BA 601 – Management of Organizations and Human Resources
Fall 2008
College of Business Administration
San Diego State University
Instructors:
Dr. Lynn Shore
Office: SS 3431
Phone: (619) 594-4309
Email: lshore@mail.sdsu.edu
Office Hours: Monday 2-3pm and 5:30-6:30; before and after class; and by appointment.
Dr. Beth G. Chung-Herrera
Office: SS 3414
Phone: 594-2699
Email: beth.chung@sdsu.edu
Office Hours: Tues & Thurs. 1:30-2:30pm; before and after class; and by appointment.
Management Dept. Office: SS3356; 594-5317
Required Reading:
1. Ancona, Kochan, Scully, Van Maanen, & Westney (2005). Managing for the Future:
Organizational Behavior and Processes. South-Western College Publishing: Cincinnati,
OH. 3rd edition, ISBN: 0-324-05575-7. (Selected modules)
2. Course Reader (Montezuma Publishing).
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Additional readings may be added at our discretion
Course Objectives:
During this course, it is hoped that students will:
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increase their effectiveness and skill in analyzing, managing, and understanding individuals,
groups and organizations.
acquire knowledge regarding the nature and process of group development and dynamics.
acquire knowledge regarding managing human resources in the 21st centurty.
develop additional communication and negotiation skills.
develop an appreciation for the complexity associated with organizational change.
develop skills in analyzing organizational cases and applying appropriate concepts and
practices to their solutions.
increase self-awareness regarding their own strengths and weaknesses and plan for their
future.
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Instructional Methods:
Multiple learning methods will be used throughout this course including readings, lectures,
exercises, cases, class discussions, videos, and projects. Active participation is essential to the
learning process. All students will be expected to have read the assigned material and cases
before each class, and participate in class discussions and activities. Because students bring with
them a wealth of insight, experiences, and perspectives, participation is an essential feature of the
course. Occasionally, you will be called on to discuss issues and answer questions relevant to
the topics being covered. Students should consider each other, in addition to the above listed
learning tools, as important catalysts for learning.
The readings and cases for the course can be found in the text and in the course reader. The
readings and cases are meant to introduce you to the frameworks and perspectives that we will
use to analyze organizations. Be sure to read modules, articles, and prepare cases before the
class date for which they are listed. For example, for class on September 12, you need to have
read Module 2 and prepared the case “Strategic Design at Dynacorp.”
Course Requirements:
Managing organizations and human resources are topics that cannot easily be grasped by passive
learning, therefore a number of different activities and evaluation criteria will be used:
1. Cases:
There will be 2 case studies that are graded in this course. The Meg Whitman case will be a
group assignment while the Charlotte Beers case will be individually graded. Additional cases
will also be used for class discussion.
The case method used requires intensive preparation before class. You must:
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be prepared to contribute to the discussion
listen to the instructor and fellow students
share ideas with your classmates so they can learn from you as you learn from them
be willing to subject your ideas to debate and criticism
2. Group Presentation:
Leader in change analysis: Your group will select a CEO or founder of an organization for the
purpose of examining his/her ability to lead change from the three lenses (cultural, political, and
strategic) discussed in class and draw some conclusions about his/her effectiveness.
Presentations should be no longer than 30 minutes in duration (approximately 25 minutes for
presentation of subject, 5 minutes for questions and answers). All group members will receive
the same grade for their group’s presentation. Detailed information on this assignment can be
found at the end of this syllabus.
3. Career Assessment Plan and Journals:
One of the goals of this course is to help you develop as a leader and set an action plan for the
future. As a result, we will be asking you to keep a journal throughout the course based on the
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topics presented in class. These journal entries will ultimately help you to write your overall
career assessment plan.
Journals entries will be turned in at the end of the course along with the career assessment plans.
Journals will be graded according to quantity (accurate number of entries as assigned) and
quality (depth of analysis).
4. Self/Peer Evaluation:
Near the end of the class, you will evaluate your team members on their contributions to the
group case as well as the group project. Rating dimensions will be on meeting attendance,
tardiness, quality of contribution, quantity of contribution, cooperation and teamwork, and
follow through. Ratings for each dimension across raters will be averaged. Self/peer evaluation
forms are attached to this syllabus.
5. Participation (attendance + active participation):
Attendance: Since the class only meets for 10 sessions, it is crucial that you try not to miss any
classes (excluding emergencies). You will hurt your team’s progress as well as miss a
significant portion of the class if you are absent. If you do miss class sessions, points will be
deducted from your participation grade.
Active participation: Your learning in this class will come as much from student participation
as it will from the instructor’s knowledge. Class participation evaluations are based on your
attendance, contributions to class discussions, case analyses, completion of questionnaires, and
active participation in group exercises. The quality of your participation is important for your
learning, and the learning of your classmates.
Throughout the course, a variety of cases and activities will be employed. These activities will
be completed in and outside of class. Participation in these activities is required and considered
an important part of the learning experience. No make-ups will be given for class activities
missed due to absence from class.
Other Grading Information:
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To receive full credit for assignments, they must be submitted on time in a complete and
error-free fashion. All assignments must be proofread, typed, conform to 1” margins, in 12point font, and double-spaced. All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due
date specified in the attached course schedule. The equivalent of one full letter grade will be
deducted from an assignment each day (24 hours) that it is late. If you are certain that your
paper will be far better given another day’s preparation, it may be worth it to accept the
penalty and write the better paper. Sloppy work and failure to follow these instructions will
be considered unprofessional and graded as such. A good rule of thumb is if you wouldn’t
hand an assignment in to your manager, you shouldn’t hand it in to your instructor. Please
avoid the use of plastic folders; staple or clip pages together.
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All papers will be based on Content (how deeply you have thought about the topic,
integration of your experiences with course concepts, communication of insights, accuracy of
concept application, etc.) and Presentation (organization, grammar, spelling, style, etc.).
Remember, you will be evaluated on both what you say and how you say it.
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Overall Course Grade
Assignment
Percentage of Grade
Group Case: Meg Whitman
20%
Individual Case: Charlotte Beers
25%
Career Assessment Plan (including 6 journal entries)
20%
Presentation
20%
Self/peer evaluation
5%
Participation (attendance + active participation)
10%
Total:
100%
Additional Class Information:
1. Class Seating
Given the class size and the importance of individual participation, we ask that you sit in the
same seat throughout the course. At the beginning of the first class, we will record where you
are seated. This will be your seat for the rest of the quarter. Also, please bring and display your
name cards in every class. As the course progresses, we hope to get to know each of you,
making the name cards unnecessary.
2. Laptop Computers
Please turn off and put away your laptop computer during class time. You do not need to bring
your computer to class, except when we indicate ahead of time.
3. Extenuating Circumstances
Please inform us if any special circumstances arise for you during the semester. That is, if you
are having difficulty in class due to extenuating outside circumstances, please talk to us as soon
as possible so we can minimize the effects of these circumstances.
4. Information on Blackboard
We will be using Blackboard (http://blackboard.sdsu.edu) – a web-based service, in this
course. You will need to access Blackboard to get class announcements, obtain copies of the
overheads used in class, etc. You were automatically enrolled on the Black Board site for this
class when you registered for the course. Please read the following details carefully. They
explain how to access the Black Board system.
All Black Board accounts are now the same as official SDSU Id and pin numbers. For
account information go to the SDSU E-Services Website: Http://www.sdsu.edu/e-services
Logging into Blackboard:
1. Go to http://blackboard.sdsu.edu
2. Enter your user name and password (this is your university ID and PIN number)
3. Click the Login button
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4. If you do not know your PIN number, go to the SDSU e-Services website
http://www.sdsu.edu/e-Services
5. You will be taken to the My SDSU page
6. If you do not see any courses listed on the page, click the Reload or Refresh button.
7. The My Courses module will appear
8. Only courses where the instructor has chosen to use Blackboard will be visible
Printing Powerpoint slides from Blackboard:
1. When in the course website, click on “Course Documents”
2. Click on the lecture you want to print
3. A box will open that gives you some choices (open, save, etc.)
4. If you choose “Open”, the slides will be displayed on your screen. RIGHT click in a slide
and choose the print option. You have many options as to how many slides you want to print
per page.
5. If you choose “Save”, the slides can be saved to a file and printed from the file at a later time.
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Class Schedule (Revised 8/5/08)
SESSION
1
DATES
August 15th
1pm-5pm
TOPICS
Introduction
READINGS
Module 1(Text: M1-6 to M1-28)
2
September
12th
8am-12pm
September
13th
1pm-5pm
Three Lenses –
Strategic Design
Module 2 (Text: M2-4 to 2-27)
Three Lenses –
Political and
Cultural
Guest Speaker:
Graham Milner
HR Practices:
The importance
of alignment
Module 2 (Text: M2-33 to M2-84);
What Drucker Taught Me, Alan G.
Lafley, 2008
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4
5
6
7
8
September
26th
8am-12pm
September 27
1pm-5pm
October 10th
8am-12pm
October 11th
1pm-5pm
October 24th
8am-12pm
Managing Teams
in Organizations
Communication,
Negotiation &
Conflict
International &
Domestic
Diversity
Guest Speaker:
Jeff Campbell
Leadership &
Change
Personality,
Perceptions, &
Self-Awareness
Career
Management
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October 25th
1pm-5pm
Motivation
Presentations
(last hour of
CASE/ EXERCISE
Case: The Strategy that
Wouldn’t Travel (Text: M8- 22
to M8-25)
Case: Strategic Design at
Dynacorp (Text: M2-28 to M232)
Leader: Alan G. Lafley: The
P&G Revolution, Business
Week Leadership Power Plays,
2007 (Reader).
Module 7 (Text M7-29 to M7-36);
Steven Kerr (1995), On the folly of
rewarding A while hoping for B,
Academy of Management Executive
(Reader); Jeffrey Pfeffer, (2005)
Producing sustainable competitive
advantage through the effective
management of people, Academy of
Management Executive (Reader)
Modules 5 (Text: M5-4 to M5-24)
Group Case Paper Due: Meg
Whitman at eBay Inc. (Reader)
Module 12 (Text: M12-4 to M12-19);
Module 10 (Text: M10-4 to M10-43);
Module 11 (Text: M11-6 to M11-42);
Communication Exercise
Movie: Trust Travels: The
Starbucks Story
Movie: Twelve Angry Men
Diversity Exercise
Caver & Livers (2002). “Dear White
Boss…” Harvard Business Review.
Module 8 (Text: M8-4 to M8-37)
Charlotte Beers Case Analysis
Due (Reader);
Discussion of Case
de Janasz, et al.(2009). Journey into selfawareness (Ch 1). Interpersonal Skills
in Organizations (3rd ed).
Journals Due (6 entries)
Brousseau, et al. (1996) “Career
pandemonium: Realigning organizations
and individuals. Academy of
Management Executive
Nelson, D.L., & Quick, J. C. (2009).
Motivation (Ch. 5). Organizational
Behavior: Science, the Real World and
You (6th Ed).
Career Assessment Plan Due
Motivation Exercise
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10
November 7th
8am-12pm
class)
Presentations &
Wrap-up
Self/Peer Evaluations Due
Note: This is a tentative course schedule and may shift at our discretion according to class needs,
availability of guest speakers, and the like. Additional readings and assignments will be given in
class.
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The Group Presentation
Since group process is a major topic in this class and we strongly believe that one learns better
by “doing”, you will be doing a group presentation with approximately 4 of your classmates.
This group project will allow you the chance to directly learn about group dynamics. This
project serves several purposes: 1) provides you the chance to directly observe, learn, and apply
group process skills, 2) allows you to see how the three lenses are applied in a real world setting,
and 3) provides you with an opportunity to practice your oral presentation skills which are
critical for leaders. The group presentation assignment is as follows:
Leader analysis:
Your group will select a CEO of an organization for the purpose of examining his/her ability to
lead change from the three lenses (strategic, political, and cultural) discussed in class and draw
some conclusions about his/her effectiveness. Specifically, the group will need to: 1) provide
background on the company and why it needed to be changed, 2) discuss the vision that the
leader had for the change as well as the strategies, goals, and programs that were used to
implement the change, 3) discuss the leader’s impact in terms of a change in the company’s
stock prices (for a public company) before and after the leader took over, and 4) discuss the
leader’s overall effectiveness in terms of the three lenses. Please make sure you thoroughly
assess each of these areas.
You are encouraged to do research by: using the internet or the library (books, articles),
interviewing professors, interviewing the leader or his/her subordinates, interviewing other
experts. Remember to appropriately cite people, articles, the internet, books, etc
Overall presentation information: Presentations should be no longer than 30 minutes in duration
(25 minutes for presentation of subject, 5 minutes for questions and answers). Each team
member must participate in the presentation. Try to be creative (e.g., video, audio, powerpoint,
skits, etc.) since the mode of presentation will help us to better remember the points made. You
may also want to provide supporting materials such as handouts, exhibits, pamphlets, etc. On the
day of your presentation, please provide us with a paper copy of the materials you are going to
present (e.g., powerpoint slides, overheads, handouts, etc.).
Remember that the goal of the presentation is to facilitate the education of your classmates!
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SELF/PEER EVALUATION FORM (BA601)
Write your name in the space labeled self. You will be evaluating yourself in space A. Write the first
and last names of each of the members in your group in the remaining spaces (B-F). Rate each team
member on the various performance dimensions using the scale provided (1-10). Then sum up each
person’s score at the bottom (max. is 50). This is due at the end of class on Friday 11/07/08.
Team Number & Team Name: ________________________________________________
Team member:
A. (self) _____________________________D. _________________________________
B. __________________________________E. _________________________________
C. __________________________________F. _________________________________
Strongly disagree
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Strongly agree
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1. Meeting attendance: attended all group meetings, arrived on time consistently, and stayed
longer than scheduled meeting time when necessary.
Member: A______ B______ C______ D______ E______ F______
2. Quality of contributions: Continuously provided meaningful input which facilitated
effective problem solving and decision making. Provided ideas that moved the group
forward.
Member: A______ B______ C______ D______ E______ F______
3. Quantity of contributions: Contributed a tremendous amount in making the group project
successful, actively participated in all aspects of the group project.
Member: A______ B______ C______ D______ E______ F______
4. Cooperation and teamwork: Led the way in creating an open, cooperative team
environment. Encouraged the participation of all group members. Listened to others and
disagreed in a constructive manner.
Member: A______ B______ C______ D______ E______ F______
5. Follow-through: Completed assigned work on time and in an error-free manner.
Member: A______ B______ C______ D______ E______ F______
TOTAL SCORE: sum numbers across dimensions for each team member.
Member: A______ B______ C______ D______ E______ F______
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GROUP CASE ANALYSIS GRADING SHEET
Name ______________________________
Case
_____________________
COMMENTS
Relevant
Facts/
Background
Be concise here. Only include facts and background that is relevant to the issue or
problem you will discuss. A common mistake is to include too much irrelevant
background.
Problem
Definition Issues
Include a specific, well-written problem statement. This section should make the
goal of your case analysis very clear. You should include support from the case as
to why what you defined is a problem. A common mistake is to try to solve too
many problems. Concentrate on one.
Critical
analysis
Evaluate what is happening in the case as compared to what we have discussed in
class and what you have read in the readings. Explain what the company is doing
well and what they are doing badly based on information learned in class.
Integrate the class material with the facts of the case. A common mistake is to
summarize the readings and then summarize the case with no integration.
Alternatives
Solution
GRADE
out of
10
out of
10
out of
30
Based on the problem definition and the critical analysis, suggest what the
company could do about the problem. Evaluate each alternative using pros and
cons. Common mistakes are suggesting alternatives that do not address the
problem and superficial evaluation of the alternatives.
out of
Answers the question, what should the company do about the problem. Describe
the solution in detail and evaluate using pros and cons. Take into consideration
problems that might occur during implementation. Common mistakes include
combining the alternatives to create one solution and not evaluating adequately.
out of
25
25
Final Grade
General Comments:
 Proofread your work. Points will be subtracted for poor organization, grammatical and spelling
mistakes.
 The entire written case analysis should follow a nice, logical format: this is what is going on
(background), this is the problem (problem definition), this is why it is a problem (critical analysis), this
is what could be done (alternatives), this is what should be done (solution).
 Do not exceed the 5 page limit.
 Take into consideration point totals to determine importance of the different sections. First two
sections may take a page to a page and a half total, critical analysis should be around 2 pages,
alternatives and solution should be around 1 page each. These are not length requirements, only
suggestions.
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Charlotte Beers Case Instructions
Please use the group case format as a guide to writing your individual case analysis. Please keep
your analysis to 5 pages. This case is due at the beginning of class on Saturday, October 11,
2008.
In addition, please reflect on these questions as you prepare for the case discussion in class:
1. What was Charlotte Beers trying to accomplish? What was her vision? Evaluate the vision.
Is it a good vision? Why/why not?
2. What kind of culture/organization was Charlotte trying to turnaround? To what extent do
you think Charlotte was successful in her turnaround strategies?
3. What, if anything, should she have done differently?
4. What does she need to do next?
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Case Discussion Questions for the Strategy That Wouldn’t Travel
1. What are the features of the new organizational model this company is trying to develop?
2. What were the features of the organizational context that helped make the changes at the Wichita plant happen?
3. What did Karen and her team do that made the changes at the Wichita plant happen?
4. What can Karen do to take more effective action in the context of the second plant?
5. Do you think that Karen has to develop new skills to take action more effectively as she tries to involve all the
plants in organizational change initiatives?
Case Discussion Questions for Dynacorp
(Groups to be assigned in class)
1. What are the common problems of a functional structure?
2. To what extent would your assigned grouping approach address the main problems identified by Dynacorp’s
CEO?
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High costs
Slow Product Cycles (slow pace of innovation)
Need to create more value for the customer
3. What linking mechanisms would you advocate for your chosen design? What alignment systems?
Groups:
Group 1 – Product Division Structure
Group 2 – Customer Division Structure
Group 3 – Function/Product Matrix
Group 4 – Front/Back Structure
Group 5 – Functional Structure with Stronger Linking Mechanisms
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Case Discussion Questions for Alan G. Lafley
1. How would you describe the culture at Proctor and Gamble?
2. Why was AG Lafley able to succeed at changing P&G when Durk Jager was not? (consider influence tactics used
and cultural fit issues)
3. What are the challenges for the culture as P&G seeks to remain competitive?
4. What should Lafley do to continue the current success of P&G?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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Case Discussion Questions for Meg Whitman at eBay Inc.
1. What are the critical issues eBay is facing?
2. How would you describe the culture at eBay?
3. What are the challenges for the culture as the organization grows? Give examples.
4. What aspects of the context encourage growth?
5. What aspects of the context challenge the growth strategies that Whitman is exploring?
6. What should Whitman do next?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Case Discussion Questions for Twelve Angry Men
(Groups to be Assigned in Class)
Each student will be assigned one lens to focus on as you watch the movie. For each lens, there is a set of questions
described below.
1. Strategic Design Lens: How well designed is the jury given the task they are assigned? (Give examples to support
your conclusions).
a. Is the jury structured to accomplish the task (task function)?
b. Does the jury use a systematic process that discourages conformity, and promotes consensus (decision
making)?
2. Political Lens: What types of influence tactics, interests, coalitions, and conflicts are present in the jury? (Give
examples to support your conclusions).
a. Who has power, and what type? What tactics are used to influence others?
b. What are the individual interests? How do they mesh with jury goals?
c. What coalitions form? What are the interests that form the basis of the coalitions?
d. To what extent are conflicts substantive (contribute to task performance)?
3. Cultural Lens: What type of culture is developing or present? (Give examples to support your conclusions).
a. Does the jury operate so that all opinions are heard and shared, and people are treated with respect and
dignity (maintenance functions)?
b. Is there a supportive or defensive environment (atmosphere)?
c. What are the unwritten rules of conduct that regulate member behavior (norms)?
For the entire class discussion, the following questions will also be addressed:
1. Using the three lenses, how well does the jury operate to achieve its goal?
2. How can Fonda manage the team process if he gets another vote?
3. How does Fonda slowly gain influence?
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