Personal Power versus Positional Power: which of the following statements is accurate?

• A. Personal Power is based on job title and formal authority alone
• B. Personal Power includes Expert and Referent power reflecting individual effectiveness; Positional Power is defined by the role held within the organization
• C. Personal Power is based on tenure; Positional Power on expertise
• D. Personal Power is illegal; Positional Power is informal

Answer: (B)

Influence in organizations comes from two sources: personal power and positional power. Personal power rests on what you know and how you relate to others—expert power comes from your knowledge and skills, while referent power comes from the respect and trust you earn from coworkers. Positional power comes from the role you hold in the organization and the authority that role carries, including the ability to direct actions, grant rewards, or apply penalties. The correct statement accurately reflects this distinction by noting that Personal Power includes Expert and Referent power and that Positional Power is tied to the role you occupy. For example, a firefighter with deep technical expertise and strong relationships can influence decisions even without formal rank, while a captain’s authority largely stems from the position they hold. The other options misstate where power comes from: they either reduce personal power to the title, confuse tenure or expertise with the wrong type of power, or imply illegality where power dynamics are a normal part of organizational structure.