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Retail Max: Personal Power Essay

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Running head: PERSONAL POWER

RetailMax: Personal Power
Timothy D. Stroud
Grand Canyon University: LDR-610-O101 Power, Politics, and Influence
October 31, 2012

RetailMax: Personal Power Climbing the corporate ladder can be like playing a game. It can be fun and exciting if you know all of the rules and play fair. Or it can be dreary and arduous if you are finding out the rules as you go along and are playing with people that are less than ethical. The good news is that once you know the rules and apply yourself, you have a better chance of climbing upward. The bad news is that most people think they are playing the first game in which everyone is climbing up the ladder with little or no risk. They simply have …show more content…

The referent power is not as strong as the expert power because the direction of the company will be based on Cam’s decision.
Power Bases When looking at French and Raven’s Five Forms of Power in this situation, you can understand where the power comes from in this workplace (French, Raven, 1960). I see only four of the five forms being actively used in the RetailMax scenario. The CEO, who helped put the company back into a positive growth, has legitimate power since he believes that he has the right to make demands and get compliance from others in the organization. This can be seen as he authorizes another department to make an offer to Cam. Vince Mangini, Vice President of Professional Services (PS), has reward power and is able to compensate Cam for joining his department with a higher salary and a larger bonus. Cam Archer has the expert power and he wields is well. He has become a more-rounded team player and is continuing to gain credibility and experience in the company. And Regan Kessel has the referent power since he has gained the respect of other workers. With over twenty years of experience in the industry, he is a trusted leader. This has been shown by the relocation of the marketing team under his purview. Neither Kessel nor Archer let stereotypical gender roles influence their actions. Archer showed flexibility when he took a temporary detour within the company. He accepted the challenge to

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