Global Organizations

ORSC 1046 The George Washington University Department of Organizational Sciences Spring, 2012

Professor: Dr. Gelaye Debebe Class Times: Thursday 3:30pm-6:00pm Location: Phillips 416

Office Hours: Monday 1:00-2:30 or appointment Tel: 202-994-1937 Email: gdebebe@gwu.edu

Course Description This course connects the themes of globalization and organization theory through the concept of global organization. Global organizations are entities that conduct activities across multiple national boundaries. The course begins by considering the concept of global. It explores the ideas of globalization, the global environment of organizations, global organizations, and global competencies. It then explores core concepts from organizational theory: organizational structure and culture. The focus here is on understanding how organizations design structures and craft cultures conducive to working in a global environment. Finally, the course grounds these theoretical discussion in the context of three types of global organizations: international governmental organization (IGO), international non-governmental organization (INGO), and multinational enterprises (MNE).

Required Texts Books Margaret P. Karns and Karen A. Mingst 2010. International Organizations: The Politics of Global Governance. Lynne Reinner. Parker, B. 2005. Introduction to Globalization and Business: Relationships and Responsibilities, Business and Globalization. Sage. Hatch, M.J. 1997. Organization Theory: Modern, Symbolic, and Postmodern Perspectives. Oxford.

Harvard Business School Cases Oxfam America, HBS Case No. 9-798-036 Swire Beverages: Implementing CSR in China, HBS 9-410-021 E-Reserve Additional readings are either on blackboard, e-journal or on reserve at Gelman. Please see the readings in the course schedule below for the specific location of your readings.

Course Objectives Students will: y y y Gain conceptual understanding of the global environment Can identify and describe the influence of globalization on daily life Use concepts from organizational theory to analyze how the global environment affects the operation of an given organization Analyze and assess how an organization responds to the global environment

Course Requirements Midterm 20% I Spy Globalization (individual project), 35% Global Organization (group project), 20% Group Presentation of Global Organization paper, 15% Preparation and Participation 10%

NOTE: See due dates in session schedule below.

Criteria for Evaluating Papers and Presentations Written assignments will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria: 1) Substance. The issue here is whether you address the substantive issues of relevance to the assignment. These issues are described in detail in the assignments description document. In addition, each assignment will be discussed in class and you will have ample opportunities to ask questions. 2) Writing. Your writing should be clear and concise. This means that you need to focus on the substance you want to communicate and evaluate whether you have said what you want to say in the paper. Paragraphs with no substantive merit are a detractor for the reader they fill up space but they do not make a point. You should edit your work and make sure there are no spelling errors. The presentations will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria: 1) Substance. This relates to the provision of substantive, relevant, and meaningful information pertaining to the subject of the presentation 2) Communication. This relates to the use of effective mediums of conveying information such as good use of PowerPoint, flip chart, overhead, storytelling and the like

Academic Integrity I personally support the GW Code of Academic Integrity. It states: Academic dishonesty is defined as cheating of any kind, including misrepresenting one's own work, taking credit for the work of others without crediting them and without appropriate authorization, and the fabrication of information. For the remainder of the code, see: http://www.gwu.edu/~ntegrity/code.html

Teaching Methods The course will utilize lectures, films, cases, group projects, group presentation and group discussion formats to engage students in the topics of the course. Guest lectures and site visits are also be arranged when possible.

Course Schedule The readings from the course texts are identified under the relevant session by the last name of the author and chapter or page numbers. Full citations are given for readings that are on e-journal and blackboard.

January 19 Introduction to Global Organizations Note: Since the readings for February 2 will be somewhat heavy, you may want to start doing some of those readings at this point. Take some notes so you can review for February 2. January 26 Globalization Parker, Chapter 1 (2-8, 15-25); February 2 The Global Environment Hatch, Chapter 3 (read pp. 64-77, skim rest) Parker, Chapter 2 Reinert, K. 2012. Chapter 1, Windows on the World Economy, An Introduction to International Economics: New Perspectives on the World Economy, Cambridge, (on blackboard and on reserve at Gelman). Inda, X., and Rosaldo, R. Chapter 1, Tracking Global Flows, The Anthropology of Globalization: A Reader, Blackwell, (on blackboard). Karns and Mingst, Chapter 1. February 9 No Class February 16 Global Organizations Parker, Chapter 3 February 23 Global Mindset and Competence Parker p. 10-14,385-390 Levy, O., Schon, B., Taylor, S. and Boyacigiller, N.A. (2007). What We Talk about When We talk about Global Mindset Managerial Cognition in Multinational Corporation, Journal of International Business Studies, 38, 2:231-258.

March 1 Organizational Structure Hatch, Chapter 4 (read pp. 102-122, skim rest) Parker, Chapter 12 March 8 Organization Culture Parker Chaper 14 Hatch, Chapter 6 (read pp. 175-194, skim rest) March 15 Spring Break, No Class March 22 Midterm Exam In-class Mid-Term Exam

March 29, Multinational Enterprise Parker, Chapter 4 HBS case: Swire Beverages: Implementing CSR in China April 5 International Governmental Organizations Karns and Mingst Chapter 4 Paper due: Due: I Spy Globalization

April 12 Non-Governmental Organizations Karns and Mingst, Chapter 6 HBS case, Oxfam America April 19 Final Group Presentations

Paper due: Due: Global Organizations Group Paper

Course Policies and Expectations The policies in this course are intended to facilitate individual and collective learning. The specific policies identified below relate to written assignments and class participation.

Policies relating to written assignments are: Submit written assignments in a timely fashion All written assignments should be turned in on time. No extensions will be given. In fairness to those who turn the paper in on time, two points will be taken off your grade for every day a paper is late.

Turning in Assignments Late Students are strongly advised to keep up with the readings and assignments of the class. Since the assignments are cumulative, it is hard to catch-up once you miss a deadline. However, there are times when it is unavoidable to be late with a paper or some other assignment. If you face one of these situations immediately inform the professor. To be fair to other students 1 point will be taken off for each day that a paper is overdue. Beyond 5 days, the student has to make special arrangements with the professor to ensure that she/he can stay on course for the class. Incomplete grades Incomplete grades are given only under compelling and severe circumstances. I strongly discourage you from allowing the course work to pile up. It is the responsibility of the student to initiate the process of an incomplete contract. Keep up with the readings and assignments and come to class prepared.

Policies related to participation are: Attendance Because of the experiential nature of this course, students are expected to fully attend all classes. I understand that you may have other demands on your energy and time. However, missing classes, coming in late, and leaving early have two consequences: (1) it is disruptive to other students who depend on you for their learning, and (2) it is disruptive to your own learning. In short, we need you in class and you cannot learn from class experience if you are not in class to have the experience. If you absolutely must miss a class, come late, or leave early, please let me know in advance so that I can plan the session accordingly. You may notify me in person, by phone, or by e-mail.

Missing class Students who must miss more than two class sessions will have to meet with the professor to discuss the problems that are preventing them for attending, whether they will be able to attend all other sessions and whether it makes sense for them to enroll in the course at a different time. Be prepared. Read the assigned work and come to class ready to participate in the classroom discussion. Reflect on the material and consider questions such as: Did anything you read surprise you? What questions arose for you? How does your personal work and non-work experience relate to the concepts and ideas in the readings? In what ways do the concepts apply to your particular setting? What issues are most relevant/least relevant to your setting? Why do you think this is the case? Speaking and Listening Balance listening with speaking. Listen to each others opinions, but no one person should dominate or attempt to dominate the group. If you have an idea or an experience that is relevant to the discussion, bias towards sharing with the group as a whole. It is sometimes tempting to share some thoughts with a neighbor during a class session, but this disrupts the flow of conversation and prevents the group from benefiting from your questions and insights. Therefore, refrain from making side commentaries to your neighbor, wait for an opportune time in the flow of classroom discussion, and share your thoughts and questions. Do not let the discussion get away from you. If you do not understand something, raise a question. Most likely, you are not alone. If you are bored or otherwise troubled by a particular class, think why this is happening. Is it the topic? the class format? the professor? particular relationships in the class? you? Most importantly, do something about it either tactfully in class, or privately share your concerns with me after class. Assignments There are several days (indicated below) when you will need to bring in work done at home for use in the classroom. It is essential that you come prepared with the required materials. The work we do in the classroom will contribute to your subsequent written assignments. If you do not have the work done ahead of time, you will not benefit from the discussion that will deepen and enrich your written work. It will also hamper our work in class.

Excellent Books on Globalization and/or Organizations: These texts are NOT REQUIRED. They are provided here for students who may want to do additional reading on the subject of globalization as well as globalization and organization topics.
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Brinkerhoff , D.W. & Brinkerhoff, J.M. (2005). Working for Change: Making a Career in International Public Service. Kumarian Press. Dicken, P. (2007) Global Shift. Guilford. Goldin, I., Cameron, G., and Balarajan, B. (2011). Exceptional People. Princeton University Press. Goldin, I. and Reinert, K. (2012). Globalization for Development. Oxford University Press. Hart, S.L. (2007). Capitalism at the Crossroads. Wharton School Publishing. Held, D., McGrew, A., Goldblatt, D., and Perraton, J. (1999). Global Transformations: Politics, Economics, and Culture. Stanford University Press. Inda, J. X. and Rosaldo, R. (2008). The Anthropology of Globalization. Blackwell. Iriye, A. (2002). Global Community: The Role of International Organizations in the Making of the Contemporary World. University of California Press. Jones, A. (2010). Globalization: Key Thinkers. Polity Press. Martell, L. (2010). The Sociology of Globalization. Polity Press. Lechner. F. J. (2009). Globalization: The Making of World Society. Blackwell. Mathiason, J. (2007). Invisible Governance: International Secretariats in Global Politics. Kumarian Press. Reichman, D. R. 2011. The Broken Village: Coffee, Migration, and Globalization in Honduras. Cornell University Press. Reinert, K. (2012). An Introduction to International Economics: New Perspectives on the World Economy. Cambridge University Press. Steger, M. B. (2009). Globalizaiton: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.

Emergency Procedures In the case of an emergency, if at all possible, the class should shelter in place. If the building that the class is in is affected, follow the evacuation procedures for the building. After evacuation, seek shelter at a predetermined rendezvous location.

Support Provided to Students at the University Disability Support: Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Disability Support Services office at 202-994-8250 in the Marvin Center, Suite 242, to establish eligibility and to coordinate reasonable accommodations. At a student's request, DSS prepares an individualized letter to professors which verifies the nature of the student's disability and documents the need for auxiliary aids and services and/or academic adjustments. Students are encouraged to meet with each professor early in the semester to discuss the academic implications of the disability as they relate to the specific course and to request accommodation. For additional information please refer to: http://gwired.gwu.edu/dss/ University Counseling Center Support: The University Counseling Center (UCC) assists students in addressing personal, social, career, and study problems that can interfere with their academic progress and success. Services for students include: - Academic Support and Peer Tutoring Services: http://gwired.gwu.edu/counsel/AcademicSupport/, http://gwired.gwu.edu/counsel/AcademicSupport/PeerTutoringService/ - crisis consultations at 202-994-5300 (24/7) - Confidential Counseling Services (individual and small group) - Podcasts and Self-Help Materials on Website: y y y http://gwired.gwu.edu/counsel/PodCast/, y http://gwired.gwu.edu/counsel/OutreachSelfHelp/ We encourage students to check out our website and to call us with their questions!