Legitimate Power in the Workplace
- Examples of Legitimate Power. When a CEO sets the direction and strategy of an entire organization. ...
- Advantages of Legitimate Power. A clear hierarchy enables the entire organization to understand exactly who has authority over whom.
- Disadvantages of Legitimate Power. It doesn’t always result in effective organizations. ...
- Using The Model. ...
- Summary. ...
What makes power legitimate?
What Makes a Political Authority Legitimate?
- The Writings Of John Locke And Jean Jacques Rousseau. Jacques Rousseau have had a significant impact on the controversy of what constitutes legitimate political power.
- Legitimacy and the Foundations of Legitimate Government Essay. ...
- Relationships Between States Lack Order: A Discussion. ...
- John Locke 's Views On Government And Democracy
What does legitimate power mean?
Legitimate Power is a formal type of power derived from the position you hold in an organization. Subordinates comply because they believe in the legitimacy of your position. With Legitimate Power it is your position that gives you your power. The higher up the organizational hierarchy you go the more power you hold.
What makes the exercise of power legitimate?
- To be in a position to exercise authority. ...
- Moral right to rule – Locke and consent – social contrast theory – we consent to be governed. ...
- Hobbes – social contract – dictatorship could have legitimacy as it is meant to protect the individual – the Leviathan state – legitimacy comes about by preventing people getting harmed ...
What are the advantages of legitimate power?
Advantages of legitimate power Can have high position in an organization. A person who holds this power can able to influence others because of his/her position in an organization. Legitimate power can help ensure employee compliance with a manager's orders. Hold authority that gives individual power in the workplace.
What is a legitimate power?
Legitimate power is the formal authority given to a person within an organization. Because it comes from a position or job title, legitimate power is a form of positional power. In any efficient system, there are different levels of power. This creates a sense of order and adds structure to the working environment.
What is legitimate authority and example?
In short, if a society approves of the exercise of power in a particular way, then that power is also legitimate authority. The example of the police car in our rearview mirrors is an example of legitimate authority.
What are 5 examples of power?
What are the five types of power?Legitimate power. This is a type of formal power that you receive when you occupy a certain position in your organization. ... Reward power. ... Expert power. ... Referent power. ... Coercive power.
What are the examples of reward power?
An example of reward power is a manager or supervisor who incentivizes higher performance from employees. They could do this by offering rewards to team members who meet a certain sales quota. Another way of explaining the reward power definition is a person with recognized authority in their work environment.
Who are the legitimate authority?
A legitimate authority is one which is entitled to have its decisions and rules accepted and followed by others. In the case of law, people feel a personal responsibility to comply voluntarily with those laws that are created and enforced by legitimate legal authorities.
Who is a legitimate leader?
Legitimate Legitimate power comes from having a position of power in an organization, such as being the boss or a key member of a leadership team. This power comes when employees in the organization recognize the authority of the individual.
What are the 7 types of power?
In her book, Lipkin writes about these specific types of power and why it's important for leaders to understand what type of power they're using.Legitimate Power. ... Coercive Power. ... Expert Power. ... Informational Power. ... Power of Reward. ... Connection Power. ... Referent Power.
What are the five 5 types of power explain each type?
The 5 Types of Power one can observe in organizational behavior are coercive power, expert power, legitimate power, referent power, and reward power.
What are the 8 types of power?
No matter how they run a team, each leader exhibits at least one of these types of leadership power.Legitimate Power. ... Referent Power. ... Information Power. ... Expert Power. ... Reward Power. ... Coercive Power. ... Charismatic Power. ... Moral Power.
What are the 6 different types of power?
They identified that there were six different forms of power that could be used to influence others: Legitimate, Reward, Coercive, Informational, Referent and Informational.
What are the 5 bases of power?
In a notable study of power conducted by social psychologists John R. P. French and Bertram Raven in 1959, power is divided into five separate and distinct forms. They identified those five bases of power as coercive, reward, legitimate, referent, and expert.
What are the six sources of power?
Six types of power are legitimate, referent, expert, reward, coercive, and informational.
What are some examples of legitimate power?
The President of the United States has certain Legitimate Powers afforded to them based upon their position as the head of state and government. W...
What is legitimate power?
Legitimate power is the power one has, based upon their position within the hierarchy of an organization, to ascertain certain rights of authority...
What is legitimate power in organizations?
The roles that afford the rights to exercise legitimate power are commonly found in standard hierarchy of power models that resemble a pyramid. The...
What is legitimacy in leadership?
Legitimacy in leadership is one of the most important concepts in leadership and management. In this lesson, you will learn what legitimate power is. You'll also see an example of how an effective leader can augment legitimate authority. Create an account.
How is legitimate authority derived?
Legitimate power is derived by way of the manager's office and the organizational laws and rules that define the scope of the office's power. While legitimate authority may be a necessary component for effective leadership, it may not be a sufficient component. A wise leader will attempt to develop other bases of leadership power ...
What is the power of the president of a corporation?
He derives his power from the office he holds, but it is the corporation's bylaws that outline and limit the president's duties, obligations , and authority along with any specific directives given to him by the board of directors. The power of the office is usually not arbitrary and undefined, and the leader is regulated and controlled by organizational rules. This adds to the leader's legitimate authority.
Why does the President of a Corporation have certain powers?
For example, the president of a corporation has certain powers because of the office he holds in the corporation. Like most power, legitimate power is based upon perception and reality. It is based on the reality that a person holds a particular position in an organization. It's also based on the perception of an employee that someone holding ...
Is legitimate power a disadvantage?
Legitimate power is not without a disadvantage. While legitimate power can help ensure employee compliance with a manager's orders, it does not necessarily provide a basis for employee loyalty to either the manager or the corporation.
What is legitimate power?
Legitimate power is power you derive from your formal position or office held in the organization's hierarchy of authority. For example, the president of a corporation has certain powers because of the office he holds in the corporation. Like most power, legitimate power is based upon perception and reality. Click to see full answer.
What is expert power?
Definition of Expert Power Any member of an organization who has a high level of knowledge or a set of specialized skills that others in the organization do not possess may exert expert power. For example, let's say you're a high-paid lawyer at a Wall Street law firm. Beside above, what are some examples of power?
What are some examples of legitimate power?
Examples of people with Legitimate Power include CEOs, presidents, and monarchs. In the above diagram, the top-level leader (Level 1) has authority over all people underneath them – the entire organization. Each of the leaders at the next level (Level 2) has authority over three separate people each. Finally, those at the bottom of the organization ...
How can legitimate power be abused?
Legitimate power can be abused in a number of ways, including: When someone with legitimate power tries to exercise that power over someone they do not have formal power over. When a boss forces a team member to comply without regard to the relationship. When the leader’s performance is substandard.
When power means the leader doesn’t allow anyone to disagree with their opinion?
When power means the leader doesn’t allow anyone to disagree with their opinion. This leads to a type of myopia where only one view is permitted.
Is legitimate power a good leader?
However, there are many factors in play that can make this relationship fair (see Equity Theory to learn more about this dynamic). Legitimate Power is a power which is given to you through your position, but it doesn’t make you a good leader. To be a good leader you must also have supplemental leadership skills.
Who identified the 5 types of power?
Legitimate Power is one of the 5 Types of Power identified by psychologists John R. P. French and Bertram Raven in 1959.
Is it normal to have one person hold authority over another?
Cultural norms: In many cultures, it is seen as normal to have one person hold authority over another through their position .
Can people with legitimate power be bad leaders?
For example, skills such as transformational leadership or servant leadership. Thus, people with Legitimate Power can still be bad leaders. This situation arises all the time. Imagine you have a new boss but you don’t respect them because of their poor skills and style.
What is legitimate power?
Legitimate power is the formal authority given to a person within an organization. Because it comes from a position or job title, legitimate power is a form of positional power.
How can legitimate power be misused?
There are many ways for legitimate power to be misused. One of them occurs when an inexperienced or under-qualified person accepts the position.
What happens when power is chased for personal gain?
When power is chased purely for personal gain, the person chasing it can easily get lost in selfish whims and desires. People in positions of authority might lose sight of the greater good. Instead, they end up placing their focus on egotistical pursuits.
Why do people have an instinctive sense of resentment or mistrust toward authoritative figures?
Not everyone who has power uses it well. This is why so many people have formed an instinctive sense of resentment or mistrust toward authoritative figures.
What is toxic leadership?
The toxic leadership trait of arrogance sometimes accompanies power. If you find yourself in a position of legitimate power management, it will require some effort to remain open to other people’s opinions and wishes.
What does it mean when a leader does not listen to others?
A leader who does not listen to others will only be resented over time.
What does it take to be in a position of power?
Being in a position of power requires a high level of responsibility and leadership qualities.
What is Legitimate Power in Leadership?
Legitimate power is the authority that a leader exercises by default, due to his position in an organization. A leader is essentially distinguished from a follower, due to the greater rights and responsibilities he has, compared to others. Of course, in a large organization, there is a power structure and every leader has some higher authority to answer to, unless he lies at the very apex of the power pyramid.
What is Legitimacy?
Having legitimacy or being legitimate is doing something according to law. The law being a code of conduct accepted and decided by unanimous majority or authority. Legitimacy is a tricky concept and when it comes to having legitimate power.
Why is it important to grant powers at every level in the chain of command?
The granting of such powers at every level in the chain of command is important if the army has to clinically achieve its goal and orders are followed to the word. If legitimate power of armed forces is not exercised properly, the chain of command will be in disarray. That way, compared to the army, what is called ‘civilian life’ is much more comfortable and the limits of power are not that well-defined or exercised.
How does a leader exercise power?
In the sense that a leader may exercise more power than his limits, by accepting additional responsibility from his seniors. Also, a leader may exercise power, lesser than the limits of legitimate boundaries, by deputizing his jobs to people who fall under his command, in the power structure.
What is the nature of power?
The nature of power is such that it gravitates to one who wants and is willing to do what it takes to get it. Power can be usurped, won over or given. In short power is the ability to influence the world around you.
What is power in science?
What is Power? Having power is the ability to influence outcomes and achieve goals, outside your realm of direct control, not necessarily through your own effort. In simple words, to have power is to have whatever it takes to get things done. The nature of power is such that it gravitates to one who wants and is willing to do what it takes ...
Is it good to have a clear idea of what is the extent of legitimate power that can be exercised at?
Be it business, educational, corporate or any organizational leadership, it’s always good to have a clear idea of what is the extent of legitimate power that can be exercised at every level of the hierarchy. That way, the organization runs smoothly and there is lesser friction, compared to a situation where people forget what their legitimate ...
What is legitimate power?
Legitimate power is power you derive from your formal position or office held in the organization's hierarchy of authority. For example, the president of a corporation has certain powers because of the office he holds in the corporation.
What is connection power?
Connection Power is where a person attains influence by gaining favor or simply acquaintance with a powerful person. This power is all about networking. "If I have a connection with someone that you want to get to, that's going to give me power. That's politics in a way," Lipkin says.
What is legitimate power?
In cases of legitimate power, we change our actions or beliefs because we believe the other person has legitimate authority over us.¹ This authority is based on the position or status of the person. Airport security guards get to tell us what to do in the airport precisely because they’re airport security guards.
What is hard power?
Hard Power3 – Power enforced by explicit laws and regulations, such as the laws of a state.
What is the power typology of French and Raven?
However, French & Raven’s power typology was unique in that it explored power (including legitimate power) as it manifests throughout society—not just at the level of the state.
What is the power interaction model?
The theory was later expanded by Raven in 1992. 4 He proposed the “Power/Interaction Model of Interpersonal Influence ’. Essentially, the model explores how an agent’s motivations and goals influence the power base they employ. For example, an art gallery director who wants to be liked by others might sometimes avoid using their legitimate power, in order to avoid being perceived negatively. In contrast, an overly goal-driven agent might extensively lean on legitimate power, disregarding the effect it might have on their personal relationships.
Why is understanding power important?
Understanding power is important, not just for understanding how society works, but how leaders who hold legitimate power can improve.
What is an agent?
Agent – an individual or organization capable of self-directed behavior. Power is exerted by agents over other agents, causing the affected to think or act in a non-self-directed way.
Can legitimate power lead to bad outcomes?
These are, of course, extreme examples. But legitimate power can also lead to bad outcomes in everyday contexts. This usually occurs when an individual is given a position of legitimate power without having the necessary skills or experience to back it up. Consider a restaurant manager who is not up to the task. Because they exercise legitimate power in their restaurant, other employees have to follow their orders. This might result in poor service delivery, as well frustration —and reduced performance—among team members.
