268 - Jeffrey Pfeffer: Power, Influence, and the Psychology of Institutions
268 - Jeffrey Pfeffer: Power, Influence, and the Psychology of Institutions  
Podcast: Robinson's Podcast
Published On: Sun Jan 18 2026
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/58WWhiCOUTLINEOUTLINE00:00 Introduction05:46 Understanding Vs Implementation11:42 The Seven Principles of Influence19:33 Evolutionary Biology20:49 How Self-Interest Rules Organizations29:37 Power and the Prevalence of Conspiracies33:53 Jeffrey Epstein and the Laws of Power42:55 The Administration of Health Benefits49:16 How Jeffrey’s Research Has Influenced His Behavior59:06 The Price of PowerRobinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.comRobinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.