What is the best project manager's power to use in week matrix organization?
Nguyen Duc HaiDigital Transformation Officer| VietcombankHa Noi, Viet Nam
In this question below i think PM should use formal power(C) but everyone in my group vote D? Can anyone help me in this question, thank you. ---------- ABC,inc. just hired you as project manager for a new project code name Nautilus. ABC is a weak matrix organization. How do you get cooperation from the project team and stakeholders.
A. By using the project manager expert power. B. By using the project manager reward power. C. By using the project manager formal power. D. By using the project manager referent power. Saving Changes...
In a weak matrix organization, you have less formal authority than functional managers and as such, are unlikely to have much (if any) formal authority over the team.
Referent power means you have the necessary interpersonal/relationship skills to be able to influence people without the need for formal authority, by being an expert or by reward or punishing them.
As such, I would have gone with D as well.
Kiron Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Nguyen,
go for D as Kiron and the others in your group do.
In a weak (!) matrix, the PM does not have formal power (C) nor reward power (B). Those lie in the functional departments as part of the governance.
Both expert and referent power come out of the personality of the PM. Referent power (D) according to PMBoK Guide 3.4.4.3 is 'respect or admiration others hold for the individual, credibility gained'.
Expert power (A) may lead to referent power, but also other venues go there. Referent power leads to people having trust in you and see you as a leader. Expert power not necessarily, if your social skills are not good enough.
Sometime I have seen (not in current PMBoK) seen the term referential power, which is borrowing the power from your network (e.g. your father being the president). Do not confuse it with referent power. Saving Changes...
