Power Its Use and Misuse

Power Its Use and Misuse

Use and misuse of power: Different types of power

Power is often conceptualized as a force that is done 'to' someone 'by' something (such as an institution) or someone. However, power is often a far more subtle form of influence. Power is not necessarily 'bad;' rather it is how it is used makes all of the difference. When T.S. Eliot wrote: "Half of the harm that is done in this world is caused by people who have power and want to feel important. They do not mean to do harm; they are simply absorbed in the useless struggle to think well of themselves," he was likely writing about the use of coercive power (Manning & Curtis, p. 143). Coercive power is the typical scenario that comes to mind when people are talking about the potential misuses of power. "This is the power to force someone to do something against their will" (Straker 2012). A person is motivated to do something out of fear, such as losing his or her job if he or she does not perform to a high standard. This form of power may be effective in the short-term, but eventually the hatred it generates against the boss results in a high rate of attrition from the company and a high burnout rate.

Coercive power is often seen as illegitimate, perhaps because the enforcer has no real reason to have his or her position other than luck, by exerting control over others through physical force, or through knowing the right people. In contrast, "legitimate power is that which is invested in a role. Kings, policemen and managers all have legitimate power. The legitimacy may come from a higher power, often one with coercive power. Legitimate power can often thus be the acceptable face of raw power" (Straker 2012). It may be necessary for a military leader or even a boss to pull rank when an organization is suffering through a 'crunch time' and needs clear and directive orders. Legitimate power holders have attained their position through fair means. But legitimate power still has many weaknesses. It does not solicit the opinions of others and requires the power-holder to have a great deal of knowledge and foresight to be correct when giving unquestioned orders. When the leader is intelligent and insightful, like the late Steve Jobs' iron-fisted control over Apple, it can work, but such leaders are rare.

Another form of power is reward-based power, in which the individual is given a reward for doing something. The person giving the orders has something that the subordinate lacks, whether it is a cookie when a mother is compelling a toddler to finish diner or a boss dangling a promotion over the head of his or her employee. Once again, this type of power has limited value, because as soon as the commander 'gives up' the precious item, then his or her command over the subordinate becomes much weaker. In fact, the subordinate may grow more lax and disobedient, now that he or she can relax with his or her coveted item.

While pure forms of coercive, legitimate and reward-based power could be characterized as highly directive uses of power, other uses of power are more subtle. For example, in referent-based power, the individual uses his or her charisma to influence the other person's behavior. This can be seen when an attractive person uses his or her charm to get out of work, or when a charismatic leader uses his effective articulation of company vision to motivate employees. Referent power plays upon the fact that human beings are social animals and want to please others whom they love: this can cause people to accomplish more than they thought themselves capable of, but can also be used to overwork employees and make them perform tasks they should not (like a supervisor who uses his or her charm to make teenage employees work longer hours than they should be law by encouraging them to 'pitch in' for the sake of the team).