Political Theories Lens
1. Coercive Power
upon the idea of coercion. This means that someone is forced to do something
against their will. The main objective of coercion is compliance. This form of
power illustrates what happens when compliance is not obtained. According to
French en Raven there are also other forms of power that can be used in a
coercive manner such as withholding rewards or expertise or using referent
power to threaten social exclusion. The force of power is also associated
positively with punishment and negatively associated with conditional reward
behaviour. This form of power often leads to problems. In many cases this form
of power is abused. Coercive power can lead to unhealthy behaviour and
dissatisfaction at work. Leaders who use this leadership style rely on threats in
their management styles. Often these threats relate to dismissal or demotion.
2. Reward Power
This type of power involves the ability of individuals to delegate matters they do
not wish to do to other people and to reward them for this. For managers in an
organization it is a perceived possibility to value or reward their subordinates’
good results in a positive manner. This form of power is based on the idea that
as a society we are more inclined to do things well when we are getting
something in return for this. The most popular forms are raises, promotions or
compliments. The problem with this form of power is that when the reward does
not have enough perceived value to others, the power is weakened. One of the
frustrations when using rewards is that they often need to be bigger than the last
time if they are to have the same effect. Even then, when they are given
regularly, employees can become satiated by the rewards and as a result, they
will lose their effectiveness.
3. Legitimate Power
This form of power gives the ability to link certain feelings of obligation or notion
of responsibility to the management. Rewarding and punishing employees can
be seen as a legitimate part of the formal or appointed leadership role. Most
managers in organizations execute a certain degree of reward and punishment.
Legitimate power is usually based on a role. People always run with the pack and
traditionally obey the one person with power which is solely based on their
