French and Raven’s Five Forms of Power: An Overview Essay

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Introduction

Various forms of power can be seen in the workplace or related environments. French and Raven developed Five Forms of Power that include legitimate, reward, expert, referent, and coercive. In a business setting, reward power is experienced when a leader is perceived to grant valuable rewards if those under them undertake his or her guidelines (Chapman & Scouller, 2020).

Discussion

For example, at the end of the year, many companies share a given profit percentage with their highly performed employees who meet a certain criterion of work. The power is effective since it probes workers to put all their efforts into daily duties. The power reduces conflict because employees are significantly self-controlled (Chapman & Scouller, 2020). Coercive power is one where power comes from the aspect that a leader can take stern actions or punitive measures against those who do not follow instructions. For example, supervisors often threaten to terminate unproductive employees in a casual business setting. The power is ineffective since it brings a cold war between the supervisor and the workers (Kovach, 2020). Thus, it frequently brings internal and unhealthy politics that make working difficult.

Legitimate power is one where a person’s position in work gives the liberty to issue orders. In a business setting, a manager assigns his or her junior a project that requires certain criteria and monitoring progress (Kovach, 2020). The power is effective since it ensures timely completion of tasks and does not bring conflict but rather teamwork in work. Expert power comes when one has superior knowledge or experience in a given task in the workplace (Chapman & Scouller, 2020). For example, software engineers frequently breach working policies while solving a specific digital program, which may make them snub all other duties or even come late to work. The power is effective because it allows the prioritized task to complete and gives team optimism that results in harmony hence, no collisions or politics.

Conclusion

Referent power streams from a leader’s traits and characteristics, such as charisma, image, and background (Chapman & Scouller, 2020). In a business setting, the director or proprietor of the enterprise is respected by everyone due to their capacity to create jobs for others. The power is effective as it enables all duties to be implemented on time and allows the subordinates to commit to the objectives of the business hence, high chances of a peaceful working environment.

References

Chapman, A., & Scouller, J. (2020). . BusinessBalls.com. Web.

Kovach, M. (2020). Leader influence: A research review of French & Raven’s (1959) power dynamics. Journal of Values-Based Leadership, 13(2), 5–11. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2023, December 5). French and Raven’s Five Forms of Power: An Overview. https://ivypanda.com/essays/organizational-leadership-and-management-theories/

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"French and Raven’s Five Forms of Power: An Overview." IvyPanda, 5 Dec. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/organizational-leadership-and-management-theories/.

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IvyPanda. (2023) 'French and Raven’s Five Forms of Power: An Overview'. 5 December.

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IvyPanda. 2023. "French and Raven’s Five Forms of Power: An Overview." December 5, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/organizational-leadership-and-management-theories/.

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IvyPanda. "French and Raven’s Five Forms of Power: An Overview." December 5, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/organizational-leadership-and-management-theories/.

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