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Communication 3nineTOO Knowledge is Power |
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Knowledge Is Power
Melinda M. Villagran and Mary Hoffman
Case Overview
Shortly after beginning her new position at Green Solutions, Katie Morris was relieved to hear a promise to create an organization whose use of internal technology was as efficient as the environmental technology they so successfully marketed to others. Katie’s supervisor, Ned, was unfamiliar with the most basic office tools such as telephone and video conferencing, fax machines, and Palm Pilots. Katie’s expertise with technology gave her a unique opportunity to gain power in her new organization. This case study exemplifies the effect of technological expertise on the bases of power in contemporary organizations.
Learning Objective
This case illustrates the complexities of bases of power in organizations and explores how knowledge about technology can affect perceptions of power among organizational members.
Keywords and Definitions
Power—the ability to influence others.
Coercive power—influence achieved through ability to impose or withhold punishment.
Expert power—influence achieved through the possession of special knowledge or ability.
Legitimate power—influence achieved through title or position in the organizational structure.
Referent power—influence achieved on the basis of admiration or liking.
Reward power—influence achieved through the ability to grant or withhold rewards.
Key Case Concepts
Power—power in organizations does not solely come from a person’s formal position. Organizational members may have power to influence others based on other factors, such as strong interpersonal relationships or expertise in some area.
Bases of power—individuals may simultaneously possess more than one type of power in their organization. The type of power a person has to influence others is contingent upon the situation, and the context of the interaction.
Leadership is a process of influence over others (French & Raven, 1959). Some leaders have power over others because of their title or position in an organization. Other leaders emerge because of their knowledge or expertise in a specific area. Power is linked to leadership because they both relate to the influence process that occurs during interaction (Northouse, 1997). French and Raven (1959) describe five bases of power available to leaders. These bases of power include reward power, coercive power, legitimate power, referent power, and expert power.
Reward power comes from a leader’s ability to influence others by giving gifts, bonuses, or incentives for certain behavior. Some rewards used to influence others may be tangible, such as an increase in salary or a new corner office. Other rewards may come from more intangible reward resources such as time off work, a more flexible schedule, or verbal recognition at a company meeting. Anyone who has control of resources in an organization and has the ability to selectively share resources with others has some degree of reward power.
Coercive power comes from a person’s ability to influence others through punishment for undesired behavior. Coercion is the use of forcible tactics to influence others. Sometimes coercion is a power used by leaders more interested in achieving personal goals than group goals. In addition, for coercive power tactics to be effective, it is important for leaders using them to have the ability to follow through with threats made to others.
Legitimate power is based on a person’s title or role in an organization. This is a more formal base of power because those with legitimate power hold certain responsibility and privileges within the group. People such as presidents of companies, police officers, or professors have legitimate power used to lead others.
Referent power is a negotiated form of leadership based on the desire of others to follow a leader. Referent power occurs when group members identify with a leader based on their perceptions of the leader’s knowledge, experience, or behavior. This identification leads to the desire to imitate the leader or use the leader as a reference for how to behave (Shockley-Zalabak, 2001). Referent power is not something expressed by the leader but rather comes directly from those who choose to follow or imitate the leader.
Discussioon Questions
1. How does knowledge about technology affect Katie and Donovan’s power in their organization?
2. How should Katie approach her new leadership role? How should she handle training Ned in particular?
3. What is the power relationship between Ned and Donovan before Donovan takes his new job?
4. How does Leigh Peyton exert power over organizational members? What kind power is it? Give an example of some other kinds of power she could have used.
5. How does Katie exhibit leadership characteristics? How might she define leadership based on her experience in this situation?
References and Resources
Northouse, P. (1997). Leadership: Theory and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Stogdill, R. M. (1974). Handbook of leadership: A survey of theory and research. New York: Free Press.
French, R. P., & Raven, B. (1959). The bases of social power. In D. Cartwright (Ed.), Studies in Social power. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute of Social Research.
Shockley-Zalabak, P. (2002). Fundamentals of organizational communication: Knowledge, sensitivity, skills, values. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.