BA350
MANAGING ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS
Winter 2006
Jonathan King
Bexell 332
T: 1200-1300 W: 0830-1030 Th: 1000-1200
King@bus.orst.edu 737-4601
Objectives: To better understand the increasing relevance of "systems" thinking and practice
in today's (business) world. To learn some methods for managing organizational systems. To
inspire you to want-to understand and to want-to “think outside the box.”
Readings:
Grading:
Assorted articles on BA350 Website and Class Notes
1) Weekly quizzes over required readings
2) mindmaps of articles designated by  circled numbers
3) weekend homework
4) computer simulation -- the “beangame”
5) Final Project
Note: homework and mindmaps are due no later than one class following the assigned date.
Partial credit will be given for late work.
Please note: this syllabus is a guide, not a contract, and therefore may be changed as
necessary. If changes are made, I will announce them in class generally at least one class
in advance of the due date for an assignment, etc.
Part I: Why Think About “Systems”?
It's possible to improve the performance of each part taken
separately and destroy the system at the same time.
Russell Ackoff
1. Jan 9
INTRODUCTION
2.
11
THE LESSON
 PF-A: “Learning to Solve the Right Problems,” King
16
Martin Luther King Holiday
3.
18
MESSES 101: MANAGING MULTIPLE GAMES
PF-B: Natural Capitalism (excerpt)
*http://www.naturalcapitalism.com (Chapter 14, “Human Capitalism”)
4.
23
MESSES 201: MANAGING INTERACTIVELY COMPLEX GAMES
 PF-C: “Introduction,” Normal Accidents, Perrow
PF-D: The Hunt for Red October (excerpt), Clancy
PF-E: "Robustness Revisited," Watts
Part II: Managing Organizational Systems
The job of management is to optimize the system.
W. Edwards Deming
STRATEGY
5.
25
WHAT IS IT? WHO DOES IT? AND HOW IS IT DONE?
 "What Is Strategy?" Porter
PF-F: “Strategy as Strategic Decision Making,” Eisenhardt
6.
30
MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS -- “BALANCED SCORECARDS”
“The Balanced Scorecard,” Kaplan & Norton
 “The New Productivity Challenge,” Drucker
PF-G:"The Power of Learning at Johnsonville Foods," Honold
PF-H: “Not a Fool, Not a Saint,” Teal
STRUCTURE
7. Feb 1
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES
PF-I: Diagrams and comments
“Clusters and the New Economics of Competition,” Porter
PF-J: "Networks," Watts
8.
“SOCIAL CAPITAL”
“How to Invest in Social Capital,” Prusak and Cohen
PF-K: “Unraveling the Mysteries of Productivity,” Bonda
PF-L: Alexander, A Pattern Language (excerpts)
6
PROCESS
9.
8
PROCESS 101: MANAGING CHAINS (REENGINEERING)
 “How Process Enterprises Really Work,” Hammer
PF-M: “Practice Makes Process,” Brown & Duguid
PF-N: “Taking Computers to Task,”Gibbs
10.
13
PROCESS 201: MANAGING INTERACTIONS (RECIRCLING)
PF-O: Systems Archetypes (3 loop diagrams)
PF-P: Systemic Distortion (diagram & table)
11.
15
CONT’D: CANL SYSTEMS
 PF-Q: "The Dark Side of Organizations," Bella, King, Kailin
12.
20
PROCESS 301: INNOVATION AND LOGICS (REFRAMING)
PF-R: “How Corporate Creativity Really Happens”
PF-S: Three “lateral thinking” techniques from de Bono
13.
22
CONT”D: INNOVATION AND MOTIVATION
“How to Kill Creativity,” Amabile
14.
27
CONT’D: INNOVATION AND CULTURES
“Why Transformation Efforts Fail,” Kotter
 “Managing for Creativity,” Florida and Goodnight
CULTURE
15. Mar 1
SHARED VISION
"Building Your Company's Vision," Collins and Porras
PF-T: “The Savior of Newark
16.
6
EXTRINSIC AND INTRINSIC MOTIVATIONS
"Why Incentive Plans Cannot Work," Kohn
PF-U: “One More Time...”
PF-V: "Verbal Judo" (excerpt)
17.
8
KNOW THYSELF
 “What Makes a Leader?” Goleman
PF-W: Realities of “Defensive Reasoning
PF-X: C.P. Ellis
18.
13
SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND
“What You Don’t Know About Decision Making,” Garvin
“Principles of Empathic Communication," Covey
PF-Y: Covey (excerpt)
PF-Z1: "The Great Walls of Misunderstanding," Shafir
19.
15
"EMPLOYEES FIRST, CUSTOMERS SECOND"
PF-Z2: Danger--Toxic Company, Pfeffer
 “What Great Managers Do,” Buckingham
*To access the assigned chapter from Natural Capitalism:
1: click on http://www.naturalcapitalism.com
2: click on “Read the Book”
3: click on “Book Excerpts and Downloadable Chapters”
4: scroll down to “14. Human Capitalism” and click on “more”
5: scroll down to and click on Download the entire chapter (PDF-156k)