“Before I served as a consultant to Kennedy, I had believed, like most academics, that the process of decision-making was largely intellectual and all one had to do was to walk into the President’s office and convince him of the correctness of one’s views. This perspective I soon realized is as dangerously immature as it is widely held.”
                                                   - Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State

With this quote, Jeffery Pfeffer sets the tone for his discussion of power and politics in his book “Managing with Power.” Indeed, Pfeffer goes on to argue that the problem for most organizations is not one of insight or organizational intelligence. Where organizations (and individuals) fail is in there ability to understand the political processes necessary to implement otherwise sound ideas.

Power and politics are ever-present and necessary features of organizational life. Without them, much of what gets done in organizations could never be accomplished. This course provides a framework for understanding the sources of power in organizations and the circumstances that lead to its attainment and effective use. There will be a fair amount of reading associated with the course. We will read a total of three books (The Prince by Machiavelli, Influence by Cialdini, and Managing with Power by Pfeffer). In addition, we will read and discuss several articles relating specifically to the use of power and politics in organizations. At the conclusion of the course, you should be able to a) define power and identify where it comes from, b) analyze specific situations to predict the perspectives and behavior of individuals and groups and, c) identify the ethical dilemmas associated with the use of power and influence. “Power and influence are not the organization’s last dirty secrets, but the secret of success for both individuals and organizations” (Pfeffer, p. 345). The purpose of this class is to introduce you to the skills needed to exercise influence in organizations and, in doing so, manage with power.

The power point slides for the Power and Politics in Organizations class (GSBA 594) can be found here ~GSBA 594 Slides

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