POWER and ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR LECTURE SERIES

Part 10

POWER AND ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

TYPES OF POWER IN AN ORGANISATION

By

VIKRAM KARVE

The two essential entities that flow between the human elements of an organisation are information and power.

Information flow is a means of communication whereas power is an instrument of control.

Viewed from a Systems perspective, information flow is the transformation process, which facilitates decision making, in contrast to the flow of power, which is a control process whose objective is to ensure optimal operational performance.

Organisations are arrangements of power among individuals. In fact, as per one definition, an organisation comprises two or more persons interacting within a recognised power relationship for some common purpose. The interplay of power enables the achievement of common purpose (organisational objectives) and determines organisational behaviour.

Before we study the effect of power on organisational behaviour, it may be apt to take a closer look at the phenomenon we call POWER, in particular INTERPERSONAL POWER. This is the kind of power that people have over one another in formal and informal situations. The various forms of power may be categorised into one or more of the following categories, some of which may be inter-dependent or overlapping and even formimg power equations:

1. POSITION POWER

2. EXPERT POWER

3. CHARISMATIC POWER

4. INFLUENTIAL POWER

5. IMPLIED COERCION

6. ACTUAL COERCION

7. POWER OF APPLIED PRESSURE

8. POWER OF RAW FORCE

9. ASSUMED POWER

10. USURPED POWER

11. ORGANIZATION POWER

12. ASCETIC POWER

In many situations, particularly in organisations, many of the above forms of power are inextricably intertwined. In fact, that is the beauty of the dynamics of the interplay of power within an organisation, which is why we will discuss the effects of the above types of power on organisational behaviour.

So, in the next few articles on my blog, I will explore how this fascinating phenomenon called power impacts and determines organisational behaviour.

To be Continued …

VIKRAM KARVE
 

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2011 
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

© vikram karve., all rights reserved. 

VIKRAM KARVE educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale, and Bishop's School Pune, is an Electronics and Communications Engineer by profession, a Human Resource Manager and Trainer by occupation, a Teacher by vocation, a Creative Writer by inclination and a Foodie by passion. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles in magazines and journals for many years before the advent of blogging. His delicious foodie blogs have been compiled in a book "Appetite for a Stroll". A collection of his short stories about relationships titled COCKTAIL is being published soon and Vikram is currently busy writing his first novel and with his teaching and training assignments. Vikram lives in Pune with his family and his muse – his pet Doberman girl Sherry, with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog : http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm  

Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
 

Professional Profile of Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve  

Email: vikramkarve@sify.com  

Foodie Book:

Appetite for a Stroll 
http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm

http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

http://shopping.sify.com/appetiteforastroll-vikram-karve/books/9788190690096.htm

Short Stories Book: Cocktail
Cocktail - Short Stories about Relationships :  
http://www.facebook.com/notes.php?pages#!/pages/Cocktail-by-Vikram-Karve-APK-Publishers/177873552253247

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.