As a part of society or different organizations, isn't it vivid that there is rivalry everywhere? Be it the race to be the class captain or a favorite department student, and there is always someone at two ends and a quest for that power search. Incessantly, how do this power rivalry and the need to attain it play out in an organization?
Max Weber characterized power as "the likelihood that one player within a social connection will be capable of carrying out his own will notwithstanding resistance." More subsequently, power has been described as the capacity to accomplish goals in the face of adversity and other people's will or as the capacity to "conquer" squabbles and outwit the opponent. Power theorists emphasize the affirmative aggregate of power, contending that it is the inherent capacity to marshal assets to achieve a goal without formally organized resistance. Pfeffer, an organizational behavior theorist probably most intimately correlated to the investigation of power, described it as "the prospective power to affect behavior, shift the trajectory of events, implement change, and to persuade individuals to do things that they might not otherwise do."
It is common for discussions of organizational power to center on the dynamics between superiors and reports. In 1959, psychologists John French and Bertram Raven recognized five distinct types. The ability to provide others with incentives they value is a source of "reward power" that may be used to gain cooperation. Promotions, higher salaries, and bonuses are all common forms of compensation for exceptional performance. Furthermore, compliments might serve as an incentive. Power derived from the threat of physical punishment is called coercive power. Having the power to impose negative effects Consequences and threats are the sources of the inferred force. Verbal abuse, a lack of support, and punitive punishments are all examples of coercive power
It includes
This power is predicated on an individual's capacity to manage assets and provide others rewards. In an organizational setting, managers have access to a wide range of significant gains, including salary increases, promotions, useful knowledge, favorable work assignments, increased responsibility, new equipment, acclaim, reviews, and acknowledgment. This indicates that the management has the authority to provide positive reinforcement. In expectancy motivation, the opposing person recognizes the person's capacity to offer good valence.
One must keep in mind that the receiver is the one who possesses the key to comprehend this source of authority fully. Management cannot reward employees if they give them what they believe to be rewards—a promotion with more culpability—the employees do not appreciate them because they prioritize family responsibilities over work. Additionally, managers may claim to have significant influence with higher authorities to get their employees promoted. However, in reality, they do not, but as much as the employees believe they have, they still have reward power.
Fear is the basis of this type of power. An individual with coercive force can punish or otherwise negatively affect another person or, at the very least, threaten them with something the other person thinks will lead to retribution or unfavorable results. This kind of authority is largely responsible for the unfavorable perception that most people have of it. Although the legal environment and unions have taken away part of this power, managers typically have coercion in an organizational setting because they can dismiss, reprimand, or penalize employees' pay. An employer may also be threatened with these harsh penalties either explicitly or indirectly by the manager. This implies that the opposing people's anticipation that they will suffer consequences for disobeying the dominant person's wishes gives the stronger individual their authority. For instance, when the institution's norms, guidelines, or regulations are not rigorously followed, there is the dread of penalty.
It originates from the core beliefs of other people, which gives the actor the legal ability to affect them. It strongly matches what is typically referred to as an authority. It is associated with the ability to grant rewards and exercise coercive force since the holder of legitimacy can do both. It is based more on the function or position that the individual holds than on their connections with everyone. For instance, persons are considered legitimate based on their positions or titles instead of their personalities or effects on others. Three primary resources comprise legitimate power. What is valid is initially determined by the current cultural ideals of a community, organization, or group. For instance, in some countries, the older a person gets, the more authority they have. Similar may be valid for a specific physical characteristic, sex, or occupation.
The dominant ideals also influence legitimacy in a unit. For instance, the roughest member of a street gang can become legitimate, whereas a union steward might be legitimate in a workplace setting. Second, the established social order offers individuals legitimate power. There may be an acknowledged power elite in some communities. However, a group or a household could also have a recognized social system that confers authority. For instance, when blue-collar employees agree to work for a firm, they embrace the pyramid relationship and give their managers the right to control them. Being named as the ambassador or spokesman of a prominent individual or organization is a third legal source of authority. Examples of this kind of legal authority include elected leaders, chairmanships, officials of corporate boards of directors, labor unions, and management committees.
The urge of other people to empathize with the actor exerting power is the source of this kind of power. Despite the outcome, they want to relate to the strong person. Because the person is appealing and possesses desirable assets or personal qualities, the others give him or her power. Advertisers profit from this power when personalities like movie stars or athletes provide endorsement advertising. The referent force of testimonial advertising has an intriguing feature called timing. Only sportspeople in season are featured in the ads since they are extremely visible, at the vanguard of the public's knowledge, and as a result, have referent power.
It is the authority one has because of his or her place in the official structure of an organization (position). Legitimate power is like a legitimate authority in that it is based on status and consensus. With this type of authority, the organization bestows its power on its members. If a manager does not think they can get people to do what they want through informal means, they may use legal power.
The final source of power is the amount to which other people attach knowledge and competence to the higher authority. Experts are thought to be knowledgeable exclusively in specific, clearly defined fields. A person's perceptions determine all power sources, although expert power could be more dependent. Before granting expert power, the recipient must believe that the agent is reliable, credible, and pertinent.
Credibility is derived from possessing the appropriate qualifications, which means the individual must fully understand what they are speaking of and be capable of providing verifiable proof of their expertise. Staff professionals possess expert authority inside the operational areas of an organization, but only within them. Engineers, for instance, are given expert authority in technical topics but not in issues relating to public relations. The same applies to other personnel, such as computer specialists. For instance, the only individual in a small department who truly comprehends the latest technology and how to utilize it may be a computer specialist. This expertise offers him or her an advantage over others.
Power lets you affect history in many locations. Effective group leadership requires motivating productivity. Empowering employees involves distributing decision-making power, recognizing top performers, and promoting high achievers to leadership positions. Positivity promotes workplace morale and productivity. People in positions of power are promoted not through threats or intimidation but through the respect and cooperation of their subordinates. When employees are given a voice and encouraged to cooperate, they are more likely to invest. When subordinates do not respect their leaders, they wield negative influence. This boss encourages people to do their best by threatening them with termination or other negative consequences if they do not meet expectations or by favoring a select few employees above others, notwithstanding the efforts of everyone on the team. This situation's power imbalance lowers productivity and increases staff attrition. Politics is about power.
Briefly, organizational behavior studies emphasize power and politics. Both power and politics are functions of organizational communication. Power is the ability to affect and control others' valuables, and it is the capacity to influence others' behavior and convince them to do things they otherwise would not. Politics recognizes and reconciles competing organizational interests. Political behavior might vary. It includes conveying orders, withholding information, spreading rumors, leaking secret information, lobbying, and using pressure techniques.