Power play is evident in several different forms of interaction. I have noticed a situation between an employer and an employee that displays the, “Take it or Leave it,” power play. In which an employee at a certain company wanted to create a union against the employer to receive higher pay. However, the employer answered in a way of upholding their authority. If this union was to be created, he would close the company and relocate to another country. Thus, suggesting either the employee can accommodate to the low wage or face unemployment. The employee was simply trying to pressure his boss into giving him an increase in salary that he thought he deserved for the work he does for the company. In this same way, the employer thought that amount that this employee receives is far more than enough and if not, the employer can simply move to a new country where the new employees would work for the same amount of money. This threat of easily substituting someone shows that this job can be replaced within a second. There is a clear distinction in both of these individuals power, as the employee can use their position to rally up fellow employees to create a union against the employer. The employer uses his authority to avoid this situation with a threat.
- Alisha Alex
I think the most common form of power play in adult-life happens when you start working . I say this because that’s when the person “in charge” tends to exert their power. Even if you’re the supervisor, you have someone to report to and that person often shows that they are higher than you in the job. I know someone who experienced something similar in which she said her boss will always insult her no matter how hard she works. The insults got so bad to the point where she had to quit her job. Even if the boss was behaving that way so that the employee could work harder, I feel like the boss was exerting too much power.
I think this is an extremely interesting observation. There are countless examples of these power plays by employers. Those with the power use their status and means to box employees into corners where they are forced to settle for unacceptable wages and/or treatment. Unfortunately as a society I think we have allowed these kind of power hungry leaders to run rampant. I have not personally experienced this but I know many friends who have encountered this all too common situation. Fair and just treatment should be required however there is nobody to monitor this. As long as employers are “paying minimum wage” they are in the clear.
I think that this type of power play is very relevant to the society that we live in. When people are placed in a higher role, especially in the employment world, the power that comes with it is very enticing. It is unfortunate that a worker who may have done enough to deserve a raise would be “crushed” by their boss because of uniting to protest this cause. It goes to show that some people in positions of authority happen to use it in more of an authoritative behavior that is unnecessary and unfair. I liked your take on this aspect of what happens in places of employment. I agree with your point and believe it is unjust for employees to have to deal with this kind of indecency.
A valid point you mentioned in the power play between employers and employee would be the ability to threaten someone into doing your own bidding. Your post is quite similar to the experience Johnson had while working at the café. Employees often feel hopeless in their jobs when they have the looming threat of unemployment hanging over their heads at any given point in time. The bigger the threat, the more power a person can hold. For instance, the worker wanted a higher wage so he tried to create a union but the threat of losing his job far outweighs his chance of getting a higher wage.
-Sumaiyah Ali