FRENCH AND RAVEN’S SOURCES OF POWER THEORY (CROWN AS KING)
Use as a checklist to identify the sources of power available to you.
There are numerous models of power. One of the most compelling was outlined by French and Raven in 1959. They identified five sources of power that a person, real or corporate, can call upon to encourage or compel compliance.
Legitimate: Where the person’s position carries with it a reasonable expectation that staff will follow their directions.
Reward: The capacity to grant or withhold financial and non-financial rewards to people.
Coercive: The capacity to impose sanctions or punishments on another person or group.
Expert: Where an individual’s expertise in a particular area means that others are willing to follow their advice/instructions. This power only exists for as long as that person’s expertise is required.
Charismatic: The ability to command compliance by example or force of personality.
French and Ravens went further than just listing the sources of power. Their greatest insight into the nature of power was their claim that when a leader could combine two or more sources of power then synergy occurred. For example, if they possessed legitimate power at say level 2 and charismatic power at level 3 then their combined power was not five but six. A case of 2 + 3 = 6. It’s therefore essential that a leader seeks to maximise every source of power at their disposal.
HOW TO USE IT
- As a manager you hold a position of authority. Identify the limits of that authority. Act with confidence when you exercise authority and expect staff to comply (see Theory 11) with your legitimate requests. Expect compliance and enforce it.
- Identify the range of rewards you can offer staff and remember they need not be financial. Public recognition or a new desk may mean more to a person than promotion or a pay rise (see Theory 26). Always deliver on any promises you make.
- Identify the limits of your coercive power. Never use coercive power to bully people but it is perfectly legitimate to pick up on poor performance and apply a suitable sanction. Staff are often unaware that they are under-performing. An unofficial chat can often negate the need for more formal action.
- Identify what, if any, expert power you have. If you have a professional qualification you have a degree of expert power. Gain specialist knowledge in one or more hot areas of your discipline and use it in your organisation.
- Alas, few of us can match the charisma of your average Hollywood superstar. But charisma is in the eye of the beholder. So think about how you appear to your staff. Act with confidence and integrity and provide them with a vision they can buy into (see Theories 16–19) and they will think you have charisma, just not as much as a superstar!
- Accumulate as many sources of power as possible because when two or more sources are combined synergy occurs. A case of 2 + 2 = 5.
QUESTIONS TO ASK
- What sources of power do I have access to?
- Who in my organisation exercises power? What can I learn from them?