Power and Managerial Control - Assignment Example

Power and Managerial Control Introduction The definition of power can be described differently depending on the situation in which it is being exercised. Many individuals can understand power to be a corrupt tool through which they are manipulated. Likewise, others may deem excess power to mean success and to others power is of no interest or meaning to them. Therefore power is categorized into two aspects which are personal power and organizational power. However, this essay will focus on organizational power as it forms a fabric process throughout the different processes of an organization life. Today, practically all managers in both public and private organizations acquire different levels of power to complete various organizational goals required of them to accomplish. However, this is always dependent on their knowledge in understanding the different sources of power at their disposal, how and when to use it and their ability to determine its probable effects when applied in different sectors within their organization (Aubert, Ramanantsoa & Reitter, 1984). In many organizational cases the concept of power and leadership are always linked because most managers use the elements of power given to them to achieve different organizational goals (Eisenstadt, 1995). Therefore, power in organizations can be said to be the ability of managers to influence employees and resources within their respective organizations. Sources of Power in Organizations The different sources of power within organizations are coercive power which can be described as ones ability to influence the behavior of others in an organizations by either taking punitive measures towards mistakes committed or threatening them of taking punitive measures in order to influence their behavior towards a task or goals allocated to them (Seperich & Mccalley, 2006). A good example of this is that most employees usually comply with directives given by managers because of fear of what action the manager might take against them in the events that the fail to follow the directives in question. This empowers most managers in organizations because they have the capability of excising different punitive measures towards employees working under them like reprimands, issuing out undesirable work assignments, withholding key information, demotions and suspensions or dismissals. However, coercive power in organizations varies from one organization to the other as many have clearly defined policies and procedures which govern managers’ relationship with their employees. Likewise, the presence of unions also affects coercive powers in organizations because it weakens it rather than strengthening it since they argue out that not only managers in organizations should have coercive powers but also employees in different departments can exercise this form of power through such ways like use of sarcasm and fear of rejections (Gibson & Carr, 2004). The second source of power within organizations or which managers make use of is known as reward power. Today, most employees in organizations wants their contribution in an organization to be acknowledged and since they do not have the power to do so, the process is often left for mangers to reward those whom he feels have displayed exemplary performance towards their respective tasks. The rewards always take the form of financial rewards like bonuses and pay rises and non-financial forms like promotions, praise, recognition and added responsibility in their respective sectors. Moreover, the use of reward powers by most managers to influence their employee behavior is always dependent on whether the employees appreciate the rewards or not. To most effective managers within organizations, reward power always has the ability of improving performance as long as it is structured in a manner through which employees see the link between their performance gap and the rewards (Alvesson, 1996). The last source of power within organizations and which managers use to influence employees is legitimate power. Legitimate power can be described as managers’ ability to influence the behavior of their employees because of the positions they hold within organizations. The position most managers hold within organizations are considered to be symbols of authority in organizations as they are the ones who are given the right to influence all resources by the management or owners of the organization. Therefore, most managers while using exercising legitimate power exercises control for employees and resources by taking certain action like formulating new policies and procedures which governs employee behavior. A good example is that a manager may introduce a new policy which requires all new employees to be approved by him before settling for different roles or positions within the organization (Schortman & Urban, 1992). Responsibilities of Staff in A Work Place from Highest To Lowest Chief executive officer is considered as a top ranked officer in organizations and he is tasked with interpreting all functions within the organization from the top management levels to the lowest management levels. Likewise, he is the one who reports to the board of governors and responsible for connecting energies, talents and creativity of the resources and individuals within any organizational set up. Secondly, a manager in an organization is the person tasked with working other individuals and resources by coordinating their work activities in order to accomplish organizational goals and he is in charge of all employees or individuals working in an organization other than the chief executive officer. Thirdly, an assistant manager is the next person in control in an organization in the absence of manager. He also works with other people by coordinating them to endure that various organizational goals are met. Fourthly, Department heads within organizations are individuals tasked with ensuring that various task and objectives in different lines are achieved as they are the ones responsible for coordinating employees who work under the sector. A good example is that in the production manager ensures that all production activities are achieve within his department by ensuring that employees are coordinated through the entire production process. Fifthly, employees in organizations are individuals employed to ensure that certain task are accomplished and objectives are met. They are the resources which the organizations use in accomplishing their various goals. Lastly, Auxiliary staffs are individuals employed to provide extra services to the organization and they include things like tea preparation and cleaning the organization. However, the powers of managers in an organization start from his position and encompass the remaining position under him (Greiner & Schein, 1988). How Is Power Used? Power is a good thing especially if used for the right reasons, to the right people and in the right way. Many people in power often abuse it and do more than is expected of them. Moreover, they always use power to exert authority and this often leaves many employees feeling small and controlled. In addition to this some people tend to use powers that are not in their domain or powers that they do not have and this might create tensions and conflicts at the work place. An example is in one of the seminars ‘Suicides at Work: Renault, Orange France and Foxconn! (Stern, 2014). These deaths are reported at these workplaces because employees committed suicide after too much pressure at work and stress (Moore, 2010). The number is alarming and most suicides are believed to be because d by the stress inflicted on them by their superiors. In Renault three employees died in four months, twenty three died in France telecom in eighteen months and seventeen in the foxconn company (Willsher, 2007). Therefore, the question here is, how is power used? Is it possible that power is being used in a bad way or in an overly harsh way in the workplace? First power is used to show authority in the workplace because it is necessary to have a powerful figure (Luecke, 2005, 3). This kind of power is called the legitimate power and often comes from the management especially the CEO who has the overall power. Authority in the workplace is necessary to have things done in the workplace as people left on their own sometimes abuse the freedom. As such targets might not be reached, profits might not be realized, attendance would be poor and internal conflicts would arise that would taint the company’s image. Therefore, a power figure is needed however, this power if used badly can cause the deaths by suicide discussed above in the seminar. Secondly, coercive power is used to force people to do certain tasks that they do not want (Randle, 2006, 82). This power often comes out as commanding, forceful and brutal and is most likely to have negative results. An example is in the seminar called ‘Spoils Of a Massacre’. Here a dictator president took over and made Indonesia a world model for the rest of the world (Pilger, 2001,1). In fact it is here that the much seen and read globalization and economic breakthrough stared in Asia. But the results of this dictatorship that lead to Indonesia being a model world left one million people dead. This kind of power is good at the start because things get done fast and profits multiply by the second however, it leads to rebellion and disasters like the deaths discussed thus not a good way to use power. An example of another seminar is ‘Child Labor in Uzbekistan: Are Germans Profiting From Modern Slavery? (Klawitter & Pyljow, 2015). Here over two million children in Uzbekistan are forced to pick cotton as part of a government order for children to serve their country. It is done after school in the summer holidays when children are supposed to relax at home with their parents. Thirdly, power is used to motivate people to work hard and live healthier lives. This kind of power is known as reward power and the managerial team can offer raise, incentives, promotions and awards to employees (Wellington, 2011, 15). This makes the managerial team to exert their power and make people work more and harder without necessarily bullying them or making them work in a humanly impossible manner. If people are motivated the right way they will deliver and in a good way since they will work hard enough not to harm their bodies but also not to let down the managerial team. Finally power is used to hire and fire employees (Vallas, 1993, 128). This kind of power is called connection power where a person who not deserving can get a promotion based on who they know. These people are normally influential people or the managerial team members. They simply get favors and this connection power gives the favored employee power among his colleagues. This is because other employees do not wish to cross paths with them or simply just be friends to gain favors too or escape punishments or sacks. How Much Power Does Management Have? The management in the work place has the highest power in the work place and is in charge of the company. The management has enough power to hire employees. They are in charge of interviews, short listing and employee applicants. The management also has the power to fire an employee based on conduct, performance or failure to comply with the company’s rules. The management also has the power to make and change rules at the workplace. They determine the kind of rules and regulations applicable to their company and can also change them at will depending on what they feel is in the best interest of the company. In addition, the management also organizes the expenditure of the company and all the needed things for the smooth running of the company. They give out budgets, determine promotions and give work leaves. Moreover, they also issue out permission to do things out of the norm for the company and issue out abrupt leaves to staff. Plus they coin out the words for the vision and mission statement. Conclusion In conclusion, the management has the overall power in a company. This is because they can hire, fire, set rules and regulations guiding a company and they control the overall company. Employees just work for the company in seeing that the management’s vision and mission are achieved and reached. Power is a good thing in a workplace since an authority figure to manage the place is needed however, when abused or overly exerted it may lead to negative consequences like stated in the examples from the three seminars. Thereof, as a management should know how to exercise their power and use it effectively. References Aubert, N., Ramanantsoa, B., & Reitter, R. (1984). Nationalization, managerial power and societal change: a field study in France, 1982-1983. [Boston], Division of Research, Harvard Business School Alvesson, M. (1996). Communication, power and organization. Berlin, Gruyter. Gibson, J. L., & Carr, P. J. (2004). Signs of power the rise of cultural complexity in the Southeast. Tuscaloosa, University of Alabama Press. http://public.eblib.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=454546. Eisenstadt, S. N. (1995). Power, trust, and meaning: essays in sociological theory and analysis. Chicago, University of Chicago Press Greiner, L. E., & Schein, V. E. (1988). Power and organization development: mobilizing power to implement change. Reading, Mass, Addison-Wesley. Klawitter, N., & Pyljow, W. (n.d.). Child Labor in Uzbekistan: Are German Firms Profiting from Modern Slavery? - SPIEGEL ONLINE. Retrieved April 17, 2015, from http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/child-labor-in-uzbekistan-are-german-firms- profiting-from-modern-slavery-a-725590.html Luecke, R. (2005). Power, influence, and persuasion sell your ideas and make things happen. Boston, Harvard Business School Press. http://www.lib.sfu.ca/cgi- bin/validate/books24x7.cgi?bookid=11373. Moore, M., (2010), Inside Foxconn's suicide factory, The Telegraph, 27th May 2010 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/china-business/7773011/A-look-inside-the-Foxconn- suicide-factory.html# Stern, S., (2014), The Orange France suicide cases shine a light on corporate morality, The Guardian, 22nd March, 2014 http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/21/orange-france-suicide- corporate-morality Pilger, J. (2001, July 23). Spoils Of A Massacre. Retrieved April 17, 2015, from http://johnpilger.com/articles/spoils-of-a-massacre Randle, J. (2006). Workplace bullying in the NHS. Oxfrod, Radcliffe. Vallas, S. P. (1993). Power in the workplace: the politics of production at A.T. & T. Albany, State University of New York Press. Wellington, P. (2011). Effective people management. London, Kogan Page. Schortman, E. M., & Urban, P. A. (1992). Resources, Power, and Interregional Interaction. Boston, MA, Springer US. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-6416-1. . Seperich, G. J., & Mccalley, R. W. (2006). Managing power and people. Armonk, N.Y., M.E. Sharpe, Inc. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10178130. Willsher, K., (2007), Heading for a Breakdown, The Guardian, 10th March, 2007 (http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2007/mar/10/careers.workplacestress/print) . Read More