The capacity to influence people is known as power. Power may be a bad or good emotion directed
toward a certain aim (McLean & Elkind,2003). Power has the ability to influence one side by
influencing the other. An person can use power to target a single target or a group of targets; on
the other hand, a group can use power to target when it wishes. It makes no difference whether
there are single or several targets because power cannot be scaled or restricted in time.
(Robinson Judge 2011) have discovered that humans possess power. Denies it, as though those in
need of power are evading the truth that they do. Leaders such as Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg
amass influence and maximize it via organization. The most essential aspect of power is how you
utilize it since it can easily get out of hand when you use it to get things done in an organization
(Pfeffer 2003). It's crucial to understand how power is earned in order to know when to use it, how
to use it, and when to wield it responsibly. Knowing the power's corrective measures will make
you a more successful leader.
Let us investigate personal and positional powers in light of the pertinent topic. This is how powers
are divided into two categories.
Personal power is defined as a source of power that is a part of an individual. This implies that it
is always dependent on the skills you have earned, such as competences, qualities, talents, and
personal attributes. Personal powers are not usually thought of as formal powers, but they do have
the ability to influence and inspire others.
There are 02 types of power identified under personal power;
i)
Referent power is willingness to provide special favors and help to someone more close
to you, generally someone you consider more preferable than others. Identification is
appeared to be the strongest power under this power here, the person will be completed
to do whatever the agent required him/her to do, imitate the agent or could be asked to
develop some attitudes and qualities as the agent. French and Raven from 1959 have
identified referent power as the desire which is strong to please others (agent) to which
they have strong admiration for.
A referent power could solely be constructed by trust worthy, attraction, charm and
respect. As a result of a strong referent power, the agent will not think twice to increase
the interest of the specific person using referent power as a tool. This type of power is
also something which should have a control. Because of too much will derive towards
unethical behavior. According to Tosi, Mesangial & Fanelli,2004. A charismatic leader
could spark an entire organization by himself.
ii)
Expert power is an ability of an individual to influence in others behavior because of
recognized knowledge, skills and abilities acquired by him/herself individually. Power
under a certain profession have their own expertise and cannot be rank low due to the
organizations hierarchy. According to Lathan, 2011, an organization becomes more
increasingly advance and complex and expertise in power if they acquire employees
from every levels of hierarchy. Expert power provides more opportunities and benefits
towards the holder under the extent of the knowledge acquired by the followers, simply
means its beneficial if you have more knowledge under the specific job. It’s also not
always the knowledge but the trust worthiness and relevance between the two parties.
Knowledge is the power to today’s high tech workplace (Kreitner & Kinaki, 2010)
Next is the positional power. Positional power is acquired through a specific rank or a
tittle under your name in an organization. Positional power is also used to influence the
people and events; this could be with or without a formal authority. Position power acts
as a source of influence as well as to maximize a personal power will act as a threat.
Leaders with exceed positional power will act building personal powers using different
approaches without using them to support the organization. According to glad, 2002.
Positional power is a reason and path corruption takes place in them. Therefore, control
over positional power will act as an advantage and enable a leader to maximize its
accomplishment while expelling the mistakes.
Positional power could be in three forms they are explained below.
iii)
Legitimate power- The influence from legitimate power is complex. Streaming of
power through workplace is also known as legitimate power (French & Raven 1959).
people with legitimate power have the authority to lead other and provide them with
tasks. Legitimate power is the authority to make legit decisions and followers under
you care. (Barnard, 1938; Mc Shane & Von Glinow, 2012)
iv)
Reward power – Reward power means the ability to provide the employees with what
they need and want to receive. Influencing employees with reward power is easy
because they value rewards more. Reward power can lead to better performance and
rewards to make the maximum benefit out of reward power, providing them with the
right reward which suits their behavior is important, (Nelson & Quick, 2012).
v)
Coercive Power – This power is use to influence people by pushing them further more
towards a specific goal even could be through a threat to do so. Coercive power has
negative possibilities an individual or the organization as a whole. Not only higher
officials, lower workers too have Coercive power to ensure these team are acting
accordingly.
If positioning force is utilized appropriately and within limits, it will result in compliance; but, if
positional power is used excessively, it will result in resistance. Rather of striving to look
enthusiastic, compliance explains what the agent is prepared to do in order to be different. The
target individual does this only as a result of the agent's decision to influence and inspire others in
order to achieve the provided goal.
Overall, compliance is a less effective consequence than job commitment.
The effect of resistance is that the target individual opposes and barely agrees with the agent's
request. In this case, the target individual is reluctant to accept and complete the job. Some
situations under resistance include refusing to carry it out, making reasons to carry it out while the
time period continues, attempting to withdraw from the aims and process, and delaying the end.
Personal power combined with the appropriate combination leads to commitment. This
commitment is the result of the agent's demands, which the target person performs with all of his
or her might. Out of all the powers and viewpoints of the agent, commitment is acknowledged to
be the most successful consequence.
We may deduce from this that personal power sources are more effective than the use of positional
power. Because it is the powers of referent power and expert power that deliver effective outcomes
to agents via all of the results.