There has been an interesting power shift underway for the past 12 to 18 months that was sparked by the health pandemic. Where power once sat somewhat firmly with an employer or business, there has been a shift in power to the employee - the individual.
Power is an interesting concept in business relationships. In its simplest definition, power is the ability to act with the capability of accomplishing something.
The Six Bases of Power are worth understanding when attempting to leverage power. In summary, the Six Bases of Power are:
With that in mind, it appears that employees have new-found power to leverage in their work relationships.
Employees and job candidates alike are making requests of their employers, and they are successful (broadly speaking) in their endeavours. For example, employees and candidates are able to design their work arrangements, make salary demands, and clearly request and receive what they need to maintain their mental health and wellbeing.
In the midst of the pandemic, there have been (and still are) some unique circumstances that brought about this shift in power. Here are a few to note:
With a shift in power comes a recognition that an individual contributor at the bottom of the organisational chart has a strong enough voice to make change and make demands. In a recent podcast from Adam Grant’s Work Life, he focused on how to use your voice to drive change above you, and how to manage all the voices rising up from below.
While the episode had more of a focus on social justice than monetary demands, the question was the same: “In organisations today, who is the boss?”
The position that we take is that there should be two-way transparency, authenticity and respect in the employer-to-employee relationship. The balance of power is not always even; however, with those key components, the relationship will feel fair.
By promoting a sense of fairness, employers may increase the likelihood of having a positively motivated workforce and positive economic outcomes.
This all leads to three opportunities:
Perhaps taking advantage of these three opportunities is where the real power lies!
Pilita Clark. ‘The Great Resignation’ wave swamping workplaces around the world. Australian Financial Review (AFR), 30 Jun 2021.
Adam Grant. Who’s the Boss. Work Life, 25 May 2021.
French, J. and Raven, B. (1959). The Bases of Social Power. In Studies in Social Power, D. Cartwright, Ed., pp. 150-167. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research.
Raven, B. H. (1965). Social influence and power. In I.D. Steiner & M. Fishbein (Eds.),Current studies in social psychology (pp. 371–382). New York: Holt, Rinehart, Winston.