HCM 433 MANGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR.pdf

in the advertisement, because then they are visible, they are the forefront of the public’s awareness
and consequently they have referent power.
In an organizational setting, referent power is much different from the other types of power. For
example, management with referent power must be attractive to subordinates so that subordinates
will wand to identify with them, regardless of whether the mangers later have the ability to reward
or punish or whether they have legitimacy. In other words, the manager who depends on referent
power must be personally attractive to subordinat
5. Reward Power
This source of power depends on the person’s having the ability and resources to reward others. In
addition, they target of this power must value these rewards. In an organizational context, mangers
have many potential rewards such as pay increases, new equipment, promotions, favourable work
assignments, more responsibility, praise, feedback and recognition available to them.
To understand this source of power more completely, it must be remembered that the recipient
holds the key. If managers offer subordinates what they think is a reward (for example, a
promotion with increased responsibility), but subordinates do not value it (for e.g.. they are
insecure or have family obligations that ate more important to them than a promotion ), then
mangers do not really have reward power. By the same token, managers may not think they are
giving a reward to subordinates (they calmly listen to chronic complainers), the managers
nevertheless have reward power. Also, managers may not really have the rewards to dispense
(they may say that they have considerable influenced with top management to get their people
promoted), but as long as their people think they have it, they do indeed have reward power.
6. Information Power
This is based on the leader’s possession of or access to information that is perceived as valuable
by others. This power based influences others because they need this information or want to be in
on things.
7. Connection Power
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