comply. It rests on the application, or the threat of the application, of physical sanc-
tions such as the infliction of pain, the generation of frustration through restriction of
movement, or the controlling by force of basic physiological or safety needs. When
Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), threatened to
ban judged sports from the Olympics because of the skating scandal, he was using a
form of coercion. He was trying to intimidate the International Skating Union (ISU),
making them fear that if the controversy was not ended quickly, figure skaters would no
longer compete in the Olympics.
Of all the bases of power available, the power to hurt others is possibly the most
often used, most often condemned, and most difficult to control. The state relies on
its military and legal resources to intimidate nations, or even its own citizens; busi-
nesses rely upon the control of economic resources to request tax reductions; and reli-
gious institutions threaten individuals with dire consequences in the afterlife if they
do not conduct themselves properly in this life. At the personal level, individuals use coer-
cive power through a reliance on physical strength, words, 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.^7
At the organizational level, A has coercive power over B if A can dismiss, suspend, or
demote B, assuming that B values his or her job. Similarly, if A can assign B work activ-
ities that B finds unpleasant or treat B in a manner that B finds embarrassing, A possesses
coercive power over B.
Reward Power
The opposite of coercive power is reward power. People will go along with the wishes or
directives of another if doing so produces positive benefits; therefore, one who can distribute
rewards that others view as valuable will have power over those others. These rewards
can be anything that another person values. In an organizational context, we think of
money, favourable performance appraisals, promotions, interesting work assignments,
friendly colleagues, important information, and preferred work shifts or sales territories.^8
As with coercive power, you do not have to be a manager to be able to exert influence
through rewards. Rewards such as friendliness, acceptance, and praise are available to
everyone in an organization. To the degree that an individual seeks
such rewards, your ability to give or withhold them gives you power
over that individual.
Legitimate Power
In formal groups and organizations, probably the most frequent access
to one or more of the bases of power is through a person’s structural
position. This is called legitimate power. It represents the power a
person receives as a result of his or her position in the formal hierar-
chy of an organization.
Positions of authority include coercive and reward powers.
Legitimate power, however, is broader than the power to coerce and
reward. Specifically, it includes acceptance by members of an organi-
zation of the authority of a position. When school principals, bank
presidents, or generals speak (assuming that their directives are viewed
as within the authority of their positions), teachers, tellers, and pri-
vates listen and usually comply. You will note in Exhibit 7-2 on page
224that one of the men in the meeting identifies himself as the rule
maker, which means that he has legitimate power. IOC president
Jacques Rogge was one of the few individuals who had legitimate
power to try to resolve to the skating controversy.
Chapter 7Power and Politics 223In India, Naina Lal Kidwai is a powerful woman in the
banking industry. She is the chief executive of the
Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC),
India. Kidwai’s formal power is based on her position at
the bank.International Olympic
Committee (IOC)
http://www.olympic.org
International Skating Union
(ISU)
http://www.isu.orgreward power Power that
achieves compliance based on the
ability to distribute rewards that oth-
ers view as valuable.legitimate power Power that a
person receives as a result of his or
her position in the formal hierarchy
of an organization.