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Informal Authority in the Workplace

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Asian Development Bank – Informal Authority in the Workplace
By Olivier Serrat [via Stuart Basefsky]

  • “The Insufficient Returns from Formal Authority in Organizations: Formal authority—the power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior—is the defining characteristic of societal and organizational hierarchy.1 Ideally, after Ronald Heifetz, it is expected to serve five functions that most will agree are indispensable to social life. They are to (i) provide direction, (ii) offer protection, (iii) orientate roles, (iv) control conflict, and (v) maintain norms. Then again, in practice, there is a darker side to what formal authority can do on any given day: for instance, a boss can restrict a subordinate’s actions, invalidate his or her decisions, or move for dismissal.”
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