Most social scientists define power as “the capacity to get what you want over the resistance of others” and influence as “the translation of power into action.” Power and Influence in Management examines the bases of subunit and individual power in organizations, and the means by which subunit and individual power is translated into influence. The course assumes that leaders sometimes must acquire power to be effective, but recognizes that leaders do not always use power in the interests of the organization.

This course teaches the theory and processes of group and team behavior so that you can successfully manage groups and work effectively in a variety of group settings. The first goal of the course is to provide conceptual guidelines for analyzing and diagnosing group dynamics and determining one’s strategic options as a manager. The second goal is to understand how technological change affects team processes in organizations. Finally, this course will impart practical interpersonal skills for implementing effective strategies for group situations.

This course examines how firms use organizational design and cost management to achieve a sustainable cost structure as a basis for superior profit performance. A value chain framework is used to explore how firms design and structure business processes for strategic advantage. We start with an overview of how modern product costing systems work and their limitations as a basis for strategic cost management. We then study how firms manage costs during product design and development, production and/or service delivery, and after the sale.

“The Causes of Organizational Wrongdoing” is motivated by the implicit contradiction between two personal observations. My experience suggests that the overwhelming majority of managers (and management students) aspire to manage in ethical, socially responsible, and law-abiding ways and embrace socially acceptable ideas about the difference between right and wrong. But media reports and academic studies suggest that unethical, socially irresponsible, and illegal behavior is common in organizations.