Article Analysis Essay on Who Gets Power-and How They Hold On to It

The article Who Gets Power-And How They Hold on to it discusses the functions of power in aligning an organization with its reality and objectives. Additionally, the article describes power as a dirty business in its naked form but emphasizes its importance in managing a business. It identifies institutionalized forms of power (cleaner forms of power) such as authority, regulations, legitimization and centralized control as impediments to an organization in their quest for reality and understanding the demands of its environment. Salacink and Pfeffer argue that majority of great states and institutions have declined since they have failed to embrace the facts they have faced. Such failures cannot be connected to political processes since rather than being mechanisms for unfair and unjust allocations, they have offered realistic resolution of conflicts among interests. The paper states that power can be elusive in its definition but it can easily be identified by its consequences. The authors of the article provide a detailed elaboration of the model of power known as strategic-contingency theory which views power as a collection of organizational subunits that deals with the critical problems of the organization. In this approach, each unit is vested with the power to enhance their survival in controlling scarce fundamental resources by placement of allies in essential positions, and by defining the problems and policies of the organization. Salacink and Pfeffer noted that organizations became more aligned and misaligned with their environment depending on how the process of power develops and is used.

The information provided in the article plays an integral role in enlightening managers on how to efficiently distribute power within an organization to achieve the objectives of the corporation. According to the power structure, every member of a firm is bestowed with the power which offers them opportunities to develop their careers and create a surplus of income over costs. Such empowerment might result into competition in an organization which eventually might cause power scarcity. Thus, the real' manager might feel that they are not fully in control of the organization. Naturally, human beings make comparisons as a basis for their self-esteem, and the manager might feel that the shift in proportionate shares of the authority would affect their power base. The real' manager might also compare their positions relative to others in line with personal standards and feel less authoritative.

The organizational power distribution results in a scarcity of positions as one moves up the hierarchy. The shortages, riddled with inequalities cause tension in an organization typically. Hence, as a manager, I would ensure that power is equitably distributed among different units and allocation of power would squarely be based on merit. My primary role is to set short and long term direction of the organization. This entails objectives, goals, vision, and mission. I would also organize tasks, coordinate their allocation, motivate and communicate to motivate and mold staffers into responsible teams and establish targets and yardsticks. Additionally, I would develop my employees through training and nurture. Being a manager, I am in a position to see the overall workflow and make improvements and adjustments. I am also in a place to develop myself by taking on the stretch, assignments on development, seeking mentors, reading about management and leadership and participating in management training.