To make things happen in the organization and to achieve its goals, managers require power as a management resource. Power can be interpreted as managers’ capability to influence their employees. Influence transpired when managers use power in a form that will derive in some behavioral response by employees. There are five sources of power managers use to influence others, identified by two social psychologists. These sources of power can be categorized into to types, that is positional power and personal power. Positional power consists of legitimate power, reward power, and coercive power. Personal power comprised by referent power and expert power.
We interviewed a manager of a big retailer in Singapore. He is responsible to manage the branch that he heads or leads, namely The Clementi Mall branch. He has three power based on our analysis. Firstly, he has legitimate power, which is an authority and power granted by people in the upper hierarchy of the company. This position is certainly regulated by written or verbal contracts, which also outlines the manager’s obligation. Subordinates believe that because the manager has been entrusted the position, therefore he has the privilege to support and guide his employees at work. Secondly, he has expert power, that is a power to influence his employees by merely upon his superior and admirable expertise, knowledge, and assured ability to execute works. Company must be serious when selecting the head of branch manager. As this is a crucial position for a retailer that located in populous area, hence elected manager must be required to have abundant knowledge and experience in order to forecast situation accurately and to deal problems that will arise. Thirdly, he has referent power, which is capability to cultivate reverence, respect, and adoration of his subordinates thus they solicitous to be like him. As he has leadership ability according to his employees, such as give tasks and duties clearly and specifically, always motivate subordinates at work, and able to work together or corporate with his subordinates. Additionally, he able to make right decisions in time.
However, he said that he has no coercive power. That means he does not have power to discipline his members for not achieve performance expectations. But he can report to HR department about employees’ mistake, then HR will consider sanctions to be given according the regulation of the company. Mistakes made will be determined whether it is a small mistakes, moderate mistakes, or big mistakes. Sanctions can be in the form of warning letters, etc. Warning letters itself has level. He also cannot cut employees’ salaries. Lastly, the manager that we interviewed has no reward power, which is a power to use reward to influence his subordinates. He has no right to reward his employees for their performance that exceed expectations, such as give bonuses and promotions. However, he can give praises, recognition, and give recommendation to HR department to promote competent employees.
2.3.2 Does he have enough power to influence his employees
Of course, manager has the power to influence their employees. Manager can influence their employees in 3 ways. By talk, which means to tell their employees what to do not how to do because keeping your team motivated is to build trust and respect. By action, there are several actions of managers, the first manager must set his staff for success, it may be troublesome for business people to change far from the saying “if I want something done right, is should just do it myself”. But great manager must make sure that their employees have the chance to learn and operate independently. Managers also must challenge and stretch their workers, as your employees show their ability to work independently, great managers will keep on finding ways to challenge their existing skill and stretch them to completely own areas of a project. The last but not least is manager must be a leader where manager must lead the employees and able to influence over others.
2.3.3 Recommend how manager take action to increase his power and ability
Managers as leaders have a profound impact on their employees and their organizational achievement. Employees are craved for support, coaching, guidance and feedback from their managers. Managers who are lack in providing these categories, could place the gratification of their employees and the organization’s notoriety in hazard. Good managers should know how to use their power to influence employees to perform according to their preferences and to design procedures and processes that leads to the realization of the company’s goals.
According to his opinion, manager should know the way, shows the way, and goes the way. Firstly, manager should know the way by make a clear vision. Without a vision, each employee will drive to different direction. They will move in circle, resulting in a waste of time, money, and brainpower. With a clear vision, employees can be focus only to one goal. Hence, if the department or branch do not have clear expectations of the future, it is impossible for the them to achieve great things. Secondly, manager should show the way by tell the employees about the vision and plan that he made. Likewise tell them that they have part in the plan based on their talent. Thus, employees know that the manager pay attention to each of them. The manager also needs to make sure that the employees have desire to participate on his plan. Lastly, manager and employees should execute the plan without deviate from the plan. However, flexibility will be needed to be applied when facing problems.