SOC361H5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Traditional Authority, Decision-Making, Organizational Conflict
Document Summary
What is the nature of power in organizations; Dahl defines power as the relationship between two or more actors in which the behaviour of one is affected by behaviour of others. Inter unit power; can be hierachy like labour and management or on same level like department/divisional. Weber states; authority is a tyep fo power that is based on acceptance by others of a given individual legitimate right to issue orders. -when dependence is not balanced, one actor may have more power than another. David mechanic identified 3 general types of resources in organizations: persons, information, instrumentalities (physical or tangible resources) Having a low level job may have high level of power if you control a vital resource. Personal characteristics to have effect on power resources; intelligence, attraction and social status. Strategic contingency is when resources are viewed as important. Scarcity of a resouce also can determine power.
