Power in cooperation and competition : Understanding the positive and negative faces of power

The chapter first reviews the research on the effects of cooperative and competitive goal interdependence on the expectations and use of power. It identifies the value of cooperative power relationships for organizations and individuals, but studies also document that managers confront difficulties in developing these relationships. The chapter then reviews research on the conditions that promote cooperative, constructive power relationships. The final section summarizes major practical implications for how managers can make power constructive in their organizations. Although power equalization has often been proposed as the best way to manage power (Walton1987), this chapter argues that developing cooperative, mutual power relationships provides an effective, practical approach to managing power in organizations.