The prosocial side of power: How structural power over subordinates can promote social responsibility

We examine the effect of power on powerholders’ egocentric versus prosocial orientation toward others. We argue that power, particularly in collaborative settings such as teams and organizations, induces a sense of responsibility to those over whom one has power. This sense of responsibility is driven by two mechanisms: (1) norms about the benevolent use of power in organizations and (2) awareness that subordinates are dependent on the powerholder. This sense of responsibility also has important consequences. In particular, we argue that it induces feelings of solidarity, a prosocial form of identification with subordinates, which in turn leads powerholders to engage in behavioral solidarity (behaviors that prioritize subordinates’ interests over powerholders’ self-interests). We test these ideas in a series of three pre-registered experiments and one field survey. We discuss the implications of our findings for research on the social psychology of power and organizational theories of power.