Do you think managers in most organizations have too much power and authority over their subordinates, or not enough? What are some of the problems that come from lack of power, and what problems come from managers having too much power?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Here is how the textbook discusses this issue:
Power: Too Little, Too Much, and Just Right
When we think of the word power, the word abuse often comes to mind as well. In other words, to many of us, power has a negative connotation. As Lord Acton stated, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Acton, 2013). However, managers need the power and authority necessary to get the job done. As Churchill stated, “What you have no right to do is to ask me to bear responsibilities without the power of effective action” (Hayward, 1997, p. 42). Managers and other leaders need the authority to make decisions, to appropriate resources, and to direct others if they are to achieve the tasks given to them to do.
Midlevel managers and leaders in particular often lack the power of effective action. Red tape, micromanaging executives, and uncooperative peers often limit the ability of these leaders to get the job done in a timely fashion. On the other hand, upper-level executives have to be sure that managers and employees are following organizational policies and implementing the overall organizational strategy. Abuse of power can take place at any level, and often, organizational policies protect frontline employees from unfair treatment by their immediate supervisors. Thus, one of the most difficult tasks in any organization is to ensure that managers and leaders up and down the hierarchy have the right amount of power. Leaders need enough power to get the job done, but they should not have so much power that they can ignore organizational policies and strategies and abuse their subordinates.
Empowerment programs have been useful in part because they have given more authority to the people who have the most information about the tasks at hand and because they limit the chances to abuse power. In other words, these programs have helped give organizational members the right amount of power.
We can also think about power in terms of the personality traits and individual characteristics of the leaders. There are many leaders who have considerable power but are never tempted to abuse it. There are also leaders who, even though they have the authority and sources of power necessary for their job, are too timid to use their authority. In essence, they let others, including their subordinates and fellow managers, push them around. Finally, there are leaders who, even though they lack much formal authority, still manage to have considerable influence over decisions.