Strategy of power and actors lacking resources

Abstract

The power games – or political abilities – used by successful leaders has been studied by a myriad of authors. Devoted to this issue, several monographs and scientific and professional articles explain in great detail how powerful organizational leaders used to produce even more power, and thus, they encourage their employees to exceed themselves in order to achieve the company goals. On the other hand, very few studies have evaluated the possible existence of power games for organizational actors lacking resources. What does individuals having little power do to evolve and progress in the company hierarchical structure? Does it exist power games for actors that are not very powerful and for specific organizational situations? This article wants to be an attempt to conceptualize a typology of power games exploited by actors having limited ways of actualization.