Power

‘Power and responses to power in the employment relationship.’

“Power” can be defined as ‘the ability to get others to do what you want them to do, even if this is against their will, or get them to do something they otherwise would not. (Dahl 1957)

An employer or a manager has many sources of power that can influence the way in which employees behave in the workplace: such as, rules, punishment, rewards and surveillance. A manager sets rules, these rules must be obeyed by everyone within the workplace otherwise they could face punishment, rules will often be set out formally and a written copy may be given to employees for any future reference. Punishment is a power that managers have in order to deal with any trouble that may arise. Punishment could be anything from verbal and written warnings, to formal discipline and even sacking. Rewards allow employers the power to give employees benefits; these could me monetary such as a bonus, extra holidays, or even promotion. Finally managers can provide surveillance in order for them to monitor what is going on within the company. This comes in many forms such as personal supervision, technology such as computer monitoring to see what websites have been accessed during company time, bureaucracy, and formal appraisals.

The sources of power identified are used to influence employee behaviour in many different ways. Rules are used because they are formal, this means employees know of the rules and know they must be obeyed, and the employees will not want to break these. Punishment may influence employees as no employee would want to be punished, this could affect them in the future and so will try and avoid punishment. Rewards can entice