Final answer:
As a department head in a company, Solomon exercises legitimate power, which is inherent to the position he holds. This form of power is a type of rational-legal authority, made legitimate by the company's regulations and accepted organizational structure. It is the basis on which he is empowered to direct his department and make decisions. The correct answer is option d. Legitimate.
Step-by-step explanation:
Solomon, as a department head in a company, will directly exercise authority through legitimate power. This form of power is part of a broader spectrum which also includes referent, informational, expert, and decision-making powers. However, legitimate power is the power vested in an individual by virtue of the position they hold within an organization. It is grounded in the formal authority given to a person when they take on a particular role, often codified in job descriptions and company policies. Legitimate power is a type of rational-legal authority, a concept articulated by the sociologist Max Weber, which refers to power made legitimate by laws, written rules, and regulations.
In the context of Solomon's role, he operates within an established structure and is empowered to give orders, make decisions, and expect compliance based on the accepted norms within the company. He acts within the scope of his position, as dictated by the organization's guidelines, which employees agree to follow out of respect for the hierarchical structure of the company and belief in the legitimacy of the system that grants him such authority. Legitimate power is granted to Solomon as a department head because the employees under him perceive his role and associated rights as reasonable, beneficial, and true within the context of the company's governing framework.
To answer the other part of the student's query regarding political power, the highest form of political power can be seen as legitimacy, as it underpins the authority figures within governments and the state itself. Modern representative democracies exemplify this form of authority, where government officials are elected for specified terms, with people's faith residing in the legitimacy of the office, not solely in the individuals occupying those positions. Legitimate power is crucial as it forms the bedrock on which rational-legal authority is grounded.