Koch Industries is one of the most profitable privately held corporations in the country. In spite of being owned
primarily by four brothers, it has not been immune from intense internal power plays and intrigue. A decadeslong dispute between CEO Charles Koch and his younger brother Bill Koch led first to an internal battle for
control of the company and ended with a lawsuit between the brothers.
Carefully review the background materials regarding sources of power within an organization and influence
tactics. Examples of sources of power include reward power, coercive power, legitimate power, and expert
power. Examples of influence tactics include forming coalitions, pressure, and exchanging favors. Make sure to
understand the main power sources and influence tactics and know the vocabulary and definitions from the
background materials before starting the assignment.
The epic battle between two of the Koch brothers tested the limits of both of their power bases within Koch
Industries. Both used multiple tactics before Charles Koch ultimately secured his position of almost unrivaled
power within the corporation. Do some research about this power struggle using the Trident Online Library and
write a 4- to 5-page paper addressing the following issues. Make sure
to cite at least 3 of the required background readings in addition to articles about the Koch brothers in your
paper:
What were Charles and Bill Koch’s sources of power within Koch Industries? Did they have reward power,
coercive power, legitimate power, or expert power? Any other sources of power? Refer to Bauer and Erdogan
(2012) or Luthans et al. (2015) in your answer, as you should demonstrate a solid understanding of these
readings as part of your answer.
What influence tactics did each of them use in their battle for control? Refer to Bauer and Erdogan (2012) or
Luthans et al. (2015) in your answer.
Ultimately what do you think led to Charles Koch’s victory in this battle, and what do you think are the most
important lessons on organizational power that you learned from reading about this power struggle?