Week 3 DQ 2

Discuss the dynamics and concept of power in organizations, for example, are they gender-
based, is power at odds with the provision of services, and does politics or cost enter in?
What is power and what does it have to do with the goals of the organization? What are the
pros and cons to the ways in which power is distributed within and between groups and
organizations?.

Emersons Power Theory 1962 speaks in terms of person A and person B.
The theory states that if person B, has something person A wants badly enough, then person B has
power over person A. This is because person B has the desired commodity.(the thing that person A
desires.) What Emerson tells us is that in any social relationship, if someone has something that
another person desires and the probability is that that person cannot get that something outside of
this relationship, then that is how power can be exercised. The key to the power dynamic is in the
desired commodity.
Just like carbohydratesThere is good power and there is,bad power.Power in its more positive
form is the potential ability to move positively empowered people on a chosen course to produce an
effect or achieve a specific goal (Kirst-Ashman 215)

It is my humble opinion that when things like politics and gender or other things that exclude certain
groups of people enter into this equation; good power can quickly begin to morph into the darker bad
power that runs on negative energy rather than good energy. I am by no means, a star wars nerd
but the concept of the force is stuck in my mind as a good analogy right now. You have your good
side of the force and your dark side of the force. Its up to the individual which side they will draw
their power and momentum from. Organizations are by nature political(Kirst-Ashman 222)
Therefore, avoiding politics in an organization is difficult. Keeping the politics in check is much more
reasonable.

When decisions are being made regarding the distribution and structure of power within an
organization it would be best to make those decisions with the question, Will this decision best
benefit the organization as a wholeor is it only benefitting those that have the power?

Kirst-Ashman, Karen K.. Human Behavior in the Macro Social Environment, 3rd Edition. Wadsworth, 2014-
02-13.













Kirst-Ashman, Karen K.. Human Behavior in the Macro Social Environment, 3rd Edition. Wadsworth, 2014-
02-13