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2023/2024  BA-BIBAO3020U  Organisation in Asia

English Title
Organisation in Asia

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Bachelor
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Spring
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for BSc in Business, Asian Language and Culture
Course coordinator
  • Lisbeth Clausen - Department of Management, Society and Communication (MSC)
Main academic disciplines
  • Organisation
  • Organisational behaviour
Teaching methods
  • Blended learning
Last updated on 23-06-2023

Relevant links
Learning objectives
At the exam the student should demonstrate the following learning objectives:
  • Define and solve a research question in a clear and structured manner concerning organizational design and behavior in relation to doing business in Asia
  • Build a framework of key concepts, theories and models in organizational theory and organizational behavior to answer the research question
  • Demonstrate the ability to apply these concepts and theories in analyses of business/organizational issues in multinationals operating in Asia
  • Demonstrate the ability to discuss the interconnectedness between theories - their uses and limitations - and to critique assumptions underlying the course material as well as own assumptions
Examination
Organisation in Asia:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Oral exam based on written product

In order to participate in the oral exam, the written product must be handed in before the oral exam; by the set deadline. The grade is based on an overall assessment of the written product and the individual oral performance, see also the rules about examination forms in the programme regulations.
Individual or group exam Individual oral exam based on written group product
Number of people in the group 3-5
Size of written product Max. 3 pages
Excluding references and bibliography. Appendixes may be included but are not part of the overall evaluation.
Assignment type Synopsis
Release of assignment Subject chosen by students themselves, see guidelines if any
Duration
Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
20 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade, and informing plus explaining the grade
Grading scale 7-point grading scale
Examiner(s) Internal examiner and external examiner
Exam period Summer
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
The re-exam/make-up exam shall be based on the same synopsis as the ordinary exam:
- if a student is absent from the oral exam due to documented illness but has been part of handing in the synopsis she/he does not have to submit a new version for the make-up exam but must upload the same synopsis again
- if an individual student fails the oral exam she/he does not have to submit a new version for the re-take exam but must upload the same synopsis again
- if a whole group fails they must hand in a revised synopsis for the re-take. The group will then get feedback on the synopsis from the examiner
Description of the exam procedure

The assignment must be handed in through Digital Exam before the set deadline.

 

Throughout the semester students will work on assigned case(s) in groups of 4-5 students. They will write the assignment (synopsis) and hand in as a group. The oral exam is individual based on the group synopsis.

 
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

The aim of the course is to provide students with knowledge of organisation theories and organisational behavior challenges of international managers in business operations in Asia.

During the course students will become familiar with theories and methods of analysing organisational structure and organisational behavior in companies doing business in Asia. Students will be challenged to do additional research concerning their case companies. They will also be challenged to describe and apply the theoretical models of organisational design and organisational behavior in relation to practical case issues. 

 

Workshops and guest speakers are planned to exchange information between teacher, students and practitioners in the field. The speakers represent Danish national and international corporations and entrepreneurs. These workshops enable students to learn about professional practices and strategies in organizing markets, stakeholders, employees, alliances and subsidiaries in Asia.

 
Description of the teaching methods
The course is a combination of class room teaching, online pre-recorded video lectures, and discussion of textbook and academic articles. Workshops, case studies, guest speakers are planned to engage and exchange information between teacher, students and practitioners in the field. The speakers represent multinational corporations and entrepreneurs (and IBA alumni). During lectures students are expected to contribute creatively and actively and to answer immediate questions based on the readings - ‘cold calling’. This is to accelerate learning and to test the understanding of course material. Students will in turn present mini-assignments related to the articles in the compendium for discussion in the class.

Group work
Students will be assigned to a working group to solve a number of problems using course theories and concepts on a corporate multinational case. They will work on this case (25 pages) for the entire course. The case should be read for the first lecture. The course is designed to enable students to collect a portfolio of models and theoretical applications that they can use in the exam synopsis: Students will make ‘deliveries’ based on given themes/issue/model related to their case. A delivery is a A-4 paper hand-in, which will be scanned and up-loaded on Canvas following the class. Besides one-page deliveries, students will conduct class presentations analyzing a particular problem in their case related to theory. The groups will in turn provide feedback to each other to share knowledge across their case organizations.
During the course the working group will be expected do additional research on their case organization (organizational history, stock value, homepages, news stories, annual reports, etc.). Questions and a guide for the deliveries and presentations will be posted on Canvas.
Note: The case is part of the exam and the synopsis is written in the assigned exam group.
Feedback during the teaching period
During the course 12 group assignments ‘deliveries ‘ (oral and written) allow students to test their knowledge and get feedback on theories and their application on corporate cases. Towards this goal the, students upload the in-class assignments (A-4 page(s) on CANVAS to demonstrate findings and compare across cases. These are mandatory requirements. Feedback is given in class, showing good examples and pointing to typical mistakes.
We use Peergrade (software) to enable students to provide and get feedback on their written synopsis before the exam. This has proven extremely helpful. For the most successful outcome it requires that all groups upload their synopsis before this workshop.
Finally, students will present their research question using Mindmaster (software) to map course theories, analysis and case examples.

Feedback is further offered in response to your questions online and in class. Please join and take full advantage of these ‘office hours’ offered by full-time staff members, although these can never be a substitute for participation in lectures and classes. interactive sessions in class or online. We also encourage you to ask questions or and make comments in class and to engage actively. The assigned study groups and deliveries also secure peer feedback on your work.
Student workload
Lectures 36 hours
Workshop 6 hours
Preparation 106 hours
Group work 12 hours
Recapture 10 hours
Synopsis 30 hours
Exam and preparation for exam 16 hours
In total 206 hours
Further Information

Please note that this course was offered for the first time in spring 2021 in the new IBA structure following the IBA programme reform.
Expected literature

Materials are available two weeks before class starts on CANVAS and at CBS SP Academic bookstore:
 

 

CASE BOOK Clausen, Lisbeth (2021). Team dynamics and diversity: Japanese corporate experiences. (2nd Edition). Copenhagen: Copenhagen Business School Press.

 

Champoux, Joseph, E. (2017). Organizational Behavior: Integrating Individuals, Groups and Organizations (5th Edition). Routledge.
 

Alon, L. Erez, M. (2015) Leadership emergence in multicultural teams: The power of global characteristics. Journal of World Business. 50 (1), 3-14
 
Cornelissen Joep, (2017) Chapter 2-3. Corporate Communication. A guide to theory and practice. London Sage. Fifth Edition.
 

Hatch, Mary Jo; Schultz, Majken (1997). ”Relations between organizational culture, identity and image”. European Journal of Marketing, 31, 5/6
 
Hatch, Mary Jo & Schultz, Majken 2002, 'The dynamics of organizational identity' Human Relations, vol 55, nr. 8, p989-1018.
 
Katzenbach, Jon R. and Smith, Douglas K. (2005) Organizational culture. The Discipline of Teams. Harvard Business Review. July–August
 
Hajro, A., & Gibson, C. B. (2017). Knowledge Exchange Processes in Multicultural Teams : Linking Organizational Diversity Climates To Teams ’ Effectiveness, 60(1), 345–372.
 
Haas, M., & Mortensen, M. (2016). Perspective—Rethinking Teams: From Bounded Membership to Dynamic Participation. Harvard Business Review. https:/​​/​​doi.org/​​https:/​​/​​hbr.org/​​2016/​​06/​​the-secrets-of-great-teamwork
 
Kotter, John, P. (2007) Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail.  Harvard Business Review. January. Vol. 85 Issue 1, p96-103
 
Kotter, John P. (2012) Competitive strategy.  Accelerate. Harvard Business Review, November Issue 
 
Mintzberg, Henry and Van den Heyden, Ludo (1999). Organigraphs: Drawing How Companies Really Work Harvard Business Review.  September–October Issue
 
Mortensen, M., & Gardner, H. K. (2017). The overcommitted organization. Harvard Business Review, 2017(September-October), 58–66.
 
Nielsen, Bo Bernard; Nielsen, Sabina. (2013) Top Management Team Nationality Diversity and Firm Performance : A Multi-level Study. Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 34, No. 3, 2013, p. 373-382
 
Nonaka, I., Toyama, R., & Konno, N. (2000). SECI, Ba and Leadership: A Unified Model of Dynamic Knowledge Creation. Long Range Planning, 33(1), 5–34. https:/​​/​​doi.org/​​10.1016/​​S0024-6301(99)00115-6
 
Ollier-Malaterre, Arianne and Foucreault, Annie. Cross-National Work-Life Research: Cultural and Structural Impact for Individuals and Organizations. Journal of Management. Vol. 432 No 1 January, 2017 11-136: 115
 
Pentland, Alex. (2012) The New Science of Building Great Teams. Harvard Business Review. April p. 60-70
 
Thomas, David A. and Ely, Robin J. (1996) Cross cultural management. Making Differences Matter: A New Paradigm for Managing Diversity. Harvard Business Review. September–October Issue
 
Stahl, G. K., Mäkelä, K., Zander, L., & Maznevski, M. L. (2010). A look at the bright side of multicultural team diversity. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 26(4), 439–447. https:/​​/​​doi.org/​​10.1016/​​j.scaman.2010.09.009
 
Stahl, G. K., Maznevski, M. L., Voigt, A., & Jonsen, K. (2010). Unraveling the effects of cultural diversity in teams: A meta-analysis of research on multicultural work groups. Journal of International Business Studies, 41, 690–709.
 
Tenzer, H.; Pudelko, M. & Harzing, A.-W. (2014). The Impact of Language Barriers on Trust Formation in Multinational Teams. Journal of International Business Studies, 45, 5, 508–535.

 

Please note: these reading materials are only tentative and changes may occur. Final literature lists will be uploaded on Canvas before the course begins. 

Last updated on 23-06-2023