Question

1.Name any one organization (work, family, roommates, school??) of which you are currently a member and for each of the five bases of power, identify that you do or do

not have each particular power.(Legitimate, reward, coercive, expert, referent) (a sentence or so for each.)

2.How would you expect your power bases to change in a different organization? Explain.

3.Name one power base that you seem to prefer to use. Is this a positive or negative behavior on your part? Would you wish to enhance or diminish this? How might you do so?

4.How might you use what you learned about empowerment to improve outcomes or influence others in your organization named in item #1?

5.Lastly, what power bases that you have now would you expect you will be able to carry forward with you beyond graduation? Why is that

Answer 1

Answer 1. I am part of a family (Bases of power) :

1. Legitimate power- The power based on the position of the person in the hierarchy, In family, head of the family has that power, My grandmother and father holds this power, i do not hold this power because i am in the lowest hierarchy.

2. Reward power- The power of deciding and distributing rewards among the members. My parents hold this power as they are capable of distributing and they have the power of choosing rewardees.

3. Coercive power- This power is based on fear, punishments given by the parents to the children.

4. Expert power- This power is based on knowledge and skills of the person, ability and judgement. I have this power in my family because i can, on based of my education, experience and knowledge can advice my family members and share the particular information.

5. Referent power- Identification, trust, possesions and charisma based power. Mother and father's relationship is based on referent power. Among all the family members, anybody can use this power, as this is trust and charisma based power. father and mother deciding the whole holiday trip for the family according to them only. everybody else giving their opinions and agreeing to it. i have this power.

2. I want to have the all the rest of the powers other than expert which i already have, But i will get it once i ll be a bread earner of the family, when i will be married and holding the heighest position in the hierarchy, i will have the legtimate power or i will be experienced enough to use my referent and reward power in the family.

3. i want to exercise the referent and expert power the most in my family as these are the most suitable ones for me at this position. I think expert power is very positive as we use our best of the knowledge and skills to enhance the family or organization good environment. I want to exercise the coercive power too but i think it is very negative as serious punishments given to family or organization members lower their morals and trust.

4. Empowering family members:

• Joint responsiblities
• Sense of cooperation
• Open communication
• Sharing knowledge and wisdom
• Promoting independence
• Giving recognition for even small tasks to children

5. I have the expert and referent power with me in the family right now. and i am expecting it to be with me beyond graduation. Once i will be an earning member of the family, i can exercise reward power and after i will start my own family i can have the legitimate and coercive power too.