Crimson Tide you tube video on power and influence - Essay Example

Crimson Tide: Video on Power and Influence In the video, Hunter shows referent power that gives him the admiration of most of his followers, and finally that of Ramsey. On the other hand, Ramsey shows coercive power, legitimate power, and expert power. Coercive power is used to induce the follower to obey in order to escape punishments that can be given by the leader. Legitimate power makes the follower comply on the basis that the leader has the right to make the orders and the follower has the obligation to follow it.

Expert power makes the follower obey on the basis that the leader possesses the expert knowledge to handle the situation in the best possible way. The first scene is a colorful example of how Hunter uses the referent power to influence others but in a way that raises their admiration in him. In the scene, he asks Petty Officer First Class Danny Rivetti about the reason behind a fight between Rivetti and another Bennefield. His way of handling the situation is not simply an application of his power; instead; he says “you are a supervisor, you can get a commission like that” (Crimson Tide).

In addition, he tells that “you have to set an example even in the face of stupidity” (Crimson Tide). In the situation, Danny Rivetti seems well aware about the silliness of the issue he was in, and how stupid he will seem if he says the issue to Hunter. After making him understand the way he is supposed to perform, Hunter uses the weapon that sets him apart from Ramsey. He says “Everybody who reads comic books knows that the Kirby Silver Surfer is the only true Silver Surfer.” Here one can see Ingratiation and Impression Management as Hunter resorts to some degree of flattering to make Danny Rivetti feel that he is a man who is supposed to behave properly as he is supposed to ‘set an example’.

In addition, Hunter even resorts to Upward Appeal to remind Rivetti that ‘you are a supervisor’. The film shows the attempt by Ramsey to use legitimate and coercive power in all the scenes. His ways of influence are assertiveness and persuasion. This makes him unable to understand the mentality of the crew and makes him say that “Mr. Hunter has brought it to my attention that morale may be a bit low…who can’t handle the situation can leave the ship right now.” In addition, he forces Hunter, saying ‘repeat my command’ even when Hunter says that the information in the second message is still unclear.

Then comes the threat that “or I’ll find somebody who else”. Here, one can find the mere application of assertiveness through actively applying legitimate and coercive power. Another denial was followed by the direction “remove Mr. Hunter from the control room”. When Mr. Mr. Hunter tries to remind him of the navy regulations, he goes on insisting that Mr. Hunter be arrested under charge of mutiny. Here one can see the use of threat and confrontation as the means of influence on Hunter, but of no benefit.

Finally, when he was arrested, Ramsey makes the final effort of influence through reminding Hunter of the fact that he is ‘not ready to make tough decisions yet’. However, the last scene proves that Hunter is able to use coercive power as otherwise they would ‘lose the ship’. Here, using coercive power, he gets the work done. He says “you have your orders, now seal…”. In total, it becomes evident that both Ramsey and Hunter present various influence and power tactics, and to a great extent, both are effective.

However, Hunter gets more appreciation for his use of referent power. References Crimson Tide Leadership Video. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvNqZRymNmM