Power and Politics in Organizations

This resource provides an overview of power and politics, considers the effect of conformity, and reviews studies on the effects of conformity. The text explores the relationship between dependency and power. It uses Steve Jobs as an example of all six types of power, including legitimate power, expert power, reward power, information power, coercive power, and referent power. Because leaders can abuse power, the text also examines the direction of influence.

The Basics of Power

Learning Objectives

  1. Learn the meaning of power.
  2. Understand how power can have both positive and negative consequences.
  3. Learn about different sources of power.
  4. Understand the relationship between dependency and power.