POWER AND

AUTHORITY
 POWER
• The idea of power is that of being able to
influence the actions or decisions of
another, whether through the use of soft-
power tactics or blatant coercion.
• Power is one’s ability to act upon or yield an
effect.
• Paul Merchant (2005) defined power as
possession of authority and influence over
others.
 POWER
• Power is something that
controls someone’s mind and
action.
• It is a tool that can be used for
the better or for the
deterioration of an organization.
POWER
• Anthony Giddens:
“By power is meant the ability of
individuals or groups to make their
own concerns or interests count,
even where others resist.”
• This means with the help of power,
one person will have the authority
to implement what he/she/they
desire to do.
POWER
• Max Weber
“Power is the probability that one
actor within a social relationship will
be in a position to carry out his will
despite resistance, regardless of the
basis on which the probability rests.”
POWER
• This means that power is the ability
to have your on way despite the
resistance from others and the
uncertainty of the origin of the
power held.
• Power gives anyone the
opportunity and the privilege to
influence and control the behaviour
of people.
POWER-MOTIVE
• Azurin (2008) said that “Power-
motive” is strongest in politicians.
• This means that they are obsessed
with the idea of dominance over
people.
• Politicians strive to have power to
impose authority that is usually
used to satisfy their desire.
 AUTHORITY

• Authority can make the people

obey the rules not because
they are forced to but they see
power as reasonable because,
technically, authority means
“official power”.
AUTHORITY and POWER

• What demarcates authority from

power is that AUTHORITY is
power recognized as rightful.
Authority is power clothed in the
garments of legitimacy.
AUTHORITY and POWER

• POWER: there is always the

ability to achieve desired results
• AUTHORITY: there shall be
approval of law because the law
and constitution always stand
behind an authority
AUTHORITY and POWER

• “To have authority to do

something is to have the right to
do it.”
• This means having authority to
do something gives a person the
power and the right to do it.
AUTHORITY and POWER

•Power can still exists

without authority.
POWER VS. AUTHORITY
POWER VS. AUTHORITY
POWER AUTHORITY
NATURE Power is one’s ability to Authority is the official
influence the beliefs and right assumed by a leader
actions of others. to create judgments or to
command.
FLOW Power can run in any Authority runs downwards
course. Even juniors have in the organization. This is
power over their Seniors, if because it is passed on by
they can influence their the seniors to the juniors.
behaviour. So power can
run upwards, downwards or
horizontally.
 POWER VS. AUTHORITY
POWER
ORGANIZA- Power relationships cannot
TIONAL be shown in organizational
CHARTS charts.
LEVEL OF Power does not rest on the
MANAGE- level of management. Power
MENT can be at any level of
management. A lower-level
manager or an employee
can have power to influence
the behaviour of a top-level
manager.
AUTHORITY
Authority relationships can
be shown in organizational
charts.
Authority rests on the level
of management. The more
advancements in the level
of management, the higher
will be the authority and
vice-versa.
 POWER VS. AUTHORITY
POWER AUTHORITY
LEGITIMACY Power need not to be Authority is
authorized in nature. constantly
authorized in nature.
POSITION Power lives in the Authority is given to
AND PERSON person who uses it. a position. The leader
acquires the
authority only when
he is in that position.