Learning About Power And Leadership In Organizations Essay

Learning About Power And Leadership In Organizations - Essay Example Power is a strong word. It connotes to something extraordinary just like having another person do something which you would not have done yourself. Power may have different meanings depending on how it is used in context. It could have good or bad connotations. For example, some people are caught saying â€Å"If you’ve got information, then you are sure to get to the top or lead because you got the power of leveraging yourself over the situation or over your competitors. This is better termed as the â€Å"Informational power† (French and Raven). On the other hand, S. Mallaby wrote about Power on a different perspective as he pointed out that â€Å"Power that is built on debt is often Power that will crumble† (Mallaby). How does â€Å"Power† apply to my position and work? Presently, I belong to the middle managerial level, given the designation of a Section Chief for Internal Affairs Group under the Planning and Programming Unit. I report directly to the A ssistant Director for Internal Affairs Group who reports to the Bureau Director. I work in a typical government office which is adapts the bureaucratic hierarchical structure. Our Bureau is in charge of the purchase and distribution of health supplies needed in our town as well as the deployment of health workers. The Bureau’s upper and middle hierarchical structure include a Bureau Director, acting as the overall Head of the Bureau with two Assistant Directors, one for Internal Affairs Group.... This is better termed as the â€Å"Informational power† (French and Raven). On the other hand, S. Mallaby wrote about Power on a different perspective as he pointed out that â€Å"Power that is built on debt is often Power that will crumble† (Mallaby). How does â€Å"Power† apply to my position and work? Presently, I belong to the middle managerial level, given the designation of a Section Chief for Internal Affairs Group under the Planning and Programming Unit. I report directly to the Assistant Director for Internal Affairs Group who reports to the Bureau Director. I work in a typical government office which is adapts the bureaucratic hierarchical structure. Our Bureau is in charge of the purchase and distribution of health supplies needed in our town as well as the deployment of health workers. The Bureau’s upper and middle hierarchical structure include a Bureau Director, acting as the overall Head of the Bureau with two Assistant Directors, one for In ternal Affairs Group who is tasked to handle planning and programming, finance and administrative concerns. (Refer to Attachment 1 -Organizational Structure.) The other Assistant Director handles the Bureau’s External Affairs to include Operations, Public Information and Other External Affairs Programs and Activities. These two top Assistant Directors directly report to the Bureau Director bringing to him issues specific to their group. Each Assistant Director has designated Section Chief and Assistant Section Chief. â€Å"Power in this bureaucratic office is the typical set up described by Max Weber’s in his paradigm stating that the level of power given to a bureaucrat is directly proportional to the level where you are positioned in the hierarchy†