Many people think that power and authority is the same thing. They are not. They have the same desired outcome but by definition are different. Merriam-Webster defines power as “the ability or right to control people or things” (“Power”). Authority is defined as “the power to give orders or make decisions: the power or right to direct or control someone or something” (“Authority”). Power is often identified by people who hold a particular office or position. Just because a person may assert a powerful
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Week 9 Essay 1 Power and Authority Although they are very closely related‚ power and authority are two different concepts. Power is needed in order to establish authority‚ yet it is also completely distinct from authority (Week 9 Study Notes). Power is defined in the course study notes as the "ability of individuals or groups to get what they want despite the opposition". Power is derived from a variety of sources including knowledge‚ experience and environmental uncertainties (Denhardt
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Authority Authority‚ power and legitimacy are perceived as fundamental elements of contemporary society for the sole reason that these are the defining features of a culture with political and social organisations and hierarchies. The term ‘authority’ is commonly misused by academics as a synonym for ‘power’ or ‘legitimacy’ which has led to confusion regarding the entire concept of authority. Authority is generally defined as a person (or group of people) who has the power or right to give orders
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AUTHORITY – Authority is that power which is exercised legitimately. All powers cannot be legitimate. Authority and legitimacy both depend on values‚ beliefs and attitude of the masses. Example of Authority: A robber who forces bank manager to handover cash on a gunpoint is not exercising “authority”. But when a police officer is controlling traffic and can use the threat of a fine or jail sentence‚ he is exercising authority. It is an investment in a legitimate form of power‚ it is profitable
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AUTHORITY‚ ACCOUNTABILITY & RESPONSIBILITY By Yusop B. Masdal I. INTRODUCTION Delegation (or deputation) is the assignment of authority and responsibility to another person (normally from a manager to a subordinate) to carry out specific activities (Blair‚ gerald 2002). However the person who delegated the work remains accountable for the outcome of the delegated work. Delegation empowers a subordinate to make decisions‚ i.e. it is a shift of decision-making authority from one organizational
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Power and Authority‚ Legitimacy By Stacey Ellis The idea of Authority is to look at two other concepts that give authority its meaning‚ such as power and if that is legitimate. In order to have Authority over something or someone you must have its power and how it is able to influence the person this can be used through manipulation or threats towards them‚ but the power that has a legitimate purpose is if the threats and manipulation is not needed. If you have a government and they are ruling
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Delegation of authority The action by which a commander assigns part of his or her authority commensurate with the assigned task to a subordinate commander. While ultimate responsibility cannot be relinquished‚ delegation of authority carries with it the imposition of a measure of responsibility. The extent of the authority delegated must be clearly stated. Delegating It is impractical for the supervisor to handle all of the work of the department directly. In order to meet the organization’s
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considered in authority. Authority is everywhere and is needed to keep things moving in the right direction. Merriam Webster has the definition of authority as: Merriam-Webster Definition of Authority the power to give orders or make decisions : the power or right to direct or control someone or something. the confident quality of someone who knows a lot about something or who is respected or obeyed by other people. I agree with this definition with a few minor additions. To me‚ authority is when a
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people view just authority figures. These scholars have described group mind and its effects on society and authority in different ways. For example‚ Lessing‚ the author of “Group Minds‚” says it is dangerous for us to misunderstand our human tendency to conform because we can be blindly obedient as a result. Brooks‚ the author of “The Follower Problem‚” contends that it is an issue that many in today’s society conform to the idea that we should automatically distrust any authority figure. On the other
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“People obey authority out of respect‚ while they obey power out of fear.” Power and authority are interpreted in many different ways. Authority is respected and recognized‚ where as power is used to exploit and manipulate situations simply to gain control or sway judgments. In some scenarios‚ power and authority are essentially indistinguishable‚ in others; one is taken advantage of by the other to dominate. E.g. Power may use authority to gain control and respect. I do not agree with this
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