https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/E_BA_CRCThe objective for the Change Rhetoric and Charisma course is that you (1) develop a rhetorical ability, that is the development of charisma in oratory performances (Social Communication Skills). To do this you must (2) show a critical mastery of core and state-of-the-art thinking in the areas of institutional change, rhetorical theory, charismatic leadership, and framing (Theoretical Knowledge). Further, this course aims to equip you in the application of this knowledge such that you (3) understand the political (e.g., power, multi-stakeholder) dimension of organizational change, and formulate innovative ideas to frame a particular change initiative in such a way that it minimizes political problems, making use of the theories and tools acquired in this course.Charismatic leaders are masters in the art of public speaking. They signal leadership abilities through their use of framing / storytelling, confident delivery, and morally uplifting content. In this course you will learn how to be perceived as charismatic by others through public speaking (and online video pitches). You will learn about classical rhetoric in order to persuasively use language to mobilize others. You will learn this through a combination of rhetorical theory, lectures and academic articles (e.g., the five canonical principles of rhetoric, institutional theory, framing theory, and charisma), through rhetorical analysis (i.e., analysing speeches for rhetorical content, recognizing fallacies in argumentation), and through repeated practise in speech writing and speech delivery. Apart from having obvious practical utility for developing your future leadership capacity, this course is also academically challenging because it bridges micro-level theories (e.g., linguistics and charismatic leadership) and macro-level theories of institutional change. This means that we explicitly situate the persuasive use of language within organizations that consist of multiple stakeholders with a diverse set of frames and interests, and within societies that provide alternative cultural registers for what is (and what is not) a 'good' argument. This degree of complexity means that being a good speaker is not enough. A leader must also be politically savvy, namely to galvanize others toward change in a multi-stakeholder organization, the change leader needs to able to frame his/her message effectively to different stakeholders, so as to build coalitions for change.Lectures, work groups (preferably in physical class rooms, if situation allows)Exam (individual), graded video pitch (individual), speech analysisreport (group), participation grade (individual)academic articlesThis course is open to all students enrolled in the VU Business Administration Master of Science ProgramNo prior knowledge requiredAll assignments are distributed via Canvas