Five Bases Of Power Essay

The statement above can be interpreted to mean that a person’s sense of morality lessens as his or her power increases (Dictionary, 2005). So, the more power they have the more corrupt they become. Power is defined as the “ability to cause or prevent an action, make things happen; the discretion to act or not to act,” Power has various meanings to everyone. Some interpret it to be associated with a certain level of exploitation or dishonesty. Some use it to measure how successful they are. For some, it brings out their best abilities and skills.

In the early 1960’s John French and Bertram Raven, identified five (5) bases of power (Abudi, 2011). The five bases are divided into two (2) categories – Formal and Personal Power. Under formal power, the first three (3) bases are:

• Coercive – power which is displayed by a leader who threatens an employee with lost wages or a demotion.

• Reward – power which is displayed by a leader who pays an incentive or gives other perks to their employees

• Legitimate -power resulting from a formal position within an organization based on the organizational structure

The final two (2) bases found under personal power are:

• Expert – power which is based in one’s skills or knowledge

• Referent –power which is earned by being trustworthy and respected

A personal example that I can share that can

I wholeheartedly agree with the results from the study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology by Katherine A. DeCelles and her co-authors in 2012; which concluded that power does not corrupt; it heightens pre-existing ethical tendencies. I believe this because I have personally experienced both sides of the coin as it pertains to power. I mentioned one example above which was a negative experience. I have also had positive experiences which showed that persons who are ethical and honest use their power to lead by example and are positively influential as