COURSE NUMBER: EWMBA257-11

COURSE TITLE: Power and Politics in Organizations

UNITS OF CREDIT: 3 Units

INSTRUCTOR: Dr Edward (Eli) Kass

E-MAIL ADDRESS: obprofessor@gmail.com

CLASS WEB PAGE LOCATION: bSpace

MEETING DAY(S)/TIME: Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

PREREQUISITE(S): EWMBA205

CLASS FORMAT: Cases, exercises, lectures, guest speakers, films

REQUIRED READINGS: Jeffrey Pfeffer's Managing With Power (tentative) and Robert Cialdini's Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. Additional readings will be available in class and/or through a coursepack.

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE: Class participation, individual project, group project, and various short individual reflection papers

ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES:
This course is about the art and science of influence in organizations. Many people are ambivalent, if not disdainful, of those who seek to wield power and influence at work. But organizations are fundamentally political entities, and power and influence are key mechanisms by which things get done. For those considering careers in management, it is important to be able to diagnose organizational politics in order to form and implement new strategies. The other side of the coin is that managers are usually on the receiving end of these processes as well. An astute manager knows how to anticipate moves that others will make, how to block or avoid them when they have consequences that are undesirable, and how to help these moves succeed when their consequences are beneficial. After taking this course, you will be able to: (1) diagnose the distribution of power in organizations, (2) identify strategies for building sources of power, (3) develop techniques for influencing others, and (4) understand the role of power in building cooperation and leading change in an organization. These skills will be invaluable to you throughout your career.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:
Dr Kass earned his Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Tulane University. He has taught Executive MBAs at NYU's Stern School of Business, Tulane University, and Saint Joseph's University. He received the Faculty Merit Award for Extraordinary Teaching in 2003. He is an active consultant and researcher whose work focuses on negotiation and fair treatment. His most recent research explores how negotiator's interpersonal treatment elicits competitive or collaborative attitudes and behaviors from others. His publications have appeared in such outlets as Organizational Science, The International Journal of Conflict Management, and the Handbook of Social Comparison Theory.