Decreasing Negative Attitudes and Increasing Productivity

Decreasing Negative Attitudes and Increasing Productivity
Max Weber defined power as "the probability that one actor within a social relationship will carry out his or her will despite resistance" (Seligman, 2009). Today, power acquisition and maintenance are the primary debate in every organization. According to Somoye (2016), every organization has three groups of people constantly in the power game: business owners, top management, and top performers especially among employees. Everyone in the power game expresses or achieves power through positions, expertise, resources, rewards, influence, energy, or network. As such, there are four key positions of power in most organizations: legitimate power, coercive power, reward power, and information power.
First, legitimate power, like formal authority, is the power position vested in the leadership to take action. This position of power can be changed, withdrawn, or recreated by formal authority anytime. A manager or leader granted legitimate power has power over subordinates, and subordinates respond and acknowledge the power rank of legitimate leaders without question (Cenkci, 2018).
Secondly, coercive power refers to a formal power position where one uses threats to gain compliance from subordinates. Coercive power is attributed mainly to the position held by an individual, and through this power position, one gains the power to reprimand, withdraw bonuses, suspend, demote or fire due to underperformance or mistakes.
Thirdly, reward power is the power granted to someone to reward other employees. In this position of power, one's power is based on position, and those at the top level can incentivize high performance from subordinates. For example, the top manager can give or remove rewards based on work performance or behavior.
Finally, information power is where one controls information needed by others, thus being in a powerful position. In today's world, information has become a potent form of power. Access to information means that one can withhold, manipulate, or distort hence becoming a weapon of the bargain. For example, knowing the company's financial reports or other vital information gives one the necessary informational power.
Using Legitimate power and reward power to influence motivation and productivity in the team
Motivation is vital for every leader, no matter their leadership style or power position. Instead of applying pressure on employees to deliver, rewards are used in exchange for increased performance, motivation, and engagement (Cenkci, 2018). Reward power, especially where the employee's low pay scale creates healthy competition among employees, motivates and encourages part-time and full-time employees to become productive. Legitimate power can help drive motivation and productivity by creating necessary changes within the work environment and achieving professional goals in order to reduce employee tardiness (Lechermeier & Fassnacht, 2018). Legitimate power offers the resources and necessary social capital to drive change in an organization in many ways. For example, legitimate power can promote and create workplaces enriched with respect and collaboration, provide incentives based on performance, monitor and enforce accountability, or ...