French & Raven's Five bases of Power

In a notable study of power conducted by social psychologists John French and Bertam Raven in 1959 power is divided into five separate and distinct forms. As we know leadership and power are closely linked. This idea shows how the different forms of power affect one's leadership and success. This idea is used often in organizational communication and throughout the workforce. "The French-Raven power forms are introduced with consideration of the level of observability and the extent to which power is dependent or independent of structural conditions. Dependency refers to the degree of internalization that occurs among persons subject to social control. Using these considerations it is possible to link personal processes to structural conditions". (Donald Warren 1968) (Lazarfeld and Menzel 1961) French & Raven introduce five bases of power Coercive, Reward, Legitimate, Referent, and Expert.

Coercive Power

This type of power is based upon the idea of coercion. The main idea behind this concept is that someone is forced to do something that he/she does not desire to do. The main goal of coercion is compliance. According to Changingminds.org "demonstrations of harm are often used to illustrate what will happen if compliance is not gained". The power of coercion has been proven to be related with punitive behavior that may be outside one's normal role expectations. (Hinkin & Schriesheim 1989) However coercion has also been associated positively with generally punitive behavior and negatively associated to contingent reward behavior.(Gioia & Sims 1983) This source of power can often lead to problems and in many circumstances it involves abuse. Mindtools.com states that "coercive power can cause unhealthy behavior and dissatisfaction in the workplace". These type of leaders rely on the use of threats in their leadership style. Often the threats involve saying someone will be fired or demoted.

Reward Power

The second type of power involves having the ability to administer to another things he/she desires or to remove or decrease things he/she does not desire. (French & Raven 1959) For supervisors in an organizational setting, it is the perceived ability to present subordinates with outcomes that are valued in a positive manner. (Hinkin & Schriesheim 1989) This type of power is based on the idea that we as a society are more prone to do things and to do them well when we are getting something out of it. Social exchange theorists as well as Power-Dependence theorists continue to focus on the idea of reward power. (Molm 1988) The most popular forms are offering raises, promotions, and simply compliments. The problem with this according to Mindtools.com is that "when you use up available rewards, or the rewards don't have enough perceived value to others, your power weakens. (One of the frustrations with using rewards is that they often need to be bigger each time if they're to have the same motivational impact. Even then, if rewards are given frequently, people can become satisfied by the reward, such that it loses its effectiveness.)"

Legitimate Power

This power which means the ability to administer to another certain feelings of obligation or the notion of responsibility (Hinkin & Schriesheim, 1989). "Rewarding and Punishing subordinates is generally seen as a legitimate part of the formal or appointed leadership role and most managerial positions in work organizations carry with them, some degree of expected reward and punishment"( Bass, 1990). People traditionally obey the person with this power solely based on their position or title rather than the person specifically as a leader. Therefore this type of power can easily be lost and the leader does not have his position or title anymore. This power is therefore not strong enough to be one's only form of influencing/persuading others.

Referent Power

The power of holding the ability to administer to another feelings of personal acceptance or personal approval. (Hinkin & Schriesheim 1989) This type of power is strong enough that the power-holder is often looked up to as a role model. (Raven, 1988) This power is often looked at as admiration, or charm. The responsibility involved is heavy and one can easily lose this power, but when combined with other forms of power it can be very useful. Celebrities often have this type of power in society on the flip side they also often lose it quickly in some circumstances. Referent power is commonly seen in political and military figures.

Expert Power

The ability to administer to another information, knowledge or expertise (French & Raven 1959).Example: Doctors, lawyers. This power makes one able to combine the power of reward in the correct fashion. As a consequence of the expert power or knowledge, a leader is able to convince his subordinates to trust him.

References

• Bass, B. M. (1990). Handbook of leadership (3rd ed.). New York: Free Press, 1990.
• ChangingMinds. (2002–2009). Retrieved on May 5, 2009 from Changingminds.org
• French, J. R. P., Raven, B. The bases of social power. In D. Cartwright and A. Zander. Group dynamics. New York: Harper & Row, 1959.
• Gioia, D. A., & Sims, H. P. Perceptions of managerial power as a consequence of managerial behavior and reputation. Journal of Management 1983, 9, 7-26.
• Hinkin, T. R., & Schriesheim, C. A. Development and application of new scales to measure the bases of social power. Journal of Applied Psychology, 1989 74, 561-567.
• Hinkin, T. R., & Schriesheim, C. A. Relationships between subordinate perceptions of supervisor influence tactics and attributed bases of power. Human Relations, 1990, 43, 221-237.
• Lazarsfeld, Paul. Menzel, Herbert. 1961. On the relation between individual and collective properties. pp 214–249 in Amitai Etzioni (ed.), Complex Organizations: A Sociological Reader. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
• Mind tools. (1995–2009). Retrieved May 5, 2009 from Mindtools.com
• Molm, Linda D. 1988. The structure and Use of Power: A Comparison of reward and Punishment Power. Social Psychology Quarterly 51:108-22.
• Raven, B. H. Political applications of the psychology of interpersonal influence and social power. Political Psychology, 1990, 11, 493-520.

External links

• French and Raven's Five Forms of Power
• The Bases of Social Power