COURSE NUMBER: EWMBA 205.1A

COURSE TITLE: Leading People

UNITS OF CREDIT: 2 units

INSTRUCTOR: Andreea Gorbatai

E-MAIL ADDRESS: gorbatai@haas.berkeley.edu

CLASS WEB PAGE LOCATION: bCourses

PREREQUISITE(S): None

CLASS FORMAT: We will be using a mix of exercises, cases and videos.

REQUIRED READINGS: Course readings will be available through study.net.

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE: 20% midterm, 25% final exam, 25% organizational experiment, 25% class participation & 5% survey assignments.

CAREER FIELD:
This course provides feedback and tools evaluating and improving social dynamics in organizations. It is ideal for anyone planning to occupy a managerial or leadership position in any company or industry. It will improve your awareness of team and social network dynamics, and decision making biases. It will hone your social influence, negotiation, and leadership skills; and increase your understanding of individual biases, motivations, and social dynamics in business settings.

ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES:
Leadership is about coordinating the skills, talents and resources of individuals and groups in combinations that best realize the organization’s opportunities. A critical source of competitive advantage often comes from having the ability to effectively obtain, mobilize and manage an organization’s human assets. Innovative leadership requires managers to be able to diagnose problems, make effective decisions, influence and motivate others and drive organizational change. This course provides fundamental tools and frameworks from the behavioral and social sciences that will improve students’ ability to analyze organizational dynamics, innovate and lead effectively. The goal is to help students think about their leadership behaviors -- and other people’s perceptions of their behaviors -- and then leverage this awareness for improvement.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:
Prior to getting her graduate degrees from Harvard Business School, Professor Gorbatai worked in economic consulting and management consulting in Boston. Her interest in technology, coupled with a background in economics and sociology, have led her to question and explore product and organizational form innovations that emerged from the sharing economy. In both teaching and research, Professor Gorbatai is motivated by understanding the principles and mechanisms underlying individual and organizational-level phenomena, and use this knowledge to improve individual-level, firm-level, and societal-level outcomes.