Trade routes: The manager's network of relationships

A manager's power within the organization depends to a great extent on his relationships with superiors and subordinates and, most importantly, with peers. Like nations needing vital resources, managers must trade their services to acquire services they need from others. These services may incl...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Organizational dynamics 1984-01, Vol.12 (4), p.37-52
Main Author: Kaplan, Robert E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Communication
Management styles
Managers
Networks
Reputations
Roles
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:A manager's power within the organization depends to a great extent on his relationships with superiors and subordinates and, most importantly, with peers. Like nations needing vital resources, managers must trade their services to acquire services they need from others. These services may include information, advice, and political or moral support. A manager's power is affected by his reputation, alliances, and favored standing. To deal successfully with others, managers should: 1. develop effective interpersonal skills, 2. listen as well as talk in conversations, 3. use a variety of contact media, and 4. employ various influence tactics skillfully. Functional and level differences and varying degrees of dependence may form barriers to lateral trade relationships. The cultivation of an effective and strong interpersonal network requires time and constant efforts to continue building and rebuilding as situations change.
ISSN:0090-2616
1873-3530
DOI:10.1016/0090-2616(84)90010-X