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Although power is fundamental to interpersonal processes, relatively little research has focused on the interpersonal aspects of power within organizations. In this article, we review one of the predominant typologies in social power research, French and Raven's (1959) Bases of Social Power. We extend that typology by considering how power utilization attempts and outcomes associated with each basis of power is likely impacted by the interpersonal perceptions and meta-perceptions of those who hold (or perceive themselves to hold) power.
INTRODUCTION
Power is central to interpersonal and group processes and is foundational in the study of organizations (e.g., Bernard, 1938; Festinger, 1953; Lewin, 1947; Sherif, 1936; Weber, 1947). Although there are many conceptualizations of power, one of the most ubiquitous is the typology of social influence advanced by French and Raven (1959). Within those authors' "Bases of Social Power" framework, power is inherent to social exchange; it is both a product and shaper of social interaction. Despite the inherently interpersonal nature of social power and the key role it plays in organizational psychology (Raven, Schwarzwald, & Koslowsky, 1998), however, research focusing on the interpersonal aspects of power within organizations is largely lacking. Moreover, we argue that interpersonal perceptions and the accuracy of those perceptions likely play vital roles within interpersonal power dynamics but heretofore have received little research attention.
Interpersonal perceptions and the accuracy of those perceptions should be considered within interpersonal power dynamics because until, or unless, someone attempts to exercise power, power (or lack thereof) resides only in people's minds. For example, a person might perceive that others view him or her as holding power over them and, as a result of that perception (but independent of its accuracy), judge him- or herself to be powerful. In reality, however, the true perceptions of others are not readily knowable and must often be inferred (Kenny & DePaulo, 1993). Generally people are not adept at making inferences about the views that others hold of them (e.g., DePaulo, Kenny, Hoover, Webb, & Oliver, 1987); as such, the perceptions they believe others have of them typically correspond little with reality (Kenny & DePaulo, 1993). Thus, although a person might perceive him- or herself as holding power, that "power" might exist only in his or her own mind.