Referent power comes from being consistent over time. If people see you as having a

clear consistent strategy as a negotiator, you will increase your referent power.

Having standards that you stick to and being consistent will help to increase your

referent power. In the eighties, Margaret Thatcher wasn’t universally popular, but

was respected by many for being consistent in her views and behaviour. In the end

she failed because her approach was too rigid and she was unable to adapt to

changing circumstances.

The Use of Power in Negotiations

The study of power and its effect is important in the understanding of negotiation and relationships (or common ground) flowing from any negotiation. Every interaction and every social relationship, in side and outside organisations, involves an exercise of power. Gibson et al. (1991:329) see power as simply the ability to get things done the way you want them done. For example, the power of the manager who wants increased financial resources is his ability to get the desired resources.

Power involves a relationship between two or more people. Robert Dahl (1957:202), a political scientist, captures this important relational focus when he defines power: ‘A has power over B to the extent that he can get B to do something B would not otherwise do’.A person or group cannot have power in isolation; power has to be exercised or deployed, or have the potential of being deployed in relation to some other person or group. Power is similar to a currency exchange: it is meaningless unless linked or compared as an exchange commodity. Power is never linked to price, but always to value.