Another form of power that a manager has access to is Coercive power. Coercion is basically the act of intimidating or pressurizing a person by force or authority to behave in a certain way. Coercive power is therefore the ability of a manager to punish others. This punishment can range from verbal reprimands, to reductions in pay or working hours, to actual dismissal. Punishments have negative side effects over subordinates or rather any individual. In a work place, punishment can lead to effects such as resentment and retaliation by the workers and hence should be used only when necessary.
Managers who tend to use coercive power more often tend to be ineffective as leaders and may be at risk of their position in the firm. Excessive use of the coercive power hardly ever produces high performance and is often considered unethical in many organizational conventions. Sometimes it leads in mental pressure and stress for the employees. It is argued that better results can be gained by the use of reward power as opposed to coercive power as it is more pleasant and respectful to follow the positive approach of motivation and leadership rather than the negative, pessimistic and distrustful approach.
Thus, coercive power may seem to be obvious but it is the most ineffective out of the types of power that a leader possesses.
(Munro, 2007) The base of interpersonal power in an organization is the expert power. Expert power is based on the special knowledge, skills and expertise that a leader possesses. This type of power may be limited to the particular area in which the expert has training and proficiency. The nature of the expert power varies, depending on the leader’s level in the hierarchy of the organization. First-level and middle level managers often have technical expertise relevant to the tasks that their subordinates perform.
Their expert power gives them considerable influence over their subordinates. Some managers derive expert power from their technical expertise. For example, Andrew Grove, CEO of Intel, has a PhD in chemical engineering and is very knowledgeable about his business. Likewise, Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft, has expertise in software design. Nevertheless, there are managers who lack technical expertise but they compensate this by their abilities as good decision makers and strategists. Effective leaders make sure that they have the adequate amount of expert power they need to perform their roles in the organization.
They need to stay up to date with the latest development and changes in technology, the organization as well as the general environment. For this purpose, they may require training and education from time to time. (Ivancevich et al. , 2005) Referent power is considered the most informal kinds of power. Referent power is derived from the personal characteristics of the leader. It is the power that is resultant from others respect, admiration and loyalty. It is based on the interpersonal interaction between the leaders and subordinates.
Managers who are likable and possesses qualities that seem pleasant to others are more likely to be followed and obeyed they seem to have referent power. Referent power is the most easy to adopt and can make any manager an effective leader. Referent power can motivate employees a warm and caring approach which make them feel important and often get them to do things that are beyond their call of duty. It is easy for managers to take steps in increasing their referent power through adapting a friendly attitude and getting to know the subordinates and showing interest and concern for them.
The first three types of power namely, legitimate, reward and coercive power base are considered as formal power as they are associated with the hierarchy and the position of the leader in the organization. While other kinds of power which are expert power and referent power are informal as they are reciprocal with each other. All five of the bases of interpersonal power are interrelated with each other. The interrelations should be clear to the managers so that they can make best use of these powers in extracting the best performance from their subordinates.
Its is also important for the power users to understand the extent to which each kind of power must be use as it is necessary to maintain a balance, use these tool in the most appropriate situations and never abuse or exploit the power the authority. Conclusion As the markets are expanding and globalization is taking place, the environment of organizations is becoming more complex and complicated. Achieving organizational effectiveness requires a lot of struggle, hard work and confrontation.
Managers are responsible for driving a group towards the attainment of goals, hence, they have the authority to influence, motivate, inspire and encourage the subordinates in working at their best. Successful management depends upon how effectively the manager acquires and exercises Power. Power is not enough, the managers must be aware of the most suitable manner of using power in gaining maximum productivity with a positive influence which benefits the organization in the long run. (Michelson, n. d. ) References Argyris, C (1976). Increasing leadership effectiveness. R. E Krieger. Dale, E (1973).
Management: theory and practice. McGraw-Hill Drucker, P. F (1995). The practice of management. Harper Jones, G. R, ; George, J. M (2007). Contemporary management. McGraw-Hill companies.. Ivancevich , J. M, J. L Gibson, J Donelly, J. H Donelly ; R Konopaske (2005). Organizations: behavior, structures, processes. McGraw-Hill. Michelson, B. J Leadership and power base development. Retrieved September 29, 2008, Web site: http://www. au. af. mil/au/awc/awcgate/au-24/michelson. pdf Munro, J. H (2007). Organizational leadership. McGraw-Hill Stimpson, P (2002). Business studies. Cambridge University Press
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