New York University



-17145-180340New York University Leonard N. Stern School of BusinessDepartment of Management & OrganizationsMANAGING PEOPLE AND TEAMS—Fall 2015Professor: Beth BechkyE-mail: bbechky@stern.nyu.eduClass meetings: T, Th 11-12:15Classroom: KMC 5-80Office hours: by appointmentOffice: Tisch 705Course site: : We will use the course site for course lecture slides, handouts, assignments, and communication. Please make sure that your email address is correct.COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVESWhether you plan to work in finance or fashion, be an entrepreneur, a high-tech CEO, or a management consultant, your success in the workplace will depend on your ability to work in and lead teams. Although effective managers have always relied on influence and consensus building, early management theory portrayed the executive as a solitary planner, removed from the fray, whose directions are automatically followed by subordinates. Therefore, management education focused on individual competencies such as leadership, motivation and decision-making. However, contemporary organizations increasingly put managers in roles that require a different set of competencies. Managers increasingly find themselves working in and with groups, teams, and networks, sometimes without a clear chain of command or a stable leader. In these more fluid and dynamic management roles, effective performance requires frameworks for analyzing collaborative (as opposed to individual) decision making and facilitating successful informal relationships (as opposed to formal organizational structures). This course builds upon the Management and Organizational Analysis course and pursues the following objectives: The primary goal of the course is to provide models for managing groups and teams which complement traditional/historical models of management. To this end, we will be developing frameworks for analyzing groups’ goals and options. This involves issues such as choosing group members, structuring group decision-making, and managing the conflict that can arise in group contexts. A second goal is to understand the effects of technology on managing people in teams. In the past decade, new communication technologies have enabled new forms of working and organizing – virtual worlds that seem different from traditional forms of doing business. However, at the core of these new forms are the people who use these technologies and the contexts in which they use them. We will explore how the work of teams and their members is enabled and constrained by such technologies. Finally, the approach of the course is based on the belief that a conceptual understanding of management strategies is of little use without the behavioral skills required to implement them. Thus, we will pursue our understandings with an emphasis on experiential exercises and cases that afford the opportunity to apply concepts concretely, as well as hone one’s team and management skills.COURSE FORMATThe course is designed to provide you with a thorough understanding of the dynamics of team-based work settings and their effects on group performance. As a result, students will be assigned to groups that will exist throughout the semester and will provide a context for experiencing and learning about the effects of group membership first hand. Important note on this format: Working interdependently with your assigned group is paramount for learning in this course. You will be expected to regularly meet face-to-face with your group outside of class. Group discussion periods, written assignments, and activities will provide many opportunities for students to discuss, reflect on, and explain their group's functioning. In addition, each group will collaborate on a final group project described below. The primary teaching method in this course is inductive, experiential, and case-based. Relatively little class time will be devoted to standard lectures.READINGS & MATERIALSThere is a required course reader and class handout fee to be purchased the bookstore.The remaining cases, readings, and book chapters available through the library on the course website (including the chapters from Larson, C.E. & LaFasto, F.M.J. 1989. Teamwork: What must go right/what can go wrong. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Abbreviated LL throughout syllabus). GRADINGActive learning through participation15% Individual homeworks20%Due: Sep 17, Oct 1, Dec 15 Group ORTF case analysis15%Due: Oct 20Group dynamics comparison paper15%Due: Dec 3Final group paper25%Due: Dec 15Final group presentation10%Due: Dec 8/10/15(1) Participation (15% of final grade):Class participation is an essential part of the learning process in this course. What you learn in this class will depend not only on completing the readings and listening to lecture but also on student discussion. Spirited, informed discussion of the readings, cases and exercises is a critical component of the course. In evaluating class participation, I will attend to both the quantity and quality of comments, but quality is ultimately the most important. Because class time is limited, each time a student is called upon is an opportunity to advance the discussion in a way that enhances everyone’s learning. I may occasionally “cold call” students in class. The point of the “cold calls” is not to embarrass anyone, but to ensure that all students are invited to contribute, and to keep the discussion from becoming unbalanced, with a few students doing most of the talking. What constitutes a quality comment? Here are some general guidelines. An “exceptional” comment provides some fundamental structure to the conversation either by distilling an underlying theme from disparate comments or by critiquing a set of comments. An exceptional comment will change the way people view some important part of the case or exercise. A “good” comment advances the conversation, by making an analytical point and referring to supporting data, by asking a good question, by offering a thoughtful critique of previous comments, or by expanding on previous comments. Supporting data may come from readings, from other cases, or from personal experience. A “fine” comment provides some information that adds to the discussion. A “poor” comment is one that seems to indicate a lack of preparation and/or a lack of attention to the “flow” of the conversation (for example, making a point that has already been covered earlier). Some people are uncomfortable with presenting viewpoints in large group settings. However, it is important to your learning and your future as managers and leaders of organizations. If there is anything that interferes with your ability to contribute on an ongoing basis, feel free to come discuss it with me and we can work together to develop ways to increase your comfort level and performance in terms of participation. Additionally, active learning in this class is unlike that in most other classes because this is a TEAMS class. This means that not only are you expected to participate in our general class discussions, but also to actively contribute as an interdependent member of your assigned team. Teams will therefore evaluate their members’ contributions to the group as well.A note on attendance: Attendance is critical for your learning in this class, particularly on days when exercises are scheduled. If you cannot attend class, make sure to notify me at least 24 hours in advance via e-mail. Please also plan to arrive to class on time, since we will frequently begin the exercises at the start of class.(2) Individual Homeworks1) Comparison of Working Lives (5% of final grade)Choose one representative from each of two (or three) different generations in your family (e.g. your grandfather, your mother, yourself). Compare their experiences in the workplace. You may compare any aspects of the work experiences that seem significant to you. Choose the generations so that there is some contrast. You should do this in no more than two pages.DUE: September 17th 2) Personal Reflection Memo: Past team experiences (5% of final grade)Write a memo (no more than 3 pages) describing (1) your most effective and (2) your most ineffective group experience. This memo should incorporate your own team experiences with theoretical insights from the readings. Therefore the memo should use concepts from this session’s readings on group performance to explain on what dimensions you feel the group was effective or ineffective (e.g., performance relative to external standards, group satisfaction, individual growth, or organizational gains). Why was the effective group successful? What could have been done to make the ineffective group more successful? DUE: October 1st 3) Learning Journal: Reflections on in-class exercises (10%)For each day that we do an exercise in class, write a one-page description of your experiences in the exercise. In the last paragraph (or throughout), relate this to the reading for that topic. Bring the journal entry to the session following the exercise, as you will discuss it in small groups at the start of class and I will collect them.The exercises to reflect on are:Building exercise(Sept 3)Cardboard Box and INSITE! Creativity Exercises (Oct 6)Group Design Exercise (Nov 3)Tanagram Leadership Exercise (Nov 10)Counterterrorism Task Force(Nov 17)Qualitative Feedback Exercise: In less than one page, reflect on the feedback that you thought you would receive from your teammates, the feedback that you did receive, the discrepancy between them, and your feelings about plete journal DUE: December 15th (3) Group ORTF Case Analysis (15% of final grade)As a group, write a 5-page paper that answers the following questions: Given ORTF's composition and purpose, what should Williams expect at the first meeting of the task force? How should he prepare for that meeting, and how, specifically, should the first meeting be conducted? What, if any, discussion format or procedures should be implemented? Be sure to justify your answers using concepts from this week's readings. Due: October 20 (4) Group dynamics across modalities paper (15% of final grade)As a group, you are to compare and contrast at least three forms of team interaction and dynamics: face-to-face, teleconference, online (with or without video). This, of course, requires that your team have interactions using these different modalities over the course of the quarter. Analyze your group’s process and effectiveness using each of the forms, discuss any problems encountered, and relate these to the concepts, theory, and readings from the course. Some questions you might consider: How was conflict resolution accomplished within the different forms? How did the modalities differ in terms of your ability to communicate? In terms of the types of tasks you accomplished? In terms of design, leadership or creativity? Were there differences in the way you felt about the team process or one another? Your comparison should be 5 pages and you should come to class prepared to present and discuss it.Due: December 3 (5) Final group paper (25% of final grade)This project should be completed in your assigned groups (assignments will be given in class). Each group will choose a real group or working team (not a sports team!) to observe and analyze its performance using the concepts learned in the course. You should use observation and personal interviews from several sources to obtain information for your analysis. An 8-10 page report on the findings of your assessment and your recommendations is due at the end of the semester. The report should contain an analysis of the group’s performance and effectiveness, any problems encountered, and recommendations for improvements (a concrete action plan) using the concepts, theory, and readings from the course. Be sure to cite appropriately. I am happy to meet with you to discuss your paper topics. The paper will be evaluated on the following criteria:Theory/application: How well do you understand and apply the concepts learned in the course and the readings? How well do you incorporate examples from the group you studied?Analysis: How clear and insightful is your analysis of the group? How well do you integrate the theory to create a coherent and logical argument? How well do your recommendations correspond to the conclusions of your analysis? How “actionable” are your recommendations?Organization: How clearly written and organized is the paper? Be sure to check spelling and grammar.Peer evaluation: How do the other members of your group evaluate your contributions to the group’s performance? Evaluation forms will be distributed at the end of the semester (this evaluation will be factored into your class participation grade).Due: December 15 Final Group Presentation (10% of final grade)In class, as a group you will give a brief professional presentation of your findings. The presentation will be evaluated with the same criteria as the paper, and in addition: Professionalism: How well organized is the presentation? Does the group manage time well? How do you handle questions from the class? Due: December 8/10/15 Guidelines for all written assignments I do not accept late papers.Please adhere to all page limits, using 12 point font size and a minimum line spacing of space and a half (and no fiddling with margins, either!). Otherwise the paper will lose half a letter grade.Remember to cite appropriately, even when drawing on the readings I’ve assigned. Otherwise, how will the reader know what reading you are referring to?A good paper:Is clear and effective at getting your point acrossDirectly demonstrates that you have learned something from the class:Specifically refers to course conceptsReferences appropriatelyProvides specific, detailed evidence to support your pointsGeneral Grading GuidelinesAt NYU Stern, we strive to create courses that challenge students intellectually and that meet the Stern standards of academic excellence. To ensure fairness and clarity of grading, the Stern faculty have agreed that for elective courses the individual instructor or department is responsible for determining reasonable grading guidelines. My grading guidelines: Your grade will depend upon how well each of you actually performs in this course in both individual and team work. Re-GradingIn line with Grading Guidelines for the NYU Stern Undergraduate College, the process of assigning of grades is intended be one of unbiased evaluation. Grading is based on detailed, consistent, and fair criteria. Students are therefore encouraged to respect the integrity and authority of the professor’s grading system and discouraged from pursuing arbitrary challenges to it.If a student feels that an inadvertent error has been made in the grading of an assignment, a request to have that the grade re-evaluated may be submitted. Students should submit such requests in writing within 7 days of receiving the grade, including a brief written statement of why he or she believes that an error in grading has been made. I will then review the entire assignment, which means that your grade may increase or decrease. These policies are in place to make grading as fair as possible across all students.Academic IntegrityIntegrity is critical to the learning process and to all that we do here at NYU Stern. All students are expected to abide by the NYU Stern Student Code of Conduct. A student’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to: All individual work submitted should be one’s own, or the work of the team (for group assignments).You have a duty to acknowledge the work and efforts of others when submitting your work. Ideas, data, direct quotations, paraphrasing, creative expression, or any other incorporation of the work of others must be clearly referenced.You are expected to be prepared and on time for all class activities.Please see stern.nyu.edu/uc/codeofconduct for more information, and/or see me if you are uncertain about what represents an honor code violation.Students with DisabilitiesStudents whose class performance may be affected due to a disability should notify the professor early in the semester so that arrangements can be made, in consultation with the Henry and Lucy Moses Center for Students with Disabilities, to accommodate their needs. Please see nyu.edu/csd for more information.COURSE SCHEDULEIntroduction and Course OverviewTh September 3 Teams and managing peopleRead:Course syllabusLL: Chapter 1In class:Teams exercisePart 1: Managing People in Organizations: A brief historyTSeptember 8 Historical Work Relationships and the New Deal Part 1 Read:“The Development of Internal Labor Markets in American Manufacturing Firms,” Sanford M. Jacoby, Chap.2 in Internal Labor Markets, Paul S. Osterman, ed, MIT Press, 1984. (Read closely through page 42, skim the rest)“Historical Evolution of the U.S. Collective Bargaining System,” Thomas Kochan, Harry Katz, and Robert McKersie, Chap. 2 from The Transformation of American Industrial Relations, Basic Books, 1994.“Fundamentals of Scientific Management,” Frederick W. Taylor, Ch. 7 in Working in America, Amy Wharton, ed., Mayfield Publishing, 1998. “The Demon Lover,” pages 221-227 of Working, by Studs Terkel, Avon Books, 1974. Read up to the start of the Jim Stallings section on page 227.Th September 10Historical Work Relationships and the New Deal Part 2Read:Finish readings from September 8TSeptember 15Rosh Hashanah holidayTh September 17 From Job Enrichment to High Involvement Work Systems Part 1Read: Bai, Matt (2005) “Is there a place for unions in the 21st century economy?” The New York Times Magazine, January 30, 2005.Oldham, Greg, and Hackman, J. Richard (2010) “Not what it was and not what it will be: The future of job design research,” Journal of Organizational Behavior, 31: 463-479.Due:Homework 1: Compare Working LivesT September 22From Job Enrichment to High Involvement Work Systems Part 2Read: Pfeffer, Jeffrey (1995) “Producing competitive advantage through the effective management of people,” Academy of Management Executive, p. 55-72. Case: “How I Learned to Let My Workers Lead,” Ralph Stayer, Harvard Business Review, November-December 1990, p. 66-83.What are the most important characteristics of the work system at Johnsonville Sausage? What outcomes result from this system? How do these differ from the systems we have already discussed? Should Ralph Stayer have let the workers vote on acquiring another plant? Part 2 Managing People in TeamsThSeptember 24 Group DynamicsT September 29In class:Watch “12 Angry Men”Read:Weingart, Laurie and Karen Jehn (2009) “Manage Intra-team conflict through collaboration.” In E. A. Locke (Ed.), Handbook of Principles of Organizational Behavior: Indispensable Knowledge for Evidence-Based Management, 2nd Edition. Chichester, UK: Wiley, pp. 327-346. Conger, Jay. (1998). “The necessary art of persuasion” Harvard Business Review. ThOctober 1Group PerformanceRead:Thompson, Leigh. (2014). Making the Team. Chapter 2: Performance and Productivity. Upper Saddle River, NJ: PearsonLL: Chapters 2 & 3Case:Hill, Linda and Michel Anteby. “A note for analyzing work groups” (Merit Case)How effective is the NPD group at the end of Part IV of the case? What factors contributed to its effectiveness? How did the effectiveness change at the end of Part V? What might account for these changes?Due:Homework 2: Personal reflection on team experiences Part 3: Team Processes and StructuresTOctober 6Creativity Part 1In Class:Cardboard box and INSITE! Creativity ExerciseDue:Team ContractThOctober 8Creativity Part 2Read: Thompson, Leigh (2014) Making the Team, Ch. 9 Creativity, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.Gladwell, Malcolm. The Bakeoff. The New Yorker, Sept 5, 2005.LL: Chapters 4, 5, & 6In class:Debrief of creativity exercise ThOctober 15 Conflict in TeamsRead:Edmondson, Amy C. and Diana McLain Smith (2006). “Too hot to handle? How to Manage Relationship Conflict,” California Management Review, 49: 6-31.Case:Suzy Wetlaufer. “The team that wasn’t.”How effective is the Fireart team? What are the sources of the team’s problems? How would you recommend Eric handle the next meeting? What should he do about Randy?TOctober 20Managing MeetingsRead:Whetton, D. and Cameron, C. (2011) “Conducting Effective Meetings”, in Developing Management Skills (8th ed), pp. 652-659. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice HallCosier, R.A., & Schwenk, C.R. (1990). “Agreement and Thinking Alike: Ingredients for Poor Decisions,” Academy of Management Executive, Vol.4, No.1, 69-74. Case:Gabarro, J., Wageman, R. and Hackman, J.R. (1999) “The Overhead Reduction Task Force.”Due:Group ORTF case analysis Given ORTF's composition and purpose, what should Williams expect at the first meeting of the task force? How should he prepare for that meeting, and how, specifically, should the first meeting be conducted? What, if any, discussion format or procedures should be implemented?Th October 22Project planning dayT October 27 Information SharingIn class:Murder Mystery exerciseTh October 29 Group Design Part 1 Read:LL: Chapters 7 & 8In class:Group design exerciseTNovember 3 Group Design Part 2Read:Okhuysen, G.A. and Bechky, B.A. (2009) Coordination in Organizations: An Integrative Perspective.” The Academy of Management Annals, 3: 463-502.Fayard, A. and Weeks, J. (2011). “Who Moved my Cube?” Harvard Business Review, July/Aug 2011.In class: Debrief group design exercise Th November 5 Leadership in Teams Part 1 Read:Pearce, C.L. and Barkus, B. (2004). “The Future of Leadership: Combining Vertical and Shared Leadership to Transform Knowledge Work.” The Academy of Management Executive, 18: 47-59.In-class:Tanagram exerciseTNovember 10 Leadership in Teams Part 2Read: Walton, R. and Hackman, J.R. (1986) “Groups under contrasting management strategies”. Ch. 5 in Designing Effective Work Groups (Goodman P. and Associates, Eds). Jossey-Bass Publishers.Hackman, J.R. (2002) Expert Coaching. Ch 6 in Leading teams: Setting the stage for great performances, Boston: Harvard Business School Press.LL: Chapter 9 In-class:Debrief Tanagram exerciseThNovember 12Teams under uncertaintyRead:Bechky, B. and Okhuysen, G. (2011) “Expecting the Unexpected? How SWAT officers and film crews handle surprises.” Academy of Management Journal, 54: 239-261.Weick, K., Sutcliffe, K., and Obstfeld, D. (2000) “High Reliability: The power of mindfulness.” Leader to Leader, 17: 33-38. In Class:Counterterrorism task force exercisePart 4: Managing Teams in the Digital AgeT November 17Organizations and technologyRead: Edmondson, A.E. (2003) “Framing for Learning: Lessons in Successful Technology Implementation,” California Management Review 45: 34-54.Turkle, Sherry (2012) The Flight from Conversation, New York Times, April 21, 2012. class: Technology experiences exerciseTh November 19Virtual teams: Trust and Organizational issuesRead:Kirkman, Rosen, Gibson, Tesluk and McPherson (2002). “Five challenges to virtual team success: Lessons from Sabre, Inc.” Academy of Management Executive, 16, pp. 67-78. Case: Maruca, R.F. “How do you manage an off-site team?”How is the team performing? What are the sources of the conflict on the team, and how does technology play a role? What do you recommend that Craig do next, both with respect to Penelope and Allison and with respect to his team as a whole?TNovember 24 Diversity, Globalization and Teamwork, Part 1 Read:Ely, R. (1995). “The role of dominant identity and experience in organizational work on diversity.” In Diversity in Work Teams: Research Paradigms for a Changing Workplace, Eds. Susan Jackson and Martin Ruderman. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.In class:Social Identity Exercise – complete grid and bring to class.T December 1 Diversity, Globalization and Teamwork, Part 2Read:Edmondson, A, and Rolloff, K. (2009) “Leveraging diversity through psychological safety.” Rotman Magazine, Fall 2009, p 47-51. Ernst, C and Yip, J. (2009) “Boundary-spanning leadership: Tactics to bridge social identity across groups in organizations”. Ch 7 in Crossing the Divide: Intergroup Leadership in a World of Difference, Ed. Todd Pitinsky. Boston: Harvard Business Press. Case:Neeley T. and T.J. DeLong. “Managing a Global Team: Greg James at Sun Microsystems, Inc.”How well has James managed his team? Who is responsible for the H.S. Holding crisis? What role did the “Open Work” environment play in the case? What should James do moving forward? ThDecember 3 Group dynamics presentationsDue: Group dynamics comparison paperHandout:Qualitative feedback exercise (to do outside of class)T December 8 Final PresentationsThDecember 10Final PresentationsT December 15 Final Presentations Due:Final paperDue: Homework 3: Learning journal ................
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