Considering the department sources of power discussed in the textbook, which one was Phalen trying to establish for the Fuel System operation and how was he going about it? (Case Study: "AstroTech Fuel Systems" by H. Richard Eisenbeis, Sue Hanks & Phil Sheehan)
For Question 4, here are the department sources of power that is discussed in the textbook and you would have to search the case study above:
1. Dependency- refers to a department needing or an output from another department in oreder to successfully do its work. An example is that a flight department cannot do its work without a status report on each pilot from the Personnel department.
2. Financial Resources- are more prized everyday in the organizations and the departments that usually generate them are very powerful. Many times this role is played by the sales department. When times are good and above average returns are generated, other departments may make extra demands for more funds.
3. Centrality-A source of horizontal power for a department that is engaged in the primary activity of an organization.
4. Non-substitutability- is a source of power when the role played by a particular department cannot be performed by any other. Due to the knowledge of people in the department, their expertise due to education or training, substitutes are rare or nonexistent.
5. Coping with Uncertainty- is a strong base of power in today's hypercompetitive environment. A department can diffuse that uncertainty with accurate predictions or obtaining prior information. For example, a new product could be developed that was designed to take advantage of environmental changes or power can be garnered through prevention, somehow stopping an organization from committing an error. The third uncertainty coping method is absorption, moving in after a bad situation has developed and diffusing the overall effect on the organization.
(200 word count)