Life’s Different Powers and Their Use

This kind of power

This kind of power results from a person’s wisdom, information, experience, or skills. One might begin gaining leadership expertise, for instance, and after a certain amount of time, develop into an authority in that area. It can also be learned through education in the particular field that one has decided to pursue in life. For instance, if a person enrolls in a college to receive project management training, they will be qualified to handle projects after the course’s allotted time has passed. Expertise is required because it ensures that different tasks are completed as expected. In a company or an organization, expert power is significant for any particular department as it streamlines the running of the department. The power can be used to promote cooperation among the employees as it helps to bring various people with different proficiencies together.

Expert power is often used in a cooperative manner

Expert power is often used in a cooperative manner since such individuals are expected to produce results. Hence, it calls for virtues of teamwork, information sharing, knowledge and skills know how. It is rarely that this form of power is coerced or manipulated since it falls under the domain of a superior institutional power which guides it through rules and regulations. Also, expert power is disseminated through consultation processes thus making it less coercive and more cooperative.

Referred Power

This is a type of power that comes out the respect and trust we develop with people. This means that it is a kind of power that comes out of our interaction with other individuals in any given environment we associate ourselves with. In most cases, the way we handle, treat and talk to people matters a lot and it is what earns us this power. Treating individuals with respect and care thus making them feel comfortable when around us, tends to gain a lot of trust and respect from them as well. As a result, they can feel confident to disclose us any given information, however, confidential it may be. In a typical working environment, for example, the human resource managers who are always mindful of the other employees’ welfare always gain this type of power. They are always respected and trusted, and this is always to the advantage of the organization or company they are working for. This power is used to bring trust and respect at the place of work. It is important since it helps develop a sense of respect and harmony within a place of work.

People with referred power always use it through cooperative means

People with referred power always use it through cooperative means such as collaboration, active participation, teamwork and constant interaction. Furthermore, such power is often used to empower and motivate individuals who trust and respect such an individual for the greater good. At most times this is achieved through granting equal opportunities for growth, freedom of expression and speech, easy access to forms of power and transparency as well as accountability.

Positional Power

This is a type of power that is acquired as a result of a position one holds in a given company or organization. It further entails the authority one holds as a result of who he is. Such power has been widely discussed in the context of how best it can be used to produce maximum output. It is one type of power that is easily misused. For example, one can use this power to manipulate other people who are under him/her. In turn, this produces the fear effect from the juniors and to the extreme may lead to rebellion from the same junior staff. On the other hand, if well utilized, it is the type of power that can boost the motivation within the junior staff and employees.

Coercion is often applied in people with positional power

Coercion is often applied in people with positional power through bullying those under them to gain their support. Additionally, manipulation can be practiced with positional power holders, and this is often through bribery, the promise of job promotions, or even through intimidation of terminating such employees. It is rarely practiced in a cooperative manner even though, that is the most efficient way of using this form of power.

Ideological Power

Ideological power comes from the human need to acquire ultimate meaning in life, to share principles and values, as well, as to participate in aesthetic and ritual practices with others. Hence, this form of power is practiced from two perspectives, either as an individual idea or developed ideologies amongst a group of people. It is a shared view that a person gains this form of power and rarely is it coerced to others. Rather is learned through practice of certain cultural practices and can be used to either radicalize or emancipate people constrained in their societies.

Ideologies can be imparted to people through different ways

Ideologies can be imparted to people through different ways such as coercion as what the ISIS movement is trying to do in all Islamic states. Also, it can be as a form of empowerment, a good example being Mahatma Gandhi’s ideologies of simple living and disregard of money as wealth but rather healthy living through simple means.

Power of Media

The power of media or social media, as it is commonly referred, comes as a result of the ability to share or disseminate information across a vast geographical region through digital platforms such as internet, television, and radio. The power in itself is its ability to manipulate views of individuals with the information it passes. The mass media has become a considerable part of peoples’ lives and forms and affects public opinion.

The power of the media is used in many ways

The power of the media is used in many ways. It can be utilized as an empowerment tool to overcome oppression from another power such as politics. This is done through sharing information and imparting knowledge. The technology of the media enables it possible to apply its power for either empowerment or incitement depending on the audience viewpoint.