Power Is A Function Of All Organized Behavior

Power is loosely understood as one’s ability to influence the actions of others (Kelly & Tazbir, 2014). However, it is important to note that power remains independent from authority. Authority over others, as explained by Gonclaves (2013), is a formal responsibility that accompanies a title or position. While one may have administrative authority over an employee, they may not necessarily possess the ability to influence the person’s behavior. Power is derived from “expertise, legitimacy, reference (charisma), reward and coercion, or connection” (Kelly & Tazbir, 2014, p. 189). These sources of power are a combination of both purposeful and inherent behaviors that allow one to exercise influence over others (Kelly & Tazbir, 2014). To be most

The amount of legitimate power someone has depends on the importance of the position she or he occupies and the willingness to grant authority to the person in that position. The benefits of this type of power are that incorporates weight of the entire organization, effective for gaining obedience, helps large organizations function effectively. The costs are that lowers follower task performance, lowers follower task satisfaction, and may become less effective overtime.

A large part of organizational behavior could be explained in terms of coercive power rather than reward power. In a 1959 study, social psychologists John R. P. French and Bertram Raven developed a schema of sources of power in order to analyze how power plays function, or fail, in specific relationships. According to them, the concept of power is fundamentally relative, depending on specific understandings developed into relationships, and recognition of a quality that motivates the influence of the power holder, and carries out his or her intentions via the affected. It was French and Raven, who argued and established five significant categories of power, in addition to other minor categories. Coercive power is among the five significant categories, and the duo has noted that coercive power tends to be the most obvious, but at the same time least effective form of power. This, according to them, is because coercive power builds resentment and resistance from the people who are subjected to it. As threats, punishments and force are common means of exerting coercive power, relying on this type of power can result in a deficient leadership style. When viewed in a political context, coercive power is applied, and even tolerable, when applied with the justification of social and legal norms. It can also be tolerated when the leadership group is viewed as successful.

Expert Power – Obtaining compliance through one’s knowledge or information. Managers generally have this power since they tend to have information that their employees don’t.

To strengthen this I have increased my expert and connection power. With the thirst for knowledge and the ability to bring people close to me I have been able to build a strong foundation to soon merge as a legitimate power. I have worked hard to do my job and excel at it, but I have also made a strong effort to befriend and get close to management and upper management. Knowing upper management will help strengthen my legitimate power once I get it. In the instance GEICO opens a new office those managers I have developed a relationship with will recruit me to higher up positions to lead and build a new lifeline for the

The handling of power is also paramount in an organization. Boleman and Deal offer meaningful insight in this aspect. They observe the following,

From the Personal Power Profile, it can clearly be said my preferred power base is referent power and second is expert power. On the other end of the spectrum is coercive power. These results show I prefer to influence others through esteem, respect, and demonstrating practical knowledge and skills. Conversely, I absolutely do not care to influence or exercise power over another by coercion or administering punishment.

When looking at French and Raven’s Five Forms of Power in this situation, you can understand where the power comes from in this workplace (French, Raven, 1960). I see only four of the five forms being actively used in the RetailMax scenario. The CEO, who helped put the company back into a positive growth, has legitimate power since he believes that he has the right to make demands and get compliance from others in the organization. This can be seen as he authorizes another department to make an offer to Cam. Vince Mangini, Vice President of Professional Services (PS), has reward power and is able to compensate Cam for joining his department with a higher salary and a larger bonus. Cam Archer has the expert power and he wields is well. He has become a more-rounded team player and is continuing to gain credibility and experience in the company. And Regan Kessel has the referent power since he has gained the respect of other workers. With over twenty years of experience in the industry, he is a trusted leader. This has been shown by the relocation of the marketing team under his purview.

Power is commonly used to show one’s strengths and capabilities over others. As Kathryn Schulz would state based off of her work “Sight Unseen,” the powerful utilize scrutiny as a weapon to exert power, “punishing the powerless for any deviation.” This is especially present in societal standards. Those who own a company brand are to have more power over their employed workers. Being able to make company decisions and decide who to promote and demote for the better of the company grants power to the owners. The usage of power is as well present politically. Positions in the government are unique in its own ways and each position has its advantages and disadvantages in authority over others. Historically, power has transitioned through many eras of time. Well-known historical poet and playwright, Shakespeare displays the presence of power in his work of Othello wielded by his mastermind of a character, Iago.

In addition to power established because of organizational hierarchy or role, power is also established based on the level of influence or status one holds in an organization (Anichich, Fast, Halevy, Galinsky, 2016). “Status is the outcome of an evaluation of attributes that produce differences in respect and prominence” (Ketner et al, 2003 p. 266) They co-exists but are not co-dependent on each other. It’s possible to have status without power and power without status (Ketner et al, 2003). Whether one’s control comes through status or positional power, lauding control or significant influence over another inevitably leads to conflict.

R. H. Tawney, the economic historian describes power as “the capacity of an individual or group of individuals to modify the conduct of other individuals or groups in the manner which he desires, and to prevent his own conduct from being modified in the manner which he does not.” Part two, chapter five, of “power and tactics”, goes more in-depth on the balance and use of power. Power is the ability to influence or control. The effective way to use power is based on negotiation. Leaders whether in business or government, maneuver and manipulate in order to get a job done. In our own personal lives we are always negotiating or bargaining to get something we want. During this process, we are faced with choices on how we can or will handle any

It is important for managers to understand the sources of power and influence as they must rely upon the cooperation of subordinates in order to be successful. Strong managers rely upon more than just authority they also use leadership skills and power to obtain the most productivity from their staff. According to French and Raven (1959) there are five sources of power. Referent power seems to be the most influential and the least affected by change. To quote Paul Argenti,

Power and Politics are necessary influences in most organizations today. Power is not a necessary evil and is most often contained within the position of authority. Politics is a little harder to describe. People often see it when an individual is attempting to influence a decision or position within an organization without a formal role or authority. In this paper I will analyze an organizational management and leadership practices that impact organizations. I will also provide a couple real-world examples of the relationships between power and politics and how this relates to management and leadership practices.

The second source of power that influences individuals and organizations behaviors is known as Personal Power. This power focuses more on the individual?s independent nature within the position that he or she has been placed. There are three sources under this power that are apparent in most organizations that are well managed. The first is expert power in which control is based on the knowledge or experience that the individual possesses in the position that he or she holds. Rational persuasion is the power to control behavior by being able

Rosabeth Kanter (1979) argues that much of what is labeled “poor management” in organizations is simply individuals protecting their diminished power bases. Instead of criticizing these managers as incompetent, she proposes we bolster their feelings of personal power. If we solve the real problem of perceived lack of power, the undesirable symptoms of poor leadership often evaporate. This point of view is consistent with the principles discussed in this chapter.