Leadership: Power and Negotiation
Leadership
The use of power and influence to direct the activities of followers toward goal achievement
Chapter focusses on how leaders get the power and influence they use to direct the ways in which power
and influence are utilized in organizations
WHY ARE SOME LEADERS MORE POWERFUL THAN OTHERS?
Power: Defined as the ability to influence the behavior of others and resist unwanted influence in return.
Key points to think about:
1. Ability to influence others does not mean that they will actually choose to do so
2. Power can be seen as the ability to resist the influence attempts of others
Acquiring power:
What is it that gives people power? Number of different sources
1. Organizational power
Derives primarily from a person’s position within the organization. (More formal nature)
1 a. Legitimate
Chapter power:
13 Leadership: Derives
Power rom a position of authority inside the organization and is sometimes
and Negotiation
referred to as ‘formal authority’.
Has its limits: Doesn’t generally give a person the right to ask employees to do something outside
the scope of their jobs
b. Reward power: When someone has control over the resources or rewards another person wants
Have the ability to influence others if those being influenced believe they will get the rewards
c. Coercive power: When a person has control over punishments in an organization.
This works on the principle of fear
Poor form of power because it results in negative feelings toward those that wield it
2. Personal power
Additional capabilities to influence others
a. Exert power: Derives from a person’s expertise, skill or knowledge on which others depend.
When people have a track record of high performance, the ability to solve problems or specific
knowledge→ They’re more likely to be able to influence other people
b. Referent power: When others have a desire to identify and be associated with a person
This desire is generally derived from affection, admiration or loyalty toward a specific individual
Possess a good reputation, attractive personal qualities or a certain level of charisma
(Others want to emulate them)
, Contingency factors:
Certain situations are likely to increase or decrease the degree to which leaders can use their power to
influence others.
These revolve around the idea that more other employees depend on a person, the more powerful that
person becomes.
4 Factors have an effect on the strength of a person’s ability to use power to influence others:
Substitutability: The degree to which people have alternatives in accessing resources.
Leaders that control resources to which no one else has access can use their power to
gain greater influence
Discretion: The degree to which managers have the right to make decisions on their own
If managers are forced to follow organizational policies and rules their ability to influence
others is reduced
Centrality: Represents how important a person’s job is and how many people depend on that person to
accomplish their tasks
Visibility: How aware others are of a leader’s power and position.
Using influence:
2 Having
Chapter 13 Leadership:
power Power
Increased and Negotiation
ability to influence other
Influence: The use of an actual behavior that causes behavioral or attitudinal changes in others.
Two important aspects:
- Influence is directional: Frequently occurs downward (ManagerEmployees) but can also be
lateral (between peers) or upward (employees influencing managers)
- Influence is all relative: The absolute power of the influencer and influence isn’t as important as the
disparity between them
Leadership
The use of power and influence to direct the activities of followers toward goal achievement
Chapter focusses on how leaders get the power and influence they use to direct the ways in which power
and influence are utilized in organizations
WHY ARE SOME LEADERS MORE POWERFUL THAN OTHERS?
Power: Defined as the ability to influence the behavior of others and resist unwanted influence in return.
Key points to think about:
1. Ability to influence others does not mean that they will actually choose to do so
2. Power can be seen as the ability to resist the influence attempts of others
Acquiring power:
What is it that gives people power? Number of different sources
1. Organizational power
Derives primarily from a person’s position within the organization. (More formal nature)
1 a. Legitimate
Chapter power:
13 Leadership: Derives
Power rom a position of authority inside the organization and is sometimes
and Negotiation
referred to as ‘formal authority’.
Has its limits: Doesn’t generally give a person the right to ask employees to do something outside
the scope of their jobs
b. Reward power: When someone has control over the resources or rewards another person wants
Have the ability to influence others if those being influenced believe they will get the rewards
c. Coercive power: When a person has control over punishments in an organization.
This works on the principle of fear
Poor form of power because it results in negative feelings toward those that wield it
2. Personal power
Additional capabilities to influence others
a. Exert power: Derives from a person’s expertise, skill or knowledge on which others depend.
When people have a track record of high performance, the ability to solve problems or specific
knowledge→ They’re more likely to be able to influence other people
b. Referent power: When others have a desire to identify and be associated with a person
This desire is generally derived from affection, admiration or loyalty toward a specific individual
Possess a good reputation, attractive personal qualities or a certain level of charisma
(Others want to emulate them)
, Contingency factors:
Certain situations are likely to increase or decrease the degree to which leaders can use their power to
influence others.
These revolve around the idea that more other employees depend on a person, the more powerful that
person becomes.
4 Factors have an effect on the strength of a person’s ability to use power to influence others:
Substitutability: The degree to which people have alternatives in accessing resources.
Leaders that control resources to which no one else has access can use their power to
gain greater influence
Discretion: The degree to which managers have the right to make decisions on their own
If managers are forced to follow organizational policies and rules their ability to influence
others is reduced
Centrality: Represents how important a person’s job is and how many people depend on that person to
accomplish their tasks
Visibility: How aware others are of a leader’s power and position.
Using influence:
2 Having
Chapter 13 Leadership:
power Power
Increased and Negotiation
ability to influence other
Influence: The use of an actual behavior that causes behavioral or attitudinal changes in others.
Two important aspects:
- Influence is directional: Frequently occurs downward (ManagerEmployees) but can also be
lateral (between peers) or upward (employees influencing managers)
- Influence is all relative: The absolute power of the influencer and influence isn’t as important as the
disparity between them
