Power is an unavoidable reality in the workplace. It can be present in both the organizational policies and norms as well as in the relationships between leaders and direct reports. Understandably, the inappropriate use of power often carries with it negative connotations of overbearing, controlling, or otherwise unfavorable leader behavior. For leaders, it’s especially important to understand the pros and cons resulting from the use of various forms of power in the workplace.

To more clearly understand the topic of power and its impact in the workplace, researchers from Blanchard conducted a study to examine employees’ perceptions of their leaders’ use of five forms of power and the resulting positive or negative impact on the employees’ affect or emotional state and their work intentions.