Dependence increases when the resource you control is important, scarce, and nonsubstitutable. If nobody wants what you have, it’s not going to create dependence. Note, however, that there are many degrees of importance, from needing the resource for survival to wanting a resource that is in fashion or adds to convenience. We see the scarcity–dependence relationship in the power situation of employment.

Where the supply of labor is low relative to demand, workers can negotiate compensation and benefits packages far more attractive than those in occupations with an abundance of candidates. For example, college administrators have no problem finding English instructors because there is a high supply and low demand. In contrast, the market for network systems analysts is tight, with demand high and supply limited. The fewer viable substitutes for a resource, the more power a person controlling that resource has.