Power and influence are important factors and are closely linked to leadership and our acceptance of it. However, in the relatively recent systematic examination of these phenomena and their emergence and implementation, at least some facets remain underexamined. The focus is primarily on psychological incentive systems. In our article, we want to argue that this form of consideration is important, but not sufficient and sometimes even remains one-sided. This is due to the restriction of the incentive systems themselves, which primarily change the consequences of actions for the guided one or are related to the guided person’s lack of access to knowledge, for example. We, therefore, want to argue in favour of an extension of the theory and clarify as a core thesis why the power and influence of leadership also go hand in hand with the simplification of collective actions, fairness and cooperation. We want to realise this project at all levels on the basis of arguments from action theory (primarily decision and game theory).

Coordination, decision theory, game theory, conflict avoidance, fairness, cooperation

Bagchi, S. N., & Sharma, R. (2024). Disempowered by leadership: Tales from the middle of the organizational pyramid. IMIB Journal of Innovation and Management, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/ijim.241245799

Bierstedt, R. (1950). An analysis of social power. American Sociological Review, 15. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.2307/2086605

Camerer, C. F. (2003). Behavioural game theory. Experiments in strategic interaction. Princeton University Press.

Collins, B. E., & Raven, B. H. (1969). Group structure: Attraction, coalitions, communications, and power. In G. Lindzey & E. Anderson (Eds.), The handbook of social psychology (Vol. IV, pp. 102–203). Addison-Wesley.

Couzin, I. D., Kruase, J., Franks, N. R., & Levin, S. A. (2005). Effective leadership and decision-making in animal groups on the move. Nature, 433. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03236

Crott, H. (1983). Macht. In D. Frey & S. Greif (Eds.), Sozialpsychologie. Ein Handbuch in Schlüsselbegriffen (pp. 231–238). Urban & Schwarzberg.

Dahl, R. A. (1957). The concept of power. Behavioural Science, 2. https://doi.org/10.1002/bs.3830020303

De Waal, F. (2005). Der Affe in uns. Warum wir sind, wie wir sind. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag.

De Waal, F. (2019). The age of empathy. Nature`s lessons for a kinder society. Souvenir Press.

Dorsch Lexikon der Psychologie. (2023). Einfluss. Retrieved December 13, 2023, from https://dorsch.hogrefe.com/stichwort/einfluss-sozialer

Durupinar, F, Pelechano, N., Allbeck, J., Güdükbay, U., & Badler, N. (2011). How the ocean personality model affects the persecution of crowds. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 31(3). https://doi:10.1109/MCG.2009.105

Faix, A.-V. (2022). Qualitative Innovation in the light of the normative: A minimal approach to promoting and measuring successful innovation in business. IMIB Journal of Innovation and Management, 2 (2). https://doi.org/10.1177/ijim.221091004

Faix, W. G., Kisgen, S., Schwinn, A., & Windisch, L. (2021). Führung, Persönlichkeit. Bildung. Mit Führungskraft die Zukunft erfolgreich und nachhaltig gestalten. Springer.

Fenton, B. (2021). To be fair. The ultimate guide to fairness in the 21th century. Mensch Publishing.

French, J. R. P., & Raven, B. (1959). The basis of social power. In D. Cartwright (Ed.), Studies in social power (pp. 529–569). University of Michigan Press.

Greenleaf, R. K. (1998). The power of servant leadership. Berrett-Koehöer Publisher, Inc.

Harsanyi, J. C. (1962). Measurement of social power in n-person reciprocal power situations. Journal of Science, 7. https://doi.org/10.1002/bs.3830070106

Harvard Business School. (2013). Power and influence for positive impact. Retrieved January 1, 2024, from https://account.myhbx.org/s/login/?startURL=https%3A%2F%2Faccount.myhbx.org%2F&PC=PIPI

Haslam, S. A., O`Brien, A., Jetten, J., Vormedal, K., & Penna, S. (2005). Taking the strain: Social identity, social support, and the experience of stress. British Journal of Social Psychology, 44. https://doi.org/10.1348/014466605X37468

Henderson, A. H. (1981). Social power. Social psychological models and theories. Praeger Publishers

Hollander, E. P. (1964). Leadership and power. In G. Lindzey & E. Aronson (Eds.), Handbook of social psychology (Vol. II, pp. 485–537). Random House.

Homann, K., & Suchanek, A. (2005). Ökonomie: Eine Einführung. Mohr Siebeck.

HR today. (2023). Macht oder Einfluss. Retrieved December 10, 2023, from https://www.hrtoday.ch/de/article/macht-oder-einfluss-leader-erreichen-ihre-ziele-durch-gekonnte-status-spiele

Kern, L., & Nida-Rümelin, J. (1994). Logik kollektiver Entscheidungen. De Gruyter Verlag.

King, A., Johnson, D. D. P., & Vugt, M. V. (2009). The origins and evolution of leadership. Current Biology, 19(19). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2009.07.027

Kisgen, S. (2017). The future of business leadership education in tertiary education for graduates. Steinbeis-Edition.

Kreps, D. M. (1988). Notes on the theory of choice. Taylor & Francis Group.

Lewis, D. K. (1969). Convention: A philosophical study. Wiley-Blackwell.

Mesoudi, A. (2008). An experimental simulation of the “copy-successful-individuals” cultural learning strategy: Adaptive landscapes, producer-scrounger dynamics, and informational access costs. Evolution and Human Behavior, 29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2008.04.005

Neuberger, O. (1985). Führung. Enke.

Nida-Rümelin, J. (1997). Economic rationality and practical reason. Springer.

Nida-Rümelin, J. (2019). Structural rationality and other essays on practical reason. Springer.

Parson, T. (1963). On the concept of influence. The Public Opinion Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1086/267148

Paternotte, C. (2011). Being realistic about common knowledge: A Lewisian approach. Synthese, 183(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-010-9770-y

Pollard, W. E., & Mitchell, T. R. (1972). Decision theory analysis of social power. Psychological Bulletin, 78(6), 433–446.

Sander, K. (1990). Prozesse der Macht. Zur Entstehung, Stabilisierung und Veränderung der Macht von Akteuren in Unternehmen. Springer.

Schelling, T. C. (1960). The strategy of conflict. Harvard University Press.

Schneider, H.-D. (1977). Sozialpsychologie der Machtbeziehungen. Enke.

Scholl, W. (2014). Führung und Macht: Warum Einflussnahme erfolgreicher ist. Humboldt Universität Berlin. Retrieved December 12, 2023, from https://www.artop.de/fuehrung-und-macht-warum-einflussnahme-erfolgreicher-ist/

Schopler, J. (1965). Social power. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 2, 177–218.

Tomasello, M. (2009). Why we cooperate. The MIT Press.

Tuomela, R. (2007). The philosophy of sociality. The shared point of view. Oxford University Press.

Tuomela, R. (2013). Social ontology: Collective intentionality and group agents. Oxford University Press.

Yasir, H., Asrar-ul-Haq, M., Amin, S., Noor, S., Haris-ul-Mahasbi, M., & Alsam, M. K. (2020). Corporate social responsibility and employee performance: The mediating role of employee engagement in the manufacturing sector of Pakistan. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 27, 2908–2919.

Von Kimakowitz, E., Pirson, M., Dierksmeier, C., Spitzeck, H., & Amann, W. (2011). Introducing this book and humanistic management. In E. von Kimakowitz & M. Pirson (Eds.), Humanistic management in practice.

Von Neumann, J., & Morgenstern, O. (1944). Theory of games and economic behavior. Princeton Classic Editions. Princeton University Press. Palgrave Macmillan.

Zündorf, L. (1987). Macht, Einfluss und Vertrauen – Elemente einer soziologischen Theorie des Managements. Arbeitsbericht Nr. 31 des Fachbereichs Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften.

Authors’ Bio-sketch

Anna-Vanadis Faix is a philosopher and economist. She is currently a research assistant and doctoral candidate at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. She previously studied philosophy and economics at the University of Tübingen, the University of Padova and the University of Cambridge.

Prof. Dr Stefanie Kisgen, Junior Professor of Leadership at Steinbeis University. Managing Partner of the School of International Business and Entrepreneurship GmbH (SIBE) at Steinbeis University with currently approx. 400 students in Master’s programmes in the areas of Business & Law and more than 5,000 graduates. Studied Regional Studies China at the University of Cologne and Nanjing Normal University / China (Dipl.-reg. - 2004). Career integrated postgraduate studies for a Master of Business Administration at the SIBE of Steinbeis University Berlin (MBA - 2007). Part-time doctorate (Dr. phil.) at the Ludwigs-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich (2017) on the topic ‘The Future of Business Leadership Education in Tertiary Education for Graduates’.