Larry Ellison Interpersonal Power

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Larry Ellison shows a few forms interpersonal power from reading this case. The first interpersonal power that is noticeable is expert power. According to Paul Merchant, “Expert power is derived from possessing knowledge or expertise in a particular area. Such people are highly valued by organizations for their problem solving skills.” Most people who have expert power are seen as indispensable. Critical tasks can be performed by these people. Their decisions and opinions are usually held in high regards by others. This results in their actions being influential. He exemplifies expert power because of his success in software. He is very knowledgeable on enterprise software resulting in Oracle being the first software company to develop and …show more content…

This power is used to create motivation. It can also be used to accomplish goals as a group. These individuals approach relations with a focus on others in a common orientation. Four characteristic has been seen as the result of social power. The four characteristics are belief in the authority system, preference for work and discipline, altruism or putting the organization’s needs over their own, and belief in justice. David McClelland stated, “when power is used for the good of the group, rather than for individual gain, it is positive.” Ellison shows relation to positive power with his strong belief in the authority system. He has a great ability in influencing others and it happens naturally for him. Ellison exemplifies work and discipline when trying to become the number one computer software company in the world. He has a systematic way of doing his job that in return results in positive …show more content…

He can sometimes shoot off his mouth and piss people off, but when things get tough, he 'll do whatever it takes to push Oracle forward and set things right for his company.” Larry Ellison uses different strategies to gain success in his business. Some strategies are avoidance, collaborations, compromising, and accommodations (Proffitt, 2013). Competitive strategies are used by Ellison to gain success in his company. He also uses tactics like demands and threats to put companies and individuals under pressure. He uses coercive power to make people do whatever he wants. His experience gives him expert power, which makes him very strong in the persuasion of others. The opinions and conducts of the people at Oracle are affected by Ellison. He establishes a place where there are only winners who meet the goals of the