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Management 621 The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania MBAExec (West) – Summer 2012 Regular participation in discussions is expected, and you should carefully prepare the readings and cases for every class session. Individuals are called upon from time to time, but most participation is voluntary. Name cards must be consistently displayed during class, and it is essential that you attend all course meetings. Participation counts for 20% of your course grade; 15% for individual participation in class discussion and 5% for your team’s case presentation (see below). In preparing cases for discussion in class, be ready to comment on (1) the case’s background and context; (2) the key issues and problems; (3) concepts useful for analyzing the issues and problems; and (4) a course of action for designing and implementing solutions. Questions specific to each case have been provided in this syllabus to help guide your preparation; however I encourage you to go beyond these questions in thinking about how to apply any course concepts that are relevant to the case. LEARNING TEAMS AND CASE PRESENTATIONS Learning teams are integral to the work of Management 621. Several activities are conducted through the teams, and you may find that preparing for class is facilitated by team discussion. All participants will be assigned to a learning team by the MBAExec program; team assignment is based on diversity of background and experience, subject to physical location constraints. Each team is assigned to analyze the case and readings for one class session. Teams will be assigned to cases during the first week of classes. This analysis should explore connections within the assigned materials (i.e. how do the readings relate to the case and vice-versa) and beyond the material to other experiences, examples, and ways of communicating key concepts or insights (i.e. How do the readings and/or case relate to the past and present experiences of any member of the team Can you think of related and relevant examples from the business world, either past or present Can you identify a resource that helps make an important point related to this particular class, e.g. a video, a song, an image, a literary reference) The assignment requires that you convey your analysis to me and your classmates in two ways: 1. Team paper -- 4-5 pages double-spaced, sent to me by 5 pm on the day before the class to which you are assigned 2. Team presentation -- 10 minutes in class in which you present the key points from your paper in a clear, well-organized, compelling, and (if you wish) creative way This team assignment is worth 5% towards the 20% participation grade; as noted above, the remaining 15% of the grade is based on individual participation. For this team paper, I want the members of your team to dig into the readings and case: • What intrigues you • What’s thought-provoking • What’s important • What don’t you quite buy, if anything • What do you think the class should note in particular about the link between reading and case • What issues do you think the class should grapple with 2
Management 621 The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania MBAExec (West) – Summer 2012 I’m looking for thoughtful commentary that reflects your team’s discussions of the assigned material – not a summary of either the case or the readings and not one person’s solo effort on behalf of the team. Do be personal, thoughtful, and analytical. It is fine, and desirable, to use the word “we.” Do suggest video clips, songs, newspaper or business media stories, images, literary references etc. that help illustrate the points you want to make. When I learn about a particularly helpful resource that is suggested by a team, I will provide access to it (i.e. distribute a copy, post a link, show/play it in class). For the presentation, you have 10 minutes to convey what was included in your paper. (I will run a timer and cut you off when 10 minutes is up.) You may choose from a variety of formats. A Powerpoint presentation is fine; more than one person should be involved in the presentation but there’s no need for all team members to present. You may also set up a “point and counterpoint” discussion/debate; dramatize something from the case; demonstrate points through a role play; show different possible future scenarios based on what might happen beyond the case; and there are many other possibilities. If you have any questions about whether what you are planning will meet my expectations and/or my goals for what is learned during the class, please ask. COURSE READINGS This is a reading-intensive course. All readings are contained in a coursepack, which will be available on Study.net. You will also receive various handouts throughout the course, both in class and posted on the courseware website, Canvas. SPECIAL TOPIC (NOMINATED BY STUDENTS) In recent years, I have asked students to suggest a topic related to the course that they find to be important in their jobs/organizations and want to understand better. We then devote a class session to this special topic, this year scheduled for Friday, August 3 rd . The nomination process begins during the first week of classes, as a discussion topic on Canvas. I consolidate the suggestions into a short list of topics and put them to the class for a vote. I then develop a supplement to the syllabus with readings, a case, and study questions. The special topic in 2010 was Organizational Design and Structure; in 2011, it was Compensation Within Organizations. COURSE FEEDBACK CIRCLE A single feedback circle is formed with three volunteers from each section to review and guide the course work. I will establish the schedule of meetings during the first week of class. “FEET WET”: FIRST WEEK WRITING ASSIGNMENT I added this assignment after requests to provide some early feedback on your writing and whether you are grasping the approach to analytical writing I’m seeking in this course. The basic idea is to show that you can link course content (e.g. theories) to a case example (e.g. a specific situation). I 3
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