POWER & INFLUENCE

POWER DEFINED

THE CAPACITY TO PRODUCE EFFECTS ON OTHERS.

ORGANIZATIONAL POINT OF VIEW
THE ABILITY OF ONE PERSON OR DEPARTMENT IN AN ORGANIZATION TO INFLUENCE
OTHER PEOPLE TO BRING ABOUT DESIRED OUTCOMES.

INFLUENCE DEFINED

THE EFFECT A PERSON’S ACTIONS HAVE ON THE ATTITUDES,
VALUES, BELIEFS, OR ACTIONS OF OTHERS.

OR
A BEHAVIORAL RESPONSE TO THE EXERCISE OF POWER.

FIVE BASES OF POWER
• LEGITIMATE POWER
• REWARD POWER
• COERCIVE POWER
• EXPERT POWER
• REFERENT POWER

LEGITIMATE POWER
• AUTHORITY GRANTED FROM A FORMAL POSITIONS IN AN ORGANIZATION.
• RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND PREROGATIVES ACCRUE TO ANYONE HOLDING A
FORMAL LEADERSHIP POSITION
• SET GOALS, MAKE DECISIONS AND DIRECT ACTIVITIES
• CAN BE NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE

REWARD POWER
• AUTHORITY TO BESTOW REWARDS ON OTHER PEOPLE
• APPOINTED LEADERS MAY HAVE ACCESS TO REWARDS SUCH AS PAY INCREASES,
PROMOTIONS, PHYSICAL RESOURCES
• INFLUENCES SUBORDINATE’S BEHAVIOR

COERCIVE POWER
• THE EXTENTS TO WHICH A MANAGER CAN DENY DESIRED REWARDS OR
ADMINISTER PUNISHMENT TO CONTROL OTHER PEOPLE.
• RIGHT TO FIRE, DEMOTE, CRITICIZE, REPRIMAND OR WITHDRAW PAY RAISES
• OPPOSITE OF REWARD POWER

EXPERT POWER
• THE ABILITY TO CONTROL ANOTHER’S BEHAVIOR BECAUSE OF THE
POSSESSION KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, OR JUDGMENT THAT THE OTHER
PERSON DOES NOT HAVE BUT NEEDS.
• FOLLOWERS GO ALONG WITH RECOMMENDATIONS BECAUSE OF HIS/HER
SUPERIOR KNOWLEDGE
• USUALLY GAINED FROM EXPERIENCE

REFERENT POWER
• THE ABILITY OF LEADERS TO DEVELOP FOLLOWERS FROM THE STRENGTH OF
THEIR OWN PERSONALITIES.
• DEPENDENT ON PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS RATHER THAN TITLE
• STRONG IDENTIFICATION WITH LEADER
• COMES FROM PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS

RESPONSES TO THE USE OF POWER

eu r op riat us e

app

ive

Compliance

Personal Power

es s exc se

Position Power

Resistance

Commitment
10

REACTIONS TO BASES OF POWER
Resista Complia nce nce

Coercive

Reward
Legitimate

Commit ment Referent
Expert

INFLUENCE TACTICS
• RATIONAL PERSUASION – TRYING TO CONVINCE SOMEONE WITH REASON,
LOGIC, OR FACTS.
• INSPIRATIONAL APPEALS – TRYING TO BUILD ENTHUSIASM BY APPEALING
TO OTHERS' EMOTIONS, IDEALS, OR VALUES.
•