Authority is of three types-
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(i) Charismatic authority
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(ii) Legal authority
(iii) Traditional authority.
(i) Charismatic Authority:
This type of authority is derived from the values that legitimise charismatic authority. The person having charismatic authority may possess some divine or supernatural powers which attract the followers. Such leaders may be in political field or in religious field or in any other field. Swami Vivekanand or Swami Ram Krishan Paramhans may be the examples of such authority.
But this type of authority rests with the person and as soon as such person disappears from the scene authority also disappears and any movement launched by such authority dies down or tends to be anarchistic and unstable.
(ii) Legal Authority:
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Actually by authority we mean legal authority. Legal authority is derived from principles, practices, rules, regulations, policies, practices and norms laid down by the institution for the systematic functioning of an organisation in the rational pursuit of specific goal.
This authority is not based on any tradition or charisma but it is given by the organisation to a position in the organisation. Any person who occupies that position enjoys that authority regardless of this background or personality.
His competence or merit is the only consideration. By virtue of his authority, position-holder holds the command over his subordinates and he is also subject to the authority of impersonal regulations.
(iii) Traditional Authority:
Such authority is derived from tradition for no merit of his own. The eldest son of a king will succeed the king was the tradition in older days. He becomes the king by virtue of his being eldest in the family according to the tradition of the family or society such conditions are still prevalent in backward societies.
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It has been observed that such type of authority attempts to maintain the status-quo only by fear of disturbances and therefore, is ill-suited.