Personalized and socialized need for power: Distinct relations to employee traits and behaviors.

Abstract

The desire to influence others, also known as the need for Power (nPower), has been conceptualized in the literature as either Personalized (i.e., desire for power for one's own ends) or Socialized (i.e., desire for power to help others). However, there is no valid scale to measure nPower, and it is unclear how Personalized and Socialized nPower relate to individual differences of employees and work-related behaviors. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were (a) to create and validate a new scale for Personalized and Socialized nPower and (b) to explore how scores on these scales relate to employee personality traits (HEXACO), Impression Management, work-related behaviors and motivations (i.e., Unethical Decision-Making, Counterproductive Workplace Behavior, Organizational Citizenship Behavior Motives), and promotional outcomes. The study used a community sample from StudyResponse (N = 206), and an undergraduate sample from the University of Calgary (N = 130), where participants completed a self-report questionnaire. The confirmatory factor analysis of the new scale best supported a two-factor structure that corresponded to the two components of nPower. Furthermore, Personalized and Socialized nPower were differentially associated with personality traits, work-related behaviors and motivations, and promotional outcomes measured in the study. The study provides researchers with psychometrically sound measures of Personalized and Socialized nPower, and the study also helps expand the understanding of these important constructs. Public Significance StatementThe study seeks to help us understand the nature and different sides of power, which is a topic relevant to many areas of life, such as the workplace. We demonstrate the importance of distinguishing between the personalized and socialized need for power, and the unique traits and behaviors associated with each. Finally, we present a measure that can be used to stimulate future work on the topic, to better help researchers understand power in the workplace.

Need for Power, Personality Traits, and Organizational Work-Related Behaviors among Employees

“…For example, the organization's strategic decision-making is influenced by employees who frequently exert interpersonal influence over other employees to achieve their personal needs and interests (Ahmadzadeh et al, 2022;Watts et al, 2018). Therefore, the term "Need for Power" refers to the desire to influence other employees as well as have power over other employees in the organization (Moon et al, 2022;McClelland, 1987).…”

“…Whereas, the positive desire for power is positively associated with high honesty-humility, empathy, agreeableness, gratitude, organizational commitment, job satisfaction, organizational productivity, prosocial behavior, and time management. Therefore, several researchers have started to conceptualize the construct of the need for power as consisting of two distinct components having significant relationships with personality traits and other workrelated behaviors (Moon et al, 2022). Individuals with higher levels of personalized need for power are more likely to influence other individuals for self-serving and selfaggrandizing purposes, as well as to gain wealth, authority, and prestige (Moon et al, 2022;London et al, 2019).…”

“…Therefore, several researchers have started to conceptualize the construct of the need for power as consisting of two distinct components having significant relationships with personality traits and other workrelated behaviors (Moon et al, 2022). Individuals with higher levels of personalized need for power are more likely to influence other individuals for self-serving and selfaggrandizing purposes, as well as to gain wealth, authority, and prestige (Moon et al, 2022;London et al, 2019). In contrast, individuals higher in socialized need for power have a desire to influence others for prosocial, other-serving purposes and place high values on responsibility, loyalty, and empowering others (Bunderson & Reagans, 2011).…”

“…As hypothesized that behaviors expressed by employees with higher levels of personalized-nPower and socialized-nPower will differ due to divergent motivations for obtaining power and influencing others, which stem from different goals and needs. The motivations in these two different power components in the workplace are also critical for driving different types of behaviors that attempt to meet the needs of employees (Moon et al, 2022). Furthermore, given how the employees' behaviors affect their routine lives and how the organization's work-related behaviors are associated with the personalized and socialized need for power, may have distinct implications on organizational functioning.…”

“…However, contrary to our predictions of the personalized need for power, researchers believe that employees with a higher socialized need for power tend to be more agreeable and emotional. Agreeableness is a personality trait that predicts a person's propensity to cooperate with others, and emotionality is also a personality trait that influences social bonding and relationship-building, both of which are closely related to the prosocial goals of socialized need for power (Moon et al, 2022;Lee et al, 2013;McClelland et al, 1989). Given that people with higher levels of socialized nPower want to use their power to influence others in prosocial ways, their higher levels of sincerity, fairness, and honesty-humility.…”