POWER & EMPOWERMENT

Definition?

Power—The ability to influence the behaviour of others.??

Power?can be defined as the ability to influence the behaviour of others. A manager’s power is a function of authority and accountability. One important aspect of authority is the fact that power is vested in the position, not the individual. A supervisor exercises authority when making decisions, issuing orders, and using resources to achieve departmental and organizational goal.?Power may be either organizational or personal.

Empowerment—The redistribution of power within an organization that enables managers, supervisors, and employees to perform their jobs more efficiently and effectively. The overall goal of empowerment is to enhance service to guests and increase profits for the organization by releasing decision-making responsibility, authority, and accountability to every level within the organization.

The overall goal of empowerment is to enhance guest service and increase profits for the organization by delegating decision-making responsibility, authority, and accountability to the organization’s lowest levels.

Empowerment?has become a significant leadership tactic. The empowerment process involves redefining the responsibilities of managers, supervisors, and employees, and creating a flatter organizational structure with a greater decentralization of power. Empowerment involves redistributing power within an organization so that managers, supervisors, and employees can perform their jobs more efficiently and effectively.?

Accountability?relates to the consequences that supervisors must accept for their decisions. They must justify their actions to those above them in the chain of command. A supervisor’s authority should relate to the responsibilities that accompany his or her position within the organization. When supervisors are given responsibility for achieving certain goals but do not have the authority to take the necessary steps toward achieving them, their jobs become difficult, if not impossible. To get the job done, they must rely on the authority of managers higher in the chain of command, and their work becomes a source of frustration.?

Accountability—A supervisor’s acceptance of the responsibility that accompanies authority and the need to justify his or her actions to higher- level managers in the organization.

Organizational sources of power includes position power, reward power, and coercive power.

1. Position power,?also referred to as legitimate power, stems from the formal authority granted to a position within the hierarchy of an organization. Employees generally accept position power as legitimate and therefore comply with a manager’s work-related directives.?position power—A form of organizational power stemming from the formal authority granted to a position within the hierarchy of an organization. Also referred to as legitimate power.?
2. Reward power?results from a manager’s authority to provide rewards for employees. For example, managers can influence the behavior of others by providing formal rewards such as pay increases, promotions, bonuses, and days off. They can also influence behavior by providing informal rewards such as attention, praise, and recognition.?reward power—A form of organizational power resulting from a supervisor’s authority to provide rewards for staff members.?
3. Coercive power?stems from a supervisor’s authority to withhold rewards or dispense punishment. Managers exercise coercive power when they influence behavior by denying pay increases or reprimanding, demoting, or firing employees. by members of his or her staff. For example, food production employees might follow many of the executive chef’s recommendations simply because they trust his or her superior knowledge of cooking. In the hospitality industry, supervisors have often been promoted because they have mastered basic skills. Their expertise might become a source of expert power that influences staff members.?coercive power—A form of organizational power stemming from the authority to withhold?

Personal sources of power includes Referent power & Expert Power

1. Referent power?results from the admiration and respect that others have for an individual’s personal characteristics and interpersonal skills. For example, the front desk staff of a hotel might admire the way their supervisor relates to them and to guests. Their admiration becomes a source of referent power for the supervisor; staff members wish to follow his or her example when they interact with guests and each other.?referent power—A form of personal power resulting from the admiration and respect that others have for an individual’s personal characteristics.
2. expert power—A form of personal power stemming from an individual’s special knowledge or skill in relation to tasks performed by members of his or her staff.?Personal sources of power include expert power and referent power.?Expert power?stems from an individual’s special knowledge or skills in relation to tasks performed

TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONAL POWER?

1. Position Power?- sources from authority granted to a position within the hierarchy of an organization?
2. Reward Power?- sources from authority to provide rewards?
3. Coercive Power?- sources from authority to withhold rewards or administer punishment?

TYPES OF PERSONAL POWER?

1. Expert Power?- source from specialized knowledge, skill, or expertise?
2. Referent Power?- source from personal characteristics admired and respected by others?

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