THE HUMAN SIDE OF CORPORATE COMPETITIVENESS

The Darden Graduate School of Business Administration
University of Virginia
Spring, 1996

The Human Side of Corporate Competitiveness
Syllabus for Spring, 1996

Description:
The Human Side of Corporate Competitiveness (HSCC) is intended to explore the nature and nurture of human factors that contribute to building competitive sustainable advantage at the firm level. HSCC consists of 15 sessions following the regular second year schedule.

Objectives:

To explore ways in which people can contribute to and become a competitive advantage at the firm level.

To have engaging discussions about these topics.

To develop and make explicit our personal models of the human side of corporate competitiveness.

Grading:

Grades will be assigned based on the faculty's evaluation of contributions to class learning (50%) and the final paper (50%).

Final Paper:

The course will conclude with a final 10-15 page, typed paper. This paper may be chosen from among the following four alternatives:

Select a topic related to the course and write a technical note suitable for use as a reading for a session in the course. See below for possible topics. The technical note should be thorough, summarize current thinking in the area, reference that thinking, and provide enough various viewpoints to sustain a classroom discussion. Topics from which you may choose include organizational capability, learning organizations, spiritual side of work, downsizing, health care, organizational culture, organizational structure, recruiting strategies, training and development strategies, workaholism and stress, managing mergers and acquisitions, the relationship between technology and human resources, union relations, managing creativity in organizations, reward systems, performance evaluation systems, empowerment, self directed teams, and other related topics. See the notes column in the schedule below for areas in which the course could really use some technical notes.
Select a topic related to the course and write a case suitable for use in the course. The case may be disguised, but should be based on actual events and situations. Good cases will include a variety of decision alternatives, sufficient data to discuss each alternative in some detail, and be released or releasable.
An analytic assessment of your own experience working that explores the issues of the course and practices and policies of your employer. This alternative should include a complete description of the practices and policies of your firm, their impact on human factors of competitiveness, use of the concepts of the course to organize and analyze the situation, and a clear set of recommendations about what should and could be done and by whom. This will be a confidential paper and not usable in class.
A detailed description of your personal model of how human factors contribute to corporate competitiveness. This should include diagrams, text, and references to research and/or other sources that support and inform your model.

The paper should reflect your best thinking on the topics developed in the course.

Please confirm your choice of topic and medium (one of the four alternatives listed above) with the instructor by FEBRUARY 1. Our goal will be to distribute the topics and media across the class, avoiding duplication and maximizing the possibility of using materials next year.

Required Materials:

Course and case packet available at DEMS.

The Real Heroes of Business ... and not a CEO among them, by Fromm and Schlesinger, Doubleday, 1993. Available at Follett's Bookstore.

Working Ourselves to Death by Diane Fassel, Harper, 1990. Available at Follett's Bookstore.

Faculty:

Jim Clawson (Room 315) telephone: 924-7488
Course Secretary is Mary Darnell (Room 323), telephone: 924-7486.

DAILY ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS

Read the course materials according to the schedule below. Some of the materials may be on reserve in the library due to copyright restrictions. If so, feel free to make your own personal copy legally. Come to class prepared (written down) with the three most important questionsyou feel the materials raise for you and the rest of the class about building competitive advantage. That is, be prepared to set the agenda for the discussion by posing three important questions which the class can discuss and learn from. Be careful to ask open ended questions rather than yes/no questions. Use this approach as practice for setting human factors agendas in a corporate setting. In our discussions, feel free to use examples from your work experience.

SCHEDULE
Weeks are separated by thick lines at the bottom of the row. Assignments are above.

#	DATE	TOPIC	MATERIALS	NOTES
1	WED 1/10	People as a Competitive Advantage	Avoiding the Corporate Dinosaur Syndrome Competitive Advantage Through People Managing for Organizational Integrity What Business Can Learn from Nonprofits *Introduction and Chapter 1 Real Heroes: Phil Adelman*	Read Pfeffer and Adelman carefully.
2	FRI 1/12	Organizational Capabilities and the Role of HRM	Note on Organizational Effectiveness Profiling Organizational Competitiveness: Cultivating Capabilities Assessing the performance of human resource management HR in the Year 2010 Transforming Human Resources Ulrich Chapter 2 Real Heroes: Paula Doricchi	Read Ulrich carefully.
3	THU 1/18	Employee Contracts and TQM and HRM	Human Resource Management Lessons from a Decade of Total Quality Management and Reengineering Behaviorism vs. Humanism TQM's Challenge to Management Theory and Practice Managing Temporary Workers: A Permanent HRM Challenge Chapter 3 Real Heroes: Keith Spring	A longer assignment, but many interesting, important concepts.
4	FRI 1/19	Work Contracts and Recruiting for Person vs. Job	The Changing Psychological Contract: The employment relationship: un-tied or re-tied? 3M's Staffing Strategy Promotes Productivity and Pride Americans Know How to be Productive if Managers Will Let Them Hiring for the organization, not the job Chapter 4 Real Heroes: Marie Williams	Think about "Why do people work?"
5	WED 1/24	Managing Innovation	Training 101 Strategies for Managing Creative Workers Gagging on Chaos The Reinvention Roller Coaster: Risking the Present for a Powerful Future Managing creativity: a Japanese model Chapter 5 Real Heroes: David Greene	What is the relationship between managing innovation and competitive advantage?
6	THU 1/25	IT and HRM	Managing Information: The IT Architecture Human Resource Management, information technology, and the competitive edge CASE: The Kao Corporation	Read Kao Corporation carefully.
7	FRI 2/26	Managing Organizational Mergers	Mergers, acquisitions and takeovers: maintaining morale of survivors and protecting employees The Right Talent Mix to Make Mergers Work The Seamless Enterprise Chapter 9 Real Heroes: Joseph Sabelli	Most mergers in the '80's didn't work. What does it take to make them succeed?
8	THU 2/1	Downsizing	Strategic Downsizing Human Resource Planning Approaches How to Increase Employee Loyalty While You Downsize Downsizing: what do we know? What have we learned? CASE: Marsha Harris A	Cascio implies most downsizings don't work. Why? When do they work?
9	FRI 2/2	Stress and Work	Overworked Americans or Overwhelmed Americans? The Limits of Lean Managing Your Career (WSJ) Overcoming Overdoing Karoshi: Alternative Perspectives of Japanese Management Styles Business and the Facts of Family Life CASE: The Department of Work and Family Life at Marriott Corporation	What is the proper balance between work stress and productivity in the long run? What are the limits to lean?
10	WED 2/7	Diversity	Diversity: Beyond the Golden Rule Developing Successful Expatriate Managers Racial Harrassment: Case Characteristics and Employer Responsibilities Managing cultural diversity: implications for organizational competitiveness Shatter the Glass Ceiling: Women may make better managers Chapter 11 Real Heroes: Jorge Alvarez	Last names A-L read the first three, M-Z read the next two, all read the chapter. Be ready to convey key points to other half concisely.
11	THU 2/8	Workaholism	Working Ourselves to Death, Fassel CASE: Hassan Shahrasebi Real Heroes Chapter 8: Danny Williams	Concentrate on Chapters 3-4-5 of Fassel. How, if at all, is work addictive?
12	THU 2/15	Health Care	Top Ten Mistakes Made in Employee Health Benefit Plans Sexual Harrassment The Impact of Psychological Intimacy Between Man and Women at Work CASE: Johnson and Johnson: The Live for Life Program	We need a good technical note that summarizes current health care benefits packages here.
13	FRI 2/16	Performance Evaluation Systems	360 Feedback can Change Your Life Improve the Performance Management Process Before Discontinuing Performance Appraisals Real Heroes Chapter 12: Jacob Smith	We need a good note that summarizes current PA practices here.
14	THU 2/22	Teams and Reward Systems	How the Right Measures Help Teams Excel Bonus Dollars for Team Players Gainsharing and Variable Pay: The State of the Art Hot Groups Japanese Team Based Work Systems in North America Team Tools for Wicked Problems Real Heroes Chapter 14: Marian Goodman	Teams seem to be the organizational unit of the present and future. What makes them work well?
15	FRI 2/23	Future Topics and Issues	Back to the Future: Timeless Lessons for Organizational Success The Challenge of Commitment Charles Handy Sees the Future Becoming Your Own Career Coach Real Heroes Conclusion pp. 307-321	Bring to class your personal defintion of "success" and be prepared to present it.