Concept/Theory Evidence/Observations & Application
1. Power
(pg.396) Power, as defined in the text, “is the ability to influence another person”. In this clip of the movie, Mack, a Ford executive, is the definition of power; where other Ford representatives were unable to finalize a deal to get Bob to provide the company with a finalized working model of his invention, the intermittent wiper, Mack moves in on Bob quickly at the start of their meeting. Not wasting any time, Mack gets to the point to “get Bob on board” by revealing what Bob’s intended plans were for his winning invention- Mack’s questions are quick, and direct- demonstrating his ability to use high pressure tactics to get results, and by the end of the short meeting, Bob has
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Influence
(pg.396) Influence is the process of affecting the thoughts, behavior, and feelings of another person. Mack, from the beginning of the meeting, is fully prepared to assert his influence in “getting Bob on board”.
3. Authority
(pg.396) Authority, “the right to influence another person.” In this scene, it’s easy to see that from the start, Bob is reluctant to jump into anything too soon with his wiper invention; however, as the scene plays on with Mack, who starts of immediately with asking Bob several questions about the plans for his invention. Through his use of high pressure tactics, Mack clearly demonstrates his perceived authority to influence Bob in his decision, in how he asks his questions, one right after the other, and without waiting for Bob’s response.
4. Zone of Indifference
(pg.396)
Zone of Indifference, the range in which attempts to influence a person will be perceived as legitimate and will be acted on without a great deal of thought. The zone of indifference between Bob and his friend Gil- Bob doesn’t hesitate in agreeing to Mack’s request for the working prototype once Gil, his friend also in attendance at the meeting, affirms that the details of the request to move forward are fair and reasonable. Immediately following Gils’ affirmation to Bob, based on his understanding of the details and the next step of the business arrangement between Ford and his friend Bob; Bob acknowledges Gils’ encouragement to agree with Mack, as legitimate-
Power is addressed in the book as something that Americans do not take seriously. The use of this power is not shown so much as who is in power. I will use three examples of this. Bubbah Offenhouse was in charge of making everyone aware of what to do in case of fallout. However, he chose not to even hand out information on this because he didn’t want to think about it.
Power is held and exerted or ignored by those with the ability to act upon other people or cause an event. The scientific community held power over hospitals, scientists, and scientific progress because it can deem work valid, scientific, ethical, and otherwise. John Hopkins held power over its patients not only because they were under its care, but also because many could not pay for medical care. Individual doctors at Hopkins held power over their specific patients for the same reasons although they held more extensive powers over the specific patient. Henrietta held power over whether or not she received treatment. Zakariyya held power over the boy he murdered because he h...
All of our interactions within this world hold a certain degree of influence that we do not often think twice about. In certain occupations this influence and power can be seen and understood. A college professor, for example, may or may not be aware of his or her influence on a student’s opinion. Professors are in a position in which they can persuade or influence a person’s opinion. Because students often find trust in what their professor is saying, it is easy to succumb to their views, beliefs, or opinions. Not all students can be persuaded so easily, however over a decade of a teaching a professor has likely influenced thousands of studen...
Power has been defined as the psychological relations over another to get them to do what you want them to do. We are exposed to forms of power from the time of birth. Our parents exercise power over us to behave in a way they deem appropriate. In school, teachers use their power to help us learn. When we enter the work world the power of our boss motivates us to perform and desire to move up the corporate ladder so that we too can intimidate someone with power one day. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Kurtz had a power over the jungle and its people that was inexplicable.
Influence: is the process of leader communicating ideas, gaining acceptance of them, and motivating followers to support and implement the ideas through change (Lussier & Achua, 2010). This element is all about the relationship between leader and followers. Moreover influencing includes power, politics, and negotiation. Leaders gain the commitment of followers who are willing to adapt and get influenced.
Power allows people to do anything they want. They can use it in different ways, they can tell people to obey them, they can use it to hurt someone they hate, and even rob. They can also use it in a positive way, they can help people and do a lot of good things with it.
McShane and von Glinow determine that the first three powers - legitimate, reward, and coercive power - are granted to persons through the organization or co-workers, whereas the two other powers – expert and referent power - depend on the “power holders own characteristics” (301). The first source of power that can be assigned to members of the organization is Legitimate Power, which is defined as an “agreement among organizational members that people in certain roles can request certain behavior of others” (302). This source of power generally results from different roles in the organization (hierarchy). Like the manager can expect his or her employees to do what he or she requires. Another source of power that can be given to employees is Reward Power, which is defined as “the person’s ability to control the allocation of rewards valued by others and to remove negative sections” (302). Reward power offers incentives and is the opposite of the third source of power, which is Coercive Power. Coercive power is the last source of power that is assigned to people and involves “the ability to apply punishment” (303). The fourth source of power is Expert Power, which does not originate from the position but rather from within the person. Expert power is “the capacity to influence others by possessing knowledge or skills that others value” (303). For instance, an employee can develop expert power when gaining important knowledge for the organizations that others would also like to have. The fifth source of power that does not depend on the role or position of an employee, but on the person’s own characteristics is Referent Power, which is defined as “the capacity to influence others on the basis of an identification with and respect for the power holder” (303).
Power was always perceived as a gauge by nations’ military might and ability to impose its will on others; however since taking this course, the perception has changed. There are multiple definitions of power. Power can be used to influence other nations to meet the host nation’s intent. Power can be interpreted through economic influence or old fashion brute force among many things. In essence, power is the means in which influence is bestowed unto nations, or in general in order to maintain order or get what is needed.
Power is authority and strength, which is any form of motive force or energy, ability to act, or control. When too much power is given, a dictatorship government can form, in which all decisions are made by one authority. In the book Animal Farm, by George Orwell the author portrays how “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Lord Acton).
In French and Raven’s initial papers (French & Raven, 1959; Raven, 1965), they defined social influence as a change in the belief, attitude, or behavior of a person (the target of influence), which results from the action of another person (an influencing agent). Their six bases of power are widely cited in the organizational literature and they include: informational, reward, coercion, legitimate, expert and referent (Raven, B. 2008). Expert power is a personal characteristic, while legitimate, reward and coercive powers are largely prescribed by the organization (Ivancevich, et.al, p.342). In the original 1959 paper, the authors disagreed on whether “informational” should be an influence or a power resulting in only five bases of power included in the paper. Raven explains that expert power results from the target’s faith that the agent has some superior insight or knowledge about what behavior is best under the circumstances (Raven, B. 200...
Power is the ability to obtain, retain, and motivate people and to organize informational and material resources to accomplish a task( Leadership, n.d). Power is central to the leadership process in the development of a manager’s self-confidence and willingness to support staff members ( Schmidt & Wilkinson, 1990). The desire for power is universal. From this vantage point, power should be accepted as a natural part of any individual organization. Power is not evenly distributed among individuals or groups, but every individual has some degree of power.
The term power has a variety of definitions. According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, the first definition of power refers to “the ability or capacity to act or do something effectively”, also include “a capacity, faculty, or aptitude,” (“power. (n.d.)
When power becomes legitimate, it is then recognized as authority (Denhardt et al, 2001). Power becomes authority when it is accepted and even desired by society. As stated by the course study notes, “authority refers to a situation where a person (or group) has been formally granted a leadership position”. An individual has authority when everyday norms and regulations support the exercising of power by that individual. In an organizational setting, “authority is hierarchal and vested in positions” (Week 9 Study Notes), which are defined by “organizational charts, positions and rules” (Week 9 Study Notes). Generally, power in authority also involves the possibility of rewards such as promotions and good performance reviews.
...role in aiding a leader in navigating the influence relationship of leadership. It also provides a greater level of cultural, and personal, awareness. Motivators, tweaked by persuasion, can be very powerful and lead to colossal good or catastrophic action. One must be ever mindful of one’s motivation for action and remain consistent with one’s commitments, ethics, and ethos.
Influence is one of the greatest effects people have on us that defines who we are as we grow and learn. Influence is aroused by people media and advertisements. The largest influence in my life has been my very own family. While not all of the effects of their influence were derived from good they shaped me into who I am today. They have instilled within me traits of financial responsibility, confidence, and the courage to fail.