Five forms of Power in the Organization

Power can be defined as “The capacity to influence and control other people’s behavior then others are act in accordance with wishes of the one who gives the power”

(Icmrindia.org, 2019)

Power can be affected to change an individual or group in some way. Power may or may not be suitable, and power may not depend on person’s organization position.

In 1959, social psychologists John R.P. French and Bertram H. Raven were introduced five forms of power concepts and how the different forms of power affect a person’s leadership and success. French- Raven’s power concepts introduced with observance of the level of observability and the extend to which the power is dependent on structural conditions.

Five forms of Power

1. Coercive Power
2. Reward Power
3. Legitimate Power
4. Referent Power
5. Expert Power

   1.Coercive Power

In this form of power means that someone is forced to do something against their will. Most of time this form of power is abused. Coercive power may lead to unhealthy behavior and dissatisfaction at work places. As per illustration of French and Raven, the main objective of coercive is compliance. Leaders who are use coercive power in a coercive manner such as withholding reward of expertise ,threaten for social exclusions may have to believe their leadership is in a threat like dismissal or demotion.

2. Reward Power

In this type of power, the person who has ability to delegate matters or work to other people , that matters or works do not wish to do by the person. In the organization managers have possibility to value or reward their subordinates, who has shown good results in a positive way, and the most popular way for awarding is promotions or compliments.

The reward power can be weakened due to the ;

If sometimes the reward are not accepted others because each of them level of expectation can be vary according to works that are delegated by the authority.

Another point is rewards are need to be bigger than the previous time. Despite the same hard work for same procedure and also employees become over fulfilled with rewards when the organization practice the rewarding system regular y. This may lead to lose of employee effectiveness.

3. Legitimate Power

This form of power is usually based on a role. This power gives the ability to link certain feelings of obligation or notion of responsibility to the management. In this type of power can be seen rewarding and punishing employees. As a legitimate part of the formal or appointed leaders. Most of organization’s managers are execute a certain degree of reward and punishments. Employees are traditionally obey the person with power, which is solely based on their position or title and this power can be easily be overcome as soon a if managers loses their position or title .

4. Referent Power

The leaders who have this type of power, they are ability to administer to someone a sense of personal acceptance or approval. This leaders are consider as a role model. This form of power emanates from a person that is highly liked and people identify strongly with them in some way. This leaders received good appreciation from their environment.

5. Expert Power

Expert power is based on high-depth of information, knowledge or expertise. If leaders have this form of power they are highly intelligent and they trust in their power to fulfill organization’s roles and responsibilities. The leader who have this form of power, they will be able to combine the power of reward in the right way.

References

• ToolsHero. (2019). Five Forms of Power by French & Raven, a leadership theory | ToolsHero. [online] Available at: https://www.toolshero.com/leadership/five-forms-of-power-french-raven/ [Accessed 1 Jul. 2019].

• Icmrindia.org. (2019). Power and Politics, Textbook, Workbook | Courseware. [online] Available at: http://www.icmrindia.org/courseware/Organizational%20Behavior/Power%20and%20Politics%20Chap19.htm [Accessed 4 Jul. 2019].