The True Structure of Power in Life

The True Structure of Power in Life

The general idea of power is that it is relationship specific, a person is powerful based on the relation he/she has in the situation. Whether it is parent and child, pastor and parishioner, manager and employee, or a group of children playing on the playground there is at least one person in the group that is more powerful than the others. According to Gerald Salancik, Jeffrey Pfeffer, Robert Allen and Lyman Porter, “power is the ability to get things done the way one wants them done; it is the latent ability to influence people.” My husband is a pastor and I have found that power is truly situational, and depends upon the players. I realized that there are some members that I can influence in a positive manner; within this group I can get any project completed harmoniously and on time. With this group my power is legitimized. I am seen and respected as a person in authority. However, there is also a group of members that will either stall or hinder a project I am trying to implement for whatever reason. These are the few that I blend with the respectful working members to ensure that my projects are always completed. Mechanic says, “that lower level organizational members, have a great amount of power. If the workers do not receive or comply to the instructions the supervisor is giving, getting the work done and running the organization would be extremely difficult.” I have found that positive workers influenced the troublesome members into behaving themselves and doing the task I have assigned. This has allowed me to get things done a little easier without totally cutting the workers that I feel will be a problem out. Weber says, “When the people assigned to work under the manager/supervisor carrys out assigned task and even values a certain pattern of influence, than the supervisor/managers power is legitimated and signifys authority.”
In any organization there must be a structure of power to achieve its primary goal. The church is...

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