The Confused Concept of Authority

Abstract

In almost every area of human organisation and in many forms of inter-personal relationships, the concept of authority plays an explicit or implicit role. The concept is therefore of great importance in our daily lives but, it is clear to even the most casual observer that the term authority is frequently misused, confused and abused. It is obvious also that the act of exercising authority (or claiming to) often creates or inflames tense inter-personal situations, provoking strong emotions and increasing the probability of dysfunctional behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to explore the meaning ofauthority and to distinguish if from the concepts of power, influence and leadership, with which it is frequently confused.