LEADERSHIP AND INNOVATION
The authors[HANS MARIUS NORBOM AND PATRICIA DENISE LOPEZ] of this article explores two rarely examined bases of social power, i.e., information power and connection power. After conducting research, support was found for connection power and limited support for information power. The research concludes that the combination of horizontal organizational culture with informal sources of power reinforces innovative culture. The author goes further to discuss the implication of this in future research directions.
The argument necessitates collaboration, flexibility, and open sharing of information to cater to today’s constantly changing and complex work environment. consequently, contemporary firms have been forced to inculcate cross-functional structures which none formal leaders to Forster innovation and success .there is an expectation for employees to team up with leaders to realize environs that support innovation
The current change in technology has generally impacted the interaction of leaders with organizations. It connects the duo either positively or negatively. However, the technological reliability on sharing and connectivity of employees is generally low. Therefore, it is crucial to embark on ancient sources of power to scrutinize new power bases, mostly innovative organizational cultures.
The association between different power sources and innovative organizational culture[adhocracy culture ], which is flexible, creative, and adaptable, is also discussed in the article. Consequently, no study has explored how different power sources may support an innovative culture. Raven and French typologies on power bases, i.e., reward, coercive, legitimate, referent powers, are the most utilized. Reward power grants the authority to gives rewards like pay for services. In contrast, coercive power was for administering punishment on violation of rules—referent power for individuals’ personal characteristics among other powers.
Information power is addressed as the capability to convince others with a clear and logical presentation of information. It is linked to expert power due to the evidence of overlap on power sources. It is helpful as it enhances goal achievement.
Connection power is defined as stemmed power from leaders with influential individuals. People with high connection power have had access to key networks .leaders, therefore, enhance their social identities by addressing employee motivations; their high connection power facilitates this. Connection power relates to information power as there is a transfer of information in both sources of power.
The bifactorial theory of social power splits the power into formal and informal power .formal power consisted of legitimate, reward, and coercive powers. In contrast, informal power was based on referent and expert bases. Formal power is perceived as ‘role characteristic while informal power is ‘ personal character. That has the competence and background relations.
As a subject matter, organizational culture is defined as a set of values and beliefs common to organizational members guided by behavior and decision-making. The four types of organizational culture from the research are market, clan, hierarchy, and adhocracy cultures.
In the present study, the key elements of adhocracy culture are tolerance to mistakes, risk-taking entrepreneurship, and participative leadership. By linking innovative cultural ideas, one can reasonably argue that it would be associated with employees utilizing more informal power sources.
Based on statistical research conducted on the two bases of power, i.e., information power and connection, power leadership is a complex subject that mainly follows the ‘role characteristic route. The results of the study also attest to the continued relevance of traditional power sources. Being ‘connected ‘ as a reward to leadership represents a unique asset or resource since it implies one’s relationships with a large network of people; hence access to opportunities is guaranteed.
To sum up, the results obtained from the research in the article advanced the understanding of the nature of leadership, the informal sources of power, and how the latter impacts organizational culture. Informal sources of power are more emphasized in the article; however, this does not demean formal power sources. The research summary also denotes that the combination of horizontal organizational structure with informal sources is a super reinforcement to an innovative culture.
Therefore, it is important for leaders when designing environs that promote invention and innovation to understand resources and capabilities for effective influence to others.