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2025/2026  KAN-CSOAV2506U  Power equations: Understanding power and influence in organizations

English Title
Power equations: Understanding power and influence in organizations

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Elective
Level Full Degree Master
Duration One Quarter
Start time of the course First Quarter
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board of Organisation, Strategy, Leadership & People
Course coordinator
  • Kristina Dahlin - Department of Strategy and Innovation (SI)
Main academic disciplines
  • Management
  • Leadership
  • Organisational behaviour
Teaching methods
  • Face-to-face teaching
Last updated on 06-02-2025

Relevant links
Learning objectives
To successfully complete the course students should:
  • Understand what power is and how it can be used and misused
  • Be able to analyze their own situation in an organization from a power perspective
  • Apply different power frameworks to new situations such as power mapping
  • Understand how power principles fit within general management theory
  • Understand managerial choices when facing new burning issues
  • Understand how power impacts the individual -- the power-responsibility balance
  • Develop strategies to effectively utilize and distribute power
Prerequisites for registering for the exam (activities during the teaching period)
Number of compulsory activities which must be approved (see section 13 of the Programme Regulations): 2
Compulsory home assignments
Analysis of one guest lecturer's experiences

Oral presentations etc.
Case analysis or a core concept presented to the class
Examination
Power equations: Understanding power and influence in organizations:
Exam ECTS 1
Examination form Home assignment - written product
Individual or group exam Group exam
Please note the rules in the Programme Regulations about identification of individual contributions.
Number of people in the group 2-3
Size of written product Max. 15 pages
Max 5 pages running text, the rest should be analysis in the form of tables and figures
Assignment type Essay
Release of assignment Subject chosen by students themselves, see guidelines if any
Duration Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
Grading scale 7-point grading scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Autumn
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

Power is often misunderstood and stigmatized, seen as a predetermined trait or gained through manipulation. However, avoiding power cedes it to those who may not act in your interest. In this course, we will redefine power as the ability to influence behavior through access to valued resources.

 

You will learn about **Power Mapping**: Identify influencers within your workplace who can drive change. We will dicsuss the  concepts of Influence and Resources and how to recognize resources such as autonomy, achievement, affiliation, and how they meet human needs for safety and self-esteem. We will discuss Strategic Action, how to agitate, innovate, and orchestrate for balanced power dynamics.

 

We will analyze a number of empirical settings, from volunteer organizations to hospital hierarchies and listen to powerful people and how power have impacted them personally, including the dark side of power.

 

This course is aiming to provide you with a transformative understanding of power, enabling you to wield it positively for personal and organizational benefit.
Research-based teaching
CBS’ programmes and teaching are research-based. The following types of research-based knowledge and research-like activities are included in this course:
Research-based knowledge
  • Classic and basic theory
  • Models
Research-like activities
  • Analysis
  • Discussion, critical reflection, modelling
  • Peer review including Peer-to-peer
Description of the teaching methods
The teaching of this course will be based on a variety of learning methods with a focus on lectures and class discussions of power theories and examples. We use cases, exercises and guest lecturers to illustrate and understand the role of power in different situations.
Feedback during the teaching period
To ensure engagement students are required to perform a power analysis on a case and present the analysis to the class to get feedback on their application of theories.
Student workload
Preparation 40 hours
Lectures and exercises 30 hours
Oral presentation 10 hours
Written analysis 10 hours
Exam project 116 hours
Expected literature

Suggested readings (see syllabus for full readings):

 

Battilana, J. and T. Casciaro. 2021. Power for all. How it really works and why it’s everybody’s business. Simon & Schuster

 

Blau Exchange and Power in Social Life. 1967.

 

Emerson, Richard M. 1962. Power dependence relations. American Sociological Review, 27: 31-41.

 

Pfeffer, J. 1983. Managing with Power. Harvard Business Press.Revised edition.

 

Schmid, B., & Messmer, A. (2005). On the Way to a Culture of Responsibility in Organizations: Concepts of Symbiosis Revisited. Transactional Analysis Journal, 35(4), 324-332.

 

Schulz von Thun, F., Stratmann, R. (2019). On the Psychology of Civil Courage. A Theme-Centered Interactive Teaching Experiment: Reflections on the Process and Insights into the Subject. In: Meyerhuber, S., Reiser, H., Scharer, M. (eds) Theme-Centered Interaction (TCI) in Higher Education . Springer, Cham. https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1007/​978-3-030-01048-5_4
Last updated on 06-02-2025