Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Influence of power in organizations
The importance of power in an organization
Influence of power in organizations
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Influence of power in organizations
Introduction
I believe that different people have different ways in which they view power and hierarchy. In organizations for instance, employees at the top levels of power may experience conflict with their subordinate counterparts due to the issue of power struggle. This may be due to the fact that people do not usually have common goals and interests. Personal differences in relation to objectives and interests always lead to some kind of conflict. In most cases, conflicts between people in power with their subordinates generate the majority of the conflicts in workplaces. When such issues are resolved, they always produce organizational changes which foster cooperation and innovation. On the other hand, when they are not resolved well or
…show more content…
Therefore, a lot of activities usually take place within workplaces and organizations where in relation to the social norms, work with ranking and statuses. The analysis of authority and power has been gaining rising significance as a method of coordination and control necessary in order to attain the various goals and objects of a particular organization (Carter et al., 2006). Junior employees work hand in hand with their seniors to keep the work going. Power is distributed unevenly within different parties. Some workers go well with being on the receiving end of authority while others do not. Power plays a very crucial role in the conflict resolution. Seniors may serve as common ground or mediators when junior employees are in …show more content…
This is the influence which is founded on fear. I feel that coercive power of the senior male subordinates in an organization for instance may instill extreme fears amid the female workers, particularly in the U.S culture due to the stereotypical perception that women should greatly be respectful to their men. In addition, subordinate employees fear punishment from seniors and may avoid conflict with such people. Based on a personal level, employees who exercise this kind of power through the rank usually instill fear among the subordinates (Rahim, 2011). If a manager possesses coercive power over a subordinate employee, he or she may suspend, demote or dismiss an employee. Therefore, leaders have the tendency to use this kind of power and ensure that employees work the way they want. At the end of the day, an employee may avoid being in a conflict with such a
Walmart can be studied using structure functional theory and social conflict theories. Social functional theory is the relationships among parts of society and how these parts are functional(have beneficial consequences) or dysfunctional (have negative consequences. Most Americans today love to shop at Walmart because they continue to give consumers the best prices on over 120,000 products and are one stop shopping.
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.
“We all fight on two fronts, the one facing the enemy, the other facing what we do to the enemy” (Boyden 199).
In society, it can be agreed that there are two main types of power, proximal relations of power and distal relations of power. Proximal relations of power deals within the personal relationships in society, whereas distal relations of power are related to society in a more abstract way that affects it as a
Power is a difficult concept to identify; it has been defined in several ways by many scholars. Hinings et al. (1967) state that power is analogous to bureaucracy, while Bierstedt (1950) and Blau (1964) state that it is purely coercion (Stojkovic et al, 2008). Moreover, Hall and Tolbert (2005) identify that there are five types of power, reward, coercive, legitimate, referent, and expert (Stojkovic et al, 2008). According to studies these five types of power are important and needed in a criminal justice agency for greater effectiveness and efficiency.
Who holds the power? Which religion is stronger? In Bless Me Ultima, a coming of age story of a young boy, the protagonist struggles with the issue of which God should be followed, worshiped, and reverenced. The theme of power in religion is portrayed throughout Anaya’s book in various ways and means such as Ultima, Mrs. Marez, the sign of the cross, and Antonio himself.
Within a society power serves a vital role of establishing and maintaining roles of dominance and submission (Bourdieu, 1977). This creates and maintains a social hierarchy of inequality that unconsciously determines the status, behavioural expectations and available resources for members of the community (Navarro, 2006). The meaning of power within a society is that it determines one’s social standing or relational position within the given community as well as the level of dominance or power they have available to exert onto others. Power, within a society is primarily created through the habitus, capital and culture of a
The need for power is a reality of life; to use or abuse, to claim or deny, own or disown. However the struggle many go through to gain that feeling of control and power can lead to inner turmoil and conflict between others and one self. Set in the times of the tragic witch trials The Crucible is a drama that shows power resting on moral, legal and religious dynamics that lead to inner, social and religious conflicts. Marking Time an ABC miniseries explores the inner conflict of Hal as he struggles to maintain his power by being with a group he does not really fit into, it also shows how the youth of society challenge authority which leads to social conflict between the two groups. Lord of the Flies a novel by William Golding about the savageness in all innocence and explores the concept of fighting for power to gain status and attitude. Power can be gained, won and fought for but the struggle for it can cause inner, social and religious conflict is explored in all three texts some the concept more clearer than others.
(Tost, Gino & Larrick 2013) argues that “when a formal leader experiences a heightened subjective sense of power, he or she tends to dominate group discussions and interactions, which leads other team members to perceive that their views and perspectives are not valued”. This perceived imbalance definitely hampers any attempt at managing workplace conflict. When employees feel that they have no authority or empowerment they tend to be disengaged, and disengaged employees effect productivity. Low productivity can be considered a form of dissatisfaction and thus labelled a conflict that must be addressed by both employee and manager.
Power is the physical and mental control someone or something has over another person or a group of people. I am afraid that if I plagiarize on my essay, I might be penalized or suspended. That is the power of fear. Power has the ability to impact the behavior of people. Contrary to what people believe, power does not necessarily involve the use of force, or threats. As important as analyzing power is, there is no way to really comprehend power. Power is too diverse and controversial. Power in our society is very unstable, causing gender inequality, racism and numerous other social problems. Let us take for example, gender inequality. We cannot explain gender inequality if we do not understand power first. Power does not result in gender inequality or racism, it builds them. Thinking about or fixing power imbalances will solve a lot of problems in the social world, and for that sole reason, it is worth thinking about power to understand society.
Many human beings have been involved in a power struggle of some sort since the beginning of time. Between power in the business world, classroom, and government it is often clear who is subordinate and who is dominant. Subordinates may at times feel powerless; however, they can gain satisfaction out of aesthetics and hidden transcripts because of the personal freedoms it represents to them.
“To live anyhow is better than not at all” (Chekhov 1) , the short story, The Bet commenced with the conflict when the person had no choice but to choose between the death penalty or life in prison. The Bet was originally written by Anton Chekhov, a profound Russian short-story writer who concentrated a lot on human values and the reflection of the extravagantly selfish Russian nobility. And through The Bet he was able to express all those ideas in two sides, the banker and the lawyer with the conflict along the story line.
Power is essential to maintaining order and instilling rules within society, relationships and almost all aspects of life. With the appropriate control of power, individuals are able to attain anything that they desire. Once power is obtained, maintaining power and control is also important. Often once power is obtained, individuals believe that they don’t need to focus on the upkeep of maintaining power, this is what often leads to one’s downfall. Although power often comes with success, there are also downfalls to having power. Power can be dangerous and can lead to greed. Power can ruin relationships and often causes conflict as individuals tend to struggle with the shift in power or the new imbalance of power. Power has the ability to demonstrate one’s true morality and ethics. The pursuit of power has its costs.
According to the paper presented, I believe that power is the most essential element for the human progress, since it’s about changing intentions to actions. In organization it’s about sharing information, about working together and running the company in the best interest of everyone. According to my learning, I believed that it changes nothing, no one can predict the result of a decision and we spend more time living with the consequence of our decision than making them. In turn we should focus on getting things done rather than thinking of the consequence.
Coercive power is bestowed on a person through position and is based in fear. Subordinates follow a manager 's directives to avoid being suspended or fired. Employees also know that rewards such as raises, plum projects or promotions can be held back if standards of work or behavior are not met. Coercive power loses some of its effectiveness if administered unfairly.