Social Sciences: Major Influences Of Power (Research Paper Sample)

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Sources of Power
Power refers to the legal or the official authority in influencing people or controlling capacity of individuals. The major influences of power include the physical might, political influence, control and the mental or moral efficacy. It manifests in the several forms of the mobilization of the society forces and organization of the people to take actions. The different types of power in the world of leadership include the following;
Legitimate Power
The legal power that gives the leader the authority to command actions is used in different sections of leadership especially in the management sector. However, the power by the head, in this case, is obtained from within the group under the management. The type of authority structure is experienced in the business organization set-up by the chief executive officers. Despite the source of power in the legal structure of power, the leader gives the overall direction and resource utilization.
An example of the legitimate power practiced by a majority of the CEOs in the working environment. The power also involves different forms of gaining which include elections, selection, and appointment to the authority position. An example of legitimate power includes the election of President Obama by the citizens of America through the election process. Through the constitution, the president manages the resources of different states. The cultural and structural structure of the American presidency gets maintained through guidance by the constitution (Lunenburg, 6). The president acquires the position through an election that is conducted by the citizens will hence making the process legitimate.
Reward power
The power gained through the right of tangible social, spiritual and emotional rewards give the advantage of leadership in this form of power. The type of reward determines the importance of the power gained. It offers both active and negative power in this case hence affecting the reward recipient differently (Lunenburg, 4). People are expected to adhere to the request of the leader to gain the rewards rather he rejects them.
Examples of reward power in the society include awarding of athletes in the Olympics for their exemplary performance. The athletes are motivated by the medal awarded to them in showcasing their considerable talents. The social motivation of participating in the games and sports brings the world together hence through the recognition the athletes gain power in the field of athletics among other social events.
Reward power, however, may be expressed differently through the negative impact that includes rewards such as fines and disciplinary fee for the wrong actions. The invoking of President Harding due to his political scandals negatively impact his personality hence the negative form of reward power.
Coercive Power
The type of power that involves the impacting of fear among the people for adherence uses threats of punishment to gain power. The punishment and use of force are the sources of authority in this case (Kastlunger et al, 37). The power gets used in situations of imminent danger to solve the situation through the psychological control of the subjects involved. An example involved the use of punishment in the social background of raising children through different forms of exercising punishment. The children dread the punishment attracted by committing bad behavior.
In history, the coercive power was exercised by John Locke in the 17th century in the enlighten of treaties on the government inspired by the constitution. The leader had a belief that only the coercive power would work in the liberation. The combination of supreme authority and legitimate power results to internal management of the organization in a company (Riasi, Arash, & Nasrin Asadzadeh, 148). The use of coercive power gets associated with the traditional forms of political leadership such as that of Adolf Hitler in the history of Russians.
Referent Power
The type of power that acquires support from the social relationships and affiliations require attachments towards different groups and associations in the society. The power practiced commonly in the political affiliations bring both glory and guilt depending on the society (Johnson, & Stern, 299).
Examples of the referent power include the appointments of Mrs. Hillary Clinton, the wife of the president of United States in different positions in politics. She has gained political capital in the United States due to her relationship with her husband as the former president. In this case, the political affiliation has brought glory to Mrs. Hillary in the United States politics.
Expert Power
The power based on the intellectual, talent, ex...