Power Psychology in Organizations
Chapter from the book: Ağraş, S. (ed.) 2025. Power Struggles and Political Behaviours in Organizations.

Emrullah Kıpçak
Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University

Synopsis

The dependence of an individual on another individual or individuals, arising from the mutual relationships between individuals constantly coexisting in social or organizational settings, forms the basis of the phenomenon of power. Power relations within organizations, and some of the behaviors that translate into action as a result of these relationships, can influence decisions. Circumstances such as the distribution or sharing of organizational resources, interactions between communication channels, leadership roles, and decision-making processes can lead to power struggles and the resulting psychological effects within the organization. In today's business world, where rapid change is occurring, employees striving to remain within the organization, as well as organizations, desire to possess certain power sources to differentiate themselves, which can further complicate organizational structure. Therefore, optimal use of power is crucial for the creation of positive processes both for the organization as a whole and for individuals. Furthermore, it is assumed that power, which encompasses various sources of power within organizations and can directly or indirectly influence employee behavior, can manifest positively or negatively, directly proportional to the source of the power used by the organization. This suggests that the power source used can influence the quality of organizational outcomes. This study aims to examine the psychology of power in organizations, focusing on the transformative effects of power on individuals in organizations, the behaviors, structures, and influence processes that change with power, and the abuse of power. To this end, relevant studies in domestic and international literature have been reviewed, compiling important information.

How to cite this book

Kıpçak, E. (2025). Power Psychology in Organizations. In: Ağraş, S. (ed.), Power Struggles and Political Behaviours in Organizations. Özgür Publications. DOI: https://doi.org/10.58830/ozgur.pub892.c3678

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Published

October 21, 2025

DOI