Power and Influence (2235.YR.007541.1)
General information
Type: |
OPT |
Curs: |
2 |
Period: |
S semester |
ECTS Credits: |
3 ECTS |
Teaching Staff:
| Group |
Teacher |
Department |
Language |
| Year 2 |
José M. De Areilza Carvajal |
Dirección General y Estrategia |
ENG |
COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO PROGRAM
Power and Influence
The understanding of power in organizations is key to the development of any professional career and yet it is not usually given due importance in the preparation of managers, especially in the first 10 or 15 years of the career. It seems as if it were a topic to deal with "later", as if a professional needs to understand the keys or mechanisms of power from the moment they have to start exercising management positions that involve conflicts between departments, projects or with other organizations.
The vision proposed by this course, Power and Influence, is radically different. Professionals need to be able to exert effective influence from the first months of performance in the organization, to be able to successfully carry out the projects that are entrusted to us, however modest they may seem. But even more important, we have to be able to read the informal structure of the organization, understand who and how exercises power beyond their position in the formal structure of the organization, how alliances are formed and how situations evolve. Having the ability and determination to identify and interpret these factors from the outset is the basis for laying the foundations for a solid and effective professional career.
The exercise of power is the driving force of the organization. Through the study of cases, tools and approaches you will learn to analyze, interpret, obtain, exercise and preserve power in different organizations and moments, and develop concepts and tactics that will enhance your skills of throughout your career.
Course Learning Objectives
The course presents conceptual models, tactical approaches and self assessment tools to help you understand political dynamics as they unfold around you and develop your influence style. By focusing on specific expressions of power and influence this course gives you the opportunity to observe their effective and ineffective uses in different contexts and stages of a person's career. The subject matter will introduce different ethical questions. This course should challenge you to define what will constitute the ethical exercise of power and influence in your life.
The objectives of the course are to help you:
1. Develop a conceptual framework for understanding power and influence, by identifying sources of political conflict you can learn to ameliorate or harness them to produce constructive outcomes for you and your organization
2. Practice diagnosis skills that will enable you to map out the political landscape, understand other's perspectives and learn to predict their actions
3. Assess your own power bases and influence style and consider strategies for expanding them
4. Begin to build a repertoire of influence tactics so you will be effective in a variety of contexts and situations
5. Develop your own strategy for developing and exercising power and influence ethically and responsibly in your career
The course is based on three building blocks:
1.Political Dynamics and Sources of Power
2.The contingencies of Power. Using and Losing Power.
3.Developing your own Power Style
Methodology
Case method
Self-Assessment tests
Role-play exercises
Socratic dialogue
Assessment criteria
-Active participation: 50%
Most of the learning in Power and influence occurs in class. When we are in the classroom, I expect everyone to participate and engage.
For each session, you can receive 1, 2 or 3 points. You receive 1 point for being present. You will receive 2 points if you make a small contribution in the class discussion. You will receive the full 3 points if you make insightful comments and contribute substantially to the discussion in class. A student will receive 3 points if he or she:
-Uses logic and evidence to support conclusions, and not express an opinion ?
-Shows curiosity, creativity, and the willingness to experiment and explore divergent ?views
-Takes into consideration the ideas offered by others, and moves the analysis ?forward to generate new insights ?
-Final paper: 50%
This is a very short paper designed to help you make the transition to your next job after completing business school. It will give you an opportunity to apply to concepts and takeaways of the course to your new position. Your paper must address the five questions below:
1.What is your assessment of the power dynamics of the job you will be taking?
2.What are the sources of power and influence skills necessary for you to be effective and ethical in that position?
3. Do your current sources of power an influence skills fit the requirement of the job?
4.What is your plan for developing the sources of power, influence skills, and partnerships necessary to be effective? Before actually taking the job / your first months in the job/ by the end of your first year?
5. Given the particular job you will be taking, are there specific ethical dilemmas for which you need to be vigilant?
Your grade will reflect the depth of your analysis and the creative insight you exhibit. Use the cases and discussions of the course in the paper.
Bibliography
? Jeffrey Pfeffer, "Managing with Power: Politics and Influence in Organizations?, Harvard Business School Press, 1992
? Joseph Nye, "Powers to Lead?, Oxford University Press, 2008
? Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linksy, "Leadership on the Line?, Harvard Business Review, 2002
? José Luis Alvarez y Silviya Svejenova, "La gestión del poder?, Granica 2003
Timetable and sections
| Group |
Teacher |
Department |
| Year 2 |
José M. De Areilza Carvajal |
Dirección General y Estrategia |
Timetable Year 2
From 2023/10/31 to 2023/11/21:
Each Tuesday from 9:30 to 13:00.
Each Tuesday from 14:00 to 17:30.
