Click on the session number to see the
details and get overheads.
| Session | Topic | Date |
| 1 | Star Framework and Organiational Structure | March 14 |
| 2 | Reward and Incentive Systems | March 19 |
| 3 | Organizational Alignment and Strategic Repertoires | March 21 |
| 4 | Lincoln Electric Case | March 26 |
| 5 | Organizational Learning | March 28 |
| 6 | Network Associates Case | April 2 |
| 7 | Networks | April 4 |
| 8 | Jerry Sanders Case | April 9 |
| 9 | Xerox MDC Case | April 11 |
| 10 | The Dynamics of Change: EIS Simulation | April 16 |
| 11 | Organizational Change and Debrief of EIS | April 18 |
| 12 | Charlotte Beers | April 23 |
Part 1: Structure Follows Strategy
The Star Framework and Organizational Structure
Case: “Appex Corporation.” In your study groups, prepare a two-page
(double spaced) write-up of the case. This will be checked not for
content, but to make sure you are correctly applying the format that I
want to see for presentations and individual case submissions. It
has these key components:
1. Identification of the key performance gap(s).As for the content of the case, we’ll use the case to illustrate the utility of different types of organizational structure. The questions below will help guide your thinking in preparation for this task. You’ll want to think about these questions when preparing the case, but remember, your write up for the case should follow the Gap-Root Cause Analysis-Solution-Action Plan format.Typically this occurs by asking two questions: What are our goals and what are the gaps between our current performance and those goals?
2. Root cause analysis. What are the causes of our gap?
3. Solution building. Of the available alternatives, what should we do?
4. Action planning. How do we do it?
Decision Maker: Shikhar GhoshGuiding Questions:
1. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each of the structures implemented by Ghosh?
2. What do you think of Ghosh’s philosophy of altering the structure every six months?
3. What structure would you recommend for Appex now? Since we know very little about the effect of the EDS acquisition, recommend the structure you think is best for Appex at the end of the case, and then consider what additional changes to the structure you would like to make to accommodate EDS.
Part 2: Rewards Provided by the Organization
Reward and Incentive Systems
Reading: Steven Kerr: ‘On the folly of rewarding A while hoping
for B’ and, ‘More on the folly’
Ralph T. King: “Infighting rises, productivity falls, employees miss
piecework system.”
Peter Passell: “Paid by the widget, and proud.”
Organizational Alignment and Strategic Repertoires
Guest Lecturer: Don Hambrick
Case: Southwest Airlines (reprise from 6701)Guiding Questions:
1. What are some examples of alignment from within Southwest’s “Star?”
2. What are some types of businesses for which Southwest’s organizational practices would be counterproductive?
Reward and Incentive Systems Case
Case: Lincoln Electric Venturing Abroad.Decision Maker: Michael Gillespie
Guiding Questions:
2. What logic should be used to apply the Lincoln Electric incentive system in non-U.S. countries?
3. What incentive system would be best in a Lincoln Electric plant in Indonesia? What are the challenges to making the system successful?
Part 3. Information as a Source of Improved Performance
Get overheads for Lincoln Debrief
How do Organizations Learn?
Reading: Linda Argote and Dennis Epple: “Learning curves in manufacturing.”
DEADLINE: March 28. You should have completed the network survey
instrument available on the class web site, and send it to me on the BOLD
system. This is critical so I can prepare the summary of your network
that you will be working with in the April 4 class.
Organizational Learning Case
Case: Network Associates
Decision Maker: Les CunninghamGuiding Questions:
1. What benefits do members get from Business Networks?
2. What are the costs associated with those benefits?
3. How could policies be changed to improve the benefit/cost trade-off?
Part 4. People and the Relationships Between Them
Networks
Read: Krackhardt and Hanson, “The company behind the chart.”
Assignment: If you completed your assessment on time, you will receive
a network workbook in class today. The workbook contains information
about your network, comparisons to the networks of your classmates, and
questions for you to answer concerning your perception of your own network.
Your assignment, due on April 11, has two parts (1) read through your workbook
and answer the questions; (2) discuss your answers to the Part II of the
workbook with someone from the class. In particular, discuss why
you want to change your network in the way you described, and your strategy
for doing so. The goal of this peer-consulting is to help you think
more deeply about what type of network will best achieve your goals, and
how to get that network. You should spend about an hour with your
classmate—30 minutes on your network and 30 minutes on theirs. On
April 11 you’ll submit your completed workbook, and evidence that you have
completed the peer-consulting.
Network Case I: Extra-organizational networks
Case: Jerry SandersDecision Maker: Jerry Sanders (this case is not so much a “decision” but a chance to analyze the networking of a successful entrepreneur)
1. What types of contacts does Sanders cultivate? How do they affect his business activities?
2. What techniques does Sanders use to expand his social network?
3. Do you agree with Sanders’ emphasis on building the image of X-Cardia in addition to building its technologies? Why or why not? What do you think of the network mechanisms he used to build the image?
Network Case II: Intra-organizational networks
Case: Managing Xerox’s Multinational Development CenterDecision Maker: John Clendenin
1. For each change in Cledenin’s social network throughout the case, diagram his social network (i.e., who is connected to whom), indicating strong/weak ties, redundant ties and structural holes.
2. What techniques does Clendenin use to expand his social network?
3. What would you recommend Clendenin do in his position at the end of the case to change and use his social network?
Due: Your completed Network Workbook.
Part 5. Creating Alignment by Changing Organizations
The Dynamics of Change
Reading: EIS Simulation Workbook.
Simulation: Computer simulations are growing in popularity
as practice fields for learning. Today you will be using a computer
simulation developed to look at change processes. You will spend
most of the class working in your groups trying to implement a change in
the computer-simulated organization. Time will be short so come to
class having read carefully the EIS instructions.
Organizational change and Debrief of the EIS simulation
Reading: Nadler and Tushman: Chapter10
Assignment: In your group develop three heuristics that describe what
you learned about change from the EIS simulation. How would
you behave differently if you were placed in a similar situation as change
agent in the future?
Change Case
Case: Charlotte Beers at Ogilve & MatherDecision Maker: Charlotte Beers
Guiding Questions:
1. Use the congruence framework to make recommendations for Ogilve & Mather in the 1990s. What strategy would match the demands of the environment? Is it brand stewardship, a variant of brand stewardship, or something altogether different? What tasks does that strategy require? What will be required from the formal organization, people, and informal organization?
2. Evaluate Charlotte Beers’s efforts at change to this point. What has been effective about her effort, and why is she experiencing resistance?
3. Design and explain a plan for implementing what you see as the necessary changes at Ogilve & Mather.