Recent orders

Power and Influence

Name:

Institution:

Course:

Tutor:

Date;

Power and Influence

Introduction

The ability of any organization to profitably operate in the twenty first century amidst the emergent sensitive demands is based on its ability to effectively identify all underlying challenges and problems and asses them and their major alternatives to generate the best possible solutions. Current organizational leaders increasingly struggle with various complexities that undermine the overall wellbeing of the organization. Of great importance are the concerns associated with power and influence. These are responsible for enabling organizations to not only become innovative but to also develop responsibility as well as responsiveness to the emergent multifaceted needs that characterize their respective organizational environments.

It is against this background that this paper reviews the concepts of power and influence and how the same influence organizational behavior at different levels. To enhance a better diagnostic consideration, the paper will explicitly explore various sources of power and influence and underscore how this interplays to contribute to the successful functioning of the organization.

Essentially, the concept of power denotes the capacity of an individual to make someone do whatever the individual wants (Hunt John & Osborn, 2005). Thus a powerful person usually has the capability to mold things and have the way s/he wants. In other words, power does not only give one the capacity to do something but it is also instrumental in enabling one to accomplish various activities. Influence is directly related to power and can be considered a response to this. It implies the capacity of objects and/or individual to have a strong force on certain opinions or behaviors of individuals.

According to Rodil (2006), this often culminates in production of specific desirable effects that reflect the ideals of the compelling force. Thus put differently, power constitutes the ability to influence change while influence is the degree of the resultant change on the behaviors, values, beliefs and attitudes of the target population. Notably, both power and influence play a critical role in organizational functioning. These not only influence the occurrence of various organizational activities but also determine the nature of the impact to the organization.

Generally, it can be posited that they are elemental in determining the overall performance of the organization. At the organizational level, power and influence are particularly attractive because of various reasons. To begin with, they empower an individual to influence vital decisions regarding various aspects that define the functioning of the organization. These range from influencing the allocation of vital organizational resources, determining the nature and type of goals and objectives that are pursued by the organization to determining the philosophy that would guide the operations of the organization and the specific activities that the respective organization partakes in a bit to realize its various goals and objectives.

Most importantly, Rodil (2006) asserts that this enables the individual to determine who would succeed or fail within the organization. Furthermore, Somech (2002) indicates that power gives an individual some degree of control over the results of the activities that the organization engages in. At this juncture, it is worth acknowledging that it is also instrumental in enhancing organizational certainty. This is an important mode of coping with the various problems that characterize the present day dynamic and complex world. In order to understand and appreciate the implications of power and influence on organizational functioning, it is imperative to review the vital sources of the same.

Sources of Power

As indicated in the preceding analysis, it is certain that power and influence are elemental in organizational functioning. Kotter (1985) contends that this power is sourced from different bases that include legitimate, reward, coercive, referent and expert. To begin with, legitimate source of power is associated with a relatively higher position in the organization. This is accorded to individuals who assume top positions in an organization. Thus in this regard, the individual owes his or her power to the organization s/he is working for. In his review, studies contend that legitimacy is important because it significantly reduces incidences of opposition and resistance. This has a double effect on different individuals within the organization. Basically, by legitimizing the position of an individual, the position of his or her opponents is subsequently de legitimized.

The second common source of power within organization stems from the aspect of reward. This is associated with the allocation of resources and it implies that the respective target is compelled to respect the authority and act in accordance with the organizational norms and values in order to be rewarded. This source of power is considered attractive because of its ability to significantly reduce the level of resistance within the organization. Further, Kleiner (2003) cites that the person with this form of power is responsible for removing specific negative sanctions that threaten the wellbeing of the target in the given organization. Examples of these types of rewards include vacations, salaries, promotions and work offs amongst others.

In contrast coercive power enables an individual to administer some form of punishment through enforcement of negative sanctions. Individuals with this power execute the same through demoting, reprimanding or firing the targets. In his review, Hunt et al (2005) ascertains that this form of power is mainly used in organizations to reinforce relevant conformity to the specific norms and practices that govern the functioning of the organization. Unlike the reward power that is attractive, coercive power can be argued to stimulate a negative response like active opposition and increased employee resistance.

Expert power on the other hand is accorded to an individual by virtue if being knowledgeable in a given field of specification. This expertise according to Newstrom and Davies (2002) is attained through training, education, experience or a combination of all. It is vital because it empowers one with important skills as well as expertise that enables the same to understand the specific field fully. This then gives the individual the authority over the rest of the individuals in the particular organization. In the recent past, Rodil (2006) indicate that employees are increasingly gaining this type of power. This can be attributed to the fact that unlike in the past, knowledge as opposed to physical power greatly influences the functioning of an employee. Notably, lack of these vital skills undermines the overall productive power of an organization.

Finally, the referent power denotes the power of partnership and collaboration. In this respect, Kotter (1985) indicates that regardless of the expertise or/ and organizational level of a employee, his or her ability to initiate and maintain strong relationships can enable the same to have some form of influence to the rest of the employees within the organization. In his study, studies show that this is also considered to originate from within and tends to develop over time. In addition, it is worth mentioning that its development is highly dependent on the interpersonal skills of the given individual. More over, it requires a significant degree of charisma in order for the individual to win the trust as well as respect of the followers.

Response to employment of Power

Notably, these are the main sources of influence and power and they influence the functioning of different organizations varied ways. This is because of the fact that they stimulate different responses within the organizations. At this time, it can be contended that the responses have various implications on the organization and can either build or destroy the same. To begin with, the given form of power may be met with resistance of the same for no apparent reason. This is usually a common response for coercive power and in most instances, Kotter (1985) shows that employees tend to resist in an arrogant manner. This is likely to have adverse effects on the functioning of the organization because of the recognition that in most instances, it undermines the motivation of the employees and triggers a feeling of frustration.

Comparatively, employees can respond to the given power or influence through compliance. In this regard, Kleiner (2003) asserts that the affected employees usually abide by the given request although they manifest various reservations. They meet minimal expectations of the same and hold back significant efforts that could have otherwise contributed to effective functioning of the organization. Reward and legitimate powers have been cited to be key contributors to this state of affairs. Finally, the employees can respond through commitment. This is characterize by acceptance of the given request and subsequent positive employment of various talents to meet the demands of the request and satisfy the request of the leader. Hunt et al (2005) cites expert and referent powers to be associated with this ideal response.

Further, Somech (2002) points out that there are various techniques that are employed by the organizations to exercise influence. To begin with, the employers can bargain with the employees to reach a viable conclusion concerning the request at hand. In this regard, the authoritative party is in most cases forced to forfeit some degree of power. Further, the affected leaders may decide to form a coalition that would give them an equal chance of enforcing the power. Again, this is characterized by one segment of leadership foregoing a certain degree of authority. Finally, Kleiner (2003) cites that influence can be exercised through assertiveness. In this, the authority maintains its position regarding the request irrespective of the nature of response from the target. This is often common with authoritative form of leadership.

Conclusion

From the study, it is certain that power and influence in the context of an organization is augmented by various factors. Its sources are definite and tend to trigger different responses in the target population. While some sources are inclined within the organization, it is notable that some like referent and experts are largely influenced by personal factors. The responses range from compliance to commitment and resistance. These are directly related to the type of power that is employed by the organization. Further, there are various techniques that are employed in exercising influence. These include assertiveness, coalition and bargain amongst others.

References

Hunt, J., John, S. & Osborn, R. (2005).Organizational Behavior, 8th Edition. USA: Wiley.

Kleiner, A. (2003). Analyzing Power and Influence. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 16 (8), 660-85.

Kotter, J. (1985). Power and Influence. USA: Free Press.

Newstrom, J. & Davies, K. (2002). Organizational Behavior: Employee Behavior at Work. USA: McGraw Hill.

Rodil, C. (2006).Organizations and Human Behavior. USA: National Book Store.

Somech, A. (2002). Power and Influence. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 23, 168-83.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations

The Federal Bureau of Investigations

Name

Institution

Abstract

The manner in which a law enforcement organization is set up, usually plays an important role in determining how effectively it is able to carry out its functions and fulfill its objectives. The Federal Bureau of Investigations is no different, as the manner in which it is organized, greatly influences its ability to carry out its federal duties, as well as how well it can cooperate with local law enforcement. Furthermore, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has greatly evolved over the years in terms of its organization in order to be able to better deal with emerging threats and an ever evolving criminal world.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations

The Federal Bureau of investigations is a federal agency established in the year 1908.It serves as both an intelligence agency as well as a federal criminal investigations agency. Originally established under the name of Bureau of Investigations (which changed to FBI in 1935) by then attorney general Charles Bonaparte, its original functions were to investigate any violations of federal law. The formation of the agency was actually driven by events occurring in the early 1900s, such as President McKinley’s assassination and the perception by among others President Roosevelt that America was under a serious threat from anarchists, and therefore in a bid to better monitor them he felt the need for establishing autonomous investigative service. Charles Bonaparte therefore established the Bureau of Investigations on July 26th 1908 under the instruction of the President using 34 personnel including retired secret service agents. Currently, in addition to serving as an intelligence agency as well as a federal criminal investigations unit, the agency also serves as the law enforcement agency in charge of Indian reservations.

The bureau defines itself as an intelligence driven law enforcement and national security agency which not only provides leadership but also makes a difference within the community and within the realm of criminal justice, be it amongst federal, municipal, state or international agencies. The mission of the bureau is to defend and protect the country from foreign intelligence threats and terrorism as well as enforce and uphold the country’s criminal laws. This mission the agency postulates, is met through observance of the FBI’s core values, such as: rigorous obedience to the constitution, fairness, compassion, respecting the dignity of those the agency seeks to protect, and uncompromising integrity, both institutionally and individually (Institute for Criminal Justice Ethics, n.d). Further the agency strives to utilize these core values to foster the support and cooperation of the community, which it argues are quite important when it comes to the accomplishment of the agency’s goal. In addition, the bureau extends this same spirit of cooperation and support to other law enforcement agencies, be they state, local or federal, further spurring it towards fulfilling its mission (Weiner, 2012).

The purpose of the Federal Bureau of Investigations based on the descriptions above is, therefore, to investigate federal crimes as well as threats to national security, as well as to assist other law enforcement agencies and gather intelligence (Kessler, 1993). The structure of the bureau is such that it has five functional branches in addition to the office of the director. These branches include:

The Criminal, Cyber Response and Services branch: Deals with investigations concerning white collar crime, financial crime, organized crime, violent crime, public corruption, individual civil rights violations as well as computer based crimes which may be related to counterintelligence, criminal threats against the country and counterterrorism.

The Information and Technology branch: Is responsible for taking care of all the FBI’s information and technology needs, as well as information management. Further, it facilitates and promotes, sharing, application as well as creation if knowledge products with other law enforcement agencies with an aim of improving crime fighting capabilities nation wide.

The Science and Technology branch: Provides information sharing support capabilities to not just the FBI but law enforcement in general, as well as forensic science services.

The Human Resources branch: Deals with recruit training as well as any other internal human resource issues and needs.

The National Security branch: This branch protects the country from espionage, foreign intelligence operations, weapons of mass destruction and acts of terrorism. It investigates national security threats, develops the capabilities of the other law enforcement agencies and provides them with information and analyses (Theoharis, Tony, Susan & Powers, 2000).

All these branches are headed by Executive Assistant Directors who are answerable to the director through the deputy director. The office of the director encompasses other administrative offices such as the office of the Director, deputy director, associate director, congressional affairs, equal employment opportunity affairs, general counsel, ombudsman, integrity and compliance, public affair and seven others (Powers, 1983).

In order to facilitate cooperation, the bureau has in addition to its headquarters in Washington D.C, 56 field offices located all over the United States in major cities, 380 resident agencies (smaller offices) in towns and cities across the country as well as 60 international offices.

This structure while highly effective, could be further improved, more so if it is to adopt a more effective preventive strategy towards crime. The manner in which the FBI is set up promotes information flow and sharing of information, but does not encourage establishment of informal or even formal relationships, with other law enforcement agencies as well as the communities within which these subdivisions of the bureau operate (Zegart, 2007). One key element I feel is missing within the structure, is a liaison department or branch. Considering that cooperation is not only cited as one of the objectives of the core values, but it is also one of the most important aspects of contemporary approaches to law enforcement, dedicating man hours to dealing with aspects of communication between the Federal Bureau of Investigations and other law enforcement agencies as well as the community would go a long way towards helping the agency achieve its mission (U.S Department of Justice, 2003).

References

Federal Bureau of Investigation (n.d). Federal Bureau of Investigations-Quick Facts. Retrievedfrom HYPERLINK “http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/quick-facts/quickfacts” http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/quick-facts/quickfacts

Kessler, R. (1993). The FBI: Inside the World’s Most Powerful Law Enforcement Agency. PocketBooksPublications.

Powers, R. (1983). G-Men: Hoover’s FBI in American Popular Culture. Carbondale, IL:Southern Illinois University Press.

Theoharis, A., Tony, G., Susan, R., & Powers, R. (2000). The FBI: A Comprehensive ReferenceGuide.Checkmark Books.

The Institute for Criminal Justice Ethics (2000). The Federal Bureau of Investigations CoreValues. CoverInstitute Journal.

U.S. Department of Justice (2003). Factors That Influence Public Opinion of the Police.Retrieved from HYPERLINK “https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/197925.pdf” https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/197925.pdf

Weiner, T. (2012). Revolution. Enemies a history of the FBI. New York: Random House.

Zegart, A. (2007). Spying Blind. Princeton University Press. Retrieved from HYPERLINK “http://faculty.spa.ucla.edu/zegart/tableofcontent.asp” http://faculty.spa.ucla.edu/zegart/tableofcontent.asp

The father of history 5th century BC

Introduction

Somebody who persistently thinks about and expounds on history is known as an antiquarian. It is an expert occupation, and for the most part just those with graduate degrees are given the title. Students of history use their vocations examining history and the essentialness of different occasions. Frequently, they intend to make an iron story of given parts of history. They typically spend significant time in a particular time period, however charge boundless information in unsurpassed periods.

An expert history specialist by and large must have a doctorate (Phd) degree in his picked field of study. To be effective, this individual must frequently distribute works focused around his examination, and a history understudy’s doctoral proposal regularly forms into his first book. Numerous understudies get an undergrad training in history as arrangement for an alternate field, for example, law or philosophy.

The occupation market for individuals in this field is moderately constrained, as information of history isn’t seen as an extraordinary resource for generally endeavors. An individual can generally discover work at a library or college, where he can proceed with his work and examination. Archival focuses and government offices likewise routinely utilize antiquarians. Numerous decide to instruct with the goal that they can be in charge of passing their perspectives of history down to whatever is left of society, while others decide to function as independent specialists and, for a set expense, behavior research for their customers as required.

A few students of history are more dynamic than others, and really visit and investigate the destinations of recorded occasions of enthusiasm toward request to increase more data or understanding. Others restrict themselves to the profundities of documents and libraries, hunting down the slippery sections that will permit them to proceed with their work. In any case, their exploration into the past gives understanding about how society progressed to its available state.

An individual who meets expectations in history normally decides to have some expertise in the field that most investments him. This can be as expansive as “medieval history” or as particular as “Common War history.” Sometimes, people even have some expertise in “ancient times,” the time before recorded history. One issue of verbal confrontation for students of history is nonpartisanship. Generally, these experts should conduct their fill in as impartially as could be expected under the circumstances to give a fair representation of recorded occasions. Some decide to permit individual feeling to impact their decisions in recording the past, on the other hand, keeping in mind numerous discover this practice to be unsatisfactory, others have no issue with it.

Example of Historians: The father of history: 5th century BCHuman social orders, in preliterate times, perpetually pass down in an oral convention the bunch’s memory of what has happened previously. This includes much legend and a certain measure of truth. At the point when composing gets to be accessible, the recorders record these stories. Two such accumulations structure the western world’s most noteworthy imparted store of tales, useful examples, legends and reprobates. They are the bible and the sonnets of homer. Anyhow these are not history in the full sense. The primary purposeful endeavor to find, record and break down the past is made in Greece in the fifth century BC. Herodotus is the first essayist to make a cognizant endeavor to find and clarify past occasions. He is rightly known as the ‘father of history’.The adventure which moves him to attempt anything so new along these lines troublesome is the particular case that has dominated his own particular adolescence and youth – the conflict between Greeks and Persians. Herodotus experiences childhood in Halicarnassus, in Asia Minor. At the time of his introduction to the world the Greeks are winning extraordinary fights in territory Greece. Amid his grown-up life they drive the Persians from the Greek states of Asia Minor. Asia Minor lies between these two incredible human advancements, Greece and Persia. Raised inside the initially, Herodotus decides to get some answers concerning the second. He uses much of his life going inside the Persian domain, which stretches out at this point into Egypt. So this first work of history is likewise, it could be said, the first travel book. In the method for travel books, it incorporates intriguing subtle elements -, for example, how the Egyptians make mummies.

Duplicates of Herodotus are accessible by 425 BC. By then his story has a devoted desperation, with its record of a period when all the Greeks joined against a typical adversary. In solid difference is the sharp contemporary squabbling of the peloponnesian War, which has entered another stage in 431 BC. Example of Historical Works done by Great Historians: Thucydides and contemporary history: 431 – 411 BCThe second Greek history specialist, Thucydides, includes another measurement – that of contemporary history. An Athenian, conceived most likely in around 460 BC, he is a young person when war is reestablished in the middle of Athens and Sparta in 431, after a peace of sixteen years.

In spite of the fact that the complete work of Herodotusis not yet distributed, Thucydides is sure to know the work of the more seasoned student of history – who has made his living by presenting the highlights of his account. Herodotus has recounted the story of the last extraordinary war, in the middle of Greeks and Persians. In 431 Thucydides perceives the onset of the following real clash, between Greeks. He determines to record the Peloponnesian War as it happens. He is promptly in the thick of occasions. In the summers of 430 and 429 Athens is stricken by disease. The Athenian leader, pericles, kicks the bucket of the malady. Thucydides himself gets it yet survives. His Account of the symptoms is a direct report of phenomenal distinctiveness.In 424 he is chosen one of the tenstrategoi or military commandants for that year. Put accountable for an Athenian armada in the northern Aegean, he neglects to keep the Spartans catching a vital city in the district. Subsequently he is banished from Athens. He says later that the incident helps him in his extraordinary errand, compelling him to make a trip and empowering him to view the clash from alternate points of view. A paramount normal for Thucydides’ work is his determination to attain a destination perspective of what has happened, and of its causes. He expresses this unmistakably toward the end of his presentation, saying that he will start by posting the exact grumblings of each one side which, in their perspective, prompted war. In any case he then includes that he accepts such contentions cloud the issue. As he would see it, ‘what made war inescapable was the development of Athenian force and the trepidation which this created in Sparta’.

An agreeable explanation of the accessible proof, prompting an educated conclusion, has remained the fundamental guideline of history. The genuine student of history is promoter for both sides and additionally managing judge. To this end Thucydides utilizes a strategy which appears odd to a cutting edge peruser. His heroes put their perspectives in long discourses, maybe in a gathering or before a fight. In the account these fall regularly enough. At the same time since Thucydides himself was typically not there, his system is an anecdotal one which now appears to be out of spot ever.

His record closes sharply in 411. Whatever the reason may be, it is not his passing. He comes back from outcast to Athens toward the end of the war, in 404. Xenophon and eyewitness history: 400 BCThucydides’ history is proceeded from 411 BC by the third and last of the extraordinary trio of Greek antiquarians – Xenophon. The way that a contemporary proceeds with the work so decisively from this date demonstrates that Thucydides did in fact complete his work there, instead of the rest of lost. Anyway Xenophon, however a clear essayist, demonstrates an exceptionally insufficient antiquarian at a genuine level. A supporter of Sparta, he fails to offer any feeling of objectivity. Luckily this does not ruin the work which has made him acclaimed. In 400 BC he ends up some piece of a Greek energy making a frantic retreat from Persia. Objectivity is immaterial. He depicts just what he sees and listens. The result is clear observer history, associated very nearly to news-casting.

Xenophon’sanabasis (Greek for ‘the trip up’) is loaded with interesting subtle element, as the Greek hired soldiers battle homewards from thrashing in Persia. Frantic for procurements, they are always skirmishing with dangerous tribesmen. Xenophon is voted into the administration gathering and he provides for himself a significant acknowledgment (conceivably for support) for their safe come back to Greece, after five months. The most celebrated minute in his record is the point at which the pioneers of the section come over the edge of a mountain and start shouting Thalassa (the ocean, the ocean). They have arrived at the Black Sea and relative wellbeing.

Skills specific to the study of History

Ability to see how individuals have existed, acted and thought previously. History includes experiencing and sensing the past’s otherness and figuring out how to comprehend new structures, societies and conviction frameworks. These manifestations of comprehension shed critical light on the impact of the past on the present, ability to peruse and dissect writings and other essential sources, discriminatingly and sympathetically, while tending to issues of class, substance, viewpoint and reason, and appreciation of the multifaceted nature and assorted qualities of circumstances, occasions and past attitudes. Understanding of issues characteristic in recorded records: consciousness of a scope of perspectives and how to adapt to this; valuation for the scope of issues included in translating mind boggling, equivocal, clashing and regularly fragmented material; an inclination for the impediments of information and the dangers of oversimplified clarifications and basic abilities: a distinguishment that announcements are not all of equivalent legitimacy, that there are methods for testing them, and that students of history work by guidelines of confirmation which, however themselves subject to discriminating assessment, are likewise a segment of learned uprightness and development

Intellectual freedom: a history project is not just a planning for examination in the subject, however it consolidates general exploration abilities – the capability to set undertakings and take care of issues. This includes: bibliographic abilities; capability to assemble, filter, select, compose and incorporate extensive amounts of proof; capacity to define fitting inquiries and to give answers to them utilizing substantial and important confirmation and contention. Marshalling of contention: in composed and oral structure. Such contention ought to have structure and be important and succinct. Composed contention ought to be communicated in clear, clear, reasonable exposition. Orally, it includes the ability to support a contemplated line of contention even with others, to tune in, to participate in maintained level headed discussion, and correct perspectives as essential in the light of confirmation

What education do I need to be a Historian?

The following venture to turning into a Historian is to be instructed as a Historian. Students of history are especially decently instructed. Section level students of history hold a single guys degree while proficient antiquarians gain an experts degree or all the more frequently, a Ph.d.In High School, an understudy who might want to turn into an antiquarian ought to concentrate on social science and dialect courses. A secondary school understudy ought to likewise:

Obtain moderate to high stamps in progressive position social science courses.

Consider taking summer history courses at a neighborhood junior college or college.

Become included with a neighborhood library, historical center, or significantly the nearby government.

While considering an extensive variety of social science subjects, history specialists regularly supplement their center courses with those in training. Regardless of the possibility that an antiquarian does not want to instruct, one of the crucial capabilities of a student of history is to viably convey the occasions and realities that they have learned. Classes in instruction guarantee that the advanced student of history has the devices to succeed. Past classes in instruction, numerous students of history have extensive experience with arithmetic and information examination. Regularly, antiquarians will need to audit and make quantitative reports. With a foundation in arithmetic, the examination and coming about reports get to be light work.

References

Becher, Tony. “Historians on history.” Studies in Higher Education 14, no. 3 (1989): 263-278.

Cochrane, Eric W. Historians and historiography in the Italian Renaissance. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1981.

Fischer, David Hackett. Historians’ fallacies: Toward a logic of historical thought. Vol. 1970. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1971.

Hanham, Alison. Richard III and his early historians, 1483-1535. Clarendon Press, 1975.

Kaye, Harvey J. The British marxist historians: an introductory analysis. St. Martin’s Press, 1995.

Pathak, Vishwambhar Sharan. Ancient historians of India: A study in historical biographies. Bombay: Asia Publishing House, 1966.

Pearson, Lionel Ignacius Cusack. Early Ionian Historians. Greenwood Press, 1975.

Stam, Deirdre Corcoran. “How art historians look for information.” Art Documentation (1984): 117-119.