Characteristics of Power
The following are the basic characteristics of power.
Dependency Relationships:
The fundamental feature of Power is dependence. The higher the dependence of one person on you the higher is the amount of power you can exert on him. For instance, if P is the Power one person ‘X’ has on another person ‘Y’, then it tantamount to saying something as dependence (D)of ‘Y ‘on ‘X’. Symbolically PXY = DYX.
When an employee is not depending on the supervisor for receiving rewards then truely speaking, the supervisor has no power over such employee. John P Kotter assets that “ an effective managers quite often gains power by feeding others” believes that they are dependent on manager for help or not for being inflicted or hurt. Dependence may be, in fact actual or perceived. But whatever may be the dependence is leads to the creation of Power.
Power is Specific:
Another associated feature of Power is that it is specific. It is specific in the sense that it can be exercised by some people that too in some circumstances. Power cannot be exercised by all people all times. The domain of power i.e. the extent to which one has power over wide range of issues, however, is different for different people. The range may be higher in some, lower in others.
Reciprocal Relationships:
“Only supervisors or managers or top rankings of officials have Power” is misconception. Power relationships in a organisations are essentially reciprocal in nature. Power exists only in a relationship between two or more persons. It is based on the two way concept of influencing others & being influenced. True that the nature of power exercised by different people in organisation at different levels is somewhat basically different but all can have power including those in the lower rungs. Therefore, there are no specific power centres in an organisation. Moreover, power is neither completely formal nor completely in formal.
Power can expand or Contract:
Power is elastic. People, who are habituated to exercise power, try to acquire more power & expand it. As people reach higher positions the legitimate power attached to the positions also simultaneously in case sometimes die to change in a position of manager in an organisation, that is shift from the one department to another can cause contraction in power.
Source: OB Books & Notes
Tags: Authority, Characteristics, dependency, John P Kotter, of, Power, relationships
By: Management Duniya
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