Course Content and Outcomes Guides (CCOG)

CCOG for MSD 113 Winter 2025


Course Number:
MSD 113
Course Title:
Influence Without Authority
Credit Hours:
1
Lecture Hours:
10
Lecture/Lab Hours:
0
Lab Hours:
0

Course Description

Examines the critical need for the use of influencing skills in a diverse, global workplace environment. Explores the appropriate use of power, authority and influence in building relationships. Includes influencing peers and those in authority, mutual exchange, lateral leadership, rules of reciprocation and strategies to create partnerships despite power differences. Audit available.

Intended Outcomes for the course

  • Utilize strategies of influence, without formal authority, to increase productivity, completing projects more efficiently within a global business environment.
  • Apply influencing skills in building relationships with peers, supervisors, and others to create a mutual advantage and accomplish more in a diverse workplace.

Outcome Assessment Strategies

  • Apply individual and /or group skill-building activities such as role-plays, case studies, or other exercises geared toward critical analysis of course concepts.
  • Use written assignments or oral reports designed to integrate course material into personal experience or experiences of others.
  • Complete exams comprising of essay and/or objective questions, or an individual and/or team project or paper requiring integration application, and critical examination of course concepts, issues, and themes.

Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)

COMPETENCIES/SKILLS:

  • Diagnosing the needs of uncooperative people.
  • Creating interpersonal exchanges
  • Forming alliances
  • Disagreeing without being insubordinate
  • Creating win-win results
  • Adjusting social style to others
  • Planning

CONCEPTS", THEMES & ISSUES:

General Concepts 

  • Influence without formal authority
  • Mutual respect
  • Openness and trust
  • Mutual exchange strategies
  • Currencies of exchange
  • Building relationships
  • Power and authority
  • The four different social styles

Themes 

  • The work environment requires higher levels of initiative", judgment, and self-direction from non-supervisory people.
  • Each employee is responsible for department success.

Issues 

  • Be willing to settle for partial success initially. 
  • Fears prevent people from building alliances and taking initiative.
  • To complete their jobs", employees need to influence those they can’t control.
  • Not all people can be influenced successfully.