French and Raven’s bases of power is a model that helps explain sources of power in society. Two psychologists developed it in the 1950s. According to this model, people can have coercive power, reward power, legitimate power, referent power, and expert power. After the model was first released, more research was conducted, and some experts believe that a sixth source of power—information power—also exists. The five bases of power are used in management, business, human relations, and other sectors.
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Julius Caesar By Andrew Bossi (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
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Commander of the International Security Assistance Force Gen. David H. Petraeus (center), U.S. Army By English: Staff Sgt. Bradley Lail, U.S. Air Force (www.defense.gov) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
History of the Model
In the first half of the 1900s, social psychology and organizational theories were becoming important topics of research. A psychologist named John R. P. French started studying social psychology when he was a graduate student at Harvard before the start of World War II. French later started working at the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the University of Michigan. There he continued to study psychology and develop theories.
At the same time, a graduate student named Bertram H. Raven was working on his dissertation at Michigan. Raven was interested in the reasons why people change their behavior. He started his research by working with a professor named Leon Festinger. Festinger later left the university, and Raven began working with French. Together, French and Raven researched why people changed their behaviors and beliefs. This led them to develop theories about power.
In 1959, French and Raven published a paper in which they detailed their five bases of power. After its publication, the model became a standard in classrooms and textbooks. It also became an important point of research for other people interested in power, social psychology, and organizational theory.
Power and Its Sources
French and Raven’s five bases of power help explain how people attain power and how they are able to influence others. Power is generally defined as a person’s ability to influence people, behaviors, and situations.
A person who has power is often called the influencing agent, and the person or situation that is influenced is called the target. Although all influencing agents use power to influence targets, not all influencing agents get their power from the same sources. French and Raven’s model states that power comes in five forms: coercive power, reward power, legitimate power, referent power, and expert power.
Coercive Power
Coercive power comes from a person’s ability to punish someone else if expectations are not met. An example of coercive power in the workplace would be a manager who has the ability to reprimand an employee. Threats of punishment, such as firing, are coercive in nature. A different example of coercive power is the threat of rejection by another person or by a group.
Reward Power
Reward power is almost the opposite of coercive power. This power comes from a person’s ability to offer others rewards for doing what he or she wants them to do. Examples of rewards in the workplace might include pay increases or promotions. A different type of reward power comes from the offer of acceptance by another person or group.
Legitimate Power
Legitimate power mostly comes from social norms. This type of power has to do with a person’s title, rank, or standing in society. Legitimate power is based on the idea that people are expected to obey others who hold dominant social positions. An example of legitimate power is when a low-ranking military officer obeys the commands of a superior officer.
Referent Power
Referent power is based on a person’s personality, charm, or appeal. Celebrities sometimes have referent power. They can influence people to support certain causes or purchase certain products.
Expert Power
People who have extensive knowledge or skill have expert power. Individuals who have expert power are trusted, and their opinions, ideas, and suggestions about certain topics will be favored over others’. An example of a person who has expert power is a manager who has been in an industry for a long time.
A Sixth Source of Power
Some researchers believe that information power is the sixth source of power. This form of power is wielded when a person uses sound reasoning, facts, and examples to influence others. An example of information power is when a manager convinces her staff to change a policy based on research and statistics.
The different sources of power are not all equal. Those who want to influence others must assess the disadvantages and benefits of each type of power. For example, information power might be very convincing. However, people have to invest time and resources into finding the information they need to use this power. The disadvantages and benefits of power are illustrated clearly by the use of coercive power. While this type of power usually results in quick compliance from others, it also creates hostility and could backfire later.
The Model over Time
French and Raven’s five bases of power became an important model used in management, human relations, and other sectors. Since French and Raven’s bases were first published in 1959, experts have conducted more studies about power and its sources.
In this time, a sixth source of power, information power, was identified. Furthermore, some people have recognized a seventh source of power, connection power. This type of power is derived from connecting with people who already have power. People who believe in connection power feel that knowing and befriending individuals in prominent positions gives them their own type of power. In the modern business world, networking is one way for people to attain connection power. Although the model has evolved over time, French and Raven’s bases are still used in many fields.
Bibliography
“Bases of Power.” Encyclopedia of Power. Ed. Keith Dowding. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2011. Print.
Giang, Vivian. “The 7 Types of Power That Shape the Workplace.” Business Insider. Business Insider Inc. 31 Jul. 2013. Web. 6 Feb. 2015. http://www.businessinsider.com/the-7-types-of-power-that-shape-the-workplace-2013-7
Nelson, Debra, and James Quick. Organizational Behavior: Science, the Real World, and You. Mason, OH: South-Western, 2013. Print.
Raven, Bertram H. “Power, Six Bases of.” Encyclopedia of Leadership. SAGE Publications, Inc. Web. 6 Feb. 2015. http://www.sagepub.com/northouse6e/study/materials/reference/reference1.4.pdf
Sorid, Daniel. “The Authority That’s Not on Any Chart.” New York Times. The New York Times Company. 8 Aug. 2009. Web. 6 Feb. 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/09/jobs/09pre.html?‗r=1&
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