A Review on Power Bases Application to Sri Lanka’s Context

A review on Power Bases application to

Sri Lanka’s context

Introduction

This paper is based on Organizational Behaviour module and the topic considered for the paper is a review on Power, Politics, and Influence application to Sri Lanka’s current issues by Shamindra Hettiarachchi.

The initial chapter of the paper discusses, what is all about Power, Politics, and Influence, the reasons why power required and the power dependency module.

Then the other chapter briefly describe power typology, such as Power as decision making, by Steven Lukes,1974, Power as knowledge, by Michel Foucault, 1980, Powershift, by Alvin Toffler, 1990 and the Power bases, by Raven, 2008.

Out of all the power typologies Bertram Raven (2008) power bases are discussed in detail with their current issues to Sri Lankan’s context. They are, Legitimate Power, which is the power a person receives as a result of his or her position in the formal hierarchy of an organization, Reward Power, which is compliance achieved based on the ability to distribute rewards that others view as valuable, Coercive Power, which is the power base that is depend on fear, Expert Power, which is influence based on special skills or knowledge, Referent Power, which is influence based on possession by an individual of desirable resources or personal traits, Informational Power, which is influence based on the information an individual control.

Each power base is described briefly and discussed in detail to the current context of Sri Lanka with advantages, impact and drawbacks of each power use.

What are POWER, POLITICS, and INFLUENCE

Power is the ability to influence others to believe, behave, or to value as those in power desire them to or to strengthen, validate, or confirm present beliefs, behaviors, or values.

Power is the social force that allows select persons to mobilize others, to organize others, to act in concert, and to melt away resistance to leaders’ authority. It...