Theory
This essay examine modern and symbolic-interpretive perspectives in which enables the understanding of power and the limits in organizations. Approaches such as organization structure, organization culture, research and methodology in each of the perspective are used to discuss in this essay.
In bureaucratic organizations personal power is linked to authority with authority being the legitimate power that adheres to roles. Organizational roles provide actors with moral constructs for the enactment of power. Actors evaluate each other's acts of power in part on the willingness to obey role instructions. For a person to sustain power in an organizational setting he or she must self-consciously exercise power so as to signify the awareness of role obligations (Biggart & Hamilton 1984).
Power and authority are closely related but theoretically different concepts (Faeth 2004). The exercise of power is legitimated through authority (Weber 1947) and Weber was the first to develop a systematic version of these terms as keystone of his social theory. Lewin (1941) developed the study of leadership by introducing the concept of social power in terms of the differential between interpersonal force and resistance. French and Raven described five sources of power namely reward power, coercive power, legitimate power, referent power and expert power (Raven & French 1958).
Reward power is derived from the ability to provide rewards to others for behavior such as pay increment or job promotions. Coercive power is the ability effect negative consequences such as a demotion or transfer to a less desirable assignment. Legitimate power is the right to make a request based upon their official position in the organization. Referent power refers to the ability to seek the target’s response based upon the target’s desire to please the agent. (Biggart & Hamilton 1984). Expert power is the power wielded by those who possess the particular knowledge and skills needed by the
In bureaucratic organizations personal power is linked to authority with authority being the legitimate power that adheres to roles. Organizational roles provide actors with moral constructs for the enactment of power. Actors evaluate each other's acts of power in part on the willingness to obey role instructions. For a person to sustain power in an organizational setting he or she must self-consciously exercise power so as to signify the awareness of role obligations (Biggart & Hamilton 1984).
Power and authority are closely related but theoretically different concepts (Faeth 2004). The exercise of power is legitimated through authority (Weber 1947) and Weber was the first to develop a systematic version of these terms as keystone of his social theory. Lewin (1941) developed the study of leadership by introducing the concept of social power in terms of the differential between interpersonal force and resistance. French and Raven described five sources of power namely reward power, coercive power, legitimate power, referent power and expert power (Raven & French 1958).
Reward power is derived from the ability to provide rewards to others for behavior such as pay increment or job promotions. Coercive power is the ability effect negative consequences such as a demotion or transfer to a less desirable assignment. Legitimate power is the right to make a request based upon their official position in the organization. Referent power refers to the ability to seek the target’s response based upon the target’s desire to please the agent. (Biggart & Hamilton 1984). Expert power is the power wielded by those who possess the particular knowledge and skills needed by the