Power, Influence, and Project Success: PROJ6006 Module 2

This discussion post reflects on a case study involving Acorn Industries, focusing on the different types of power a project manager can utilize, as defined by Shenoy. The author identifies expert power as a key element for positively influencing a team's performance by sharing knowledge and expertise. The post explores how project managers can use various sources of influence to motivate teams, foster better employee relations, and build cohesive work environments, differentiating between influence and manipulation. The response also includes a critique of two student posts, agreeing with the emphasis on expert power and acknowledging the potential limitations of reward power, particularly for younger employees who prioritize learning and experience. The analysis highlights the importance of a project manager's ability to apply power effectively to improve project outcomes.

Running head: SHARED REFLECTION
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Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Discussion 1
Through reflecting on the case study presented in module 1 learning resources,
describe one or more of the types of power, defined by Shenoy, which could be
demonstrated positively or negatively by the leader of the team. Further discuss
how a project manager can use this type of power to impact the performance of
the project team and improve the likelihood of project success? What benefits
can be gained from using more than one source of influence when leading a
team? Is there a difference between influence and manipulation? Justify your
answer.
Reflecting on the case study, the type of power which could be used by the leader of
the team to bring positivity in the workplace is expert power. This power is generally
characterized by the potential to administer expertise or knowledge to others.
This type of power will help the project manager in helping their subordinates or team
by providing them the necessary knowledge which can help them in implementing that
knowledge in the work to become productive. Having knowledge and expertise in the field
one works will make the employees respect the manager and will make them listen and
accept the decisions made by the manager because of their faith in his or her credibility. This
helps in the systematic operations of the workplace and also helps the team to learn and gain
experience which helps in the productivity and the quality of the work. Thus, this will help
the project managers in Acorn Industries to successfully operate the governmental projects
and also motivate the employees in working efficiently in these projects.

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There are many benefits which are gained from using more than one source of
influence while leading a team like employee relations, motivation and also create coherent
teams in the workplace (Girma, 2016). Using more than one source helps in catering to the
different needs and desires of people in a team which motivates the employees to deliver
fruitful performances of the team, have better relations with the project managers and also
work efficiently within a team.
There is a thin line between influence and manipulation. Influence is usually defined
as the process of making people to react, think, believe and act the way one wants them to do
(Zdaniuk & Bobocel, 2015). On the other hand, manipulation is the exerting deceitful
influence on a person for their own advantage. In this case study, it can be seen that project
managers usually influence the young people to work in their organisation for the benefits of
the organisation but also for their development and growth in the company.
Response to students post
Student 1
According to the post by Student 1, Acorn Industries is seen to execute legitimate and
expert power. The student claims that the Project Manager in the company can use expert
power which will help in empowering the team because of sharing knowledge which aligns
with my recommendation as I feel that the company needs talented and experienced Project
Managers who will be able to run a team and impart knowledge to the employees working
under them to so that they can learn things and be productive in the organisation. This will
help the organisation in being more productive and also help them in getting more projects
from the government which will help in boosting the reputation as well as the profit of the
company.

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The student has also stated the reward power will help in motivating employees in the
organisation however, I believe that in the context of the case study, this power will not be
very useful as there are many youngsters who are being hired for the job. According to
scholars, rewards and recognition are not the first priority of youngsters when they join a new
job rather they prioritize what they are going to learn and the experience which will help
them later in their growth and development and also in their career development (Lee, Kim &
Lizarondo, 2017). Thus, I believe that the expert can use expert power to motivate the
employees in Acorn Industries and help the company in generating profits.
Student 2
According to the student, Acorn Industry is seen to use expert power and reward
power in the company in order to motivate employees in the organisation. This statement to
some extent aligns with my viewpoint and I agree the use of expert power in the company. I
also agree that there was use of reward power in the company as well in order to motivate the
employees of an organisation however, I feel that the reward power which has been
mentioned here can have limitations which can affect the business of the company.
One of the biggest challenges of reward power is the way an employee perceives the
rewards provided to them. Many employees might not be motivated by rewards and have
different aspects or factors which may help them in being motivated like the learning process,
the positive workforce environment and many more and if they do not get these then they
might not put in extra hard work, many nor respect and do as per what the Project Manager
wants them to do and may not be that productive which will help them in gaining those
rewards which can have a negative impact on the performance as well as the operations of the
company.

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Reference
Girma, S. (2016). The relationship between leadership style, job satisfaction and culture of
the organization. International Journal of Applied Research, 2(4), 35-45.
Lee, M. K., Kim, J. T., & Lizarondo, L. (2017, May). A human-centered approach to
algorithmic services: Considerations for fair and motivating smart community service
management that allocates donations to non-profit organizations. In Proceedings of
the 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 3365-3376).
Zdaniuk, A., & Bobocel, D. R. (2015). The role of idealized influence leadership in
promoting workplace forgiveness. The Leadership Quarterly, 26(5), 863-877.