In the context of political behavior in organizations, describe influence and identify the eight basic types of influence tactics.

Answers will vary. Influence is the process of affecting the thoughts, behavior, or feelings of another person. That other person could be the boss (upward influence), an employee (downward influence), or a coworker (lateral influence). In impression management, individuals use influence tactics to control others' impressions of them.
There are eight basic types of influence tactics used in organizations. They are ingratiation, exchange, rational persuasion, coalition, consultation, inspirational appeals, upward appeals, and pressure. Please see the section "Political Behavior in Organizations" for more information.