MAN 5039 Persuasion and Power in a Leadership Perspective

MAN 5039 Persuasion and Power in a Leadership Perspective

Course code: 
MAN 5039
Department: 
Leadership and Organizational Behaviour
Credits: 
30
Course coordinator: 
Linda Lai
Øyvind Lund Martinsen
Course name in Norwegian: 
Påvirkning og makt i lederrollen
Product category: 
Executive
Portfolio: 
Executive Master of Management
Semester: 
2022 Autumn
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Master
Teaching language: 
Norwegian
Course type: 
Associate course
Course codes for multi- or associated courses
Course codeSemester
MAN 5040
2022 Autumn
MAN 5041
2023 Spring
Introduction

This program will offer participants research-based competence that is of high potential value in professional as well as personal domains of life. After completing the program participants will have an in-depth understanding of important psychological principles that are fundamental for effective influence, rational decisions, and creative problem solving.

If we peel away all the buzzwords from the management literature, two basic components remain. The first is the ability to make decisions and solve problems in a way that significantly contributes to goal attainment at different organizational levels. The second component is the ability to implement decisions and solutions through other people. This side of management may be referred to as effective Influence.

The program will give participants knowledge about the prerequisites for motivating oneself and others, as well as in-depth insight into fundamental psychological principles of power, persuasion and influence, which may be utilized deliberately or non-deliberately in gaining sympathy, support and loyalty from superiors, subordinates, and peers.

Managers are exposed to a continuous stream of new challenges. In order to function effectively it is essential to be able to solve new problems creatively and to make rational decisions in situations characterized by high uncertainty and ambiguity. Recent research on decision making demonstrates that even when we believe we have made rational decisions there will often be considerable opportunities for improvement.

The very same skills that help managers solve professional problems may also be useful in more personal realms of life. By analyzing thought-processes and the way in which thoughts affect our emotions, the program will also shed light on how managers can handle their own emotional stress while simultaneously gaining a better understanding of their peers and subordinates' patterns of thought, emotions and behavior.

Nationally acknowledged researchers and managers will give lectures and present practical cases and exercises. The aim of the program is to contribute to the development of knowledge and skills that are of high potential value to managers, individually as well as in groups and teams, and which may aid in organizational and personal development.

Learning outcomes - Knowledge

General:
Participants will develop evidence-based knowledge at the master’s level about modern leadership, power, and effective influence in organizations.

Knowledge outcomes:

  • Participants will develop advanced and specialized knowledge of theories of power and influence in a leadership perspective.
  • Participants will develop in depth knowledge of theories of motivation, judgment and decision making, and creativity that have particular relevance for leaders’ ability to exercise power and influence in organizations.
  • Participants will develop in depth insight into scientific research methods within leadership, power, and influence.
Learning outcomes - Skills
  • Participants will be able to analyze and apply knowledge from research on leadership, power, and influence when facing practical leadership challenges.
  • Participants will be able to evaluate and apply relevant scientific research methods in performing an independent study, and while adhering to established ethical research standards.
  • Participant will be able to critically evaluate and make use of different sources of information in a nuanced and reflective way when reasoning around questions and issues related to leadership, power and influence.   
General Competence
  • Participants will develop a critical-analytical approach to theory within leadership, power, and influence, and be able to evaluate the feasibility and limitations of theoretical models and research methods.
  • Participants will be able to critically analyze new scientific, methodological, or ethical issues related to leadership, power, and influence in organizations based on relevant research.
  • Participant will be able to communicate relevant theoretical and methodological issues related to leadership, power, and influence, as well as their reasoning around these issues.
Course content

1st course module: Advances in organizational and managerial psychology.
2nd course module: The psychology of influence (power, persuasion and influence).
3rd course module: The psychology of personality and motivation
4th course module: The psychology of decision making (rationality, decision making and creativity)
5th course module: Digital influence   

Teaching and learning activities

The programme is conducted through course modules at campus as well as digital modules, comprising a total of approx. 150 lecturing hours over two semesters.

Project tutorials differ in each Executive Master of Management programme. It will consist of personal tutorials and tutorials given in class. Generally the students may expect consulting tutorials, not evaluating tutorials. The total hours of tutorials offered is estimated to 4 hours per term paper.

Please note that while attendance is not compulsory in all programmes, it is the student's own responsibility to obtain any information provided in class that is not included on the course homepage/ It's Learning or other course materials.

The students are evaluated through a term paper, counting 60% of the total grade and a 72 hours individual home exam counting 40%. The term paper may be written individually or in groups of maximum three persons. All evaluations must be passed to obtain a certificate for the programme. 

The term paper is included in the degree’s independent work of degree, cf national regulation on requirements for master’s degree, equivalent to 18 ECTS credits per. programme. For the Executive Master of Management degree, the independent work of degree represents the sum of term papers from three programmes.

In all BI Executive courses and programs, there is a mutual requirement  
for the student and the course responsible regarding the involvement of the student's experience in the planning and implementation of courses, modules and programmes. This means that the student has the right and duty to get involved with their own knowledge and practice relevance, through the active sharing of their relevant experience and knowledge.

 

Software tools
No specified computer-based tools are required.
Additional information

Samling 1 - MODERNE ORGANISASJONS- OG LEDELSESPSYKOLOGI

Delmål
Den første samlingen vil gi en innføring i moderne forskning innen organisasjonspsykologi og ledelsespsykologi, med vekt på betydningen for påvirkning, beslutninger og motivasjon. Deltagerne får også kunnskap om viktige kilder til makt i organisasjoner samt de psykologiske og atferdsmessige effektene av å oppleve makt. I tillegg vil deltagerne få en innføring i teorier og teknikker for personlig utvikling gjennom kognitive prinsipper.

Emneoversikt
· Introduksjon til programmet og oversikt over de ulike temaene.
· Moderne ledelsesteori
· Begrepene ledelse, makt, påvirkning, innflytelse og motivasjon.
· Makt: kilder til makt og effekter av makt i organisasjoner
· Personlig problemløsning: teknikker for bedre mestring, kommunikasjon og påvirkning.

Samling 2 - PÅVIRKNINGSPSYKOLOGI

Delmål
Samlingen skal gi deltagerne innsikt i sammenhengen mellom makt g ulike typer påvirkningsatferd. Deltagerne vil få kunnskap om faktorer som er avgjørende for effektiv påvirkning på kort og lang sikt. Motstand mot påvirkning og teknikker for å forsvare seg mot påvirkningsforsøk bli belyst. Samlingen vil gi deltagerne mulighet til å trekke på egne praktiske erfaringer, både som påvirkningsagent og mål for andres påvirkning.

Emneoversikt
· Effektiv påvirkningsatferd
· Faktorer som er avgjørende for påvirkingskraft
· Retoriske prinsipper og teknikker
· Motstand mot påvirkning
. Etiske perspektiver på påvirkning

Samling 3 - PERSONLIGHETS- OG MOTIVASJONSPSYKOLOGI

Delmål
Samlingen skal gi deltagerne økt forståelse av ulike forhold som motiverer til handling, både på individ- og gruppenivå. Personlighet vil bli belyst som utgangspunkt for hvordan man tolker påvirkningsforsøk fra omgivelse, og hvordan man utvikler egne preferanser og handlingsmønstre. Selvledelse vil i den sammenheng bli belyst som en metode som integrerer flere motivasjonsteorier og som kan brukes i praksis.

Emneoversikt
· Motivasjon og motivasjonsteori
· Motivasjon som påvirkningsfaktor
· Personlighet, motivasjon og jobbeffektivitet
· Egenutvikling gjennom selvledelse

Samling 4 - BESLUTNINGS- OG KREATIVITETSPSYKOLOGI

Delmål
Samlingen skal formidle forståelse for grunntrekkene i hvordan beslutningstaking, problemløsning og kreativitet skjer i organisasjoner. Sentralt i den sammenheng er teorier som belyser rasjonalitet og ulike former for rasjonalitet, samt forskning som viser at vi ofte blir påvirket av ulike typer feilkilder og feller som kan svekke evnen til rasjonelle og effektive beslutninger. Det vil videre legges vekt på å belyse både teori og praktiske metoder for å utvikle mer effektiv og kreativ ledelse og beslutningstaking.

Emneoversikt
· Beslutninger og rasjonalitet - ulike former for rasjonalitet
· Sentrale feilkilder i vurderinger og beslutninger
· Kreativ problemløsning
· Faktorer som hemmer og fremmer kreativitet

Samling 5 – DIGITAL PÅVIRKNING 

Delmål
Programmets siste samling bygger på de foregående samlingene og skal gi deltagerne innsikt i de utfordringene og mulighetene ledere har for påvirkning når kommunikasjonen skjer på digitale plattformer som for eksempel sosiale medier og videomøter. Litteraturen vil settes sammen basert på det siste av forskning på området.  

Emneoversikt
- Digital kommunikasjon – utfordringer og muligheter i et påvirkningsperspektiv
- Lederen som digital påvirkningsagent
- Etiske utfordringer

Qualifications

Bachelor degree, corresponding to 180 credits from an accredited university, university college or similar educational institution. The applicant must be at least 25 years of age and at least four years of work experience. For applicants who have already completed a master’s degree, three years of work experience are required.

Disclaimer 

Deviations in teaching and exams may occur if external conditions or unforeseen events call for this. 

Assessments
Assessments
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Written submission
Weight: 
60
Grouping: 
Group/Individual (1 - 3)
Duration: 
2 Semester(s)
Comment: 
Term paper, counting 60% of the total grade.
Exam code: 
MAN 50391
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Resit: 
Examination when next scheduled course
Exam category: 
Submission
Form of assessment: 
Written submission
Weight: 
40
Grouping: 
Individual
Duration: 
72 Hour(s)
Comment: 
Individual 72 hours home exam, counting 40% of the total grade.
Exam code: 
MAN 50392
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Resit: 
Examination when next scheduled course
Type of Assessment: 
Ordinary examination
All exams must be passed to get a grade in this course.
Total weight: 
100
Student workload
ActivityDurationComment
Teaching
150
Group work / Assignments
347
Student's own work with learning resources
231
Examination
72
Sum workload: 
800

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 30 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of at least 800 hours.