ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

Power and Organisational Behaviour

Table of Contents

Introduction3

Discussion3

A Model of Power within Organisations4

Types of Power5

Contingencies of Power7

Influencing Others7

Types of Influence Tactics8

Effects of Power Bases8

Leadership, Power, and the Manager9

Leadership and Power11

Power and Authority11

The Need for Power in Managerial Performance12

Conclusion14

References16

Appendix17

Power and Organisational Behaviour

Introduction

Power is the competence of an organisation, a person, or team to control others. People frequently have power they do not use; they might not even know they have power. The essential requirement of power is that one group or person supposes it is helpless without another group or person for something of worth. Power can thus be conceptualized as being the cause of certain behaviours or as a result of certain situational factors. It is probably most accurate to think of power as both an independent and a dependent variable. In a real sense, the study of power is part of a means-end process of interpretation and evaluation (Jackson & Carter 2000, 93-114). This paper discusses the use and “power” in the context of organisational behaviour.

Discussion

This relationship is shown in Figure 1, where Person A has power over Person B by controlling something that Person B needs to achieve his or her goals. You might have power over others by controlling a desired job assignment, useful information, important resources, or even the privilege of being associated with you. Thus power exists when others believe that you control resources they want. (Flyvbjerg 2008, 45)

Figure 1: Dependence in the Power Relationship

Although power requires dependence, it is really more accurate to say that the parties are interdependent. One party may be more dependent than the other, but the relationship exists only when each party has something of value to the other. Exhibit 1 shows a dashed line to illustrate the weaker party's (Person B's) power over the dominant participant (Person A). This counter-power, as it is known, is strong enough to maintain Person A's participation in the exchange relationship. For example, executives have power over subordinates by controlling their job security and promotional opportunities. At the same time, workers have counter-power by organizing their ability to work effectively and thereby creating a positive impression of the supervisor to his or her boss. Counter-power usually motivates executives to apply their power judiciously so that the relationship is not broken. (Jackson & Carter 2000, 93-114)

A Model of Power within Organisations

Power involves more than just dependence. As can be seen in Figure 2, the model of power includes both power sources and contingencies. It indicates that power is derived from five sources: legitimate, reward, coercive, expert, and referent. The model also shows that these sources yield power only under certain conditions. The four contingencies of power include the employee's or department's substitutability, centrality, discretion, and visibility. Finally, as we will discuss later, the type of power applied affects the type of influence the power holder has over the other person or work unit. (Gordon 2006, 96)

Figure 2: A Model of Power within Organisations

Types of Power

While appointed and emergent leadership in a particular ...