HCM 433 MANGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR.pdf

This basis of power is based on the leader’s “connections” with influential or important persons
inside or outside the organization. A leader high in connection power induces compliance from
others because they aim at gaining the favour or avoiding the disfavour of powerful connection.
3.3 COST OF USING POWER
It is important to consider the cost involved in attempting to use a resource to influence another
person’s behaviour. Sometimes the cost will be so high that the user of the power will prefer to
abandon its use. This is an ideal situation. Nevertheless, it is wiser to use power when the cost of
using such power is very low.
For instance, a manager who has the power to terminate the employment will in doing so, consider
the cost of hiring a substitute with its attendance recrultment difficulty. On the other hand, the risk
of being perceived by other employees as wicked and unjust is also costly. Therefore the more
costly it is to use a resource, the less power are held over another person.
3.4 POWER BLOCS
Power blocs (also called potential influences) simply refer to those that possess certain qualities
strong enough to influence an organization’s decision. Some of these power blocs are identified
and discussed as follows.
1. Board of Director: They are the governing council of the organization and most
decision often originates from the body.
2. Management: They day to day running of the organization is vested in the
management. In this sense, management is reward as a powerful organizational
position, they is, individuals who have authority and responsibility in getting thing
done. Such individual (e.g. functional managers) enjoy the power of employment. By
the virtue of their position they influenced the employees and consequently become a
recognizable bloc within the organization.
3. The Employees: They are responsible for the operational and administrative work of
an organization, some of these employees exert expert and information power other
members of the organization, hence they are accorded some respect.
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