Sources of Power

Power, because it is so subjective, may come from almost any source the parties consider important. The following are some of the many categories from which power can be drawn.

• People: Includes numbers, allies, supporters and associates.
• Personal: Physical size, voice, age, gender, personal qualities and skills, knowledge, ethnicity, sexual orientation, abilities and disabilities and style.
• Economic: Accumulated wealth, access to resources and buying power.
• Authority or role: Organizational status, social status and professional status.
• Status quo: Law, custom or tradition and societal standards.
• Social or moral values: Accepted social / cultural values, religious beliefs, individual values and beliefs.

Each of these power sources can be used in cooperative or adversarial ways. In general, the perceived desirability of any of these power sources by disputants will determine whether they result in effective use of power. Increasing the quantity and quality of power sources can increase one’s overall power. Power is rarely, if ever, balanced. Rather, it is a dynamic quality that shifts over the course of a conflict interaction.