Coercive power
Coercive power is the ability to influence through punishment. It is the capacity to punish or withhold positive outcomes as a way of influencing the behaviour of other people. A manager may try to coerce someone by threatening him or her with verbal reprimands, pay penalties and even termination. To mobilise coercive power, a manager says, in effect, ‘If you don’t do what I want, I’ll punish you’.