COURSE NUMBER: MBA257.11
This course is cross-listed with EWMBA.
COURSE TITLE: Work, Wisdom and Happiness
UNITS OF CREDIT: 1
INSTRUCTOR: Barry Schwartz
E-MAIL ADDRESS: bschwar1@swarthmore.edu
MEETING DATES: Sundays 11/20 & 12/4 from 9AM - 5PM
PREREQUISITE(S): Completion of Core Curriculum
BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE: Final paper and class participation
ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S
CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES For centuries, work
was regarded as nothing but toil— a requirement for earning one's daily bread.
But in recent decades, expectations about work have been transformed as has its
very nature. While it still provides one’s daily bread, it is also
regarded as a major opportunity for people to find purpose, meaning, and
happiness in their lives. In this course we'll study the latest research on
what makes people happy at work, on how happiness at work improves the quality
of work, on how people and organizations develop wisdom, and on what makes a
career not just successful but meaningful. We will also discuss some of
the impediments—both individual and organizational—to doing meaningful and
satisfying work. Students will develop their own visions of their ideal
career, and of the ideal company they’d like to lead or work for.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:
I was a professor of psychology at Swarthmore College for 45 years, working at
the intersection of psychology and economics. My focus has been on how people
make decisions, and I'm especially interested in the moral dimensions of the
decisions people make. Among my books are The Paradox of Choice (2004),
Practical Wisdom, written with Kenneth Sharpe (2010), and Why We Work (2015). I
have spoken about each of these topics at TED [on choice, see: http://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_on_the_paradox_of_choice.html
on wisdom, see: http://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_on_our_loss_of_wisdom.html,
and on work, see: http://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_the_way_we_think_about_work_is_broken].
These talks have been viewed by more than 12 million people.