STRUCTURAL BASES OF INTERPERSONAL INFLUENCE IN GROUPS - A LONGITUDINAL CASE-STUDY

I examine the relationship between interpersonal power and influence during the resolution of an issue in an organization. Controlling for elementary bases of power (rewards, coerrion, authority, identification, and expertise), I investigate three bases of power that arise from the structure of social networks (cohesion, similarity, and centrality). An analysis of longitudinal data on actors' bases of social power, frequency of interpersonal communications, and interpersonal influences indicates that cohesion, similarity, and centrality have significant effects on issue-related influence net of the elementary power bases. The effects of the structural bases are mediated by the frequency of issue-related communication. The primary structural determinant of the frequency of issue-related communication is network cohesion.