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The desire to influence others, also known as the need for Power (nPower), has been conceptualized in the literature as either Personalized (i.e., desire for power for one's own ends) or Socialized (i.e., desire for power to help others). However, there is no valid scale to measure nPower, and it is unclear how Personalized and Socialized nPower relate to individual differences of employees and work-related behaviors. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were (a) to create and validate a new scale for Personalized and Socialized nPower and (b) to explore how scores on these scales relate to employee personality traits (HEXACO), Impression Management, work-related behaviors and motivations (i.e., Unethical Decision-Making, Counterproductive Workplace Behavior, Organizational Citizenship Behavior Motives), and promotional outcomes. The study used a community sample from StudyResponse (N = 206), and an undergraduate sample from the University of Calgary (N = 130), where participants completed a self-report questionnaire. The confirmatory factor analysis of the new scale best supported a two-factor structure that corresponded to the two components of nPower. Furthermore, Personalized and Socialized nPower were differentially associated with personality traits, work-related behaviors and motivations, and promotional outcomes measured in the study. The study provides researchers with psychometrically sound measures of Personalized and Socialized nPower, and the study also helps expand the understanding of these important constructs.
Keywords: need for Power, HEXACO, Impression Management, workplace behaviors
Résumé
Le désird'avoirune influence sur autrui, aussi connu comme étant le besoin de pouvoir (nPower), a été conceptualisé dans la documentation en tant que pouvoir personnalisé (pour ses propres fins) et pouvoir socialisé (pour aider les autres). Toutefois, aucune échelle n'a encore été validée pour mesurer le besoin de pouvoir, et il n'est pas clairement établi en quoi le besoin de pouvoir personnalisé et socialisé se rapporte aux caractéristiques individuelles des employés et aux comportements au travail. Les objectifs de la présente étude sont : a) de créer et de valider une nouvelle échelle pour mesurer le besoin de pouvoir personnalisé et de pouvoir socialisé; b) d'explorer en quoi les scores obtenus a ces échelles se rapportent aux traits de caractere (HEXACO), a la désirabilité sociale, aux comportements au travail et aux motivations des employés (c.-a-d. décisions contraires a l'éthique, comportements contreproductifs au travail, motifs des comportements...