Skip to content

ACCA Strategic Professional · Strategic Business Leader · Leadership and organisational culture

Kestrel Logistics' chief executive, Anya, wants to push through a controversial restructuring. She asks the board chair, who is her friend, to put it on the agenda late, circulates papers only to supporters, and builds alliances before any open debate. Which description best fits her behaviour in relation to Mintzberg's view of organisational power?

Anya is engaging in political behaviour. She is using informal power, such as controlling agenda timing, restricting information and building coalitions, to get her way outside open, legitimate decision channels, rather than using formal authority, transformational vision or genuine delegation.

  1. AUse of formal authority within the rational-legal hierarchy
  2. BPolitical behaviour using informal power outside legitimate channelsCorrect
  3. CTransformational leadership aimed at shared vision
  4. DDelegation of decision rights to subordinates

Explanation

Mintzberg described political behaviour as informal, often illegitimate in terms of formal authority, expertise or ideology, and typically divisive. Anya manipulates agenda timing and information and builds coalitions instead of open debate. Formal authority would use proper channels; transformational leadership would seek open commitment to a vision.

Did you get it right without looking?

One question tells you little. A timed set on Leadership and organisational culture shows your real accuracy, how long you take and where you lose marks.

Practise Leadership and organisational cultureFree diagnostic mock

More Leadership and organisational culture questions