268 - Jeffrey Pfeffer: Power, Influence, and the Psychology of Institutions

Robinson's Podcast • January 18, 2026

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Jeffrey Pfeffer Guest 95% RULES Login to Follow

Description

Jeffrey Pfeffer is the Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University where he has taught since 1979. He is the author or co-author of 16 books. Dr. Pfeffer received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Carnegie-Mellon University and his Ph.D. from Stanford. In this episode, Robinson and Jeffrey discuss the field of organizational behavior. More particularly, they talk about the aims and methods of the field, some of its subjects—such as power and influence—and case studies. Jeffrey’s latest book is the 7 Rules of Power (Holt, 2022). 7 Rules of Power: https://a.co/d/58WWhiC OUTLINE OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 05:46 Understanding Vs Implementation 11:42 The Seven Principles of Influence 19:33 Evolutionary Biology 20:49 How Self-Interest Rules Organizations 29:37 Power and the Prevalence of Conspiracies 33:53 Jeffrey Epstein and the Laws of Power 42:55 The Administration of Health Benefits 49:16 How Jeffrey’s Research Has Influenced His Behavior 59:06 The Price of Power Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

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