GRA 2423 Persuasion and Power in Organisations

GRA 2423 Persuasion and Power in Organisations

Course code: 
GRA 2423
Department: 
Leadership and Organizational Behaviour
Credits: 
6
Course coordinator: 
Linda Lai
Course name in Norwegian: 
Persuasion and Power in Organisations
Product category: 
Master
Portfolio: 
MSc in Leadership and Organisational Psychology
Semester: 
2021 Autumn
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Master
Teaching language: 
English
Course type: 
One semester
Introduction

Attempts to build power and influence others represent crucial facets of human interaction within every social and professional domain, including the work context. This course provides insights into the nuts and bolts of social power and influence in organizations. Insight into bases of power as well as effective principles of influence is of high potential value to leaders as well as other organizational members. Examples will be drawn from a variety of areas in the work domain. 

Learning outcomes - Knowledge

The course will provide students with insight into:

  • different types of power and influence tactics in organizations, as well as the contingencies determining their effectiveness.
  • the determinants of power
  • the psychological and behavioral effects of experiencing power
  • resistance to persuasion and techniques for overcoming resistance
  • digital influence
  • ethical aspects of power and influence
Learning outcomes - Skills

The course will provide students with a better basis for:

  • identifying their own as well as other individuals' bases of power
  • developing and improving effective and constructive influence behavior
  • resisting undesired and/or unethical influence attempts
General Competence

The course will provide students with a better foundation for reflecting on:

  • their power bases and influence behavior
  • their potential for improving their persuasive effectiveness
  • ethical aspects of power, influence and empirical research
Course content
  • The concept of power: Different types of power
  • Bases of power
  • Building personal power
  • The corruptive effects of power
  • Psychological principles of influence
  • Influence tactics in organizations
  • Rhetorics
  • Digital influence
  • Ethical aspects of persuasion and influence in organisations
  • Resistance to persuasion
Teaching and learning activities

The course will be offered digitally, based on Zoom as the main platform. Activities include lectures, videos, exercises, and discussions. Students are highly encouraged to keep their camera on during Zoom session in order to contribute to an interactive experience for all participants (Sessions will not be recorded.)    

Software tools
Software defined under the section "Teaching and learning activities".
SPSS
Additional information

Please note that while attendance is not compulsory in all courses, it is the student’s own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class.

The exam for this course has been changed from autumn semester 2021. The course now has one exam instead of two. It is not possible to retake one of the old exam versions. If you want to improve your grade in the course you will have to retake the new 100% exam. The code for the new exam is GRA 24232.  

Qualifications

All courses in the Masters programme will assume that students have fulfilled the admission requirements for the programme. In addition, courses in second, third and/or fourth semester can have spesific prerequisites and will assume that students have followed normal study progression. For double degree and exchange students, please note that equivalent courses are accepted.

Covid-19 

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there may be deviations in teaching and learning activities as well as exams, compared with what is described in this course description.

Teaching 

Information about what is taught on campus and other digital forms will be presented with the lecture plan before the start of the course each semester.

Required prerequisite knowledge

GRA 2204 Judgment and Decision Making or equivalent.

Exam categoryWeightInvigilationDurationGroupingComment exam
Exam category:
Submission
Form of assessment:
Written submission
Exam code:
GRA 24232
Grading scale:
ECTS
Grading rules:
Internal and external examiner
Resit:
Examination when next scheduled course
100No6 Hour(s)Individual Digital home examination (unstructured).
Exams:
Exam category:Submission
Form of assessment:Written submission
Weight:100
Invigilation:No
Grouping (size):Individual
Duration:6 Hour(s)
Comment: Digital home examination (unstructured).
Exam code: GRA 24232
Grading scale:ECTS
Resit:Examination when next scheduled course
Type of Assessment: 
Ordinary examination
Total weight: 
100
Student workload
ActivityDurationComment
Webinar
24 Hour(s)
Zoom sessions.
Group work / Assignments
12 Hour(s)
Preparations for Zoom-sessions (videos/exercises)
Student's own work with learning resources
118 Hour(s)
Literature preparations for sessions and the final exam.
Examination
6 Hour(s)
Digital home exam.
Sum workload: 
160

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 6 ECTS credits corresponds to a workload of at least 160 hours.