A manager using a force-coercion strategy will rely on the power of ______ to bring about change.

The correct answer is authority. A force-coercion strategy for managing change involves utilizing formal power or authority to direct and enforce compliance among employees. This approach often involves making changes through mandates or directives, where the manager expects adherence from staff due to their positional power within the organization.

In this strategy, the manager may apply pressure and utilize their recognized role to facilitate immediate change, thus relying predominantly on the hierarchical structures that enable them to enforce their decisions.

While expertise, information, and reference can also play roles in organizational change, they are more aligned with approaches that engage staff through knowledge, persuasion, or personal relationships rather than through authoritative command. Therefore, in a force-coercion strategy, authority is the primary tool utilized to instigate change.