Initially proposed in 1959 and elaborated over time, French and Raven’s framework categorizes power in interpersonal and group dynamics based on where it derives from. Reward power is based on providing positive outcomes; coercive power on sanctions or punishments; legitimate power on formal roles or authority; referent power on identification and liking; expert power on knowledge and competence; and informational power on control over information. The model is widely used in social psychology, organizational behavior, and leadership studies to analyze how influence operates in relationships, institutions, and communication processes.
Published in Chapter 6 in the 1959 book edited by Dorwin Cartwright “Studies in Social Power”
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