Power to the powerless: Locus of control and the use of power.
- 1 January 1973
- journal article
- Published by American Psychological Association (APA) in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Vol. 27 (2) , 190-196
- https://doi.org/10.1037/h0034784
Abstract
40 internally and externally controlled male undergraduates were given a range of powers with which to supervise 3 fictitious workers, one of whom presented a supervisory problem. In dealing with the problem worker, externally controlled Ss (high powerless) used significantly more coercive power (e.g., threat of deduction of points, threat of firing) than did internally controlled Ss (low powerless). In addition, internals relied more on personal persuasive powers than did externals. Results are explained in terms of differential expectancy of successful influence of internals and externals. The type of supervisory problem also affected the type of power used. A problem of ineptness resulted in greater use of expert power, while a poor-attitude problem evoked more coercive powers. (19 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)Keywords
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