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

MEETING DATES: Meets in Spring B, 3/13-5/3

PREREQUISITE(S): MBA205

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

REQUIRED READINGS: Course reader and Jeff Pfeffer's POWER: WHY SOME PEOPLE HAVE IT AND OTHERS DON'T

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE: There will be small assignments including a short (2-page) paper, as well as a final (10-page) paper; participation is also graded.

INSTRUCTOR STREAMING VIDEO: http://video.haas.berkeley.edu:24874/ramgen/media-services/professors/anderson.rm

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.