Reflection - 6
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Reflection Unit 6
Reflection Unit 6
Lauren Willett
University of the Cumberlands
Introduction
Throughout the discussion of the previous chapters there has been a continuous conversation focusing on the factors that affect an individual’s behavior in the workplace. While it’s easy to place an emphasis on the concrete factors such as age, gender, etc., the following chapters examine the overall influence of the more abstract concepts of power and conflict. Comprehending the underlying foundation of what generates these seemingly important factors is crucial when assessing the inclusive success of an organization.
Reflection
To productively understand the impact of power the comprehension of the numerous types and variations it can be encompassed in much be acknowledged. The text defines power as a capacity that A has to influence the behavior of B so that B acts in accordance with A’s wishes (Robbins & Judge, 2018, p. 208). In order to decrease the amount of power an individual retains over another individual, they must expand the total number of options they have for their specific need or requirement. Accomplishing this simple task reduces the relying individuals dependence, which is defined as B’s relationship to A when A possesses something that B requires (Robbins & Judge, 2018, p. 208). When I first began my position in my current organization the need that I most valued was the knowledge of my coworkers. I heavily relied on the individuals surrounding me to share the information they had acquired throughout the duration of their experience. This dependence that I had acquired gave my coworkers a significant amount of power over myself, also referred to as expert power. The authors define expert power as influence based on special skills or knowledge (Robbins & Judge, 2018, p. 209). I was previously unaware of the multiple ways that power is continuously exhibited throughout all aspects of my workplace.
I found it very interesting to observe situations where two individuals possessing the same type of power are able to utilize it in different ways. This notion has presented myself with both negative and positive experiences when dealing with situations in which their power was brought to the forefront of our interactions. For example, I have a coworker who seems to have formed her power through her expertise in our specific position. Due to the simple fact that she’s been in our position for an extended amount of time, she’s been exposed to a multitude of situations that allow her to be a solid resource. While this may be the case, she tends to exert her knowledge in a way in which can be interpreted as somewhat degrading to other individuals. Instead of engaging her coworkers in an encouraging manner she causes them to stray away from asking her further questions.
On the other hand, my supervisor who obviously has an acquirement of expert power, as well as legitimate power, tends to have a better understanding of a more beneficial method to demonstrate her overall knowledge. The authors define legitimate power as the power a person receives as a result of his or her position in the formal hierarchy of an organization (Robbins & Judge, 2018, p. 209). In other words, I feel more comfortable going to a higher standing individual within my company with a question or concern than I do with another individual who is on my same exact level. I previously interpreted this difference as simply personality based when in fact it rather surrounds their means to utilize the power they hold. After being exposed to the various affects that different types of power generate within a company, I feel better equipped to make changes in my own exertion of power in order to benefit my work experience, as well as the work experience of those who surround me.
References