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Use of Socially Dependent Bases of Power: French and Raven's Theory Applied to Workgroup Leadership 1
Author(s) -
Stahelski Anthony J.,
Frost Dean E.,
Patch Michael E.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1989.tb00055.x
Subject(s) - workgroup , referent , psychology , social psychology , power (physics) , sample (material) , scale (ratio) , computer science , computer network , philosophy , linguistics , physics , chemistry , chromatography , quantum mechanics
This study examines how supervisors from three different organizations use social power in workgroups. A sample of 127 leaders completed a self‐report questionnaire describing social influence attempts using a scale derived from French and Raven's (1959) five bases of social power. The results show no significant differences between organizations in use of the bases of social power. Referent and Expert powers were used significantly more frequently by these leaders than Legitimate, Reward, and Coercive powers. The number of subordinates supervised within the workgroup was significantly correlated with increased use of Coercive power by the workgroup leader. These results are discussed in terms of the potential for using socially dependent influence to explain leaders' direction of workgroup members.