Theoretical Observations on Power in Complex Organizations

Abstract

Power is the ability to make things happen according to one’s perspective by getting someone else to do something. In organizations, there are various sources of power. However, the primary source of power is the legitimate power, which means the power assigned based on job designation. Organizations are made up of individuals that exercise greater or lesser degrees of power. Sometimes, authority stems from a person’s title in the organization, or from specialized knowledge and expertise. Others may exercise power through interpersonal relationships or the force of their personality. And still, others gain influence through an ability to grant access to important resources. This research will examine the structure of complex organizations with a focus on power management and power relations that can be created within the organizations themselves. It presents some observations of how the distribution and exercise of power in complex organizations varies systematically as a function of environment, organizational form, and personal characteristics of organizational members. This analysis, therefore, will define the power strategies, in order to understand the basis of the power, deepening how the power could be managed by leaders.