The positive use of power on a major construction project

Although reasonably well developed in the general management literature, the source and use of power in organizations has received little attention in relation to its effect on the management of construction projects. This paper reviews the literature on power and its relationship to both formal and informal authority, and its manifestation as organizational politics, and relates them to construction projects in general. Reward, coercive, expert and referent (prestige) power and the role of resources are covered in this general review. A closer examination is then made of power through a case study of the development of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, which identifies the positive use of power and its implications for the outcome of the project.