DOC-20221002-WA0016Construction management..pptx

Power and Authority

1. ECT 3408 CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT II MR. OLIVER AGINA Power & Authority in Management

2. Introduction Organizations are networks of power , influence and authority . For a successful organization and for a successful construction manager, an clear understanding of these and their application, is very crucial for the delivery on their mandates or projects. People in authority will always exercise it to get things done. Likewise people without authority but with power will also exercise their power to get their way, sometimes to the detriment of the project. As a construction manager and as a leader, it’s your responsibility to be aware of the control you hold over other people and most importantly to use this control to guide your team to a successful delivery of a project.

3. Power We can define power as the capacity or ability of a person to influence the beliefs, actions, or behavior of others. It is the ability to exercise one’s will over others (Max Webber.) Power affects everyone in the society in their personal relationships, professional organizations, larger social groups and even governments. Some see power as evil or corrupting, while some see it as good and empowering (Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Lord John Dalberg Acton) Power can be gained through experience and tend to continue becoming more powerful and influential the longer they work and live. Also power can be lost through mistakes and bad behavior

4. Power cont … Power is not hierarchical, and can flow in any direction of a relationship, from superior to subordinate (downward) or junior to senior (upward), or between the persons working at the same level of the organization(horizontal), or between the persons working at different levels and departments of the same organization (diagonal). In this way, it is not confined to any boundaries. Also the element of politics is usually attached to power.

5. Authority Authority is the legitimate power an individual or a group of individuals possess and practice over others. Legitimate means individuals (subjects) agree to listen/follow according to specific procedures, the people in authority because they believe that these individuals are in a position that inherently holds a degree of respect or because they believe that these individuals are worthy of respect. Authority can also be defined as institutionalized and legal power inherent in a job, func­tion, or position that enables the job holder to successfully carry out his/her respon­sibilities.

6. Authority cont … It is a special permission which is obtained by a person from the office he holds (positional) and it is the basis upon which he gets the rights to do the work in the organization which includes the right to command a situation, right to commit resources and right to give orders and expect them to be obeyed. Authority is usually accompanied by responsibility for one’s action and failures to act/omission. A person in authority is often powerful, but power is not necessary for authority. Authority is important for many hierarchical systems and organizations to operate smoothly and quickly.   It is the basis for the organizing function of management to ensure effective and efficient delivery in the organization.

7. C ategories of Authority Max Weber, a sociologist, developed a classification system for the concept of authority into three categories: Traditional authority - In traditional authority, the legitimacy of power exists due to long-standing traditions and customs, for example the Monarchy in a country. Max Webber describes this as the “authority of the eternal yesterday”. The subordinates accept this type of authority and refrain from challenging the traditional rights and customs of a powerful group or individual. Weber opines that traditional authority creates and preserves inequalities and if not challenged then the leader/leadership will stay in power indefinitely.

8. C ategories of Authority cont … Charismatic authority – this comes from the personal charisma, strength and charm of an individual’s personality. People accept this type of authority more because of the personal characteristics of the person/leader and not by the legitimization of their office e.g Napoleon Bonaparte, Princess Diana etc. It develops from the belief a leader’s followers have in him/her.

9. C ategories of Authority cont … Legal-rational authority - the power becomes legitimate by laws, written rules, and regulations. It is also known as bureaucratic authority or legal authority. The individual or ruling entity exerts power based on the legal office it occupies and once a person in power leaves the office, even their authority is lost. Those that rule have a legal right to do so, and surbordinates accept this legal authority. Weber notes that “rationally created rules” form the foundation of this type of authority.

10. Differences between Power & Authority 1 . Source Power is generally the product of personal traits like charisma and expertise and it can be learned and gained, and generally the more knowledgeable a person is in their field, the more power they have. Similar to charisma, power depends on the way others view a person; if they do not consider you powerful, then you will lack power. Authority on the other hand is a title given from an outside source, such as an organization, a government, or another person. While a person in authority may have personal traits that also make them powerful, their authority is derived from their position, not from within themselves. A person can be given authority while having very little personal power, although this is not considered strategic for an organization.  

11. 2. Formality Power, compared to authority, is an informal method of influence. A person does not need to have any formal status within a hierarchy to become powerful. For example, an employee with a high level of experience and technical expertise will often become powerful and influential to their peers, managers, and clients, even if they do not hold a managerial title. Authority on the other hand is a formal method of influence and must be given within a hierarchical structure, and cannot be assumed just because someone is powerful. Authority is vital within organizations to ensure that work is assigned appropriately, that employees know who they can turn to for help, and that responsibility is taken for the mistakes.  

12. 3. Legitimacy Because power is not formalized, it is also not legitimate. An individual’s power within an organization or system does not give them any special legal or political rights. Authority on the other hand is both formal and legitimate (derived from a constitution or any legal document). The difference between formality and legitimacy lies within legal rights and duties and the trust and perception of the others/public. For instance, a soldier in the Army may perform duties as part of their service that civilians do not typically have the legal right to perform; this comes from the legitimacy of the authority given to the military. Importantly, an organization or government must be interpreted by its clients as legitimate in order for it to truly have authority.

13. 4. Ability to be Lost Power can be lost, but it generally takes repeated mistakes or poor behaviour for someone to lose their power. Because power is built from expertise and experience, making critical errors, like in politics or business, can make a powerful person lose their credibility and hence their power. And while power doesn’t require a good personality, it generally requires a level of charisma, so bad personal behaviour or poor treatment of employees can also strip someone of their influence and hence their power.

14. Authority on the other hand is easily lost. An organization can usually take away authority from someone by removing them from the position, or by taking away anything in the position that gave them formal power over others. For example, some government departments have moved managers into positions with the same pay level but have taken away their leadership functions during department restructuring. There are however some instances when someone’s position of authority is institutionalized and very difficult to change ( e.g Chapter 15 of the Constitution of Kenya, Commissions and Independent offices) The British monarchy for instance still has positions of authority that are extremely difficult to alter.

15. 5. Use of Violence People exercising their power often resort to violence or coercion to influence others. This is especially true in politics, where rebel groups attempt to violently promote their cause. While power is not inherently violent (there are powerful people who are not violent – charismatic), because powerful people often lack authority, violence becomes their preferred method of influence. Also because violence also appears cheaper and faster than diplomacy or other forms of influence.

16. Legitimate authority on the other hand is not violent, with the possible exception of declared and symmetrical war (war between two positions of authority). Authority is institutionalized and authoritative positions should have duties or tools or instruments that allow people in these positions to influence others or complete their work without having to resort to violence. When an authority figure uses violence against civilians or other non-authority figures, the situation becomes “asymmetrical” or unfair, and the authority figure loses legitimacy.

17. 6. Within System or Without Power is perhaps the easiest to gain within a specific field or organization, but it doesn’t need to be confined to one system. A powerful person will often be recognized as powerful by new people and across disciplines and across many systems, such as a famous doctor or politician. Authority doesn’t typically apply outside an organization or system, but the system can be very large.

18. ASSIGNMENT. Discuss the different types of power which you can use as a Construction Manager to influence the course of a construction project under your watch (20 MARKS) The assignment will be due on 8 Th October 2022 to be handed in just after the CAT on the same day.