Power, authority, and influence in organizational contexts

Power, Authority and Influence

The experiences of the thirteen women in Women and Men, Work and Power (Muoio, 1998) show that there are multiple ways by which women gain power in the business world. Some of these women adopt stereotypical "male" tactics, seizing power by being aggressive. This approach is sometimes viewed as necessary because women in business are traditionally not party to any of Weber's sources of authority -- they are not in power until somebody puts them there, they are not traditionally in that position but by emulating "male" behavioral traits perhaps charismatic authority could be acquired. However, most of the women in the group believe that this approach is not consistent with their personalities, so they adopt different approaches. In all, these experiences show that acquiring power is not an end for which there is one proven approach. Today, any number of approaches can be utilized in order to achieve the desired end of power, authority and influence.

In most organizations, power is formal, dictated by position. However, such positions are also achieved in large part due to the cultivation of power by the executive. The article shows that men cultivate this power by demonstrating that they have it. Through shows of force, boldness and aggression, they may not achieve success but they do signal to others that they have a high amount of personal power. This cultivates respect, which is one of the main currencies by which future power is acquired. Harriet Rubin's view that "women need to become more like men than men are" seems almost anachronistic, a corollary to the senior female partners mentioned by Michelle Bernard. This view is, however, a legitimate path to the acquisition of power. However, it is not the only one.

The other women have in general found alternate means by which to acquire power and authority. Several of them highlight the need for relationships and mentoring. Mentoring in particular focuses on the transition that is made from manager to leader. Just as many men fail to make that leap so, too, do many women. Where in past women only moved beyond that stage by emulating "male" leadership styles, recent examples have shown greater flexibility and creativity. A couple of writers illustrated that results are a source of power. D'Urso and Bernard both note that once the accomplishments of female managers were noted, greater success was achieved in moving more women into leadership positions. This works by shifting Weber's traditional authority, such that a rational case was made for the inclusion of women in the traditional authority paradigm.

This is perhaps the most important element of success. Several of these women have demanded power and taken it, rather than waited for it to be handed to them. They have worked hard to change the views of women in power. In particular, the women that have succeeded despite having "female" personality traits and leadership styles have paved the way for a shift in the paradigm that allows for future women to be more readily accepted. Once this occurs, more women will be in management. This allows for the rational-legal authority to also shift, since leaders tend to prefer to be surrounded by their own kind. More women in leadership will beget more women in leadership in the future.

Another method of acquiring real power was to create it. Sharon Patrick notes that if opportunities to build one's power are not immediately present, then those opportunities need to be created. While Patrick discusses this approach as being congruent with her "female" values because the new ventures and partnerships allow her to lead in her own style, creating such ventures is a bold step, and taking such risks is a traditional "male" attribute. Patrick need not adopt a combative management style, but does find ways to use whatever management traits will best help her achieve her objectives.

Others use their specific styles to their advantage. Whereas some managers feel that collaboration, relationship building and consensus-building are undesirable traits that show weakness, some female managers emphasize these traits. It is suggested that this tactic works because the nature of business is changing, and this may well be the case. But relationships are also a source of considerable power on their own. For example, Jessica Bibliowicz notes that male managers have mentors to help them through their careers. Rubin points out that team sports influence male leadership traits as well. While men may be more straightforward in their management styles, they also value the building of relationships. When female managers exploit their ability to build consensus and forge relationships with powerful people, they too rise. Their methods may be different and their management styles very different, but by leveraging their skills they achieve success regardless of the obstacles.