Critically evaluate French and Ravens (1959) Model of Power in the context of the operation of any One UK Organisation. How useful is the model in helping managers to understand their role?
Critically evaluate French and Ravens (1959) Model of Power
in the context of the operation of any One UK Organisation.
How useful is the model in helping managers
to understand their role?
Power, Influence and Authority is what enables managerial
responsibilities and functions to be carried-out. Without this, it
would be much more difficult to tell someone to do something or
influence them with our opinions. It is for this exact reason that
theorists such as French and Raven put together power resources.
French and Ravens (1959) model of power resources is a classification
of different types of power available to managers.
Whether or not we realise it, we have been exposed to the concept of
power from a very early age. Our relationship with our parents is
based on the power they have over us, and our responses to their
influence and authority. This is continued into our educational lives
and then into employment. At my place of employment, Homebase plc,
this concept of power is no exception.
Homebase is a UK based DIY organisation dedicated to creating a better
home for its customers. Like any organisation, Homebase have many
objectives that they strive to achieve in order to ensure the
prosperity of the organisation. In order for this to be achieved,
managers must ensure that staff are carrying-out their roles and
responsibilities correctly. This is where the concept of power comes
into play. As each individual is different, we all have different
ideas, interpretations and influences. Due to these differences,
managers may need to encourage and influence our way of working in
order for us to meet company aims. This can often be achieved by
exerting power over that individual. French and Ravens model of
power focuses on five main types: coercive, reward, referent, expert
and legitimate power, but how effective is this model in helping
managers fully understand their role?
One of French and Ravens bases of social power is coercive power. This
occurs when an individual conforms to avoid negative consequences or
punishments from those more superior. At Homebase, employees must
obtain a certain level of spend and save loyalty card sign-ups each
month, otherwise the matter may be investigated by our managers and no
bonuses will be received. Homebase's strategy of using negative
consequences to obtain objectives seems a clear case of coercive power
in motion, but how clear-cut is it? The same scenario can be applied
to French and Ravens reward power concept. As stated, Homebase
employees do not receive any bonuses unless they meet targets, but
surely this will only encourage employees to work harder to succeed
and ultimately receive their reward in the form of a bonus. In French
and Ravens model, punishment and reward are considered separate power
resources. Despite this, it can be argued that they are both
unconsciously linked - they give or take away desirable or undesirable
things (Hales, 2001) As a result, the model may confuse Homebase when
using power.
Relevant bodies support this view that the power resources are not
separate. `Bass (1981) Yuki (1981) and others have noted that the
French and Ravens bases of power may not be perceived as being
independent of each other.' (Podsakoff, P & Schrieshiem, C (1984). For
example, a manager with referent power can also appear to have expert
power. This is due to our ability to identify with and be attracted to
the manager at the same time as assigning expertise to them due to our
fondness towards them. Due to this correlation of power resources, it
is near impossible to determine the power resources independent
effects. Therefore, managers will be no clearer as to how such power
resources will benefit their organisation.
Within French and Ravens model, the powers seem to focus on the
reasons why an individual conforms. For example, reward power is
conforming to receive some form of benefit or reward, whilst expert
power is conforming due to someone's expert knowledge or skill.
However, a persons responses are not due to the type of power being
exerted and can therefore not be predicted in this manner. A persons
perceptions and their evaluation of ...
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effects. Therefore, managers will be no clearer as to how such power
resources will benefit their organisation.
Within French and Ravens model, the powers seem to focus on the
reasons why an individual conforms. For example, reward power is
conforming to receive some form of benefit or reward, whilst expert
power is conforming due to someone's expert knowledge or skill.
However, a persons responses are not due to the type of power being
exerted and can therefore not be predicted in this manner. A persons
perceptions and their evaluation of the situation can be of great
influence, which may result in them not conforming in the manner that
French and Raven has specified. This naturally begs the question, "How
valid is French and Ravens power model and is it as useful to managers
as it appears?"
The effectiveness of French and Ravens Reward Power concept depends on
a person's ability of administering reward, and the recipients desire
to receive the reward. Without both of these, reward power may not be
as effective. In the context of Homebase, managers are able to give
rewards such as pay increases, promotions, extra holidays and more
responsibility to name but a few. Despite this, economic unstability
and busy trading periods could affect someone's ability of receiving
pay increases and extra holidays respectively. However, as long as
staff members at Homebase think that managers have power, but in fact
they do not, managers would still posses reward power. This is
something that managers could indeed exploit within their roles. In
the other instance where reward is offered to a subordinate (for
example extra holidays) but the subordinate does not value this type
of reward (for example they live alone and see coming to work as a
social event), managers would not have reward power. This reward power
of French and Ravens highlights the need for managers to offer rewards
that pleases the subordinates as well as meets management objectives.
In other words, managers should not take French and Ravens model at
face value. Managers at Homebase would therefore have to use their
negotiation ability to come to some agreement of the type of reward
that would please both parties, if they wish to use this type of power
in an organisational setting.
Legitimate power can be interpreted as `doing as our boss/superior
tells us'. It is similar to what we refer to as authority and can be
perceived as a combination of both reward power and coercive power, as
an individual with legitimate power can indeed reward and punish.
However, I could even go as far as saying that it is an element of all
of the power resources and therefore should not qualify as a separate
power resource. Am I correct in making such an assumption? I
personally feel that in order to have or command any form of power,
you must be legitimate. This highlights whether legitimate power is a
credible power resource on its own.
At Homebase, legitimate power is very apparent due to the clear
hierarchical structure of the organisation. Employees believe in
managers in the higher positions having power over employees like
myself in lower positions. `There is a view from organisation theory
that structure actually determines power' (Lutmans, 1995). This power
is even clearer to observe not only by the organisational structure
but also via the dress codes. Lower staff on the hierarchy like myself
i.e. shop floor staff are required to wear the standard green trouser
and matching sweatshirt whilst departmental managers wear special
shirts and normal black trousers and senior managers wear suits. In
this respect, managers are able to clearly understand their role as it
is clear to see who they must report to and are responsible for and
are therefore better equipped at fulfilling their job roles of
controlling, problem solving and information monitoring for example.
However, with legitimate power comes the ability to influence and this
is where problems and confusion can occur. For example, if the store
manager of Homebase noticed that one of my colleagues were having
extended lunch and tea breaks and asked if I could notify him if I
witness anything in the future, would this legitimate power be
legitimate? This points to the question of where legitimate power
should end. French and Ravens model unfortunately does not take this
into account, especially in a society where lawsuits can easily be
drawn-up. It is essential that managers understand the limitations of
legitimate power in their roles if we are to continue to use power in
organisations. Abuse of legitimate power in this way may result in
power being ignored completely.
Referent power is where an individual conforms due to their
identification with someone or their attraction towards them. This
type of power can be seen as hard to administer as the subordinates
must feel attracted to the managers and want to be identified with
them. `Advertisers take advantage of this type of power when they use
celebrities, such as movie stars or sports figures, to do testimonial
advertising.' (Lutmans, 1995) This is true in the case of Homebase.
Homebase attract customers via their television advertisements. For a
few years now, the celebrities deployed at attracting customers to the
stores has been Lesley Ash and Neil Morrisey. The use of referent
power in this advert is very powerful and therefore is very effective
for Homebase in attracting customers to the store. However, the use of
referent power in this situation can also have a negative effect on
Homebase if for example, Lesley Ash or Neil Morrisey had some unwanted
publicity surrounding them. French and Ravens referent power may
therefore not be as consistent and can be prone to sudden changes of
effectiveness due to a subordinates changing opinion of a manager for
example.
As in all of French and Ravens Power resources, the sources are
dependent on the perceptions of the individuals at which the power is
aimed at. Nevertheless, in respect of expert power this is even more
important. Going back to our school days, teachers often exhume a
great deal of this type of power due to their extensive knowledge of a
particular area/subject and as they are seen as a credible source. In
organisations, things are not much different. Homebase have
departmental managers in charge of different departments within the
store from the garden centre to the DIY department. Each manager has
expert knowledge and skill for their own areas, but have little
experience outside of their area. As a result, the garden centre
manager's expertise would become even more powerful. Due to this
extensive knowledge, managers must understand the importance of their
role. It is their individual expertise that will help solve problems
and answer questions. In this respect, French and Ravens model does
help managers to understand their role.
Despite the clarity over who has the most knowledge of plants, it may
not always be easy to obtain expert power. As stated previously, power
depends on the perceptions of people. "The target must perceive the
agent to be credible, trustworthy and relevant before expert power is
granted" (Lutmans, 1995). If the garden centre manager at Homebase
said something that may not be 100% accurate (for example the way to
prune a plant), the person whom the manager is trying to exert power
on may not be as easily influenced. This perception can of course
change in time, once a stronger opinion of the person's attributes is
realised. A criticism of French and Ravens model is that it does not
take into account timescales. How long before coercive power is
accepted by an individual for example? As in the case of expert power,
it could take a considerable amount of time before expert power will
become an effective power resource. As a result, it may not always be
the best source of power if you need something to be done immediately,
but this could be said for all of French and ravens power resources.
Power can only be enforced if there is an uneven distribution of
resources. Resources must therefore be scarce, important or
non-substitutional. Nevertheless, it again comes down to the
"perception of" and interpretation of resources that is most
important. Writers such as Bacharach and Lawler 1980 and Bannester
1969 have noted such relationships. French and Ravens model, does not
appear to take this into account. It can be criticised that the model
is too broad and can be interpretated in too many ways. `These scales
allow too much interpretation by respondents, and have poor item
content' (Podsakoff, P & Schrieshiem, C) (1984). As French and Ravens
model is not very descriptive and in-depth, mass interpretation seems
inevitable. Due to these misgivings, managers who wish to exert power
cannot see the model as reliable.
Power that a manager bestows may be personal or positional. By this I
mean that a managers power can be due to resources that are held
personally i.e charisma or via inherited resources such as access to
organisational resources as a result of their position in the
organisation. French and Ravens model of power does not take into
account where the resources come from, if in a person or through a
position. This can cause considerable problems for managers. Take
coercive power for example, if a manager felt the need to use coercive
power, they may not necessarily be aware that it can be personal or
positional. In today's society, positional coercive power is most
likely to be used but it must be pointed-out that personal coercive
power still occurs within organisations. It is a sad fact that
bullying in the workplace is still happening. `87% of respondents
indicated that they were aware of bullying behaviour taking place in
their organisation' [1]www.siptu.ie/publications (2004) This could be
down to managers not knowing their boundaries and that coercive power
can be effective via their status as opposed to their physical
strength or presence. In this respect, French and Ravens model does
not help managers to understand their role, as misinterpretation can
occur.
French and Ravens (1959) Model of power has been around for a long
time and is still the bases of power within many organisations.
Despite this, other models of power have been introduced claiming to
provide a more thorough approach. One of these models is Colin Hales
(2001) power resources. If French and Ravens model of power was a
sufficient model for organisations to use, why did Colin Hales feel
the need to adapt and modify it? Was French and Ravens model adequate
from the first instance, or has the change in organisational culture
and society affected what should be characterised as a power resource?
I personally believe that the changes within organisational culture
have had a considerable influence on the way power can be administered
and received, and no doubt this can be seen to change in the future.
At first glance, French and Ravens model of power appears to be very
clear and comprehensible and useful to managers as a tool of power
exertion. However, after analysing the model in more depth,
inconsistencies are apparent. Firstly, the resources are not
independent of one another as French and Raven's model states. Reward
power and coercive power can be interpreted as being linked to one
another as both power resources are able to give or take away
desirable or undesirable things. In the same manner, referent power
can be identified with expert power due to an employee's ability of
assigning expertise to their manager due to their fondness towards
them. Due to these correlations, it is difficult for a manager to
understand the independent effects of the power resources as they can
all appear an affect of one another. Consequently, the benefits of
different power resources to organisations may be hard to establish.
Secondly, French and Ravens model is too broad and open to a lot of
interpretation. This can prove problematic for managers who are using
the model. In reality, everyone would like to use models such as
French and Ravens at face value. By this I mean, `you call it as it
is' - the `chair is burgundy' as opposed to `the chair is a shade of
red'. However, it is in our genetic make-up to have individual
perceptions and interpretations of situations. It therefore cannot be
reliable as to the outcome of power that the managers wish to use as
each manager can be seen to perceive it differently.
Thirdly, power put forth from managers can be personal or positional.
French and Ravens model does not take either into account. This can
again be seen as a problem of interpretation due to the lack of
content. As French and Ravens model shows no indication of where the
power resides from, managers are no clearer as to whether or not to
exert power from a personal perspective or a positional perspective.
This can lead to unfortunate incidents of bullying due to coercive
power for example being displayed via physical strength as opposed to
hierarchal status.
French and Ravens model of power is well known and used in many
organisations, despite other models such as Colin Hales providing
other interpretations of power resources. This says a lot about the
model. Not only does it appear effective but useful to managers to
want to continue to use French and Ravens typology. But that is just
it, it is only a typology. There is nothing set in stone saying that
this model is ideal.
It is difficult to establish whether or not the model helps managers
to understand their role. To a certain extent, it does help managers.
Their everyday roles such as their need to negotiate, control and
problem solve is effective dependent on whether or not the correct
power is exerted and held. Managers therefore understand the
importance of them using their role of negotiation to administer the
correct reward suitable for an employee. On the other hand, the model
does not relate to the role of managers. It is therefore up to the
manager whether their role is better understood due to the model.
To conclude, French and Ravens model has stood the test of time.
Despite my critical analysis, it is still used today and likely to be
the model used in the foreseeable future. In terms of its usefulness,
it again boils down to a managers perception of the model and how they
use the power resources to meet their needs as well as the needs of
the organisation.
References
1. http://www.siptu.ie/publications
