Class Visit: Power and Influence in Management

Join us for a UC Davis MBA class visit and experience firsthand our collaborative and close-knit community. You will have the opportunity to chat with an MBA Student Ambassador, meet the professor and observe the student dynamic. We look forward to seeing you!

Power and Influence in Management

Instructor: Donald Palmer

Course Description: 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. Thus, the course explores the positive and negative effects that power and its use can have on organizational effectiveness and in the process considers the ethics of power and influence. Power and Influence in Management also recognizes that leaders are not the only organizational participants who acquire power and exercise influence in organizations. Thus the course focuses not just on leaders but also middle level managers and lower level employees. The course's most basic premise is that managers at all levels of the organization can improve their effectiveness (both in pursuit of their own and their organization's interests) if they better understand how power is accumulated and used in organizations. Class sessions are devoted to discussing case studies in light of theoretical arguments advanced in readings.

Why a UC Davis MBA?

There are countless benefits to earning an MBA. From moving up the career ladder, to gaining the skills you need to switch fields or start your own business, an MBA opens many new professional doors to you.

Our programs are offered at the UC Davis campus, the San Francisco Bay Area—the world’s foremost hub of innovation, and in Sacramento—California’s thriving state capital. Learn more about our:

• No. 2 ranked faculty in the world, and our commitment to personal student learning.
• Industry Immersions that tap UC Davis' corporate network and trailblazing research strengths.
• Collaborative Leadership Program that will prepare you to lead teams in today’s complex global business world.