UNIVERSIDAD DE MANILA

MSGBautista

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

First Semester S.Y. 2020-2021

MODULE 3
PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND
GOVERNANCE

Name: _______________________________ Date :__________

Grade/Section: ________________________ Week :__________
Track/Strand: _________________________
Lesson 3 NATURE OF POWER

WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT?

Your teachers, parents, and the government have forms of power over you wherever
you are. A teacher controls your grades which controls whether you move on or not. A
government makes laws that restrict you from doing things. Parents govern what
responsibilities you have and what you can’t and can do but only you and no one else. In
other words, power exists in any forms.

Power is usually identified as the ability to influence people’s behavior by getting

people do what the person wants. It shapes and control people’s attitude towards the leader
and the governing system. In this lesson, we will talk more about power, its nature,
definition, and types.

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT TO LEARN?

Content Standard:
❖ The learners demonstrate an understanding of politics and political
science, governance, political ideologies, power, states, nations, and
globalization.

Performance Standard:
❖ The learners clearly identify a specific political phenomenon and how
it can be studied.

Objectives:
After the lesson, the learners should be able to:
1. define power;
2. explain the nature of power; and
3. identify the types of power.
PRELIMINARY ACTIVITY

What do you think is the picture trying to imply? Write your ideas in
not less than 5 sentences.

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WHAT IS POWER?

It is not easy to explain the meaning of ‘Power’, more particularly in the context of
human relations. We are encountered with many different explanations in various
disciplines. Even within a single social discipline, Power is defined in several different ways.

Some social scientists define it as the use of force whereas many others explain it as
the capacity to secure the desired goals through the use of force or threat of use of force or
even by exercising influence.

1. “Power is the power of man on others” and as a “man’s control over the minds and
actions of other men.” —Morgenthau

2. “Power is the capacity to impose one’s will on others by reliance on effective sanctions
in case of non-compliance.” —Schwarzenberger
 3. “Power is the ability to exercise such control as to make others do what they otherwise
would not do by rewarding or promising to reward them, or by depriving or
threatening to deprive them of something they value.” —Charles P. Schleicher

On the basis of these definitions we can say that power in the context of human relations
is the capacity and ability to secure a desired and intended effect or gain by means of use
of force, influence or control.

Moreover, power is the capacity of an individual to influence the actions, beliefs, or

conduct (behavior) of others. The term "authority" is often used for power that is perceived
as legitimate by the social structure. Power can be seen as evil or unjust. However, power
can also be seen as good and as something inherited or given for exercising humanistic
objectives that will help, move, and empower others as well. In general, it is derived by the
factors of interdependence between two entities and the environment.

“Power is the ability to make other people do what one wants them
to do”.

TYPES OF POWER

Power comes from numerous sources, each of which has different effects on the
targets of that power. Some originate from individual characteristics; others draw on aspects
of an organization's structure. There are six types of power that include legitimate, referent,
expert, reward, coercive, and informational.

(1) Legitimate Power

It is also known as "positional power". This is the power individuals have from their
role and status within an organization. Legitimate power usually involves formal authority
delegated to the holder of the position.

For example, the president of a corporation has certain powers because of the office
he holds in the corporation.

(2) Referent Power

Referent power originates from the ability of individuals to attract others and build
their faithfulness. It is based on the personality and interpersonal skills of the power holder.
A person may be admired because of a specific personal mannerism, such as charisma or
likability, and these positive feelings become the basis for interpersonal influence.

For example, Kyle is the Production Manager of a big consumer electronics firm. He
has a strong leadership within his subordinates that comes from a positive attitude, a strong
knowledge of the field and a charismatic way to transmit ideas. Since Kyle took the job, the
company’s production figures have increased tremendously and the Board of Directors is
very pleased with what he does.
 An external consulting firm evaluated Kyle’s performance and concluded that he
developed a strong referent power throughout the whole organization and this assessment
created new opportunities for Kyle’s career. He is set to be the next CEO of the company if
he keeps delivering such great results.

(3) Expert Power

Expert power draws from a person's ability and knowledge and is especially strong
when an organization has a high need for them. Narrower than most sources of power, the
power of an expert typically applies only in the specific area of the person's expertise and
credibility.

As an example, consider a company that sells all of their products online. At 3pm on
a Friday afternoon their database crashes. Employees leave at 6pm, and many of them can’t
work later as they have flights booked for a weekend away etc. In this situation the manager
is facing the prospect of lost sales not just for that night, but for the whole weekend.

This scenario would cost the company hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost sales.
Now suppose that a relatively junior engineer said they could fix the problem temporarily,
at least for the weekend, in just two hours. All of the sudden this relatively junior engineer
holds all the power, at least for the next two hours.

In fact, the power dynamic has been completely turned upside down, with the
manager at the mercy of the junior engineer whilst the problem is being resolved.

(4) Reward Power

Reward power comes from the ability to bestow valued material rewards or create
other positive incentives. It refers to the extent to which the individual can provide external
motivation to others through benefits or gifts.

Examples of rewards include bonus, pay rise, extra time off, company car, gifts,
increased responsibility, recognition, praise, a discount on the company’s products or
services.

There are two types of rewards – tangible and intangible. Tangible rewards include
such things as bonuses and pay rises, whereas intangible rewards include such things as
praise and increased responsibility.

(5) Coercive Power

Coercive power is the menace and application of sanctions and other negative
outcomes. These can include direct punishment or the withholding of desired resources or
rewards. Coercive power relies on fear to induce compliance.

For example, Mr. Gerard is the Marketing Manager of a company called All Men
Clothing Co. The company sales men apparel through its website and social media. Mr.
Gerard is in charge of supervising the Social Media Department, led by Mr. Warren. The
owners of the company recently demanded from Mr. Gerard an increase of sales coming
from social media platforms.

In order to achieve this goal, Mr. Gerard approached Mr. Warren and set a goal for
his department to increase sales by 10% in the next 3 months. Mr. Gerard said that if the goal
wasn’t met in that period some of the people working in the department (including Mr.
Warren) might lose their jobs.

The fact that Mr. Gerard established the possibility of losing the job is the main
indication that he is using coercive power to achieve the goal set by the owners. By
threatening the department with this, he is putting pressure on them to work harder in
order to achieve this goal.

(6) Informational Power

Informational power derives from access to facts and knowledge that others find
helpful or valuable. That access can signify relationships with other power holders and
convey status that creates a positive impression. Informational power has numerous benefits
in building credibility and rational persuasion. It may also serve as the basis for beneficial
exchanges with others who seek that information.

For example, a project manager may have all the information for a specific project,
and that will give her "informational power." But it's hard for a person to keep this power
for long, and eventually this information will be released. This should not be a long-term
strategy.

ASSESSMENT

Give your explanations on the following quotations about power.

1. “With great power, comes with great responsibility”.

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2. “Power doesn’t corrupt people, people corrupt power”.

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 TEACHER’S FEEDBACK

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REFERENCES

Civil Service India (2020). Concept of Power, Hegemony, Ideology and Legitimacy.
Retrieved from https://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Political-
Science/notes/concept- of-power-hegemony-ideology-and-legitimacy.html

Francisco, P. & Francisco, V. (2016). Philippine Politics and Governance for Senior High
School. Mindshappers Co., Inc., Intamuros, Manila.

Nitisha (2017). Power and Authority: Definition, Nature and Theory. Retrieved from
https://www.politicalsciencenotes.com/articles/power-and-authority-definition-
nature-and-theory/795

University of Political Science (2020). The Encyclopedia of Political Science. Retrieved from
https://www.politicalscienceview.com/concept-of-power-in-political-science/