We often talk about power abstractly—with either respect, pride, or deference. In organizational behavior (OB), power simply refers to a capacity that A has to influence the behavior of B so B acts in accordance with A’s wishes.1 Someone can thus have power but not use it; it is a capacity or potential. Probably the most important aspect of power is that it is a function of dependence. The greater B’s dependence on A, the greater A’s power in the relationship. Dependence, in turn, is based on alternatives that B perceives and the importance B places on the alternative(s) A controls. A person can have power over you only if he or she controls something you desire. If you want a college degree and have to pass a certain course to get it, and your current instructor is the only faculty member in the college who teaches that course, she has power over you because your alternatives are highly limited and you place a high degree of importance on the outcome. Similarly, if you’re attending college on funds provided by your parents, you probably recognize the power they hold over you. But once you’re out of school, have a job, and are making a good income; your parents’ power is reduced significantly.

A careful comparison of our description of power with our description of leadership in Chapter 12 reveals that the concepts are closely intertwined. Leaders use power as a means of attaining group goals. How are the two terms different? Power does not require goal compatibility, just dependence. Leadership, on the other hand, requires some congruence between the goals of the leader and those being led. A second difference relates to the direction of influence. Leadership research focuses on the downward influence on followers. It minimizes the importance of lateral and upward influence patterns. Power research takes all factors into consideration. For a third difference, leadership research often emphasizes style. It seeks answers to questions such as: How supportive should a leader be? How much decision making should be shared with followers? In contrast, the research on power focuses on tactics for gaining compliance. Lastly, leadership concentrates on the individual leader’s influence, while the study of power acknowledges that groups as well as individuals can use power to control other individuals or groups.

You may have noted that for a power situation to exist, one person or group needs to have control over resources the other person or group values. This is usually the case in established leadership situations. However, power relationships are possible in all areas of life, and power can be obtained in many ways. Let’s explore the various sources of power next.