Power and Influence

Power and Influence Power and influence are a part of everyone’s life. Typically we see this demonstrated in a corporate setting, ranging from a Chief Executive Officer down to an entry level employee. Power and influence, however, are not tethered to just the corporate world, they are also found in social and family environments, as well. We will be looking at sources of power and influence that are specific to the organization that I work in, how that power and influence is accessed, the major factors in gaining the power and influence, and finally how to increase your power and influence. Most of the information presented can be considered relevant across not only corporate situations, but also in family and social settings. First we will look into sources of power and influence within the organization where I work. There are two main sources of power; formal and personal (Robbins & Judge 2008). Formal power refers to an earned position of authority, examples of this would include an assistant manager, store manager, district manager and so forth up to and including the CEO. Personal power is gained by an individuals subject expertise or through admiration and respect of the individual (Robbins & Judge 2008). We see personal power develop on a peer level when hard-working and experienced employees are admired by newer and younger employees. By showing a sense of loyalty to not only the company, but fellow staff as well, personal power grows. There are many times as well, when we take direction from individuals that are not our direct superior, but are experts in a specific field such as; accounting, information technology, or marketing. I have also noticed that this type of power is very relevant in the relationship between vendors and store management and staff. Finally, because I work in a retail industry, there is definitely a power and influence dynamic that occurs between the employees and customers. I have the ability to increase sales using

References: Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. (2008). Essentials of organizational behavior. (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Yukl, G. A. (2006). Leadership in organizations. (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.