Effects of Employee Achievement and Social Context on the Use of Power to Affect Performance in China

Researchers interested in the positive side of power and managers seeking to develop a competent, committed workforce want to understand the conditions when managers use their power to assist and aid employees. The interdependence in which power occurs in organizations was theorized to impact the management and outcomes of power. An experiment conducted in China tested the hypotheses that employee performance and interpersonal relationship with the manager affect the use of power. Results indicate that participants used their power to provide directly relevant information to employees who demonstrated their need by performing ineffectively. In addition, participants with cooperative, compared to competitive and independent, goals assisted, encouraged, supported, and empowered their employees. Results were interpreted as suggesting that demonstrating a need for managerial power and developing cooperative goals are important bases for fostering empowerment