Sources of Power and position

A formal position held in an office confers legitimate power. It is a form of authority based on the compensation associated with such a position. A CEO of a corporate organization is a wonderful illustration of someone with legal authority. The capacity of a leader to bestow benefits on followers in exchange for a specific behavior is known as reward power. The relationship between a manager and employee illustrates reward power. By adding particular penalties to any sort of noncompliance, leaders can compel their followers to take certain activities. This is known as coercion power. Threats of wage reductions and promotions are two examples of such practices. Referent power is the ability of the leaders to influence the actions of their followers by attaching specific punishments to any form for noncompliance. An example of such actions includes threats demotions and pay cuts. Referent power is the ability of the leader to acquire active followership by developing admirable behavioral characteristics. Referent power is massively exhibited by a mass leader, celebrities Patriots, etc.

These forms of power have their appropriate uses; the legitimate power is used in institution and organizations, reward power features when there is need to motivate followers to increase their performance. The coercion power is required to when followers are unruly or could function in a legal law enforcement scenario, and the referent legal is necessary to build unity and patriotism in a nation.

The similarity between these forms of power is based on the fact that they compel obedience from followers and they could be used to demand particular results from them. However, the difference between these types of power is in their method of application. The coercion uses force, the legitimate is legal and hence uses authority, the reward uses gifts while referent uses the personal character of the leader to stimulate the desired result.

I have seen these types of power in play in several situations; I had experienced legitimate power while obeying my boss’ instruction on my job and there were times when my bonus was raised to increase my performance i.e. reward power. There were times I got fined for noncompliance i.e. coercion power and also have few nationalists and celebrities as role models i.e. referent power.