COURSE NUMBER: MBA 254.2A

COURSE TITLE: Power & Politics

VIDEO INTRODUCTION

UNITS OF CREDIT: 2 units

INSTRUCTOR: Sameer Srivastava

EMAIL: srivastava@haas.berkeley.edu

MEETINGS DAY(S)/TIME: Tuesday and Thursday, 4:00-6:00PM during Spring A (first seven weeks, 1/21-3/6)

PREREQUISITE(S): MBA205

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

REQUIRED READINGS: Course reader and two required books: Robert Cialdini's INFLUENCE: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF PERSUASION and Jeffrey Pfeffer’s MANAGING WITH POWER: POLITICS AND INFLUENCE IN ORGANIZATIONS.

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 mechanisms by which 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 usually on the receiving end of political actions as well. 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.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: Sameer Srivastava received his PhD in Organizational Behavior and Sociology from Harvard Business School / Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. His research examines how people in organizational settings mobilize social resources – such as novel information and political influence – through workplace networks and considers the consequences of these choices for career success. A separate stream of research examines how organizational leaders can actively shape workplace networks to achieve desired outcomes. Before joining the PhD program, Sameer worked for twelve years at Monitor Group, a global management consultancy, where he served dozens of clients across a range of industries on issues of business and organizational strategy. He was a partner and co-founder of the firm’s Organizational Strategy practice. Sameer also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he took a version of Power and Politics as a second year elective, an AM in Sociology from Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and an AB magna cum laude in Economics from Harvard College. He has taught a variety of courses to undergraduates, graduate students, and business executives, twice earning a Certificate of Distinction in Teaching from Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Teaching.