Which term best describes legitimate power granted by the organization that enables leaders to request action and expect compliance from subordinates?

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Multiple Choice

Which term best describes legitimate power granted by the organization that enables leaders to request action and expect compliance from subordinates?

Explanation:
Legitimate, formal power granted by the organization—that formal right to command and expect compliance from subordinates—is authority. This comes from a person’s position within the organizational structure, their job responsibilities, and the policies that support the chain of command. Authority is the sanctioned ability to request actions and have others follow due to that formal role. It’s different from leadership, which is about guiding and motivating people and can occur without formal authority, and from influence, which is a broader capacity to change behavior that isn’t necessarily tied to a specific position. It also distinguishes itself from power in general, which includes both formal and informal means of affecting outcomes; authority specifically denotes the sanctioned, formal right to command. So the best term is authority.

Legitimate, formal power granted by the organization—that formal right to command and expect compliance from subordinates—is authority. This comes from a person’s position within the organizational structure, their job responsibilities, and the policies that support the chain of command. Authority is the sanctioned ability to request actions and have others follow due to that formal role. It’s different from leadership, which is about guiding and motivating people and can occur without formal authority, and from influence, which is a broader capacity to change behavior that isn’t necessarily tied to a specific position. It also distinguishes itself from power in general, which includes both formal and informal means of affecting outcomes; authority specifically denotes the sanctioned, formal right to command. So the best term is authority.

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