Scoria is a company that helps provide colleges and universities with the tools needed to offer degree programs online. The firm’s basic package provides services like the learning management system (LMS), tech support for the system, and online application management. However, it also offers packages with marketing, recruitment specialists, student services specialists and at-risk student support, course-building assistance, textbook and materials management, and human resource services for adjunct instructors. Depending on the services a university chooses, Scoria charges 30% to 80% of the revenues the university makes from each online student. Scoria recently entered a partnership with Daily University, a well-known private university in the southeastern United States. Daily wants to offer its MBA, Master of Education, and Master of Professional Studies degrees online. The reason driving this decision is that there are many students in the state’s rural areas that want to earn a degree but live more than 60 miles from the campus and are not able to make the drive after work each night or do not want to give up their weekends in all-day intensive sessions. Daily decides to use the learning management and online teaching tools, course-building services, student recruitment and admission services, and textbook and materials management services. The contract is drawn up, and it is agreed that Scoria will receive 50% of the revenues generated from the students in the online program. However, now that the contract is signed, a number of issues are arising that are causing Daily University and its faculty problems. Academic regulatory agencies require that courses be developed and taught by individuals with proper degree credentials. So in this partnership, Daily faculty develop the course content and send it to the team at Scoria that build the course in the LMS. Once the courses are built, Scoria does not allow changes to be made for causes like poor student feedback or changing book editions. So, the faculty have the authority to develop their courses but lack the ability to make interesting changes to the courses based on what they think is happening. This really bothers one faculty member, Dr. Kelly, who wants to pull in different current articles each week when she is teaching the course. However, she cannot do so, and Scoria is not willing to find a way to work around the current system to find a solution that would benefit both the faculty and students. Several other faculty members share Dr. Kelly’s desire..............

Discussion Questions

1. Identify the different power issues going on in the case. What types of power do the different parties have? Explain.

2. How are individuals reacting to their power or lack thereof?

3. What types of influence techniques could be used to help in any of these situations to reach commitment by both parties? Identify and justify at least three.