POWER

What is power?
Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work",
including engine power
Electricity, specifically electric power
Exponentiation, "x to the power of y"
Optical power, the degree to which a lens converges or
diverges light
Economic power, encompassing several concepts that
economists use, featuring the word "power"
Definition from Merriam Webster
Disctionary
1a(1) : ability to act or produce an effect
(2) : ability to get extra-base hits
(3) : capacity for being acted upon or undergoing an effect
b : legal or official authority, capacity, or right
2a : possession of control, authority, or influence over others
b : one having such power
specifically : a sovereign state
c : a controlling group : ESTABLISHMENT —often used in the phrase the
powers that be
d archaic : a force of armed men
e chiefly dialectal : a large number or quantity
3a : physical might
b : mental or moral efficacy
c : political control or influence
Categories of power

Superpower: In 1944, William T. R. Fox defined

superpower as "great power plus great mobility of
power" and identified three states, the British Empire,
the Soviet Union and the United States. With the
decolonisation of the British Empire following World
War II, and then the dissolution of the Soviet Union in
1991, the United States is currently the only country
considered to be a superpower.
Great power: In historical mentions, the term great power
refers to the states that have strong political, cultural and
economical influence over nations around them and across
the world.
Middle power: A subjective description of influential
second-tier states that could not quite be described as great
or small powers. A middle power has sufficient strength
and authority to stand on its own without the need of help
from others (particularly in the realm of security) and
takes diplomatic leads in regional and global affairs.
Clearly not all middle powers are of equal status; some are
members of forums such as the G20 and play important
roles in the United Nations and other international
organisations such as the WTO.
Small power: The International System is for the most part
made up by small powers. They are instruments of the
other powers and may at times be dominated; but they
cannot be ignored.
Regional power: This term is used to describe a nation
that exercises influence and power within a region. Being
a regional power is not mutually exclusive with any of the
other categories of power. The majority of them exert a
strategic degree of influence as minor or secondary
regional powers. A primary regional power (like Australia)
has often an important role in international affairs outside
of its region too.
Cultural superpower: Refers to a country whose culture,
arts or entertainment have worldwide appeal, significant
international popularity or large influence on much of the
world. Countries such as Italy, Japan, Spain, the United
Kingdom, and the United States have often been described
as cultural superpowers, although it is sometimes debated
on which one meets such criteria. Unlike traditional forms
of national power, the term cultural superpower is in
reference to a nation's Soft power capabilities.
Energy superpower: Describes a country that supplies
large amounts of energy resources (crude oil, natural gas,
coal, uranium, etc.) to a significant number of other states,
and therefore has the potential to influence world markets
to gain a political or economic advantage. Saudi Arabia
and Russia, are generally acknowledged as the world's
current energy superpowers, given their abilities to
globally influence or even directly control prices to certain
countries. Australia and Canada are potential energy
superpowers due to their large natural resources.
French and Raven's five bases of power
Legitimate power
Also called "positional power," legitimate power is the
power of an individual because of the relative position
and duties of the holder of the position within an
organization. Legitimate power is formal authority
delegated to the holder of the position. It is usually
accompanied by various attributes of power such as a
uniform, a title, or an imposing physical office.
Referent power
Referent power is the power or ability of individuals to
attract others and build loyalty. It is based on the charisma
and interpersonal skills of the power holder. A person may
be admired because of specific personal trait, and this
admiration creates the opportunity for interpersonal
influence. Here the person under power desires to identify
with these personal qualities, and gains satisfaction from
being an accepted follower. Nationalism and patriotism
count towards an intangible sort of referent power. For
example, soldiers fight in wars to defend the honor of the
country.
Expert power
Expert power is an individual's power deriving from the
skills or expertise of the person and the organization's
needs for those skills and expertise. Unlike the others, this
type of power is usually highly specific and limited to the
particular area in which the expert is trained and qualified.
When they have knowledge and skills that enable them to
understand a situation, suggest solutions, use solid
judgment, and generally out perform others, then people
tend to listen to them. When individuals demonstrate
expertise, people tend to trust them and respect what they
say. As subject matter experts, their ideas will have more
value, and others will look to them for leadership in that
area.
Reward power
Reward power depends on the ability of the power wielder
to confer valued material rewards, it refers to the degree to
which the individual can give others a reward of some
kind such as benefits, time off, desired gifts, promotions
or increases in pay or responsibility. This power is
obvious but also ineffective if abused. People who abuse
reward power can become pushy or be reprimanded for
being too forthcoming or 'moving things too quickly'. If
others expect to be rewarded for doing what someone
wants, there's a high probability that they'll do it.
Coercive power
Coercive power is the application of negative influences.
It includes the ability to demote or to withhold other
rewards. The desire for valued rewards or the fear of
having them withheld that ensures the obedience of those
under power. Coercive power tends to be the most obvious
but least effective form of power as it builds resentment
and resistance from the people who experience it. Threats
and punishment are common tools of coercion. Implying
or threatening that someone will be fired, demoted, denied
privileges, or given undesirable assignments – these are
characteristics of using coercive power.
Power generally stems from three sources:
Physical sanction.
Material power, based on control over resources such
as wages or services.
Symbolic or normative power based on the allocation
and withholding of socially desired rewards such as
esteem or status.
Weber distinguishes three types of authority:

1. Traditional authority: This depends upon the acceptance of the

sanctity of immemorial traditions. Those who exercise power are
obeyed because they continue tradition. Monarchies are classic
examples of this type of authority.
2. Rational - legal authority: Obedience is given to the
impersonal order of norms and regulations, which define the
status of the person issuing the command. Subordinates obey
commands because they accept that the orders are legitimate by
virtue of the position held by the person giving the orders.
3. Charismatic authority: In extra-ordinary situations a new form
of authority - charismatic authority may emerge, based on the
personal characteristics of an individual who is regarded as
having exceptional personal qualities.
The Three Faces of Power
Issue
The first face (or dimension), as proposed by such
theorists as Dahl who saw power as a 'relation among
people'. It is the ability of one person to achieve
compliance by others who change how they behave as a
result of the power being exerted. It can be seen in
systems of ruling elites, where few people have significant
power. As such, power is direct, with identification of an
issue and a singular response to this. It is, in essence,
about making decisions.
Agenda
The second face, as proposed by theorists such as
Bachrach and Baratz, adds the more subtle system of
power, where decision is made within a complex system.
In this situation, power is not just about making decisions,
but also about setting the agenda that leads to decisions. In
other words, if you can control the context within which
decisions are made, then you can influence those
decisions.
Manipulation
Lukes adds a third face, that of even more subtle aspect of
manipulating the psychology of anyone and everyone
affected. This can be seen as similar to the Marxist view
of ideological power, where the ability to control what
people think of as being 'right' can lead to acceptance of
biased decisions without question.
In governmental power, this appears in propaganda, spin
and crafting of speeches that are deliberately designed to
change minds before the decision is announced. For
example if legislation against trade unions is planned, then
a provocative rhetoric of how these unions cause problems
may be started some time beforehand. Any union action
then plays directly into the government's hands.
Eight Types of Leadership Power

1. Legitimate power

Legitimate power is traditional power – it is the type of
power a manager, executive, or another leading official
in a company has due to the status of their position.
2. Information power
One gains information power when they know
something other people want to know. This
information could be anything from gossip to intricate
knowledge about a person or company.
3. Expert power
People who have more knowledge or experience than other
members of their team exhibit expert power. For example, an
executive with 20 years of experience in their field has expert
power over a recent college graduate who is just starting their
career.
4. Reward power
A leader who has the ability to reward an employee or team
member (with money, praise, etc.) has reward power.
5. Coercive power
Coercive power is the opposite of reward power; a leader who
can punish an employee or team member has coercive power.
Because the threat of punishment can persuade an employee to
act a certain way, this type of leadership power is called
“coercive power.”
6. Referent power
Referent power is all about “who you know.” A leader with lots of
referent power may have many connections or a large social
network they can use to their advantage. Someone with referent
power may also be close to an executive with legitimate power.
7. Charismatic power
Similarly, charismatic leaders have the ability to influence others.
While they may or may not have an established network of
contacts, they usually have a natural ability to persuade or inspire
others.
8. Moral power
A leader who has moral power over his or her employees and
exhibits ethical leadership has been placed on a pedestal, so to
speak, due to their beliefs and actions. A leader’s good qualities
can lead to them having moral power over an employee, because
the employee may be inspired to replicate the leader’s actions.