervision. Free Management Library. http://managementhelp.org/organizations/culture.htm
Organizational Structure and Design
The way an organization is designed and structured can have significant effects on its members and its ability to execute its strategy. In this module we will try to understand those effects and analyze the behavioral implications of different organizational designs.
An organizational structure defines how job tasks are formally divided, grouped, and coordinated. According to Robbins and Judge (2014), managers need to address six key elements when they design their organization’s structure:
Work specialization the extent to which activities are subdivided into separate jobs.
Departmentalization the basis on which jobs will be grouped together.
Chain of command the people who individuals and groups report to.
Span of control the number of individuals that a manager can direct efficiently and effectively.
Centralization and de-centralization the locus of decision-making authority.
Formalization the extent to which there will be rules and regulations to direct employees and managers.
One way to gain insight into the complexity of organizations and how organizations are structured or designed is through metaphors. For example, using metaphors, an organization can be talked about as if it were a machine or as if it were an organism. The organization that is like a machine is characterized by extensive departmentalizat
