POWER IN TOP MANAGEMENT TEAMS: DIMENSIONS, MEASUREMENT, AND VALIDATION.

TLDR

Top managers’ power is crucial for strategic decision‑making, yet despite recognition of its importance, few studies have attempted to measure it. The article proposes dimensions for measuring top managers’ power and outlines a methodology to enable empirical research. The authors evaluated the dimensions using data from 1,763 top managers across three industries in three studies to test validity and reliability. The results provide strong support for the proposed power dimensions.

Abstract

Top managers' power plays a key role in strategic decision making. However, although numerous scholars have recognized its importance, very few have attempted to measure the phenomenon. In this article, I present a set of dimensions measuring top managers' power and suggest a measurement methodology to facilitate empirical inquiry. Data from a group of 1,763 top managers in three industries were used to assess the validity and reliability of the power dimensions in three studies. Results demonstrate strong support for the proposed power dimensions.