3.3 Discussion

:

Using Power Well

Getting Started

Have you ever wondered where power comes from? Not the type

of power used for energy, but the power we see in countries,

organizations, and politics. Think about your organizational

structure. Is it a

flat or tall structure? Where is the power, who are

the power people, what type of power is displayed? Is it positional

power by the CEO? Or maybe you have been in a situation where

you had a leader who used reward power to ensure the goals of

the departme

nt were met. While you have studied the five power

bases in a previous course, you will return to them again in this

discussion assignment. Reviewing those power sources will be

helpful. However, in this discussion, you should consider not just

the base by

which one possesses power but think critically about

how one uses power. How one uses power has important

implications for organizational behavior.

Background Information

Power is sometimes considered through a negative lens, and

rightly so. Some people h

ave experienced the use of power in

structures, leaders, and even justice scenarios in ways that are

inequitable, abusive, or demeaning. However, at its core, power

represents the capacity to act or to do something. It is the

capacity to exert influence to

ward some outcome. For example,

imagine a flashlight without a battery. Without the “power,” the

flashlight cannot illuminate.

Power by itself is neutral and amoral. It is how power is generated,

how it is used, and how it is maintained that creates its po

sitive or

negative manifestations. As you work on this assignment, delve

below the surface of the power bases and the related information.

How do we as leaders (and organizational members) use power

well to influence positive organizational behavior?

1.

Revie

w

Chapter 13

(PDF document)

and read

Chapter 10

(PDF

document)

in the text,

An Introduction to Organization

Behavior

.

o

Terms of Use: This work

is licensed under a

Creative

Commons

(new tab)

by

–

nc

–

sa 3.0

(new tab)

license. The

original version can be found

here

(new tab)

.

3.3 Discussion: Using Power Well

Getting Started

Have you ever wondered where power comes from? Not the type

of power used for energy, but the power we see in countries,

organizations, and politics. Think about your organizational

structure. Is it a flat or tall structure? Where is the power, who are

the power people, what type of power is displayed? Is it positional

power by the CEO? Or maybe you have been in a situation where

you had a leader who used reward power to ensure the goals of

the department were met. While you have studied the five power

bases in a previous course, you will return to them again in this

discussion assignment. Reviewing those power sources will be

helpful. However, in this discussion, you should consider not just

the base by which one possesses power but think critically about

how one uses power. How one uses power has important

implications for organizational behavior.

Background Information

Power is sometimes considered through a negative lens, and

rightly so. Some people have experienced the use of power in

structures, leaders, and even justice scenarios in ways that are

inequitable, abusive, or demeaning. However, at its core, power

represents the capacity to act or to do something. It is the

capacity to exert influence toward some outcome. For example,

imagine a flashlight without a battery. Without the “power,” the

flashlight cannot illuminate.

Power by itself is neutral and amoral. It is how power is generated,

how it is used, and how it is maintained that creates its positive or

negative manifestations. As you work on this assignment, delve

below the surface of the power bases and the related information.

How do we as leaders (and organizational members) use power

well to influence positive organizational behavior?

1. Review Chapter 13(PDF document) and read Chapter 10(PDF

document) in the text, An Introduction to Organization

Behavior.

o Terms of Use: This work is licensed under a Creative

Commons(new tab) by-nc-sa 3.0(new tab) license. The

original version can be found here(new tab).