French and Raven (151) propose five models of power in both formal and informal settings that people use to control their activities. Power defines the relationship that exists between its source and the recipients, an aspect that is critical to organizational management. Rewarding is one of the proposals that the author present in a formal setting. One of the personal powers that French and Raven focus on is expertness. The magnitude of the rewards influences the strength of the relationships between the two parties. For example, more bonuses increase employee motivation towards their work.
Reward power derives from the ability of the controller to provide incentives for various deeds that the subjects undertake (French and Raven 152). For example, a manager may propose to offer a bonus for the employee that completes a task within a certain timeline. Reward power is a formal base of power that depends on the relationship between positional leaders and other members of the organization.
Expert power is one of the forms that falls in the personal category and encompasses the control that a person gets due to the skills and capabilities that they have above the rest (French and Raven 155). For example, if an employee possesses better computing skills than others in an organization, then most of the colleagues will listen to that worker when the tasks fall within the scope of that field. That gives the skilled employee a level of control over the others regarding that particular aspect of the organization. In most instances, the relationship between the two parties develops on the trust that the employee with the relevant skills will always tell the truth and not take advantage of the ignorance of the other workers.
These two forms of power are essential in a workplace as they motivate the completion of various activities. An employee requires possessing high levels of expertise to enable them to handle various activities efficiently. The manager can encourage that knowledge in employees by using reward power for motivation. All forms of control are interdependent and require the organization to establish a balance between them.
Works Cited
French, John RP, and Bertram Raven. "The bases of social power." Modern classics of leadership 2 (2004): 309-326. Print.
