ID: 227/11
Course: Principles Of Management
Question: Identify five (5) sources of power in Business organisation.
Ans.
There have been various definitions on power in business organisation. Power is a force of influence and authority. Most leaders wield power, but how power is manifested and used often differs between leaders. Where does a leader get power from? Or do a leader’s followers give it to them? Well it’s both. According to a former political science professor at Yale University “Robert A. Dahl”, he described power as a relationship between two people in the following terms: "person A getting person B to do what person A wants them to do." This simple outlook on power has become one of the most widely used definitions, although there are many variations to it. Managerial power is the ability to control employees, resources, decisions, knowledge, technology and workplace rules.
SOURCES OF POWER IN BUSINESS ORGANISATION MANAGEMENT
According to the 1960 study Bases of Social Power by John R.P. French and Bertram Raven, there were five sources of power in management: "reward, legitimate, coercive, referent, and expert." Although all of these sources of power influence subordinates, the amount of influence is affected by the employee's dependency on the manager. The greater the employee dependency on what the manager provides the employee, the greater the power the manager holds over the employee.
Reward Power 1. The theory of reward power relies on the belief that employees are more likely to perform their job at a high level if they know rewards are contingent on their performance. Managers have the power to control the allocation of these rewards, which can include pay raises, bonuses, days off, awards or recognition.
Legitimate Power 2. Legitimate power is the most simple and basic source of power in management. This managerial power stems mainly from the formal position or role of the manager in the