POWER

OBSOLON N. DAYAG
I.DEFINITIO
N OF
POWER
● Power may be explained in different ways because its meaning is
within the context of human relations.
● According to Morgenthau “Power is the power of man on others”
and as a “man’s control over the minds and actions of other men.”

● Another definition is from Schwarzenberger who views power as

“the capacity of one to impose his will on others by reliance on
effective sanctions in case of non-compliance.”
● Charles P. Schleicher defines power as “the ability to exercise
such control as to make others do what they otherwise would not
do by rewarding or promising to reward them, or by depriving or
threatening to deprive them of something they value.”
● Based on these definitions we can say that power in the
context of human relations is the capacity and ability to secure
a desired and intended effect or gain through the use of force,
influence and sanctions.
● In Social Science and Politics, Power is the ability to influence
or outright control the behavior of people.
● It is authority when the power is perceived as legitimate by the
social structure. Power may also be seen as evil or unjust, but
the exercise of power is accepted as reserved only to humans
as social beings.
CONCLUSIONS RELATIVE TO THE NATURE OF POWER

1. The actors are people. It could be a natural person or a

juridical person like a state, government, corporation, or
other institution.
2. There is an interaction that involves a subject and an
object, a ruler and one being ruled, the influencer and
the influenced, and an interaction of dominion
and subjugation
3. Power is flexible and dynamic, meaning it is
exercised rather than held to
affect changes (transformative capacity or imposition
of will), either the decision, action, behavior, or even
the state of mind of a person.
4. As to its effect, the exercise of power produces
patent and latent effect, visible and invisible, and
sometimes outright or delayed effect.
5. As to its impact, depending on the degree and
aim upon which power is
exercised, it will produce compliance,
commitment, or even resistance.
6. As to its aspects, power can be actual or
potential.
 II.
DIMENSI
ONS OF
POWER
DIMENSIONS OF POWER
Power has its dimensions, which makes us aware of its scope or boundaries,
and they are as follows:

1. Agenda- This refers to the motive of the person who wants to have power
or the reason why one wants to be paced under the influence of another
person.
2. Decision-making- This refers to the end of the person seeking for power,
where he has to have influence over others because they are vital to
whatever decisions he would be making inherent to his status or position.
3. Manipulation- This is from the means of who holds the power and it refers
to the controlling factor over the other person and which means that the
former can make the latter do whatever he wishes, whether in legitimate
or illegitimate means.
III.BASES
OF
POWER
TYPES OF POWER
1. Legitimate power
- This is the type or kind of power which is oftentimes referred to
as positional power. There is a legal and formal basis for the
acquisition or delegation of power to a certain individual and
there are relative position and duties and responsibilities.
- Example: President Duterte can appoint heads of the
departments; a boss can
- assign a project; a policeman can arrest citizens; and a teacher
assigns a grade.
2. Referent power
- stems from the personal characteristics of the person, such as
the degree to which we like, respect, and want to be like them.
- referent power is often called charisma
- leaders with referent power are deeply admired and respected
because of who
- they are or who they have proven to be.
- they often have a strong ability to connect with other people in
a way that seems effortless.
- we often see referent power at play with celebrity
endorsements.
- when a celebrity who is highly admired endorses something,
those people who admire the
celebrity want to follow suit.
3. Expert power
- Expert power is the perception that a certain
person has an
- elevated level of knowledge or a specific skill set
that others do not have. Expert power
- is a non-coercive leadership power. People follow
an expert or follow the advice of an
- expert because they are respected for their
capabilities.
4. Coercive Power
- coercive power is the ability to take something away or
punish
someone for non-compliance.
- coercive power often works through fear, and it forces
people to do something that ordinarily they would not
choose to do.
- coercive power is categorized as a “harsh” form of power.
5. Reward Power
- reward power is based on employees’ perceptions that a
person or leader has the ability to offer them benefits
based on meeting the person’s or
leader’s directives
- There are typically two forms of reward power:
personal and impersonal.
- Personal reward power comes when a leader conveys
their approval, or lets employees know that they like or
value them.
- Impersonal reward power, by contrast, is derived from
a leader being able to give promotions, bonuses, formal
recognition, better assignments
INHERENT
POWERS
OF THE
STATE
 POLICE POWER POWER OF POWER OF
EMINENT DOMAIN TAXATION

As to subject Regulates both Affects only property Affects only property

liberty and property rights rights

As to who exercises Exercised only by Exercised by the Exercised only by

the government national, local the government
government units,
and government
owned or controlled
corporations
pursuant to their
charter

As to property taken Property taken is

often harmful to the
public
 POLICE POWER POWER OF EMINENT POWER OF TAXATION
DOMAIN

As to property taken Property taken is often Property is wholesome Property is wholesome

harmful to the public or not harmful to the but is being taken as a
( noxious) or intended for public but is being taken means of sustaining the
a harmful purpose and for public use or purpose operations of the
thus may be destroyed government

As to compensation Compensation is Compensation is the full Compensation is the

intangible, an altruistic and fair equivalent of the protection given and
feeling that the individual property taken public improvements
has contributed to the instituted by the
public good. government for the taxes
paid.
SOURCES
OF
POWER
THE THREE BASIC SOURCES OF POWER

1. FORCE
- Force is the actual (physical force) or threatened
(latent force) use of coercion to
- impose one’s will on others. When leaders
imprison or even execute political dissidents,
- they thus apply force.
2. INFLUENCE
- It refers to the exercise of power through the
process of persuasion. It is the ability to affect
the decisions and actions of others.
3. AUTHORITY
- It refers to the power that has been
institutionalized and is recognized by the
people over whom it is exercised (Schaefer and
Lamm, 1992).
- It is established to make
decisions and order the actions of others. It is a
form of legitimate power.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AUTHORITY AND INFLUENCE

1. Authority is an official right to make and enforce

decisions, whereas influence is the ability to affect
the actions of others apart from authority to do so.
2. Authority stems from rank, whereas influence
rests largely upon personal attributes.
3. Authority is based upon the status one holds,
whereas influence is based upon the
esteem one receives.
 IV.
CONSEQU
ENCES OF
POWER
 ● There are three consequences of power: compliance, commitment and
resistance. Employing certain types of power in particular ways may
result into these consequences.
1. COMPLIANCE

-Compliance refers to the readiness or act of agreeing to do something.

- The two types of power most likely to cause compliance are legitimate or
position power and reward power.
1.Compliance with the order may occur if it is perceived to be within the
leader’s scope of authority.
2.Compliance is most likely to happen if the reward is something valued by
the target person.
2. COMMITMENT
- is an even more desirable outcome because of the trust and emotional
pledge that it causes. It is perceived as loyalty or a sense of dedication or
devotion
- commitment is most likely to be the consequence when the powers used
are referent and expert.
- the common way to exercise referent power is merely to ask someone
with whom one has a friendship to do something
- expert power may result to commitment if the leader presents logical
arguments and supporting evidence for a particular proposal, order or
policy
- it will depend on the leader’s credibility and persuasive communication
skills in addition to technical knowledge and logical or analytical ability
3. RESISTANCE
- means to refuse or to oppose. It is the most likely
outcome when coercive power is used in a hostile or
manipulative way. It is best to use coercion power in
preventing behavior that is harmful to the society and
well-being of the people such as illegal and violent
activities. (Heywood 2007)