University of Southern California



University of Southern California

Marshall School of Business

Managerial Perspectives

GBSA 522a and 522b

Winter 2013 - 2014

Professor Dr. Trudi C. Ferguson

Office: Bridge Hall

Marshall Business School

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA 90080

Telephone: 818 653-4407

E-mail: tferguso@marshall.usc.edu

Office hours: Monday 5 to 6 p.m.

Contact me for other times

This course is designed to explore contemporary managerial perspectives leading to optimizing organization design. Students will be exposed to an overview of theories and practical applications directed at organizational effectiveness. How can you create, foster, and mange organizations in which people thrive and perform at their best? It assumes that thriving employees and groups are the key to organizational excellence. This is a fast paced course providing a good fundamental overview of each topic.

The course also will provide opportunity for students to explore their own personal perspectives and competencies. Students will practice skill development in an effort toward increasing professional competency and comfort. How can you find and/or create a context in which you operate at your best? There will be ample opportunity to apply organizational behavior theories in class exercises.

This course is based on the assumptions that managerial excellence (and personal flourishing) is fundamentally tied to creating and enabling organizational contexts that build human strengths and unlock the positive and generative dynamics of vibrant human communities.

Course Objectives

1) Develop an understanding of current theory and practice regarding organizational effectiveness through an integration of exercises, case analyses, applied readings, videos, discussion and feedback, guest lectures, and personal and group experiences and reflection.

2) Develop an understanding of the nature of managerial roles and how to lead, direct, and improve organizational, group, and individual performance.

3) Learn about the nature of organizations as systems, and needs for change and alignment within their particular contexts.

4) Learn about the need for collaborative behavior and how to design and develop effective teams and develop interpersonal competence.

5) Learn to understand cultural and value differences, and to learn how and when to create opportunities for organizational and personal growth.

6) Become more aware of your own managerial style, motives, skills, strengths, and weaknesses.

7) Increase awareness of yourself and others in groups; to see how personal characteristics affect group behavior; and to understand better how to manage groups.

8) Become more aware of, and knowledgeable about, why people behave as they do in organizations, and to improve your diagnostic ability in applying your knowledge to human problems in organizations.

9) Enrich your portfolio of practical tools and ideas for putting your theory of practice into use.

Required Reading:

Case Reader: cases and additional reading.

Extra readings are suggested in syllabus but not required.

If you would like to refer to a text book for general overview I recommend:

Robbins, Stephen P. & Judge, Timothy A, Organizational Behavior, 15th ed., Prentice Hall, 2012.

Evaluations:

Final grades will be determined by the following components and weighting:

|522ab Course |Weight |

|Class Participation |10% |

| | |

|Faculty Focus Paper |10% |

|Group Organizational Analysis |20% |

|Paper/Presentation | |

|Midterm |25% |

|Final |35% |

NOTE: Each member of your group/team doing the organizational analysis paper will receive the same grade.

Grading: Grades will be based on your thoughtful class participation and an assessment of your absorption of the material.

Participation and attendance (10)%):

The nature of this class is highly interactive. Your grade for participation will be based on your attendance, preparation, thoughtful and active involvement and contribution. High participation grades will not necessarily be those who speak most during class. Rather, they will be students who make the most meaningful contributions to discussion. Missed class session will hinder your performance. Please advise me of any attendance issues. Consulting classmates for relevant learning from the missed class should follow missed session. The expectation is that students will be in class and have reading and assignments prepared and on time. You are expected to attend every class on time and to stay for the entire class session. I have a sign in sheet for each class. Plan ahead and take care of your physical needs so that you can stay throughout—it’s not OK to simply walk in and out of the classroom during class time. If you have an unavoidable conflict, please do not disturb your classmates by arriving late, leaving early, or asking to have information you missed repeated during the class Learning will come from your own high involvement. I encourage you to take the wonderful class opportunity to process the material by thoughtful testing of ideas, doubts, personal experiences, questions, testing new behaviors, and alternative perspectives. It will be important to our class learning that you share your own reactions and provide your observations to fellow classmates. Much of the richness of learning will be from sharing experiences with classmates.

Please be sure to have your name cards at your desk for all classes.

No gadgets: Please turn off all cell phones and computers. I have a “no gadgets” (laptops, cell phones, pdas, etc.) policy in class! Notes will be posted on blackboard.

Faculty Focus Paper and Report (10%)

Each member of your team will individually pick one different faculty from the faculty video lecturettes to investigate further and write a two-page summary of that faculty’s significant ideas. You can consider faculty research, papers, other video/web postings, books, articles, etc. Tie their ideas to real life organizational situations and organizational theories we are exploring in class. Your paper should be a short summary of their main ideas, supplemented with your additional research on that faculty’s work applied to organizational settings and theories. Your individual papers should be posted in blackboard discussion group by 1/13. After that date you should read all your team/group members posting and make at least a total of two comments combined (not two on each paper) to be posted no later than 1/15.

Group Organization Analysis Paper/Presentation (20%)

This assignment will result in a 7 -10-page paper (double spaced) and a five-minute class presentation both based on the findings of your personal investigation into an organization (in which you do not currently work) but in a field that interests you. Aim high and try to find a compelling organization. You will do data gathering on this organization including several in person interviews and other approaches you determine such as research, survey, focus groups, or observation. You will focus on two of the organizations most salient issues: one a sustaining strength and the second an important current concern. This action research will give you a picture of organizational issues matching topics covered in class such as data analysis, leadership, motivation, teamwork, change, culture, leadership, etc. Pick the organization’s most relevant competency and concern for your analysis and report. Based on your organizational assessment, in reference to our materials in class, you will make recommendations to this organization to maximize effective functioning.

Grades will be based on quality and depth of data gathering techniques, inclusion of a variety of perspectives, the comprehensive analysis of your chosen issues in that organizational context, your links to class theories covered, your discussion and intelligent creative recommendations. The five-minute class presentation of your findings might use a short power point, skit, or any other creative conceit. Your group may choose the most effective way to communicate to class using one to all of your group members. We hope to have participation of the Communication Professors to help evaluate your live presentation and support your learning from the Fall Core. All papers will be due February 10, 2014 and presentations will be divided later to occur on February 10 and 12.

Midterm (25%) and Final (35%)

The mid term (12/14) will be true –false and multiple choice. The final (2/19) will also include true- false, multiple choice, short answers, and case analysis asking for applications of theories learned to situational problems. The questions will cover class readings, class discussions, and your own reflections. The mid term will cover material from the beginning of the term to the mid term. The final will NOT be cumulative but cover only material after the mid term until the end of the term. The purposes of the exams are to access your basic understanding of the concepts and your ability to apply ideas to situational organization issues. The grade will be divided into two sections: true/false, multiple choice, and separately, short answers. Each section will be awarded half the total grade.

The average grade for the course is targeted to be no higher than a ‘B+’ (3.3). 3.3 is the norm. Your grade will be based on your own performance in comparison with the performance of your peers. Grades will be posted in blackboard as completed. Please feel free to consult with me regarding any grading concerns. If you need a letter with your grade at the mid term, please ask both Jeanette Christensen and me BEFORE the mid term, otherwise it cannot be provided in a timely manner.

Other Important Information

Academic Integrity

The use of unauthorized material, communication with fellow students during an examination, attempting to benefit from the work of another student, and similar behavior that defeats the intent of an examination or other class work is unacceptable to the University. It is often difficult to distinguish between a culpable act and inadvertent behavior resulting from the nervous tension accompanying examinations. Where a clear violation has occurred, however, the student’s work may be disqualified as unacceptable and assigned a failing mark.

Students with Disabilities

Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me (or to your TA) as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776.

Policy Regarding Return of Graded Work

The Marshall School of Business policy for returning papers is as follows: “Returned paperwork, unclaimed by a student, will be discarded after 4 weeks and hence, will not be available should a grade appeal be pursued by a student following receipt of his/her course grade.” Any grading issues should be raised within a week of returned assignments.

Course Outline and Assignments

Course 522a

11/11 What is Organizational Excellence? How do you know when you see it?

Required: Must read before the first class!

Case: Southwest Airlines

Preparation Questions:

1. What does excellence look like in organizations and in individuals?

2. What does excellence look like in Southwest Airlines?

3. If you were trying to assess excellence where you work, what would you use as indicators?

11/13 Building the Business Case for Managing People Right

Data Gathering

Prepare: Taking Charge In Los Angeles: Bill Bratton and LAPD

BEFORE reading Tipping Point, think about how would you “Take Charge” coming into LAPD? Make a few notes of your proposed approach.Then read case below

Case: Tipping Point Leadership. 2003.

Preparation Questions:

1. How did Bratton “manage” his employees? How did he ensure performance?

2. How did Bratton align employees with larger organizational goals and mission?

11/18 Lecturette on Motivation

Fostering Excellence through Performance Management, Motivation and Rewards.

Readings:

Behavior Is a Function of Its Consequences. From Astonishing Power of Positive Reinforcement. Daniels (p.25-69)

The Talent Myth. Malcolm Gladwell.

On the Folly of Rewarding A while Hoping for B. Kerr

Money and Happiness: Here’s Why You Won’t Laugh All the Way to the Bank 2006 WSJ August 16, 2006

Consulting Groups: Each team will consult with another team to explore a real organizational problem of motivation and develop recommendations based on good judgment, professional experience, and reference to readings.

Readings :

To be completed by 12/2. Pace yourself.

Do Financial Incentives Drive Company Performance? An Evidence-Based Approach to Motivation and Rewards. Jeffrey Pfeffer, Robert Sutton. HBSP. 2006.

Pygmalion in Management Livingston HBR .2002.

Power is the Great Motivator. McClelland and David Burnham. HBR 1994.

11/20 No class

11/25 ELC

Subartic Survival

11/27 Holiday

Thanksgiving

12/2 Lecturette on Groups

Fostering Excellence through the Design of High Performance Teams Team Feedback Session Using Theory Feedback.

Readings:

Managing your team (HBS note 494-081)

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. Malcolm Gladwell. 2005.

Aiming for an Evolutionary Advantage: Google: Management Innovation in Action. Gary Hamel, Bill Breen. HBSP. 2007.

Griskevicius, Vladas; Cialdini, Robert; Goldstein, Noah; Applying and Resisting Peer Influence. MIT Sloan Management Review Winter 2009 Vol 49. No 2.

Top of Form

Case: Taran Swan at Nickelodean Latin America ((A) 9-400-036)

Preparation Questions:

1. Evaluate Swan as a team leader. What are her strengths and weaknesses?

2. How effective is the team? Justify your assessment.

3. Should she appoint an interim director?

12/4 Conflict/Diversity/Values

12/9 No class

12/11 ELC Leadout

12/14 Mid Term

Winter Break 12/16 to 1/12

Class 11

1/13 Video Class

DO NOT COME TO CLASS

But you are responsible for watching the faculty videos to be explained in class. Each member of your group will prepare a ONE-page paper on additional writings and videos of a different selected faculty presenter (selected from the faculty presenting online) and post online in bb discussion. You are also responsible for posted two additional comments on teammates postings.

1//15 Managing your way toward Excellence: Change, Culture.

Reading:

Leading Change: Why Transformational Efforts Fail. HBR. 1995. Kotter

The Third Stone: Inspiring Initiation and Innovation. Chapter 9 of Confidence. Rosabeth Kanter

Leveraging Culture for Innovation and Competitive Advantage. Michael Tushman, Charles O’Reilly

Case: 2009: Clothing, Customer Service and Company Culture Jan 2010 610015 PDF ENG

Preparation Questions:

1. How does Zappos manage its company culture? What are its active and passive strategies?

2. Does Zappos’ culture come from the top, or does it grow bottom-up?

3. Could Zappos’culture survivie if Tony Hsieh left? If Zappos were sold to a new, hands-on owner? (Acquired now by Amazon)

4. How viable is Zappos’emphasis on culture and customer service?

Preparation Questions:

Spend some time considering your organization’s culture. If a cultural anthropologist were to enter your organization today, what would he or she see/hear/sense—and what values would these artifacts reflect?

1/20 Holiday

1/22 No class

1/27 Guest Speaker: John Bertrand. Career Services.

1/29 Lecturette on Leadership

Fostering excellence through Leadership/ Donna Dubinsky

Donna Dubinsky. Leadership

Reading:

Developing the Expert Leader. Morgan McCall, Jr. George Hollenbeck.

Primal Leadership: The Hidden Driver of Great Performance. Goleman, Daniel, Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee. HBR. 2001.

Case: Donna Dubinsky and Apple Computer, Inc. (A) (9-486-083)

Preparation Questions:

1. What might Donna have done to better manage her career at Apple?

2/3 ELC OMEGA

2/5 No class

2/10 Organizational Analysis Presentations

All papers are due on this date.

2/12 Organizational Analysis Presentations

*FINAL is 2/19 6 to 8 p.m.

Behavioral Anchor Rating Scale

Classroom Participation

(NONE OF THE EXTRA READINGS ARE REQUIRED READING—THEY ARE LISTED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE TOPIC OF THE CLASS):

11/11

The Southwest Airlines Way: Jody Hoffer Gittell (New York; McGraw-Hill, 2003). It is a comparative account of why and how Southwest maintains excellence. Another book for those interested in this topic is Good to Great (2001) by Jim Collins.

11/18

Dishonesty in the Name of Equity. Francesca Gino and Lamar Pierce Psychological Science. 2009.

Born to Be Good. The Science of a Meaningful Life. Dacher Keltner. W.W. Norton & Co. 2009.

Stumbling on Happiness. Daniel Gilbert. Vintage. 2007.

Outliers: Malcolm Gladwell. Little Brown. 2008.

12/2

Rethinking Political Correctness. Ely, Robin, Debra Meyerson, and Martin Davidson. HBR. 2006.

Millineum Makeover Winograd, M. A., Hais, M. (2008). Millennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube and the Future of American Politics. Rutgers University Press.

1/15

Built to Change: How to Achieve Sustained Organizational Effectiveness. Foreword, Preface, Developing the Right Information, Measurement, and Decision-Making Processes. Ed Lawler, Christopher Worley. 2006.

Quinn, R.E. 2004. Building the Bridge as You Walk On It. John Wiley.

Corporations, Culture, and Commitment: Motivation and Social Control in Organizations. Charles O’Reilly California Management Review. 1989.

Shaping Organizational Culture. Michael Tushman, Charles O’Reilly. HBSP

Kelley, T. 2001. The Art of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from IDEO, America’s Leading Design Firm.

1/27

Career Management and Development

Principles of Personal Management (Covey, p.146-182)

R. Kelly, How to be a Star at Work: 9 Breakthrough Strategies you need to

Succeed, Crown Publishing Group, 1999.

J. Loehr, & T. Shwartz, The Power of Full Engagement: Managing energy, not time, is the key to high performance and personal renewal, New York: Simon & Schuster, 2003.

Pearson, C.M. & Porath, C.L. 2005 On the Nature, Consequences and Remedies of Incivility: No Time for “Nice”? Think Again. Academy of Management Executive.

Behavioral Anchor Rating Scale

Classroom Participation

Outstanding Performance

• initiates information relative to topics discussed

• accurately exhibits knowledge of assignment content

• demonstrates excellent listening by remaining on ‘same page’ as rest of class,

as evidenced by follow-up comments/questions

• brings up questions that need to be further explored

• clarifies points that others may not understand

• draws upon personal experience or personal opinion

• offers relevant, succinct input to class

• demonstrates ability to apply, analyze and synthesize course material

• demonstrates willingness to take risk in attempting to answer unpopular

questions

Very Good Performance

• regularly participates in class discussions

• shares relevant feedback

• gives feedback to classroom group discussions

• consistently demonstrates knowledge of reading assignments

• demonstrates ability to analyze/apply course material

• demonstrates willingness to attempt to answer questions

Good/Average Performance

• participates in group discussion when solicited

• offers clear, concise, ‘good’ information relative to class assignments

• offers input in class or group, but tends to reiterate the intuitive

• attends class regularly

Low Performance

• occasional input, often irrelevant, unrelated to topic

• reluctant to share information

• not following flow of ideas

• drains energy from class goals

Unacceptable Performance

• fails to participate, even when solicited (in small or large groups)

• gives no input in any format

• shows up to class; does nothing

• group/ classroom distraction

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