ABSTRACT

Power is the lifeblood of an organization. Power, in a broad sense of the term, includes authority, attractiveness and influence. Interactions within an organization are necessarily accompanied by power. The most visible form of power is political power, which is easily found in public organizations. This chapter describes power relationships in and around public organizations, and focuses on theories of power and leadership. It analyses an organization from power relations. The ability to reward and punish constitutes an important basis of power, especially when the objects of rewards or punishments are those who obey power. Admitting that power is the capacity or potential to influence others, French and Raven explored the sources from which the power derives. They categorize five bases of power: legitimate power, reward power, coercive power, expert power and referent power. Organizational analysis is a method that can be used to obtain a clear understanding regarding the actual use of power in an organization.