Power

Power is an interesting thing to see in action, especially when it goes wrong.

Firstly lets describe some types of power:

• Ecological power: The use of ecological power controls the physical environment, technology, organisation, and operations within the unit (Yukl, 2002. p. 153; Donovan & Jacson, 1991. pp.266-267).
• Information power: People in the corporate sector or at high levels of the human service hierarchy may distort or withhold information for their own gains by enhancing their own expert power, thus becoming indispensable to the organisation (Yukl, 2002. p. 152).
• Expert power: is gained through years of study and experience, and enhanced by reinforcing the image of their expert position through their actions, which is the source of their personal power (Yukl, 2002. p. 151).
• Perfect position power: to wield the most influence in the day-to-day running of organisations, providing that information and expert power is used effectively (Yukl, 2002. pp. 151-153).
• Referential power: is the form of power that takes advantage of the rapport between the staff and clients, where the clients have a desire to please the staff and take action for self-rehabilitation (Yukl, 2002. p. 150; Donovan & Jacson, 1991. p.267; Groopman, 2007, p.20), Effectively providing that the staff person is friendly, charming, and trustworthy, showing acceptance, having positive regard, being supportive and helpful, doing unsolicited favors, showing concern, and keeping promises.
• Legitimate power: is the power given to the staff by the structure of the hierarchy, the policies that govern the activities of the staff and from other organisations that support the organisation (Yukl, 2002. pp. 144-146).
• Coercive power: refers to the punitive power individuals in authority have to keep subordinates in line, which differs between the levels of hierarchy and between organisations (Yukl, 2002. pp. 144-149; Etziomi, 1980. p.88).

Children are taught by their parents to shear their toys with their siblings, fights start between children when one child is playing with a toy that the other one has. Here is the beginning of a power play, which child has what toy and the attitude of power (Cloud, 1992) over the toy escalates with time and further encounters develops into power over non-tangibles such as liberty, rights, positions, emotional control, and the list goes on. The values, ideas and beliefs that the children grow up taught by the any adult become lifelong and can trap us or open us to live life maladaptive or adaptively respectfully (Cloud, 1992). Babies find the most interest in toys that make noises, noises that the baby initiates, in the preteens through to adult hood individuals discover that other people also make noises when you push the right buttons. Here is where taunting, teasing and power plays come into the realm of emotionality.

This subject is open for further elaboration... More to come ....