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DIFFERENT POWERS USED BY MANAGERS IN LITHUANIAN COMPANIES FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF THEIR SUBORDINATES

Summary/Abstract: By interviewing subordinates in Lithuanian companies the author of this paper attempts to find out if their supervisors really use available powers in a negative manner. Thus, the purpose of the paper is to examine how managers of Lithuanian companies use powers possessed by them including legitimate power, reward power, coercive power, expert power, and referent power. Legitimate power is an authority that shows a person's ability to make influence due to his/her position in the company. Reward power is based on a person's ability to ensure compensation to the other person for the latter's obedience. It is used for enforcement of the legitimate power. If subordinates feel they can be rewarded for their obedience (by means of recognition, career, increased salary, additional sources for accomplishment of orders, and etc.) they will undertake given orders more willingly. Coercive power is opposite to the reward power and is based on coercion when subordinates obey due to fear or potentially undesirable behavior of their manager. Expert power results from specialized knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience possessed by the person. Referent power results when persons attempt to identify themselves with the particular person in the organization, and when they are influenced by his/her personality or style of behavior. The source of such a power is charisma of that person. When constructing research instrumentation, some questions concerning the previously identified forms of managers' powers have been included in the questionnaire used for the analysis of powers of managers from the viewpoint of their subordinates. The following hypotheses have been raised and verified: Hypothesis I: managers use their powers differently in companies of different size and of different business nature. Hypothesis II: managers of different age, gender and education use their powers differently. In summary of the research findings, the following conclusions have been drawn. In principle, subordinates in Lithuanian companies are not satisfied with the way their supervisors use their reward power, as only adequately motivated employees enable to pursue higher effectiveness of their performance. Supervisors should give more attention to gathering of information on what rewards are desired by their subordinates. A reward system should also reflect initiatives and extra attempts taken by employees. In Lithuanian companies, the managers' use of coercive power is rather smart and non-abusive. The research showed that formal (legitimate) authority and informal powers of managers are used rather evenly. The formal authority is emphasized when companies face with problems or difficulties that cannot be resolved by a good will. When arranging and controlling work, supervisors act more tolerantly as they cooperate with their subordinates. Both hypotheses concerning the relation be¬tween the use of powers, different age and gender of managers, different size and busi

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