Organizational Management - University of Washington



Organizational Management

Knowledge Management and Decision Making

BBUS 507

Professor Vandra L. Huber, Ph.D.

M-W 8:00 p.m. -10:05 p.m.

UW1 050

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|Office: 360 MacKenzie (Seattle Campus) |Office Hours: By appointment |

|Email: vandra@u.washington.edu | |

|Office: 206.543.5365 |Home: 425.881.5809 |

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|1. Purpose of the Course |

|This class explores the intangible assets in organization that underscore organizational transformation and change. Specifically we will examine|

|(1) human capital, (2) information capital and (3) organization capital as they relate to strategic transformations. We will approach these |

|issues by examining organizations as knowledge management systems. This will be our guiding metaphor because the flow of knowledge is crucial |

|for effectiveness in organizations. If you and your employees are exceptional at creating, managing, and diffusing knowledge within the |

|organization and between organizations, you are more likely to bring about enduring transformations, which enhance organizational effectiveness.|

|Finally, we will examine the decision processes that underscore the effective utilization of knowledge to bring about enduring change and |

|transformation in organizations. |

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|We will approach the topic of knowledge management using a variety of learning strategies: |

|Readings will focus on the theoretical aspects of knowledge management. Theoretical readings will be complemented with practical applications |

|Case studies will serve as a source of “best practices” on knowledge management and utilization in organizations. |

|Exercises are framed and analyzed in terms of readings, lecture and in-depth class discussions and will provide you will opportunities to |

|experience knowledge issues and solutions. |

|Application Assignment. The final course project is designed to give executives the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned to a personal |

|relevant situation. |

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|This course is an opportunity for you to increase your capacity to learn. Success as a leader requires learning continually from your experience|

|through the disciplined integration of action and reflect. My instructional strategy is that you don’t learn about knowledge management or any |

|other topic by simply reading or attending lectures. Learning depends on a willingness to act and to learn from experience and from sharing your|

|knowledge and reflecting on the knowledge of others. |

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|2. Readings: |

|A packet of readings will be available at campus copy center. LB2 002, 18325 Campus Way NE |

|Box 358546, 22612 Bothell-Evertt Hwy, Bothell, WA 98021. Telephone number. Phone: 425-352-3580. Please call ahead to order your packet as they |

|produce them one at a time. It may be available in the evening at the campus bookstore. |

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|The packet will be listed under the title Organizational Management BBUS 507 Professor Vandra L. Huber. The packet contains all course readings |

|and the majority of case studies we will use. Roles and information on interactive simulations will be distributed in class (not always |

|available electronically). It will be your responsibility to get these materials should you miss a class in which they are distributed. |

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|Some case material and simulation materials will be distributed in class. If you can not attend class, it will be up to you or your intellectual|

|agent to collect the appropriate materials for you. |

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|A $10 fee for copyrighted simulation materials should be paid to the professor by the end of the second week of class (Vagabound in Vietnam). |

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|3. Honor Code |

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|An honor code will be strictly enforced in this class. |

|You are expected to be prepared and on time for all simulations (See attendance policy). |

|You may not show your confidential case instructions to the other parties for the simulations, though you are free to tell the other side |

|whatever you would like |

|Do not make up facts or information that materially change the power distribution of the exercise |

|It is not appropriate to borrow notes or discuss cases with people outside of class. |

|Class discussion stays in class. |

|An essential contribution I ask each of you to make to this course is to be professional in your actions in the class and your interactions with|

|me and with your classmates. Treat the simulations seriously. Respect your classmates opinions during case discussions. If you are at all |

|frivolous about what we do in the class, you will learn less and provide less opportunity for others to learn. |

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|4. Participation Policy |

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|BBUS507 has a participation policy that is strictly enforced. With the exception of the two simulations (Sound Mnftg and Vagabonds in Vietnam), |

|each student is allowed to miss one class without penalty, assuming the instructor has been notified in advance. Medical excuses with |

|documentation and deaths in the immediate family are the only acceptable excuses for missing an exercise or case discussion. No student will be |

|allowed to miss either simulation (Sound Manufacturing and Vagabonds in Vietnam Group Simulation) as both require individuals to work as a team.|

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|If you are not in attendance when a role assignment for a case or excercise is distributed, you/you intelligent agent must make your |

|arrangements to get the material. There is no courier or email service (see professionalism). While a learning contract will be utilized for |

|grading purposed, the professor reserves the right to lower a students grade as much as .5 grade points for lack of participation and raise a |

|students grade for exceptional participation and contributions to knowledge sharing in the class. Remember you must be present to participate |

|in case discussions. |

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|5. Grading |

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|Since the focus in this course is upon knowledge and learning, a student-driven approach to grading will be utilized in this class. Students |

|will determine the grade level that they aspire to achieve. Based upon the work completed and the quality of that work, they will receive the |

|earned grade. |

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|All students are required to attend ALL class sessions. Additionally, you will complete the following to achieve the specified grade: |

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|3.0-3.3 |

|All of these |

|Prepare and actively participate in case analyses and simulations. No more than one absence. |

|Knowledge Management Project. Complete project according to specifications in reading packet. Receive a grade on the project of at least a 3.0. |

|Receive peer evaluations for your work that indicate that you are at least 95% of standard. |

|Completion of Part A (outside of class) and Part B of Sound Manufacturing Simulation |

|Completion of Vagbonds in Vietnam Group Cultural Simulation |

|Group Summary Principles/Knowledge Points Final Assignment. A 10 page paper in which your group develops 10 knowledge nuggets/ principles which|

|are derived from you and your group’s experiences and the readings in class. Your packet of readings contains a more detailed instruction of |

|Knowledge Nuggets assignment. The goal of this assignment is for group members to share their collective thoughts to come up with group |

|knowledge nuggets. Don’t try to skip corners by assigning team members to each write two nuggets.. Turn in one report per group (electronically)|

|per group. Due no later than Friday, March 10 at high noon. |

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|3.4-3.5 |

|All of the above listed for the 3.0-3.3 grade plus one individual learning assignment delineated below: |

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|One 3-5 page case write-up due at the beginning of the class. Must receive a 3.0 or better passing grade on write-up. |

|One 3-5 page debrief on Part A or Part B of Sound Manufacturing Simulation or the Vagabond in Vietnam Simulation. Must receive a 3.0 or better |

|on the write-up. |

|An individual preparation report for the Vagabonds in Vietnam Culture Simulation. You need to respond to ALL of the questions in Negotiation |

|Preparation Questionnaire (in your packet) for the simulation. It takes several hours to complete report. Turn in report at the beginning of the|

|simulation. |

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|3.6-3.8 |

|All of the above listed for the 3.0-3.3 grade plus two individual learning assignments as delineated above. |

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|A second preparation report. Must be a hard copy |

|A second Debriefing Report due one week after the Vagabonds or Sound Manufacturing simulation occurs. Must send professor a hard copy (See below|

|for questions). |

|A combination of case analyses, debriefing or a preparation. Total of two. |

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|3.9-4.0 |

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|All of the above listed for the 3.6-3.8 grade plus one of the following. You can also do two preparation reports or two debriefing reports: |

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|A 10 page research paper on a knowledge management related topic which is agreed upon in advance with the professor. Must be a hard copy |

|Leadership Brand Project. This project forces you to collect information on your leadership competencies |

|Receive a grade of 3.4 or above on the special assignment. Assignment is due March 10 at noon. Hard copy to my UW Seattle mailbox.. |

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|Case Analysis. |

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|Case studies allow students to learn not only about key concepts but also how those concepts relate to organizational strategies and actions. To|

|fulfill the individual requirements, students can prepare a case write-up which is due at the day the case is discussed. A write-up (should you|

|need it) is contained in Appendix B of the reading packet regarding how to conduct a case analysis. The cases that can be written up include: |

|(a) Jack Smith: Career Launch at Toyota Part 1 or Part 2 (not both); (b) McKinsey and Company; or (c) Facing Crisis: Lars Kruse Thomsen starts |

|his new job. A discussion of case write-ups is included in your packet of readings. Your case write-ups should be succinct, approximately 3-5 |

|pages. Turn in a hard copy at the beginning of the class. |

|Knowledge Debriefing Reports |

|Debriefing allows one to learn from a experience. Knowledge debriefing reports are due one week after the simulation in which you participated.|

|Each knowledge debriefing paper should analyze the process and outcome of the simulation. The debriefing reports are NOT permanent records of |

|each detail of what happened. Debriefing reports should be 3-5 typed pages. Knowledge debriefings can be written about the following |

|simulations: (a) Sound Manufacturing Part A or Sound Manufacturing Part B (one or the other), (b) GlobeSmart; (c) Albion in China or (d) Best |

|Stuff on Earth. Debriefing reports should address the following issues for each simulation: |

|(20% ) Briefly summarize what happened – a brief overview of the events. Pay special attention to the specific strategies or tactics you or the |

|others used to acquire or disperse knowledge. |

|(50%) How do the concepts from the text and readings and to a lesser degree lectures enrich your understanding of the knowledge process, and |

|the outcome of the simulation. Be specific and properly footnote the references. You may discuss strategies tactics and shortcomings. |

|Identify behaviors (what either of you said or did) in detail as well as the outcome and use class concepts (terms) to show me you have |

|understood the practical implications of the knowledge concepts and theories presented in class. Please include specific references as footnotes|

|including page numbers from the course reading packet and the textbook. There should be a minimum of 5 distinct references. |

|(20%) What did you learn about knowledge from the simulation? About yourself? About others? Were there any surprises? |

|(10 %) If you had the chance to do the simulation over, what would you do differently? Why? |

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|Class Schedule |

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|Date |

|Topic, Readings, Activities |

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|1 |

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|Session 1 |

|Wednesday, Jan. 4 |

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|Topic: Mapping the Domain of Knowledge Management |

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|Readings: |

|March, A. 1997. A note on Knowledge Management, HBR. |

|Kaplan and Norton 2004. Measuring the strategic readiness of intangible assets, HBS. Packet |

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|Activity: |

|Course Introduction |

|Overview of knowledge processes |

|BARNGA simulation (not for debrief write-up) |

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|2 |

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|Session2 |

|Monday, Jan. 9 |

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|Topic: Human Capabilities – Selecting and Orienting |

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|Readings: |

|Ulrich, D. & Smallwood, N. June, 2004. Capitalizing on Capabilities. HBR |

|Garvin, D. A. 2000. The Learning Process. Learning in Action: A guide to putting the learning organization to work. Harvard Business School |

|Press |

|Case Study: |

|Jack Smith: Career Launch at Toyota HBS (Packet) |

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|Questions |

|What elements should their orientation/ knowledge acquisition process for Smith include? |

|What should Smith do, with whom, and where? |

|What does Smith already know and what must he learn? |

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|2 |

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|Session 3 |

|Wednesday, Jan. 11 |

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|Topic: Human Capabilities – Selecting and Orienting |

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|Readings: |

|Leonard, D. & Swap, W. September, 2004. Deep Smarts. Harvard Business Review. |

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|Case Study: |

|Team Project Discussion |

|Jack Smith A: Becoming a Toyota Manager (I). HBS. (Handed out in class) |

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|Questions: |

|Before reading the case, first reflect: |

|What had you expected/predicted his initiation into Toyota would be (based on the first Jack Smith case)? |

|Now, read the case |

|Why did Ohba and Fukanaga take the approach they did? |

|It is now the end of the 12 weeks in the West Virginia plant. What should Fukanaga do with Smith next? |

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|Generate an action plan outlining the next steps for Smith. The following questions might help you think about your proposed plan: |

|What does Smith know well? |

|What knowledge, skills and abilities does he still need to acquire? |

|How will your suggestion solve the problem you are addressing? |

|How will you know you are right? |

|What will you do if you are wrong? |

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|Turn in Managerial Self Assessment (Appendix C at back of packet) |

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|Sound Manufacturing Radio Kits passed out and 3-4 person groups assigned. You must complete Part 1 in your assigned groups before class on |

|Wednesday, January 18. See reading packet for details |

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|3 |

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|Monday, Jan. 16 |

|Martin Luther King Holiday |

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|3 |

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|Session 4 Wednesday, Jan. 18 |

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|Topic: Knowledge Capital –Sharing Knowledge |

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|Readings: |

|Thompson, Leigh. 2004. Sharpening the Team Mind: Communication and Collective Intelligence. Making the Team: A Guide for Managers. Pearson |

|Prentice Hall. |

|Garvin, D. A. 2000. Experience. A guide to putting the learning organization to work. Harvard Business School Press |

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|Activity: |

|Turn in a one page proposal for your group project |

|Sound Manufacturing continued. (Task Instructions in your packet and assembly instructions with the car kit) |

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|Prior to the class today, you should meet in the three person groups assigned by the professor and assemble the remote control car. Since we |

|don’t have class on Martin Luther King Day, that may be a possible date for your group to meet. Come to class with the survey filled out (one |

|per person) and your kit that you assembled in groups unassembled as per the instructions.. |

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|4 |

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|Session 5 |

|Monday, Jan 23 |

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|Topic: Knowledge Capital – Creating Knowledge and Innovation |

|Readings: |

|Anders, G. 2002. How Intel puts innovation Inside. Fast Company |

|Moore, J.F. 1996. How companies have sex. Fast Company. |

|Breen. B. 2004. Living in Dell Time. Fast Company. |

|Cummings, A. & Oldham, G. 1997. Enhancing Creativity: Managing the high potential employee. California Management Review |

|Activities |

|Creativity Test (No advance preparation) |

|Creativity Exercises. Insite (Time permitting) |

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|4 |

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|Session 6 |

|Wednesday, Jan. 25 |

|8:45 to 10:05 p.m. |

|(short class) |

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|Topic: Knowledge Capital – Utilizing knowledge Via Information Management |

|Readings: |

|Hansen, Nohria & Teirney. 1999. What's your strategy for managing knowledge? HBS. Packet. |

|Brown, J. & Duguid, P. 2000. Balancing Act: How to capture knowledge without killing it. HBR |

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|Case Study: |

|McKinsey & Company: Managing Knowledge and Learning |

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|Questions: |

|How was this obscure little firm of accounting and engineering advisors able to grow into the world’s most prestigious consulting firm? |

|What was the unique source of competitive advantage developed by McKinsey and later Bower? |

|How effective was Ron Daniel in leading McKinsey to respond to challenges identified in the Commission on Firm Aims and Goals? |

|What contribution did Fred Gluck make to the required changes? |

|Judging by the evidence in the three mini cases, how effective has the firm been in its two decade long change process? |

|What’s your evaluation of Gupta’s “four prong approach” to knowledge development and application within McKinsey? |

|As a senior partner, what specific advice would you give him? |

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|5 |

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|Session 7 |

|Monday, Jan. 30 |

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|Topic: Knowledge Capital – Protecting Knowledge/ Intellectual Property |

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|Readings: |

|Yoffie, D. B. 2005. Intellectual Property and Strategy. HBS. |

|Costello, A.O. & Costello, T.G. 2005. Defining Property Rights: The Case of Knowledge-Based Resources. |

|Activity: |

|Guest Speaker -- Charles R. Williams , Director, Office of Software & Copyright Ventures, University of Washington |

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|5 |

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|Session 9 Wednesday, Feb 1 |

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|Topic: Knowledge Capital – Managing the Knowledge Network |

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|Readings: |

|Kirkman, B. L. Rosen, B. Gibson, |

|C. Tesluk, P.E., & McPherson, S. O. 2002. Five challenges to virtual team success. Lessons from Sabre, Inc. Academy of Management Executive. |

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|Case Study: |

|Buckman Labs |

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|Questions: |

|What are the challenges of knowledge management in a multi-national organization? |

|How would you describe the culture of Buckman Labs? |

|What are the key components of K’Netix |

|How do you build trust? |

|What should be next steps? |

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|6 |

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|Session 10 |

|Monday, Feb. 6 |

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|Topic: Organizational Capital - Culture |

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|Readings: |

|Christensen, C.M. 2004. What is an organization’s culture? HBSP |

|Earley, P.C. & Mosakowski, E. Cultural Intelligence. HBS |

|Hofstede’s Dimenions of Culture and their influence on Internal Business Negotiations. 1996. International Business Negotiations. 119-129 |

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|Activity: |

|Global Business Quiz ( No advance preparation) |

|In class discussion of culture |

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|6 |

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|Session 11 |

|Wednesday, Feb. 8 |

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|Topic: Organizational Capital – Leading |

|Readings: |

|Senge, P. M. 1990. The leader’s new work: Building learning organizations. MIT Sloan Management Review |

|Organizational Capital: Leadership, alignment and teamwork. HBS. Packet |

|Watkins, M. 2001. Principles of Persuasion. Negotiation Journal. |

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|Activity |

|Results of your leadership audit passed back. |

|Class discussion |

|Video on Persuasion |

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|7 |

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|Sessions 12-13 |

|Monday, Feb 13 |

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|Topic: Organizational Capital – Dealing with Culture Yours, Theirs and Ours |

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|Readings: |

|Huber, V. L. 2004. Preparation for Global Deals |

|Sen, R. & Islam, M.S. 2005. Southeast Asia in the Global Wave of Outsourcing: Trends, Opportunities and Challenges. Regional Outlook 2005/2006 |

|Get background data on Vietnam via the CIA factbook and US Department of State Consular Information Sheet. |

|Lovett, P.D. 1988. Meetings that work, HBR Classic |

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|Activity: |

|Vagabonds in Vietnam. A US computer game company considers outsourcing to the Republic of Vietnam. Teams of three students role-play American |

|and Vietnamese negotiators based upon biographical and behavioral information. Pre-negotiation meetings take place in Wilmington, Delaware |

|and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). The actual negotiation takes place in HCMC. The goal of the simulation is to learn strategies for effectively |

|negotiating in Vietnam. |

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|Read the case materials before class. In advance briefly meet or email your group to discuss your strategy and determine appropriate cultural |

|specific props (e.g. gifts, food, attire). You should assume this is a dinner meeting at a site chosen by Vietnamese team (so ethnic food would |

|be nice). . You will have only 30 minutes the night of the simulation to meet with your country group to get organized and finalize your |

|strategy. There will be approximately 120 minutes for the formal negotiation/ dinner meeting. Discussion will follow. |

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|Bring $10 cash. If your team reaches an agreement, the money will be returned to each of you. If not, it will be donated to MBA Challenge for |

|Charity, Seattle Campus (Boys and Girls Club and Special Olympics). |

|Class starts at 6:00 p.m. |

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|7 |

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|Wednesday, Feb 15 |

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|Double Session with Professor Brown |

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|8 |

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|Monday, Feb. 20 |

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|President's Day |

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|8 |

|Session 14 |

|Wednesday, Feb. 22 |

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|Topic: Organizational Capital – Multiple Levels of Analysis |

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|Readings: |

|Kotter, J.P. Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail |

|Govindarajan & Trimble, C. Winter, 2004. Strategic Innovation and the Science of Learning. MIT Sloan Management Review |

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|Case: |

|Managing Knowledge and Learning at NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) |

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|Questions: |

|What conflicts do you see between managing learning for a NASA project (single MARS mission) and managing learning for a NASA program (ongoing |

|series of missions) |

|What are the implications of fster, better, cheaper for knowledge management? That is what advantages and disadvantages are there for the |

|creation, capture and transfer of knowledge? |

|How serious is the problem of knowledge loss through retirement? |

|What criteria should be used to judge Jeanne Holm’s performance? Did she do well? What would you do differently? |

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|9 |

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|Session 15 |

|Monday, Feb. 27 |

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|Topic: Organizational Capital – Stimulating Learning When You’re Stuck |

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|Readings: |

|O’Reilly, C. & Tushman, M.L. 2004.The ambidextrous Organization. HBR. |

|Roberto, M.A. & Levesque. L.C. 2005. The art of making change initiatives stick. MIT Sloan Management Review. (Must Read) |

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|Case Study: |

|WD-40 Company: Squeak, Smell and Dirt Business |

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|Questions: |

|What are the challenges of a mature business such as WD-40? |

|How would you stimulate rejuvenation in this mature firm? |

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|What would you do if you were in Garry Ridge’s position? |

|Can learning be used as a source of sustainable competitive advantage? If so, how? If not, why not? |

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|9 |

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|Session 16 |

|Wednesday, March 1 |

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|Topic: Managing Organizational Transformations |

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|Readings: |

|Pascale, R.T. & Sternin, J. May, 2005. Your company’s secret change agents. HBR. |

|Aik, C.T. 2005. The Synergies of the Learning Organization, Visual Factory Management and On the Job Training. Performance Improvement. |

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|Case Study: |

|The case of the Joint Training Program (to be sent electronically) |

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|Questions: |

|What were the challenges facing the joint training program in regards to organizational transformation? |

|The Joint Training Group was a self-managed group. How does such a group differ from traditional project group? How are they the same? |

|Who were the major stakeholders and what roles did they play in the design and implementation of the joint training program? |

|Lewin’s change model says that behavior must be unfrozen, changed and new behavior refrozen. What events served to unfreeze the stakeholders? |

|What helped to refreeze behavior? |

|Was the joint training group effective? Was it efficient? Why or why not? |

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|10 |

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|Session 17-18 |

|Monday, March 6 |

|Class begins at 5:45 p.m. |

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|Topic: Knowledge Sharing |

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|Activity Presentation of Transformation Projects |

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