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Processes
of power are pervasive, complex, and often disguised in our society. The Bases of Social Power
of French and Raven
is a theory that identifies five (six) bases or sources of social
(organizational) power:
-
Reward
Power (based on the perceived ability to give positive
consequences or remove negative ones)
-
Coercive
Power (the perceived ability to punish those who not conform
with your ideas or demands)
-
Legitimate
Power (organizational authority) (based on the perception that
someone has the right to prescribe behavior due to election or
appointment to a position of responsibility)
-
Referent
Power (through association with others who possess power)
-
Expert
Power (based on having distinctive knowledge, expertness,
ability or skills)
-
Similar to
5: Information Power (based on controlling the information
needed by others in order to reach an important goal)
The
Five Bases of Social Power
theory starts from the premise that power and influence involve
relations between at least two agents, and theorizes that the reaction
of the recipient agent is the more useful focus for explaining the
phenomena of social influence and power.
French and Raven
examined the effect of power derived from the various bases of
attraction (the recipient's sentiment towards the agent who uses
power) and resistance to the use of power. They conclude that
the use of power from the various bases has different consequences.
For example,
coercive power typically decreases attraction and causes high
resistance, whereas reward power increases attraction and creates
minimal levels of resistance.
French and Raven
also concluded that "the more legitimate the coercion [is
perceived to be], the less it ill produce resistance and decreased
attention".
Compare with the 5 Bases of Social Power:
Change Management
Iceberg |
Change Phases |
Force Field Analysis |
Core Groups |
Planned Behavior
| Groupthink |
Leadership Styles
More management models
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