Analyze the Nature, Dimensions/Types and Consequences of Power

NATURE OF POWER
 

Power is the ability to direct other behavior to get what you want. The driving force moving the resources from institution A to institution B or the influence of a parent on his child. The authority of a politician to change policies for his interest. The circumstance may amount to coercion or the practice of persuading someone to do something by using force or threats. According to Dalberg, an English historian, power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. He warned that power is inherently evil and those who possess it cannot be trusted.

DIMENSIONS OF POWER

Power as Decision-Making
This face of power consists of conscious actions that in some way influence the content of decisions. Identifying who has power is done by analyzing decisions in the light of the known preferences of the actors involved. The implication of this view of power is that the most powerful actors in society are those whose opinions are considered and upheld in the decision-making. The powerful are able to get what they want and make others behave the way they want them to. Decisions can be influenced in a variety of ways. Keith Boulding distinguished between the use of force or intimidation (the stick), productive exchanges involving mutual gain (the deal), and the creation of obligations, loyalty, and commitment (the kiss).
 
Power as Agenda Setting
The second face of power is the ability to prevent decisions being made: that is, in effect, ‘non-decision-making’. This involves the ability to set or control the political agenda, thereby preventing issues or proposals from being aired in the first place.
 
Power as Thought Control

The third face of power is the ability to influence another by shaping what he or she thinks, wants, or needs. This is power expressed as ideological indoctrination or psychological control.

 
TAXONOMY OF POWER                                  

In 1959, John French and Bertram Raven created the six (6) bases of power to understand the influence of a leader.

A formal right to make demands based on his/her authority is known as legitimate power. Example, the President of the Republic of the Philippines, elected by the people, making him a legitimate leader of the Philippines with an authority to direct other servants of the government to help him to accomplish his goals.

The reward power is the capability to compensate other person for compliance. Example, A manager's authority to promote an employee.

The coercive power is the ability to punish a person in case of noncompliance. Example, if an employer forces or threats his employee to do an act whether lawful or unlawful,

If a leader is charismatic the people automatically follow him this is known as referent power. Examples of charismatic people are Pope John Paul II and President Duterte.

The expert power, under this circumstance education or experience is the essential ingredient. Example, everybody, listen to a lawyer, if there is a controversy in law.

When a person holds information that may significantly affects the decision of a person is known informational power.

 
CONSEQUENCES OF POWER
There are three consequences of power: compliance, commitment and resistance. Employing certain types of power in particular ways may result into these consequences.

Compliance refers to the readiness or act of agreeing to do something.

The two types of power most likely to cause compliance are legitimate or position power and reward power.

1.Compliance with the order may occur if it is perceived to be within the leader’s scope of authority.

2.Compliance is most likely to happen if the reward is something valued by the target person.

Commitment is an even more desirable outcome because of the trust and emotional pledge that it causes. It is perceived as loyalty or a sense of dedication or devotion. Commitment is most likely to be the consequence when the powers used are referent and expert.

The common way to exercise referent power is merely to ask someone with whom one has a friendship to do something.

Expert power may result to commitment if the leader presents logical arguments and supporting evidence for a particular proposal, order or policy. It will depend on the leader’s credibility and persuasive communication skills in addition to technical knowledge and logical or analytical ability.

Commitment is a very unlikely consequence if coercive power is employed.
 

Resistance means to refuse or to oppose. It is the most likely outcome when coercive power is used in a hostile or manipulative way. It is best to use coercion power in preventing behavior that is harmful to the society and well-being of the people such as illegal and violent activities. (Heywood 2007)
 
CONFORMITY

Power is abused by compliance with the standards set by the society. People are often quick to conform just to please others.

Sometime in 1960, Stanley Milgram studied conformity to the authority. The participants were paid by the researcher to take a certain role. The participant (as a teacher) was told to shock the participant (as a learner) whenever an incorrect answer was given. In the study, the participants (learners) were confederates who pretended to be hurt by the electric shock. He told the participants (teachers) that they would not be held liable for whatever happened to the participants (learners) and that he needed their help to complete his experiment. The result ended up being that all participants were willing to administer up to 300 volts, and 65% were willing to go up to 450 volts.

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