S.K.

PATEL INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND

COMPUTER STUDEIS.

Project report on “power”

Subject: organizational Behavior

Presented by:

Gurjar Pankaj (34)

Jadav Akshay (38)
Kharpate swapnil (47)
Modi Dhara (59)

Submitted to:

Pro.Jallavi panchamiya

Skpimcs/O.B./Power 1
 Power
• Definition of Power:
Power refers to a capacity that A has to influence the behavior of B so
that B acts in accordance with A’s wishes.
For example:
In our college we want to get MBA degree and only sources to get degree is
faculty who teaches that course so he has power over the students.

• The most important aspect of power is that it is function of

dependency
• Greater the dependency relationship greater the power.
• A person can have power over you only if he controls
something that you desire.

For Example:
You need money for doing MBA and your parents provide finance to you so
your parents have power over you but when you have a job and earn
handsome good income then this is power is reduced.

• This relationship is necessary in an organization because work is

divided into specialized task and the organization has limited
sources with which to accomplish its goods.

• Difference between Leadership and Power

Leaders use power as a means of attaining group goals. Leaders
achieve goals and power is a means of facilitating their achievement.
Following are the major differences between them.
1. Power does not require goal compatibility; it requires only
dependency relationship whereas leadership requires goal
compatibility.
2. Leadership focuses on the downward influences on one’s
followers. Whereas power does not focuses on the downward
influence on one’s followers.
3. Leadership research emphasizes style whereas power research
focuses on tactics for gaining compliance.

Skpimcs/O.B./Power 2
 Bases of Power

Formal Power Personal Power

Coercive power Reward power

Legitimate Power Expert Power Referent Power

Skpimcs/O.B./Power 3
 1. Formal Power:
Formal power bases are derived from the power holders position in an
organization that means the person receives these power bases because of the
specific authority he is assigned in an organization.
There are three type of formal powers:

a. Coercive Power:
The coercive power base is dependent on fear that means the capacity
to influence others through the ability to apply punishment.

One reacts to this power out of fear of negative results that might occur if
one failed to comply.

For Example:
Managers have coercive power through their authority to suspend or
dismiss employees.

a. Coercive power also can come from withholding key

information)

Another example is labor unions, labor union use coercive power to

influence management in collective agreement negotiations, Such as
withholding service.

It rests on the application or threats of application of physical sanctions such

as the infliction of pain or the controlling by force of base needs safety
needs.

b. Reward Power:
People comply with the wishes of another because doing so produces
positive benefits one who can distribute reward that others view as valuable
will have power over those others

Reward can be financial or non financial. Financial such as controlling pay

rates, bonus etc. while non financial such as promotions, friendly colleagues
work assignments etc.

Skpimcs/O.B./Power 4
 c. Coercive power and reward power are actually counter parts of
each other. If you can remove something of positive value from
or if you can give someone something of negative value. You
have coercive power over that person and if you can give
someone something of positive value or remove something of
negative value you reward power over that person.

For Example:
In organization subordinated or employees have power over their bosses

2. Legitimate Power:
a. Position of authority include both coercive and reward powers.
b. Legitimate power is broader than the coercive and reward
power.
c. It include acceptance by members in an organization of the
authority of a position.

For Example:
In an organization managers have a right to require employee to perform
different tasks.

d. Personal Power
Personal power is the power that comes from an individual’s own
characteristics
e. It is not necessary to have formal position in an organization to
have power
Two bases of personal power:
1. Expertise power
2. Referent power

1. Expert Power
 Expert power comes from within the person

Skpimcs/O.B./Power 5
  It is an individual’s capacity to influence others by possessing
knowledge that they want
For example:
Professors in a college give special knowledge to the students that they
want
Doctors, computer specialist, tax accounts.

2. Referent Power
• Influence based on possession by an individual of desirable
resources
• Referent power is typically associated with charismatic leadership
• Charisma is defined as a form of interpersonal attraction whereby
followers develop a respect for a trust in the charismatic individual

For example:
Amitabh bachhan have the power to influence your choice of chocolates

• Generally the personal powers are most effective both referent and
expert power are positively related to employees satisfaction with
supervision their organizational commitment and their performance.
• Whereas reward and legitimate power are unrelated to these outcomes
and coercive power is negatively related to employees satisfaction and
commitments.

Skpimcs/O.B./Power 6
• Dependency: key to power

Dependency is the main key of holding power in something.

The greaterB’s dependency on A , the greater the power A has over B.
Whe n you possess something that others require but that you alone control,
you make them dependent on you and, therefore , you gain power over
them.Dependency , then, is inversely proportional of it will not increase your
power.if everyone is intelligent, intelligence gives no special advantage
.similarly, among the superrich , money is no longer power.if you create
monopoly by controlling information , prestige ,or anything that you can
expand your options, the less power you place in the hands of others.
What creates dependency?

There are factors that creas dependency they are as follow

• Importance
• Scarcity
• Nonsubstiutability

The above factors are described as described in details belove.

• Importance :
if you possess the thing that is having least importance to
others that thing will not give you any power to you , but the
thing that is having the most importance among others that
thing gives power to you because you are having the thing that
others want to possess but some what reason or problem they
are not having that thing and that thing is at top in the list of
their priority of importance.such things make you to make other
dependent on you
.
Exa-there are various department in any organization in these
departments their HOD (Head Of Department)are having importance
because everybody under HOD is employees

• Scarcity:

Skpimcs/O.B./Power 7
 As noted previously, if something is plentiful, possession of it
will not increase your power. A resources needs to be perceived as scarce to
create dependency.
opec countries are having large amount of petroleum but other countries are
having small amount of petroleum, opec have power to change the price
because other countries are dependent on opec for petroleum.

• Nonsubstitutability:

if there are fewer substitute of the source that source holds power,&
others will have to be dependent on that source because they have no other
alternative. thus the more options available the less power that source have.
Example:
A lawyer that has high rank among other lawyers, that
lawyer has power on his clients.
A publication has a copyright to public of a book, so that
publication has power.

.
POWER TACTICS

Power tactics means ways in which individuals translate power

bases into specific action. what options do people have for influencing their
bosses, co-worker, or employee? In sort power tactics means how to use
power or different strategies of using power. Some distinct influence tactics
are as under.

• Legitimacy :-

Relying on one’s authority, position or stressing that a

request is in accordance with organizational policies or rules.

• Rational persuasion :-

Presenting logical arguments and factual evidence to

demonstrate that a request is reasonable.

Skpimcs/O.B./Power 8
 • Inspirational appeals :-

Developing emotional commitment by appealing to a

target’s values, needs, hopes, aspirations.

• Consultation :-

Increasing the target’s motivation and support by

involving him or her in deciding how the plan or change will be done.

• Exchange :-

Rewarding the target with benefits or favors in

exchange for following a request.

• Personal appeals :-

Asking for compliments based on friendship or royalty.

• Ingratiation :-

Using flattery, praise, or friendly behavior prior to

making a request.

• Pressure :-

Using warning , repeated demands, and threats.

• Coalitions :-

Enlisting the aid of other people to persuade the target or

using the support of others as a reason for the target to agree.

Skpimcs/O.B./Power 9
 Tactical Dimensions:

• Reason (sebep gösterme)

• Friendliness (arkadaşça davranma)
• Coalition (koalisyon kurma)
• Bargaining (pazarlık)
• Assertiveness (zorlamak)
• Higher authority
• Sanctions (yaptırım)

Power in Groups : Coalitions

• A group of individuals (or groups) who combine their power to

push for or support a common cause

• Conditions for coalitions : A & B are individually less powerful

than C, but together they are more powerful

• Formal coalitions: Political parties, Unions, Trade Associations,

• Informal coalitions: Power Circle, Kitchen Cabinet, …

Skpimcs/O.B./Power 10
 • Destructive coalitions: Informal sub-groups operating behind the
scenes promoting self interest and private agenda that differ from
organization interest

Power Tactics by influence direction

Influencing
Influencing
Downwards
Upwards
Reason
+

Reason
Assertiveness
Coalition
Popularity

Friendliness
Friendliness
Coalition
Bargaining
Bargaining
Assertiveness
Higher Authority
Higher Authority
Sanctions
-

Skpimcs/O.B./Power 11
 SEXUAL HARASSMENT

The issue of sexual harassment got increasing

attention in media in the early 80’s because of the growing ranks of
female employees, especially in nontraditional work environments.
Definition
• Generally excepted : Unwelcome advances, requests for sexual favors,
and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.

• U.S. Supreme Court : Is defined as any unwanted activity of a sexual

nature that an individual’s employment.
• In the Court’s words “the key test for determining, if sexual
harassment has occurred is whether comments or behavior in a work
environment, would reasonably be perceived, and is perceived, as
hostile or abusive.”

• But still there continues to be disagreement as to what specifically

constitutes sexual harassment.
• The Organizations have generally made considerable progress in the
past decade toward limiting overt forms of sexual harassment.

• This includes unwanted physical touching, recurring requests for

dating
• Or threatening to lose of job if she refuses the sexual harassment.

• Now the Question Arises how is this related to

POWER????????

The origin……
• Most studies confirm that the concept of power is central to
understanding sexual harassment.
• Mostly the harassment comes from a supervisor, a co-worker, or
even an employee.

Skpimcs/O.B./Power 12
 • The supervisor-employee is the best characterizes of an unequal
power, by the use of the formal power gives the supervisor the
capacity to reward and coerce.
The Circumstances…
• The supervisor gives employees their assignments, evaluate their
performance, make recommendations for salary adjustments and
promotions and even they decide the job retains or not.
• As all the employees want favorable performance reviews, salary
increases and the preference.
• Because of Power inequities, sexual harassment by one’s boss
typically creates the greatest difficulty for those who are being
harassed, especially the female employees.
• Because the supervisor’s control over resources, many of those who
are harassed are afraid of speaking out for fear of retaliation by the
supervisor.
• The harassment also comes from the co-workers, as the work is
allotted in teams
• By the use of the traditional gender stereotypes
• which reflects the negatively on the woman in power.
•
At the end….

• The topic of sexual harassment is about power

• It’s about an individual threatening another individual, which is
Wrong.
• Hence the Power, influences and encourages the sexual
harassment.
• Also this topic is more or less related to the Ethics of an
individual.

Skpimcs/O.B./Power 13