USING POWER

1. USING POWER Joining Together: Group Theory and Group Skills 11th Edition David W. Johnson Frank P. Johnson

2. Nature Of Power • Constructive Vs. Destructive Uses Of Power • Two Views Of Power: • Dynamic Interdependence View Of Power • Trait-Factor View Of Power • Bases Of Power • Unequal Power • High Power Members • Low Power Members • Indirect Power: • Group Norms • Group Mind

3. Power • Power: Capacity To Affect Outcomes Of Oneself, Others, Environment • Direct: In Interpersonal, Intergroup Interaction • Indirect: Through Group Norms, Values, Traditions • Constructive Vs. Destructive Use Of Power: • Constructive: Increases Group Effectiveness, Benefits All Group Members, Encouraged By All Group Members • Destructive: Increases Self-Benefit, Forces Others To Do Something They Do Not Wish To Do • Two Major Theories: • Dynamic-Interdependence: Who Influences Whom Changes Constantly As Individuals Strive To Achieve Mutual Goals • Trait Factor: Disposition To Exert Power Over Other People

4. What is Power? • A quality of a person? Of a position? Of a place? Of a situation? Of a relationship? • Can be constructive or destructive (enhances or interferes with the effectiveness of group work) • Dominant view: power is negative and destructive. “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely” (Lord Acton) • Dynamic-Interdependence View of Power: positive and essential for mutual enhancement

5. The Dynamic-Interdependence View of Power • Who Influences Whom To What Degree Changes Constantly As Members Strive To Achieve The Group’s Goals. • Power Exists In Relationships. Power Is: • Inevitable • Essential • Dynamic • Distributed • Context Is Decisive • Competitive • Cooperative

6. Power in Competitive Context • Defined as: successful influence that overcomes the other’s unwillingness to perform the desired behavior. • Currently dominating approach among social scientists and power holders • Power is viewed as: • A fixed-pie resource • A zero-sum resource • A commodity to be accumulated • Acting in a unidirectional way • Inherently coercive • Limits other uses of power (based on trust and power sharing) • Evokes reactance

7. Power in Cooperative Context • Defined as: successful influence used to maximize joint benefits, and enhance the group’s effectiveness • Power is viewed as • Expandable • To be shared • Acting in bidirectional way • Inherently noncoercive • Largely ignored in the literature • Research on people with cooperative cognitive orientation to power • Inducibility

8. Mobilizing Power to Achieve Goals Determine your goals Determine your relevant resources Determine your needed coalitions Negotiate mutual support contracts Implement the contracts

9. The Trait-Factor Approach to Power • Static • Atomistic • Historical • Inductive • Power and persuasion • Aristotle • Yale Attitude Change program, headed by Carl Hovland • Social Dominance Theory

10. The Bases of Power • Social exchange theory: power is based on the control of valuable resources. The type of resource  basis for power (French & Raven, 1959) • Reward power • Coercive power • Legitimate power • Referent power • Expert power • Informational power

11. Power and Problem Solving • Groups are more effective at solving problems when • Power is relatively balanced among its members • Power is based upon competence, expertise, and information

12. High Power Members • Happy with the situation • Hard to move toward cooperation, conciliation, and compromise • Two strategies to keep the status quo: • Institute rules and norms to legitimize their power (“might-is-right”) • Deter low-power group members from rocking the boat by applying carrot and stick method (“if-only-you-would-behave-neither-of-us-would-go-through-this-suffering”) • The metamorphic effects of high power • Status and power • Power stereotyping theory • Oppression

13. High Power Strategies To Justify Status Quo • L = Legitimize Own Privileges And • Intimidate Low-Power Individuals • E = Self-Enhancement • A = Attribute Low-Power People’s Success • To Own Control • D = Devalue Low-Power Individuals And • Their Contributions

14. Low Power Members • Build Coalitions • Educate And Morally Persuade • Bring High-Power Group Members To Negotiating Table: • Use Existing Legal Procedures To Pressure For Change • Use Obstruction Or Harassment To Increase High-Power Members’ Costs • Terrorism • Metamorphic Effects Of Low-Power • Relationships Among Low-Power Groups • Revenge

15. Low-Power Strategies To Change Status Quo • C = Cooperative, Compliant, Yielding To High- • Power Members • O = Attribution Of Causes Of Group Successes • To Own Efforts • R = Resistance, Psychological Reactance, • Obstruction Of High-Power Members’ • Efforts • E = Negative Evaluations Of High-Power • Members

16. Group Norms • Conforming To Group Norms: • Conformity: Changes In Behavior Resulting From Group Influences • Compliance: Behavioral Change Without Internal Acceptance • Implementing Group Norms

17. The Group Mind • Collective Behavior: Spontaneously Perform Atypical Actions Such As Riots Or Mass Hysteria • Group Mind: In Mob Individuals Act Impulsively Unreasonably, Extreme Ways • Anonymity: People Feel Less Responsible For Actions • Contagion: Emotion States Spreads From Person To Person • Convergence Theory: People With Compatible Motivations Release Previously Controlled Behaviors • Emergent Norm Theory: Heterogeneous Individuals Adhere To Current Norms • Deindividuation: State Of Relative Anonymity, Members Do Not Feel Identifiable

18. Summary • Power • Dynamic Interdependence Approach • Trait Factor Approach • Bases Of Power • Unequal Power • High-Power Members • Low-Power Members • Indirect Use Of Power • Norms • Group Mind