The Five Bases Of Power

Power bases can dictate how an individual interacts with others when trying to influence behavior. John French and Bertram Raven are social psychologists that studied power, the source from which power is derived, and how this can affect an individual’s conduct toward others. Originally they defined five bases of power; however, a sixth was added a few years later (French and Raven, n.d.).
The original five bases of power are: coercive power, reward power, legitimate power, expert power, and referent power. The sixth power base is informational power. These bases of power can be grouped into two categories positional and personal. Positional sources are the bases of power that are derived as a result of a title or rank. Personal sources are obtained through individual characteristics that enable one to be viewed as an expert or highly respected. The first three listed in the first sentence of this …show more content…
This is why highly ethical organizations integrate solid checks and balances into their systems. There are several reasons why this source of power may be abused. Internal perceptions of themselves and other can influence decision-making for an individual in a powerful position. For example, the individual may develop feelings of superiority over others causing them to devalue information and opinions from these sources. A powerful individual can be consumed by the desire to retain power and defend their position by attacking others that are viewed as a threat. Subordinates could be viewed as tools to achieve a desired end result. Disregard for the for the needs of these individuals can result. In order to successfully employ legitimate power one should not rely solely on the power granted by the position; rather an individual should strive to enhance their personal power bases of competency and respect to achieve better synergy throughout their organization (Johnson,