COURSE NUMBER: MBA254.1A
COURSE TITLE: Power & Politics
UNITS OF CREDIT: 2
INSTRUCTOR: Sameer Srivastava
EMAIL: srivastava@haas.berkeley.edu
PREREQUISITE(S): MBA205
CLASS FORMAT: Cases, simulations, group exercises, lectures, guest speakers,
peer and executive coaching
* Cases: 60%
* Simulations / group exercises: 20%
* Lectures: 10%
* Guest speakers / alumni panel: 5%
* Peer and executive coaching: 5%
REQUIRED READINGS: Course reader and two required books: John Neffinger and Matthew Kohut’s COMPELLING
PEOPLE: THE HIDDEN QUALITIES THAT MAKE US INFLUENTIAL and Jeffrey Pfeffer’s POWER:
WHY SOME PEOPLE HAVE IT AND OTHERS DON’T.
BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE: You will be evaluated on three dimensions: (a) the quality of your
contributions to class discussions (40%); (b) a brief memo (10%); and (c) a
final paper (50%).
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 tools for getting things get done. For those considering careers in
management, the ability to diagnose and navigate organizational politics is
crucial for achieving personal and organizational success. The other side of
the coin is that managers are also often on the receiving end of others' political actions. An astute manager knows
how to anticipate moves that others will make, how to block or avoid moves that
have undesirable consequences, and how to support others’ moves when they 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. The course is
designed to be highly interactive in nature, including a wide range of case
studies, simulations, group exercises, and personalized coaching. Based on
positive student feedback over the last two years, we have
renewed our contract with an executive coaching firm to provide students
enrolled in this course with one-on-one feedback on their communication and
influence style.
CAREER FIELD: This course is useful for all aspiring leaders who anticipate
having to secure the cooperation and support of others to achieve their personal
and professional goals.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: Sameer Srivastava received his PhD in Organizational
Behavior from Harvard Business School. His research examines how people build
successful careers within organizations—for example, by mobilizing social
networks, occupying advantaged structural positions, and influencing others to
support their policies and initiatives. He joined the Haas faculty in 2012 and
teaches in the Full-time MBA program, the Evening MBA program, and various
Executive Education programs. He has been a member of “Club 6” in each of his
years at Haas and was recently named a Schwabacher Fellow
(the highest honor for Assistant Professors at Haas) and a Barbara and Gerson
Bakar Faculty Fellow (recognition for faculty members “with a record of
accomplishment and a very bright future”). His work has been published in
scholarly journals such as:American Journal
of Sociology, American Sociological Review, Management Science,
Organization Science, and Psychological Science. It has been covered in
media outlets such as: Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Fast Company,
and Business Insider. In a prior career, Sameer was a partner at Monitor Group,
a global management consultancy, where he co-founded the firm’s Organizational
Strategy practice. Sameer also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, an AM
in Sociology from Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and an AB magna cum laude in Economics from Harvard
College.