The central and most common element in existing conceptualizations of communication competency is the concept of control, which suggests that competency is a function of the communicator's ability to exert influence over physical and social surroundings. This paper identifies six phases of the control process: goal specification, information…

Tests a scaling instrument that measures an individual's power in four communication situations. Shows that positive and negative personal power and reward power are three stable factors accounting for seven-tenths of the total variance. Supports the hypothesis that perceived interpersonal power varies across communication contexts. (RL)