INF387C MANAGING INFORMATION ORGANIZATIONS
Spring 2010
Fridays 9-12
UTA Bldg Rm 1.210A
Professor Diane E. Bailey
debailey@ischool.utexas.edu, UTA 5.438, Office Hours Fridays after class
OVERVIEW
This course is designed to help you develop skills and awareness for managing in the context of an
information organization. The course emphasizes active learning through class exercises, individual and
group assignments, and case discussions. Personal reflection is also critical to your learning and is
prompted by assignments. Although oriented to developing practical skills to help you in your career, the
material in the course is grounded in theory and research from psychology, small group research,
organizational behavior, strategy, innovation and the like. We start at the individual level so that you can
begin to develop awareness about yourself and your relationships with others that is critical as a manager.
From there, we move on to group level dynamics common in work settings. We end with a focus on
organizational issues, including interacting with the external environment.
COURSE DETAILS
Attendance and Participation
You are expected to attend each week’s class session and to have completed the reading and any
assignments so that you can actively engage in discussions. You are also expected to work diligently and
cooperatively in group exercises and projects. Poor attendance and participation will lower your grade;
good attendance and participation may improve it.
Grading
See end of syllabus for assignment descriptions; see schedule for due dates.
1. Reflected Best Self Portrait
2. Learning Journal I
3. Group “How-To” Presentation
a. Group Evaluation (of you)
b. Class Evaluation (of group)
c. Professor’s Evaluation (of group)
4. Negotiation Report
5. Learning Journal II
6. E-portfolio
Total
20%
10
10
10
10
10
15
15
100%
Late Work Policy
Your group presentation cannot be late because of scheduling needs. For similar reasons, the e-portfolio
must be turned in the last day of class. For all other assignments, you will lose 10% of your grade for
work handed in by Monday 9 a.m. Thereafter, for each additional day late, you will lose another 10%.
MATERIALS YOU MUST ACQUIRE, THEIR PRICE AND SOURCE
#
1
Item
Reflected Best Self Portrait Exercise
(129 Kb) (Get the exercise, not the
booklet).
Cost
$6
Source
https://www.bus.umich.edu/Positive/POSTeaching-andLearning/ReflectedBestSelfExercise.htm
2
Kroeger, O., Thuesen, J. M. & Rutledge,
H. 2002. Type Talk at Work: How the 16
Personality Types Determine Your
Success on the Job. Dell Publishing:
New York.
12
Amazon or Co-op.
4
Harvard Business Press (HBP) Case:
Managing a Global Team: Greg James at
Sun Microsystems, Inc. (A) #409003PDF-ENG.
4
See link below.
5
HBP Case: Making RFID Work: The
World’s Largest University Library
RFID Implementation. #HKU866-PDFENG.
4
See link below.
HBP Book Chapter (Austin et al.):
Project management: What is the best
approach to IT?
4
See link below.
6
Cialdini, R.B. 2008. Influence: Science
and Practice, 5th Edition. Allyn &
Bacon: Boston, Mass.
16
Amazon or Co-op.
7
HBP Case: Historical Society of
Pennsylvania. #597062-PDF-ENG.
4
See link below.
8
HBP E-learning Case: Threadless: The
Business of Community. #608707MMC-ENG.
7
See link below.
9
HBP Case: Transforming Singapore's
Public Libraries (Abridged) #805028PDF-ENG.
4
See link below.
10
Hard copy dictionary.
Cost of Course Materials
-
$61
Your choice
(plus dictionary)
Harvard Business Press Course Link: http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/access/4906889
MATERIALS AVAILABLE ON COURSE BLACKBOARD SITE
#
1
Item
Goleman, D. 2000. Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review, 78 (2):108-116.
2
Manzoni, J.-F. & Bascoux, J.-L. 1998. The set-up-to-fail syndrome. Harvard Business Review,
76 (2):101-113.
3
Gabarro, J.I. & Kotter, J.P. 1980. Managing your boss. Harvard Business Review, 58(1): 92-100.
4
Garvin, D.A. & Roberto, M.A. 2001. What you don’t know about making decisions. Harvard
Business Review, 79 (8):78-90.
5
Hammond, J. S., Keeney, R. L., & Raiffa, H. 1998. The hidden traps in decision making.
Harvard Business Review, 76(5):47-58.
6
Maitlis, S. & Ozcelik, H. 2004. Toxic decision processes: A study of emotion and organizational
decision making. Organization Science, 15(4): 375-393.
7
Edmondson, A.C. The Local and Variegated Nature of Learning in Organizations: A GroupLevel Perspective. Organization Science, 13(2): 128-146.
8
Hinds, P.J. & Bailey, D.E. 2003. Out of sight, out of sync: Understanding conflict on distributed
teams. Organization Science, 14(6):615-632.
9
Jehn, K.A., Greer, L., Levine, S. & Szulanski, G. 2008. The effects of conflict types, dimensions,
and emergent states on group outcomes. Group Decision and Negotiation, 17(6): 465-495.
10 Kanawattanachai, P. & Yoo, Y. 2007. The impact of knowledge coordination on virtual team
performance over time. MIS Quarterly, 31(4): 783-808.
11 Allard. S. 2009. Library managers and information in World 2.0. Library Mgmt, 30(1):57-68.
12 Birdsall, W.F. 1990. The library manager as therapist. J. of Academic Librarianship, 16(4): 209212.
13
Mackenzie, M. L.& Smith, J.P. 2009. Management education for library directors: Are graduate
library programs providing future library directors with the skills and knowledge they will need?
Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 50(3): 129-142.
14
Schacter, D. 2005. How to create a realistic budget. Information Outlook, 9(9):10-11.
15
Barthélemy, J. 2001. The hidden costs of IT outsourcing. MIT Sloan Management Review, 42(3):
60-69
16
Amabile, T. M. 1998. How to kill creativity. Harvard Business Review, 76(5): 76-87.
17
Kane, G. C., Fichman, R. G., Gallaugher, J. & Glaser, J. 2009. Community relations 2.0.
Harvard Business Review, 87(11): 45-50.
WEEKLY CLASS SCHEDULE
Wk
1
INDIVIDUAL
2
Topic
In-Class Activities
Introduction:
Learning in Action,
Skills You Will Gain,
How to Prepare for
and Participate in
Class

Individual
Differences:
Understanding
Yourself and Others




3
4
Explanation of
assignments
Quiz (already!)

“House of Your
Dreams” exercise
Core self evaluation
scale
Tolerance of ambiguity
scale


Managing
Relationships and
Communicating with
Others




Tower exercise
Paper tearing exercise
Silence exercise
Listening exercise


How Individuals
Make Decisions (and
Why They Make
Mistakes)




Dollar Auction
Gorilla Basketball video
Results of Day 1 Quiz
Self Portrait Discussion



Items to Do/Read Prior to Class
(see tables above for full citations)
Read syllabus online, get course materials
Kroeger et al. 2002. Type Talk at Work. Read
Chs. 1-10 plus Section III, the 16 profiles.
Complete the personality evaluation in Ch. 2,
Kroeger et al.
Due in Class

Be ready with
your
completed
personality
evaluation.

Reflected
Best Self
Portrait
Goleman. 2000. Leadership that gets results.
Manzoni & Baroux. 1998. Set-up-to-fail
syndrome.
Gabarro & Kotter. 1980. Managing your boss.
Garvin & Roberto. 2001. What you don’t know
about making decisions.
Hammond, Keeney, & Raiffa. 1998. The hidden
traps in decisionmaking.
Wk
5
6
GROUP
7
8
9
10
Topic
How Groups Form,
Learn, & Make
Decisions
In-Class Activities



Why Conflict Arises
and What to Do When
It Does


What Happens When
Workers are
Distributed Across
Time and Place


Thoughtful
Visionaries and
Voices of Experience:
Advice for the Future
Information Manager


Items to Do/Read Prior to Class
Sugar exercise
Desert survival exercise
Group brainstorming
Fishbowl

Conflict exercise
Conflict self assessment




Case discussion
Distributed meeting
fishbowl

Expert panel
“How to”: Give a
Presentation
Group Prep




Due in Class
Maitlis & Ozcelik. 2004. Toxic decision
processes: A study of emotion and org’l decisionmaking.
Edmondson. 2002. The Local and Variegated
Nature of Learning in Org’ns: A Group-Level
Perspective.
Hinds & Bailey. 2003. Out of sight, out of sync:
Understanding conflict on distributed teams.
Jehn et al. 2008. The effects of conflict types,
dimensions, and emergent states on group
outcomes.
Case: Managing a Global Team: Greg James at
Sun Microsystems, Inc. (A).
Kanawattanachai & Yoo. 2007. The impact of
knowledge coordination on virtual team
performance over time.
Allard. 2009. Library managers and information
in World 2.0.
Birdsall. 1990. The library manager as therapist.
Mackenzie and Smith. 2009. Management
education for library directors: Are graduate
library programs providing future library
directors with the skills and knowledge they will
need?
SPRING BREAK
GROUP PRESENTATIONS
GROUP PRESENTATIONS

Learning
Journal I
ORGANIZATION
Wk
Topic
11
Project Management:
New Technology
Implementation


12
Negotiating with and
Persuading Others






$2 Negotiation game
Discuss book
Negotiation quiz
Airport package exercise
Tinmen excerpt
Group agreement on
negotiation exercise

Cialdini. 2008. Influence: Science and Practice.
13
Coping with Change
in Hard Times



Case discussion
Budget making
Discussion of your
negotiations



Case: Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
Schacter. 2005. How to create a realistic budget.
Barthelemey. 2001. The hidden costs of IT
outsourcing.
 Negotiation
Sparking Creativity,
Learning and
Innovation




Doodle exercise
Candle exercise
Random word exercise
Discuss case and reading


Case: Threadless: The Business of Community.
Amabile. 1994. How to kill creativity.
 Learning
Re-Inventing the
Organization and
Managing Public
Relations


Case discussion
Sum up course

14
15
In-Class Activities
Case discussion
Desk Set excerpt
Items to Do/Read Prior to Class


Case: Making RFID Work: The World’s Largest
University Library RFID Implementation
Austin et al. 2009. Project management: What is
the best approach for IT?
Due in Class

Report


Case: Transforming Singapore's Public Libraries
(Abridged)
Kane et al. 2009. Community Relations 2.0
Journal II
Bring a hard
copy
dictionary!
 E-portfolio
ASSIGNMENTS
You must complete six assignments for this course, as listed here in chronological order and
described in detail below:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Reflected Best Self Portrait
Learning Journal I
Group “How-To” Presentation
Negotiation Report
Learning Journal II
E-portfolio
Reflected Best Self Portrait
This exercise is to help you recognize your strengths by soliciting opinions from the people who
know you best. It requires that you ask 15-20 people for input, which you then analyze and
summarize, so you need to get started right away. The instructions are included in material put
together by professors at the University of Michigan. You should visit the link below to purchase
the material online. Be careful: Make sure you order the EXERCISE (129 KB), not the booklet
(618 KB) – both are $6.
https://www.bus.umich.edu/Positive/POS-Teaching-and-Learning/ReflectedBestSelfExercise.htm
Learning Journal I and II
Keeping a learning journal helps you to be more reflective of what you are learning, what value
this learning has for you, and what more you want to or should learn. You should write in your
learning journal at least once a week. A learning journal is a place to record questions that come
to your mind (perhaps during class or in your reading), interesting ideas from classmates,
reflections on what you have learned so far, thoughts on how this course material relates to other
courses or to other knowledge you have, thoughts sparked by class discussion that may not be
fully formed yet, lists of topics you want to pursue in greater depth later, ideas for ways to gain or
practice skills, topics you particularly like or dislike, worries that you have about yourself as a
manager, and so forth. Although journal length may vary greatly from student to student, in
general, you should write a couple pages per week in your learning journal.
You will turn in your learning journal twice. Each time, you must write up separately answers to
the following questions and hand in your answers with your journal. Your journal should contain
evidence that your responses to these questions are based at least in part upon journal entries.
Questions for Learning Journal I (week 8)
 What is at least one key idea I learned in each of weeks 2-7? (List separately by week and
topic.)
 In what skill areas related to individuals and groups are my own skills not that strong?
 What are my strategies for improving my skills in these areas over the next year?
 How will I know if I have achieved each goal?
Questions for Learning Journal II (week 14)
 What is at least one key idea I learned in each of weeks 8-13? (List separately by week
and topic.)
 What was the most interesting or valuable group presentation I heard and why?
(cont’d on next page)




In what skill areas related to organizations are my own skills not that strong?
What are my strategies for improving my skills related to organizations in the near
future? (As a student, you come into contact with individuals and groups frequently, so
you can work on those skills while still in school. You may not have the same level of
opportunity for skills related to organizations, so your planning in this regard may be
more distant.)
How will I know if I have achieved each goal?
How will I continue learning about and gaining management skills as I go forward?
Group “How-To” Presentation
In small groups, you will research one of the topics below, to be assigned in class based on group
preferences. Your group will give a 20-minute “how-to” presentation to the class in Week 9 or
10. Your group is to act as a high-level management team giving a talk in your organization’s
monthly lunch meeting attended by all managers and supervisors (your classmates). Your
objective is to educate the managers and supervisors, help them begin to develop skills in the
topic area, and help them retain what they learn in your presentation. A 5-minute question-andanswer period that you will moderate will follow your presentation.
You must complete the following tasks at a minimum: (1) research the topic thoroughly,
including the best academic and practitioner material you can find, (2) evaluate (prune) the
material to determine what you want to cover, (3) develop an effective verbal presentation (4)
practice your presentation as a group, (5) deliver it to the class. Everyone in your group must
participate meaningfully in all tasks.
You are limited to two sheets of handouts, which may be double-sided. Employ a layout that will
facilitate retention and later reference, not one that will cram in additional, uncovered material.
You may use whatever presentation technologies you wish, with the caveat that you are asked to
practice their use prior to the presentation day to ensure they work smoothly. You are encouraged
to be creative, for example by using a skit, making a movie, developing a quick exercise, role
playing, and the like. Just remember that your creativity, like every other aspect of your
presentation, should be aimed at the objective articulated in the first paragraph.
You will be evaluated on this project along two lines: (1) how well you worked on your team (as
evaluated by your fellow team members) and (2) how well your team helped the class learn this
material (as evaluated by the class and the teaching staff). Evaluation sheets are included at the
end of the syllabus so that you fully understand the relevant metrics.
“How-To” Topics
 Interviewing a Potential Hire
 Coaching People
 Conducting an Employee Performance
Evaluation
 Dismissing an Employee
 Delegating Work
 Managing Volunteers
 Managing Across Generations
 Managing the Use of Mobile and Social
Networking Technologies at Work
 Running a Meeting









Managing Time and Stress
Balancing Work and Family
Soliciting and Evaluating Vendor Bids
Maintaining Facilities
Raising Money
Writing a Successful Grant Proposal
Building Corporate and Large Donor
Relationships
Bidding on Collections
Managing Your Career
Negotiation Report
You must enter into a negotiation with someone to persuade that person to do something you
think is impossible to convince him or her to do; your chosen objective must first be approved in
the course of a class exercise on Week 12. Afterwards, write up your attempt in a 1-2 page report.
Note with whom you negotiated (by role or position, not name), what you tried to persuade that
person to do, the negotiation tactics you employed, the result, and your (brief) observations on the
process. Success is great; reflective understanding is even better.
E-portfolio
The purpose of the e-portfolio is to help you prepare for your ideal professional job upon
graduation. Your e-portfolio will give you a head start on articulating your management skills and
career goals through the creation of a space to share your projects, papers, and resume.
Your e-Portfolio must include the following items at a minimum:
1. Statement of Intent. List and explain your career and professional goals. Discuss how
your UT education (e.g., specific courses), your undergraduate degree, your volunteer
efforts, prior employment, and/or similar events and experiences reflect and helped shape
your professional interests and how they will aid you in achieving your goals. Your
statement should be no more than two pages long; think of the intended audience as a
recruiter, hiring manager, or potential employer, but recognize that the act of writing the
statement, much like your Reflected Best Self Portrait exercise and your learning journal,
should aid in developing your professional self-awareness.
2. Links to samples of your papers and project work at the iSchool.
3. Resumé. (See workshops and guides at iSchool Career Services.)
E-portfolio format:
 Web-based.
 Primarily text, but may also include multimedia as appropriate.
Post your e-Portfolio on the Web using your iSchool account. NOTE: Please convert each file to
an .html format to be viewed using a Web browser, and NOT as specific file formats such as .doc,
.rtf, or .pdf that download to the viewer's desktop. For more information on creating your own
web pages see the iSchool Web Development tutorials.
Post the URL to your e-portfolio to the forum with that name.
I will evaluate your e-portfolio against these criteria:




Establishes your unique strengths, talents and interests.
Clearly and professionally communicates your goals, experiences, and work samples.
Reflects excellent proof-reading, attention to detail and care for readers’ impressions
through the absence of spelling and grammar mistakes.
Demonstrates sufficient technical skill through the display and proper functioning of all
elements of your e-portfolio site.
GROUP PRESENTATION EVALUATION
Group Topic ___________________________________________________________
Evaluated By___________________________________________________________
Provide a score from 1 to 5 for each element below according to the following scale:
5
4
3
2
1
Absolutely, Well Done
Pretty Much So, Just a Few Issues
More or Less, Neither Very Strong Nor Very Weak
Not Exactly, Some Key Weaknesses
Not at All, Highly Problematic
Organization

Score ______
Was the material organized coherently, with clear relationship between ideas, sound
segues between sections, and strong introduction and conclusion?
Content

Score ______
Did the material seem on target for the topic? Did the team cover the topic sufficiently?
Delivery


Score ______
Was the verbal delivery good in terms of pace, volume, intonation and the like?
Was the nonverbal delivery good in terms of confidence, gestures, movement, use of
space, eye contact, and the like?
Visual Aids

Were the visual aids helpful, supportive, clear and easily understood?
Engagement


Score ______
Was the presentation interesting? Was it creative or innovative in its style?
Objectives

Score ______
Score ______
Did the presentation meet its intended objective to educate managers and supervisors and
to help them begin skill development in the topic area?
Did it meet its intended objective to help managers and supervisors retain what they
learned in the presentation?
Total Score (max 30) ______
GROUP MEMBER EVALUATION
Group Topic ___________________________________________________________
Evaluation of Member ___________________________________________________
Evaluated By___________________________________________________________
Provide a score from 1 to 5 for each element below according to the following scale:
5
4
3
2
1
Absolutely, Well Done
Pretty Much So, Just a Few Issues
More or Less, Neither Very Strong Nor Very Weak
Not Exactly, Some Key Weaknesses
Not at All, Highly Problematic
Creativity and Energy

Was the individual an innovative problem solver and idea generator? Did he or she
generate enthusiasm and exude positive energy to help the group complete its task?
Collaboration

Score ______
Was the individual able to hear others’ points of view? Did he or she share information,
articulate arguments clearly, give constructive feedback, and handle criticism well?
Responsibility and Organization

Score ______
Was the work that the individual contributed to the group project done on time and to the
level expected?
Communication

Score ______
Did the individual help and coach others, ensure that all parts of the presentation made a
seamless whole, recognize the value of each person’s contribution, handle conflict well,
and work to build consensus?
Individual Contribution

Score ______
Score ______
Did the individual commit enough time and effort to the project? Did he or she take
initiative, plan tasks, respect others’ time, help the group make decisions, and work well
under pressure?
Total Score (max 25) ______