Coercive Power in Social Exchange

Studies in Rationality and Social Change

by Linda D. Molm

This book describes the progression and results of a decade-long experiment on power in social exchange relations. Exchange theorists have traditionally excluded punishment and coercion from their analyses; but Molm examines whether exchange theory can be expanded to include reward and coercive power. She develops and tests a theory that emphasizes the interdependence of reward and coercive power, finding that they are fundamentally different, not only in their effects on behavior, but also in the incentive and the risks of power use.

Genres: Sociology, Psychology

Paperback

First published January 28, 1997