Mark, an employee, belongs to the marketing department in an organization. However, he often interacts with people in all other departments including top management, which has helped him improve professionally and personally. By maintaining many informal networks within the organization, he manages to get his job done more effectively than others. From this description, it can be inferred that Mark demonstrates _____ power.
A) positional
B) relational
C) referent
D) coercive

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Relational power is based on relationships a person has developed with others in the organization. Mark's ability to interact with people across different departments and levels within the organization suggests that he has developed strong relationships and informal networks, which gives him the ability to influence others and get his job done effectively. This is an example of relational power, as opposed to positional power (based on one's formal position in the organization), referent power (based on personal qualities that others admire), or coercive power (based on the ability to punish or control others).

Mark, an Employee, Belongs to the Marketing Department in an Organization