ILROB 4240 - Social Influence and Persuasion

Spring. 4 credits.

Enrollment limited to: junior or senior standing.

J. Goncalo.

Many of the most admired organizations are adept at using social influence to achieve their strategic objectives. This course reviews basic theories of social influence such as conformity, group polarization, and social facilitation to understand how social influence tactics can be used to make organizations more efficient and productive. The course also considers how these tactics can backfire when excessive agreement gives rise to groupthink and poor decisions. Concludes by exploring strategies for managing social influence processes to encourage creativity and innovation in organizations.