Typologies of Power

Metadata

• Author: Tom Geraghty

• Full Title: Typologies of Power

• Category: #articles

• Summary: The article discusses different types of power—Formal, Informal, Demographic, and Expert—and how they affect psychological safety in teams. Understanding these power dynamics helps address imbalances that can harm team performance. The author emphasizes the importance of "power literacy" to effectively communicate and mitigate issues related to power in organizations.

• URL: https://psychsafety.co.uk/typologies-of-power/

Highlights

• Four (of many) Types of Power • Formal power is imbued by the structures, hierarchies, rules and laws that govern us, whether those are structures and laws of nation states, organisations, teams or communities. • Informal power is endowed and defined by our social networks, belief systems, individual and collective perspectives and histories. In a work context, even if we are not in a senior role, we might have a degree of informal power because of our popularity and social status with our colleagues. • Demographic power is the power that comes from factors such as our gender, race, age and sexuality. Depending on the space we are in and the dominant norms of that space, it might be easier for us to influence and have our voices heard if we are (for example) a white, middle-class man. • Expert power comes from our level of expertise and sometimes the experiences we have had – it is the power given by our knowledge, but of course only works as power when others acknowledge its significance. (View Highlight)