Power Dynamics and Influence Strategies in Organizational Behavior
Summary
Power in organisations arises from formal authority, control of resources and informal networks, shaping how individuals and groups direct attention, decision-making and action. Contemporary research examines classical bases of power—coercive, reward, legitimate, expert and referent—alongside nuanced forms such as informational and network power. Influence strategies extend beyond overt directives to include subtle framing, emotional appeals, coalition building and reciprocal exchanges. The interplay between power holders and targets is mediated by individual traits, cultural norms and structural configurations; congruence between leader and follower orientations can bolster trust, engagement and performance, while misalignment can erode cohesion and motivate resistance or attrition. Advances in social cognition and network analysis have revealed how influence spreads through formal hierarchies and informal ties, informing interventions in leadership development, change management and cross-cultural collaboration. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for fostering ethical leadership, mitigating abuse of power and leveraging positive influence to enhance organisational effectiveness and well-being.
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Power Dynamics and Influence Strategies in Organizational Behavior publication trend
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Technical terms
Power distance orientation: The degree to which individuals accept and expect unequal power distributions in organisational contexts.
Social dominance orientation: A personal belief system favouring hierarchical group relations and societal inequalities.
Self-verification: The tendency to seek confirmation of one’s self-concept through social interactions.
Regulatory mode: An individual’s habitual preference for locomotion (movement and change) or assessment (critical evaluation) in goal pursuit.
Leader–Member Exchange (LMX): The quality of the dyadic relationship between a leader and each follower, encompassing trust and support.
References
- Self‐verification and social dominance in coworker dyads. European Management Review (2024).
- Followers’ Regulatory Mode and Leadership Style Preferences: Does the Task Time Perspective Moderate Their Relation?. Collabra Psychology (2024).
- A Study of the Mechanism of the Congruence of Leader–Follower Power Distance Orientation on Employees’ Task Performance. Frontiers in Psychology (2019).
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