Teaching Assistant

Power: Individual, Institutional, and Global Dimensions (TA) Power is one of the most significant phenomena in society as well as personal life. Even though we often like to act as if everyone is equally free to do just as he or she pleases, we do not all exercise equal power to determine what happens. The study of power extends far beyond the use of overt force or formal politics into the operation of every institution and every life: how we are influenced by the people around us; who makes controlling decisions in the family; how people get ahead at work; whether democratic governments, in fact, reflect the ‘will’ of the people.

Organizational Processes (TA) The ability to lead begins with the development of multiple perspectives on organizations. As you are no doubt aware, humans habitually settle into fixed perspectives, unchallenged mental models of how the world works, and unconscious filters determining what we pay attention to and what we ignore. These habits offer powerful economies of thought: without them, the simplest task of picking a face out in a crowd or listening to the radio while driving would be impossible. But they impose costs as well. They lock us into a single view of the world or push us down familiar paths in ways that mean our analysis and decisions are surely incomplete, resistant to change, and likely to become outdated... In short, the aim of this course is to increase your understanding of the social and individual influences that operate in organizations so that these dynamics become more visible, more understandable and hence more subject to your analysis and your ability to move the organization forward in the ways you desire. We will engage in case studies, lectures on relevant research, small group discussions, and a simulation.