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The Two Faces of Authority: A Critique

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

Robert Spillane  and
Lynda Spillane
Robert Spillane
Affiliation:
Macquarie Graduate School of Management, Macquarie University, North Ryde NSW 2109, Australia Tel: (02) 9850 8995, Fax: (02) 98507698
Lynda Spillane
Affiliation:
Macquarie Graduate School of Management, Macquarie University, North Ryde NSW 2109, Australia Tel: (02) 9850 8995, Fax: (02) 98507698
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Abstract

In the management literature, authority is generally defined as, or confused with, power (legitimate or otherwise) on the one hand, or (less frequently) attributed to subordinate concession on the other. In short, authority is thought to have two faces. The aim of the present paper is to demonstrate the confusions surrounding the use of authority and to suggest that more attention should be directed to the important differences between authority, power and legitimacy. An analysis of managerial authority is discussed that argues for the crucial relationship, recognised by the ancients, between authority and rhetoric. Authority, it is argued, is not legitimate power but a source of power and is established by effective rhetoric.

Keywords

• Authority• Power• Legitimacy• Rhetoric• Management
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 5 , Issue 1 , January 1999 , pp. 1 - 11
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 1999

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