How To Achieve Equilibrium of Power

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How To AchieveEquilibrium of Power

• by
• Sandra Steele

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What is power?

• The ability to secure the compliance of others by
  changing beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors.
• Control formal or informal

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Power

• Can have negative or positive consequences. Its
  not always oppressive or prohibitive but can be
  productive.
• Power is not limited to those in power.
• Everyone has power.
• Power is complex, i.e., office politics.
• Power is mostly a two way street.

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Kinds of Power

• Hegemony power is most used in organizations
  social power
• Coercive (quid pro quo) pressure someone
• Force lasts as long as people are forced

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Bases of Social Power

• French and Raven (1959) defined the basis of
  interpersonal power as the relationship between
  two persons that was the source of one persons
  power over the other.
• Whether power exists depends on certain aspects
  of the way the power user is seen by the other
  person.

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Sources of Power Identified by French and Raven

• Reward Power
• Coercive Power
• Legitimate Power
• Referent Power
• Expert Power
• Information Power

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Reward Power

• You have the ability to give positive
  consequences and remove negative ones.

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Coercive Power

• You have the ability to punish those who do not
  conform to your ideas or demands.
• French and Raven concluded that the more
  legitimate the coercion (is perceived to be), the
  less it will produce resistance and decreased
  attention.

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Legitimate Power

• Social and cultural beliefs give you the right to
  influence others. Perhaps you were elected or
  appointed to a position of responsibility.

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Referent Power

• Even though its probably informal, your peers
  and colleagues respect you and want your
  approval.

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Expert Power

• Your distinctive knowledge and skills are needed
  by others and that gives you power.

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Information Power

• You control the information needed by others in
  order to reach an important goal.

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French Ravens Findings

• It is seldom possible to identify a single power
  base from which an influence attempt stems.
• Instead several basis of power may behind a given
  attempt to change a persons attitude or behavior.

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So What?

• Understand the power you have as well as the
  power of other people. Use your own power
  carefully. Perhaps the greatest power you can
  have is to get others to use their power on your
  behalf.
• Beware of sleeping dragons many people will only
  use their power when aroused. The most effective
  power is that used so subtly that people do not
  realize it is being used.
• Power does not have to be used directly threats
  are often effective, especially when accompanied
  by displays of power. Like gorillas thumping
  their chests, we seldom need to fight.

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Achieving Equilibrium

• Results
• - Productivity
• - Creativity
• - Reduced turnover