Session III

Group & Team

Theory
Group & Team Theory

1. Power in Teams and Groups

Learning Objectives
• Explain different conceptualizations of
power
• Discuss behaviors associated with high
status in a group
• Differentiate between the common power
bases in groups
• What is the nature of leadership and the
leadership process
Learning Objectives
• How do leaders influence and move
their followers to action?
• What are the trait perspectives on
leadership?
• How do different approaches and styles
of leadership impact what is needed
now?
Power in
Teams and
Groups
 Power-Over
Defining
Power
Power-from-Within

“Power lives in
relationships, Power-With
not in people”
 Power-Over
Defining If you associate power with control or
Power dominance, this refers to the notion of
power as power-over.
According to Starhawk (1987), “power-
over enables one individual or group
“Power lives in to make the decisions that affect
others, and to enforce control” (p.
relationships, 9).
not in people”
 Power-from-Within
Power-from-within refers to a more
Defining personal sense of strength or agency.
Power Power-from-within manifests
when we can stand, walk, and speak
itself

“words that convey our needs and

thoughts” (Starhawk, 1987, p. 10).
“Power lives in In groups, this type of power “arises
relationships, from our sense of connection, our
not in people” bonding with other human beings, and
with the environment” (10).
 Power-With
“The power of a strong individual in a
Defining group of equals, the power not to
command, but to suggest and be
Power listened to, to begin something and see
it happen” (Starhawk, 1987, p. 10).
For this to be effective in a group or
team, at least two qualities must be
“Power lives in present among members: (1) all group
relationships, members must communicate respect
not in people” and equality for one another, and (2) the
leader must not abuse power-with and
attempt to turn it into power-over.
 UNDERSTANDIN
G POWER AND
OPPRESSION

Power and oppression

can be said to be mirror
reflections of one
another in a sense or two
sides of the same coin.
STATUS
Can be defined as a person’s
perceived level of importance or
significance within a particular
context.
POWER
Members with higher status are apt to command
greater respect and possess more prestige and power
than those with lower status.

Relationship between Power and Status

 Referent Power

Expert Power
BASES OF
POWER IN Legitimate Power
GROUPS
Coercive Power

Reward Power
Bases of Power in Groups
Referent Power - Person B looks
up to or admires person A, and, as a
result, B follows A largely because of
A’s personal qualities, characteristics,
or reputation. Person A can use
referent power to influence B.
Referent power has also been called
charismatic power, because
allegiance is based on interpersonal
attraction of one individual for
another.
Bases of Power in Groups
Expert power is demonstrated
when person A gains power because A
has knowledge or expertise relevant to B.
For instance, professors presumably have
power in the classroom because of their
mastery of a particular subject matter.
In each case, the individual has credibility
in a particular-and narrow-area as a result
of experience and expertise, and this gives Stay hungry.
Stay foolish.
the individual power in that domain.
- Steve Jobs
Bases of Power in Groups
Legitimate power exists when
person B submits to person A because B
feels that A has a right to exert power in
a certain domain (Tjosvold, 1985).
Legitimate power is really another name
for authority.
Legitimate power differs from reward and
coercive power in that it depends on the
official position a person holds, and not on
his or her relationship with others.
Bases of Power in Groups
Coercive power is based primarily on fear.
Here, person A has power over person B because
A can administer some form of punishment to B.
Thus, this kind of power is also referred to as
punishment power.
Coercive power does not have to rest on the threat
of violence. “Individuals exercise coercive power
through a reliance upon physical strength, verbal
facility, or the ability to grant or withhold
emotional support from others. These bases
provide the individual with the means to physically
harm, bully, humiliate, or deny love to others”
(Kipnis, 1976).
Bases of Power in
Groups
Reward power exists when person
A has power over person B because A
controls rewards that B wants.
Research has indicated that reward
power often leads to increased job
performance as employees see a
strong performance-reward
contingency (Shetty, 1978).
Consequences of Power
Power Dependencies
• In any situation involving power, at least two
persons (or groups) can be identified:

1. The person attempting to influence others

and
2. The target or targets of that influence.
• All people are not subject to (or dependent
upon) the same bases of power.
What causes some people to be vulnerable to power attempts?
 What causes some
people to be
vulnerable to power
attempts?

Subordinate’s Values
Person B’s values can influence his
susceptibility to influence.
If an employee places a high value on
money and believes the supervisor
actually controls pay raises, we would
expect the employee to be highly
susceptible to the supervisor’s
influence.
What causes some people to
be vulnerable to power
attempts? Nature of Relationship
The nature of the relationship between
A and B can be a factor in power
dependence.
Are A and B peers or superior and
subordinate?
Is the job permanent or temporary?
A person on a temporary job, for
example, may feel less need to
acquiesce, because he won’t be holding
the position for long.
What causes some people to
be vulnerable to power
attempts?
Counterpower
B has other sources of power to
buffer the effects of A’s power.
For example, if B is unionized,
the union’s power may serve to
negate A’s influence attempts.
 Uses of Power:
Common Power Tactics
in Organizations
It is easy to see
Controlling Access to Information
manifestations of power
almost anywhere. In fact, Controlling Access to Person
there are a wide variety of
power-based methods used Selective Use of Objective Criteria
to influence others. Controlling the Agenda
We will examine two aspects Bureaucratic Gamesmanship
of the use of power:
commonly used power Using Outside Experts
tactics and the ethical use Coalitions and Alliances
of power.
Uses of Power: Ethical
Use of Power
Basis of power: Referent power

Guidelines for Use:

• Treat subordinates fairly
• Defend subordinates’ interests
• Be sensitive to subordinates’ needs,
feelings
• Select subordinates similar to oneself
• Engage in role modeling
Uses of Power: Ethical
Use of Power
Basis of power: Expert power

Guidelines for Use

• Promote the image of expertise
• Maintain credibility
• Act confident and decisive
• Keep informed
• Recognize employee concerns
• Avoid threatening subordinates’ self-
esteem
Uses of Power: Ethical
Use of Power
Basis of power: Legitimate power

Guidelines for Use

• Be cordial and polite
• Be confident
• Be clear and follow up to verify
understanding
• Make sure request is appropriate
• Explain reasons for request
• Follow proper channels
• Exercise power regularly
• Enforce compliance
• Be sensitive to subordinates’ concerns
Uses of Power: Ethical
Use of Power
Basis of power: Reward power

Guidelines for Use

• Verify compliance
• Make feasible, reasonable requests
• Make only ethical, proper requests
• Offer rewards desired by subordinates
• Offer only credible rewards
Uses of Power: Ethical
Use of Power
Basis of Power: Coercive
power

Guidelines for Use:

• Inform subordinates of rules and
penalties
• Warn before punishing
• Administer punishment consistently and
uniformly
• Understand the situation before acting
• Maintain credibility
• Fit punishment to the infraction
Reflection
Question
When you first joined
your group,
- What assumptions did
you make about the
status of different
members?
- Where did those
assumptions come
from?
Q&A