COURSE NUMBER: MBA254.1B
COURSE TITLE: Power and Politics in Organizations
UNITS OF CREDIT: 2.0
INSTRUCTOR: Cameron Anderson
E-MAIL ADDRESS: anderson@haas.berkeley.edu
PREREQUISITE(S): MBA205
CLASS FORMAT: Cases, exercises, lectures, guest
speakers, films
REQUIRED READINGS: Power: Why Some People Have It and
Others Don't by Jeffrey Pfeffer
Compelling
People: The Hidden Qualities That Make Us Influential by John Neffinger and Matthew Kohut
There will
also be selected readings accessible via the course's Study.net reader.
BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE: There will be small assignments, as well
as a final (10-page) paper; participation is also graded.
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.
CAREER
FIELD: This course is useful for all career paths.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: Cameron Anderson received his Ph.D. in
Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. Before coming to Haas,
he taught at Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University) and at the
Stern School of Business (New York University). He was voted Professor of the
Year by the MBA students at the Stern School in 2005 and received
the Cheit Outstanding Teaching Award at
Haas in 2008. His primary research interests involve power and status in
organizations, teams, and negotiations. His research has been published in
journals such as Psychological Review, Psychological Bulletin, Academy of
Management Journal, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, the
Journal of Applied Psychology, the Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, and the European Journal of Social Psychology.