Power and Politics in Health and Medicine

Power is an obscure but vital component of organizational behavior and management, serving as a foundational element which supports virtually the entirety of all other components of the discipline, including leadership, motivation, organizational structure and design, conflict management, and more. At its core, power serves as an instrument of order, ensuring that institutional operations are productive and prosperous, free from the ravages of disruption and chaos. Given its importance, healthcare providers must endeavor to acquire a comprehensive understanding of power, its various facets, methods for operationalizing the concept in the workplace, and related insights. As power can be used in both positive and negative fashions, special care must be taken by the individual wielding power to be disciplined, ensuring that applications of power center on advancing institutional missions, rather than self-serving ambitions. Healthcare managers who consistently deploy the positive face of power are assets to their institutions, situated to productively influence others within their given organizations. Prowess on this important front should be considered mandatory for anyone holding positions of authority in health and medicine. This chapter addresses power and its many facets, shedding light on this important topic.