Dr. Chris Smith
Email: dr.chris.smith@adelaide.edu.au
Website: www.myuni.adelaide.edu.au  

Chris started his working life as a clinical psychologist in the psychiatric unit of a general hospital. After several years he moved into the business sector and, via a corporate HR role, occupied a number of general management/CEO positions across a variety of industries in Australia and the UK. In the mid-90s he left the business world for the academic one and joined Warwick Business School (UK) where he is currently an Associate Fellow of the Marketing and Strategic Management Group. In 2002 he moved to South Australia and became a full-time faculty member of the University of Adelaide Business School. He teaches on MBA and executive education programmes across a variety of international settings.

On successful completion of the course will be able to:
Analyse complex organizational environments, cases and issues by reference to and application of relevant theories, concepts and models i.e.

1. Students will be exposed to some key influences and perspectives on the management of organisations
2. Students will identify important questions in relation to the management of organisations, for which they need to develop their own ‘right’ answers
3. Students will explore the relationship between individual experience and organisational behaviour
4. Students will be introduced to a systems view of organisational dynamics and will explore the implications of a systems perspective for the role and challenges of management

The text for this course is

• Huczynski, A. A. and Buchanan, D. (2013) Organizational Behavior 8th Ed. Prentice-Hall/Pearson Education. 

No specific online learning facilities are part of the course other than the usual communication and sharing of information/papers via MyUni.
Please ensure that your MyUni email address is one through which you can be contacted. 

The sessions will comprise input from the lecturer and group/individual work based on case studies, videos and supplied topics.

This is a standard ‘3 Unit’ MBA course which requires about 156 hours of student effort. These 156 hours includes the time spent in class and undertaking assessment as well as the reading and assignment preparation you must undertake outside of the class hours.

Session 1: Causal analysis and managerial judgement
With this context this session we will unpack the concept of judgment and in particular how the results of any analysis will be the groundwork for all decisions that a manager makes. If the analysis is wrong it is highly probable that the decision will also be wrong.

Chapters 1-4 Huczynski and Buchanan
Kim, D. H. (1992) Guidelines for drawing causal loop diagrams. The Systems Thinker, 3(1):5-6.
Schumpeter: In praise of laziness. Businesspeople would be better off if they did less and thought more
The Economist. (17 Aug. 2013) 

Session 2: The individual
There are a variety of individual processes including intelligence, personality, perception, attitudes and thinking that influence our behaviour, the decisions we make, our views of the other people, our perspectives on why other people behave as they do compared with ourselves, etc. Physical and social ‘genetics’ give us habitual ways of responding in particular situations. 

Chapters 5- 8 Huczynski and Buchanan
Dunning, D. (2013) The paradox of knowing, The Psychologist 26(6): 414-17. 
Lovallo, D and Sibony O. (2010) The case for behavioural strategy. The McKinsey Quarterly March: 1-10. 
Morality: Rose-coloured spectacles? Cheats may or may not prosper, but they despise themselves for
cheating. The Economist, (24 Jan. 2010.)
Myths about millennials. Businesses should beware of dubious generalisations about younger workers. 
The Economist (1 Aug. 2015)
Nothing more than feelings The Economist (7 Dec. 2013)
Personality, social media and marketing. No hiding place. .A plan to assess people’s personal
characteristics from their Twitter-streams The Economist (May 2013.)
Personality testing at work: Emotional breakdown. Can leaders be identified by psychometrics?
The Economist (6Apr. 2013).
Schumpeter: In praise of misfits. Why business needs people with Asperger’s syndrome, attention-deficit 
disorder and dyslexia, The Economist (2 June 2012) 
Case: Lynndie England
 
Session 3: Motivation
Why do people do some things and not others? Why do some people work until midnight each day while others get off work as soon as they can? Why? One of the key requirements of effective management is that the manager’s subordinates continue to work efficiently and effectively, and even to improve their efficiency and effectiveness when their manager is not present.

Chapter 9 Huczynski and Buchanan
Dewhurst, M., Guthridge, M. and Mohr, E. (2009). Motivating People – getting beyond money McKinsey Quarterly (November): 1-5.
Digital Taylorism: A modern versions of “scientific management” threatens to dehumanise the workplace. The Economist (12 Sep 2015)
Free exchange: Making pay work. Why bosses should be careful when using performance-related pay
The Economist (25 May 2013)
Management by goal setting is making a comeback, its flaws supposedly fixed. The Economist (7 Mar
2015)
Ordonez, L.D., Schweltzer, E., Galinsky, A.D. & Bazerman, A.H. (2009). Goals gone wild: the systematic effects of over-prescribing goal setting, Academy of Management Practice, (February): 6-16. 
Psychology: Time is not money. Thinking about it makes you a better person, not a worse one
The Economist, (5 Oct. 2013)

Case: Jackson Sweets
 
Session 4: Groups, roles and norms
In this session examine the structure and development of groups. The norms of the group and the roles we chose or are chosen to play demand particular behaviours and attitudes from us. For most of us the choice between being part of the group and being excluded by it is taken in the direction of group membership. 

Chapter 10-13, Huczynski and Buchanan
Bryan, L. L., Matson, E. and Weiss, L. M. (2007). Harnessing the power of informal employee networks McKinsey Quarterly (4) 1-10.
Casciaro, T., and M. S. Lobo. (2005) Competent jerks, lovable fools, and the formation of social networks. Harvard Business Review, May-June: 92-99.
Facebook is bad for you; Get a life! Using the social network seems to make people more miserable
The Economist, (17 Aug. 2013)
The making of Bonecrusher, Esquire, 1999
 
Case: The making of Bonecrusher
 
Session 5: Social influence processes
Being with others has a major impact on how people behave and think as we (unknowingly at times) conform to group pressure and norms. Similarly we are always influenced by the rules and policies of the organization we are in and in particular by the commands of our bosses and of ‘the system’. 

Chapter 10-13 Huczynski and Buchanan
How to thrive at work with the minimum of effort The Economist 2014 (25 March)
In the social-media age, bosses careers are more vulnerable than ever, The Economist, 2014 (11 October)
The psychology of power: Absolutely. Power corrupts, but it corrupts only those who think they deserve it
The Economist (21 Jan 2010)
Robertson, I. (2013) How power affects the brain. The Psychologist, 26(3): 186-9.
 
Case: Piper Alpha
 
Session 6: The context
In this session we will establish an overview of the organization as the prime context (environment) within which to understand the people (including ourselves) who work within those organizations.

Chapters 1-4 Huczynski and Buchanan
Schumpeter: The mindfulness business:Western capitalism is looking for inspiration in eastern mysticism
The Economist (16 Nov. 2013)
Heywood et al (2007) Cracking the complexity code. McKinsey Quarterly (2): 85-95.

Case: The Iran Hostage Case
 
Session 7: Organizational and job structure and design
It is often suggested, “structure follows strategy” in that organizations are theoretically designed and structured in the best way to deliver the planned strategy. From bureaucracies to the N-form there are intended and unintended consequences of structure. The challenge of developing the “best” structure is even greater in this era of globalization and the Internet. 

Chapter 14-17 Huczynski and Buchanan
Agrawal, V., J. M. Manyika and J.E. Richards. (2003) Matching people and jobs. McKinsey Quarterly Special Edition. 70-8
Ghislanzoni et al (2010), Taking organizational redesign from plan to practice. McKinsey Quarterly 1-9
Inflexible organization destroys strategy The Economist, (6 Sept 2014)
Schumpeter: Montessori management. The backlash against running firms like progressive schools has
begun The Economist (7 Sept, 2013) 

Case: Newton Engineering

Session 8: Conflict and conflict management
Conflict at the interpersonal, intergroup and inter-organizational level is an inevitable part of organizational life. Whether the conflict between tasks spills over into destructive conflict between people and how this is managed is an integral part of the manager’s day-to-day life.

Chapter 21 Huczynski and Buchanan.
A matter of trust Behaviour such as reciprocity and co-operation is not bred in the bone. Rather, it responds to incentives and experience The Economist 2001 (15 Feb)
Weiss, J. & Hughes, J (2005) Want collaboration? Accept and positively manage conflict, Harvard Business Review, March: 93-101.
 
Session 9: Decisions and Decision-making
Managers continuously make decisions individually and in groups; in fact the most important decisions in organizations, e.g. capital expenditure, brand campaigns, product development, whether to launch or not launch a space shuttle, etc. are always taken by groups. Unfortunately the most important decisions are often the ones that are the most uncertain both with respect to required expertise, the processes of deciding and the ranking of outcomes.

Chapter 20 Huczynski and Buchanan
How companies make good decisions. McKinsey Quarterly Dec. 2008: 1-7
Lovallo, D. P and Sibony, O. (2006) Distortions and deceptions in strategic decisions. The hidden traps in decision making. McKinsey Quarterly (1), September-October, 19-29.

Case: The Launch of space flight shuttle 51L (Written and video)
 
Session 10: Management and Leadership

In the good times the business press praises top business people as charismatic, decisive, and transformational and in the bad times (i.e. now!) as greedy, incompetent and overpaid. And each year there are new books in the airport bookstalls giving advice on how to be a great leader and/or manager. In this session we examine leadership and management and try and discover some of the simpler ‘truth’.

Chapter 19 Huczynski and Buchanan
Barsch, J., Mogelof, J and Webb, C. (2010) How centred leadership achieves extraordinary results. McKinsey Quarterly, 1-9.
The look of a leader. The Economist (27 Sept 2014)
Royal Bank of Scotland: What a disaster. Lessons from the collapse The Economist, (26 Oct. 2013)
Schumpeter: Going off the rails Companies need to keep an eye on their bosses for signs of destructive 
behaviour. The Economist ( 30 Nov. 2013)
Sutton, B. (2010) Good bosses tune in. McKinsey Quarterly, (August): 2-10.
Schumpeter: Measuring management. It is no longer just a plausible theory that good management boosts 
productivity The Economist, (18 Jan, 2014)

Assessment item             Percentage of Total Mark         Relevant learning objective(s)           Due or scheduled date

·         Group assignment (30%)  DUE DATE: START OF INTENSIVE 2

The interaction of individual and group dynamics makes each organization in a country unique in many way and yet similar in others. Using concepts from the first intensive and the organizations represented in your groups prepare a PowerPoint presentation that shows the differences and similarities and explain these (again using concepts from the first intensive). Use the ‘notes’ pages of the presentation to make your more detailed points. The presentation should comprise 10-15 slides with 150-200 words on the notes pages as the major content). Note that you will not be required to make a presentation.

·         Individual assignment (60%)   Due date: 1/05/2016

Using models and theories from the organizational behaviour literature critically analyse the processes/outcomes/etc. of one of

a) Conflict, conflict resolution;

b) Decision-making or

c) Management/leadership in your organization.

There will probably be overlap between these three but ensure that your theoretical and practical focus is on one area. Suggest how any problems you identify might be resolved in the short, medium and long term.

– NB writing a concept in normal language is generally ‘description’ and not analysis. Analysis is the key to passing this assignment – description only is a key to failing it.

 The analysis should be 2000-3000 words and should be correctly referenced to specific articles or parts of the textbook (do not reference ‘slides handouts’)

The individual assignment, with the appropriate coversheet and declaration is to be submitted via MyUni by midnight on 01/05/2016. . Please submit your assignment in ‘Word’ format and not pdf.

Students are expected to submit their work by the due date to maintain a fair and equitable system. Extensions will generally only be given for medical or other serious reasons. All requests for extensions must be emailed to the lecturer in charge of the course before the due date. Each request will be assessed on its merits. A late assignment (without prior arrangement) may be penalised by a 5% mark reduction for each day that it is late.