Motivationen for magt og oplevelsen af magt i politisk ledelse: Et teoretisk perspektiv
Oversat titel
Power motivation and the experience of power in political leadership: A theoretical perspective
Forfatter
Pedersen, Christian Steen
Semester
4. semester
Uddannelse
Udgivelsesår
2026
Afleveret
2026-05-26
Antal sider
58
Resumé
This thesis examines the relationship between the motivation for power and the experience of power in the context of political leadership, with the aim of illuminating how this rela-tionship can shed light on the ways political leaders are driven by and respond to power differently - and under which psychological conditions this relationship influences whether power is expressed socialized or personalized. The theoretical framework integrates Hannah Arendt’s relational and collective conceptualization of power as an ontological foundation. David McClelland’s motivational psychology as a framework for understanding why political leaders seek power, and Dacher Keltner, Deborah Gruenfeld and Cameron Anderson’s approach/inhibition theory of power as an account of what happens psychologically when power is experienced. The analysis is based on a theoretical-interpretive methodology inspired by Gadamer’s herme-neutics, employing illustrative examples as heuristic tools. The analysis reveals a conceptual tension between McClelland’s concept of inhibi-tion as a relatively stable individual characteristic developed through maturation, and Kelt-ner et al. 's concept of disinhibition denoting the process whereby approach system activa-tion causes disinhibited behaviour. This tension raises the question whether inhibition is a stable or dynamic quality that can be challenged in the face of power. Three central psy-chological conditions are identified: the orientation of power motivation, the intensity and duration of approach activation, and the presence of external moderating factors. The anal-ysis further points to a circular dynamic between the individual’s psychological disposition and the legitimacy of power where disinhibition is not merely a problem for the individual leader but a threat to the very foundation of power in Arendtian terms. The conclusions should be understood as theoretical interpretations that illuminate psychological tendencies and conditions rather than empirically verified causal relation-ships. The analysis is subject to limitations, including the interpretive uncertainty in the hermeneutic approach as well as the non-representative nature of the illustrative examples. The thesis contributes to the understanding of the psychological conditions that may shape political behaviour in the face of power, but it represents one perspective among several possible ones and should be read as such.
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