ORG 3610 Management and Influence

ORG 3610 Management and Influence

Course code: 
ORG 3610
Department: 
Leadership and Organizational Behaviour
Credits: 
7.5
Course coordinator: 
Mette Marthinussen Aanes
Mads Nordmo Arnestad
Course name in Norwegian: 
Ledelse og innflytelse
Product category: 
Bachelor
Portfolio: 
Bachelor of Organisational Psychology, HR and Leadership - Programme Courses
Semester: 
2025 Spring
Active status: 
Active
Level of study: 
Bachelor
Teaching language: 
Norwegian
Course type: 
One semester
Introduction

Exerting influence over others is a fundamental skill in any profession, especially leadership. Influence-based leadership is about how an organization can be led to effectiveness through empowerment, involvement, and accountability of employees. To achieve effectiveness in leadership, a leader relies on integrity and influence. To succeed in a leadership role, it is therefore essential that the leader has competence in the organizational and social processes that create good interaction processes within the organization. It is also crucial that the leader has the ability to translate this competence into active actions that are visible in the organizational culture. Good leadership involves effectively communicating visions and goals in a clear and inspiring manner, and the ability to delegate work according to the maturity level of each employee. Central to the influence process is self-awareness of one's own persuasive power, knowledge of how employees can be influenced, and what motivates, inspires, and creates secure relationships, and healthy structures around the work process.

In this course, we start from psychological research on interpersonal influence and attempt to apply the principles to new and relevant domains.

Key objectives of the course include:

  • Increase participants' knowledge of research-based techniques for influence and persuasion in interpersonal settings
  • Enhance participants' level of reflection on their own leadership role and preferred influence strategies; what characterizes them as leaders, their personality, leadership style, mindset, and mental resilience, ability to see themselves from an outside perspective
  • Help participants become more effective in their interactions with others and provide useful tools for leaders to explore how their goals align with the priorities of their employees - develop a more investigative approach to collaboration
  • Provide an introduction to relevant organizational psychological theories, models, tools, exercises, and case studies that enhance participants' capabilities to succeed in leadership roles - develop a wider repertoire of action strategies
Learning outcomes - Knowledge

The students will acquire fundamental psychological and leadership knowledge about interpersonal influence, which is relevant for the workplace and for further studies in the field of organizational and management studies.

After this course, the students will have knowledge about:

  • Effective forms of leadership
  • Psychological and social factors of influence, including:
    • Commitment and consistency
    • Reciprocity
    • Social proof/consensus effect
    • Authority
    • Likability
    • Scarcity
Learning outcomes - Skills

The students should be able to explain key concepts, processes, and theories and how they relate to effectiveness and influence in organizations. This involves the ability to apply the course material and tools presented to practical examples from organizational life.

After this course, the students should be able to:

  • Demonstrate a basic understanding of leadership in a modern perspective
  • Develop and apply various influence techniques in different settings, in an effective and constructive manner
  • Show ethical awareness of how power and influence affect organizational culture
General Competence

The students should be able to apply their academic competence in their own development as future leaders and reflect on their own leadership behavior and how it influences interactions in the organization.

After this course, the students should be able to reflect on:

  • Their own leadership and personal influence
  • The value of research-based knowledge about leadership and influence
  • Ethical aspects related to influence and persuasion
  • The utility of the various theories, models, and tools presented in the course
  • How power and influence can be used constructively to achieve effectiveness, well-being, and development in the organization

By completing the course, the students will be better equipped to understand and discuss different aspects of the leadership role and its influence, and have a foundation for making better decisions regarding the choice of strategies and tools that optimize effectiveness and influence in the organization.

Course content
  • Effectiveness in relational interactions with others
  • Psychological principles of influence in organizations
  • Influence-based leadership
  • Power, integrity, and influence
  • Ethics in modern leadership
Teaching and learning activities

The teaching will be varied, combining lectures, group activities, task solving, case studies, and tool training.

Software tools
Software defined under the section "Teaching and learning activities".
Qualifications

Higher Education Entrance Qualification

Disclaimer

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

Required prerequisite knowledge

No specific prerequisites are required.

Assessments
Assessments
Exam category: 
School Exam
Form of assessment: 
Written School Exam - digital
Exam/hand-in semester: 
First Semester
Weight: 
100
Grouping: 
Individual
Support materials: 
  • No support materials
Duration: 
5 Hour(s)
Exam code: 
ORG 36101
Grading scale: 
ECTS
Resit: 
Examination every semester
Type of Assessment: 
Ordinary examination
Total weight: 
100
Student workload
ActivityDurationComment
Teaching
30 Hour(s)
Student's own work with learning resources
150 Hour(s)
Examination
5 Hour(s)
Prepare for teaching
15 Hour(s)
Sum workload: 
200

A course of 1 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of 26-30 hours. Therefore a course of 7,5 ECTS credit corresponds to a workload of at least 200 hours.