MOR 499 Sustainability

7/28/2019 MOR 499 Sustainability

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UniversityOfSouthernCalifornia

MarshallSchoolOfBusiness

MOR499

BusinessandEnvironmentalSustainability

Spring2013

MW2:00-3:50pm

Instructor:Prof.PaulS.Adler

Office:HOH716

Homeofficetel.:818-981-0115anytime

Email:[email protected]

Officehours:byappointment

Versiondate:Dec4,2012

Coursegoals

Fewissuesaremoreurgentforcontemporarysocietythanbusinesssimpactonthenaturalenvironment.Inadditiontolongstandingconcernsabouttheexhaustionofglobalresources,

degradationoftheenvironment,lossofbiodiversity,andtheeffectsonhumanbiology,thereisa

growingconsensusthatclimatechangemustbeaddressedintheneartermtoavoidlong-term

disastrousimpactsforhumanlifeonthisplanet.

Asenvironmentalconcernsintensify,weallbothascitizensandasfuturemanagers

mustdevelopabetterunderstandingoftherelatedeconomic,social,political,andregulatoryforces,

andofhowtheseforcesarereshapingthecontextandconductofbusiness.Underthepressureof

theseforces,somefirmsaredevelopingmoresustainablebusinesspracticesandproducts,andthe

resultischangeinthestructuresandprocessesofproductionandinthenatureofcompetition

acrossawidevarietyofindustries.Debatecontinuesonwhetherthesechangeswillsufficetomeet

thesustainabilitychallenge.Andthisdebateisdifficult:differentstakeholdersoftenhavedivergent

interests,andcompetingperspectivesandvaluesleadtoconflictingpolicyrecommendations.

Toprepareyoutoparticipateandleadinthisdomain,thiscourseexploresfourbroadsets

ofquestionsthatthecoursewilladdressinturn:

(1)Whatissustainability?Whyshouldwecare?Howsustainableisourcurrentpathofeconomic

development?Howurgentisthechallenge?

(2)Whataretheforcesdrivingchangeinbusinessconduct?Howisbusinessaffectedbydepleting

naturalresources?Bysocialmovements?Bygovernmentregulation?Bybroaderinstitutional

factors?

(3)Underthepressureoftheseforces,whatnewstrategiesandpracticescanfirmsadoptin

operations,technologies,productdesign,marketing,andnon-marketactivities?

(4)Willthesechangesinbusinessconductbesufficient?Whatwillittakeforustomeetthechallengeofsustainability?Whatarethebroaderpolitical-economyissuesinvolved?

Courseobjectives

Thekeyobjectivesarethese:

(a)Buildyourfoundationalknowledgeinkeyproblemdomainsinsustainability.Acquirekeyfacts

andtheconceptsneededtounderstandthesefactsinfourkeydomains:

thechallengesofsustainability,


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thevariousforcesdrivingchangeinbusiness, thedifferentresponsesbybusinesstotheseforces, thecompetingperspectivesonthepolitical-economyofsustainability.

(b)Developkeyskills:

creativeactionskills:learnhowtoassessstrategiesthataimtoencompassnotonlythetraditionaleconomicconsiderationsbutalsoenvironmentalandsocialfactors,and

becomemorecreativeindevelopingsuchstrategies;

criticalthinkingskills:howtothinkclearlyandmakecompellingargumentsaboutambiguous,complex,andcontroversialproblems.

Requiredmaterials

CoursereaderatBookstoreOtherreadingsonBlackboardPrerequisitesand/orrecommendedpreparation

Therearenoprerequisites.However,thecourseisrecommendedforjuniorsandseniors

only.

Classprocess

Eachofthefourmainpartsofthecourseisdividedintothemes,andmostofthesethemes

areaddressedintwosuccessivesessions:afirstsessionfocusedonacasestudyandthenasecond

sessionfocusedonsomerelatedreadings.Iwillassumethatyouhavepreparedforthesetwo

sessionstogether,bystudyingboththecaseandtheserelatedreadingspriortothefirstofthetwo

sessions.

Theclasssessionsthatarefocusedoncaseswillusuallybeginwithshortoralpresentations

byoneortwostudentteams,presentingasiftheywereconsultantsandtherestoftheclasswere

theclientinthecaseandrepresentativesofotherrelevantstakeholdergroups.Wethenopenthe

discussiontotheclassasawhole.Asagroup,wewilltrytobuildacompleteanalysisofthe

situationandaddresstheproblemsandissuesitpresents.

Theclasssessionsthatarefocusedonreadingswilltaketheformofafacilitateddiscussion

ratherthanalecture.

Preparingthecase

ThedetailedSessionInformationsectionbelowgivesmorespecificstudyquestionsfor

thecasediscussions.However,thesestudyquestionsareonlypromptstogetyougoing,notan

agendaforyouranalysisorforourdiscussion.Itisuptoyoutoidentifythespecificissuesposedby

thecaseandtodecidehowtheycanbebestaddressed.Iwillexpectyoutoconsiderthecaseinthe

lightofalltheassignedreadingsforthetheme,andtocometoeachclasspreparedtopresentand

defendyourownanalysis.Youneedtowritea CaseNoteforeachcasewediscuss(seebelow,under

Engagement).

Preparingthethemereadings

Thereadingsforeachthemegiveyoustartingpointsinreflectingontheissuesatstakein

thecaseand/orconceptualtoolsthatarerelevanttotheseissues.Iwillassumethatyouwillcome

toclasshavingreadalltheassignedreadings.Iwillnotwasteyourtimebysimplyrepeatinginclass

whatyouhavealreadyread;mygoalistoaddvaluetoyoureffortsbyhelpingyoureachadeeper

levelofcomprehension.

Teamcaseconsultingreports


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Atthebeginningofthesemester,studentswillformintoteams(threepeoplemaximum),

andeachteamwilldotwocaseconsultingreports(CCRs)overthecourseofthesemester.As

explainedabove,youshouldthinkoftheseCCRsasiftheywerebyagroupofoutsideconsultants

(yourteam)reportingtoyourclient(theclass).Somecasesgiveyouflexibilityinselectingyour

client:yourteamwillneedtoconsultwithmeinmakingthisselection.Detailedguidanceonthese

CCRsisintheAppendixonGuidelinesforCaseAnalysis .Theywillbegradedusingthecriteriashown

intheAppendixonGradingSheetforCaseAnalyses .

IhavefoundthatmasteringtheseGuidelinesisoneofmostvaluableskillsIcanteachyou.

Yourprofessionalcareerdependscruciallyonthecritical-thinkingskillsthesereportsrelyon

yourabilitytoreasonyourwaythroughthemazeofconsiderationstogettotheheartofthematter,

yourabilitytomakeaconvincingcaseforyourpreferredcourseofaction,andyourabilityto

communicatethesecomplexargumentseffectively.

Toensuremaximumvaluefromtheworkyouinvestinthepreparationofthesereports,I

willmeetfor60minuteswitheachpresentingteamassoonaspossibleafterclass,todiscusstheir

reportsstrengthsandweaknesses,andtobrainstormhowtheirreportcouldbestrengthened.

Afterthemeeting,Iwillsendtheteamandtheclassfurtherfeedback.

Note:Asconcernsthegradingoftheoraldelivery,Iwillnotpenalizepeopleforlanguage

difficultieswhentheirfirstlanguageisotherthanEnglish.

Engagement

Activeengagementisakeypartoflearninginthiscourse.Yourengagementgradewill

reflect:(a)yourpre-classpreparation,(b)yourin-classcontributionstodiscussions,and(c)your

after-classcontributionoftake-awaysonwhatyouhavereadandheard.Gradingforthesethree

componentsisdescribedinmoredetailintheAppendix:GradingEngagement.Tosummarizethe

intent:

(a)Beforecase-discussionclasses: Sinceyourabilitytolearnfromcasediscussionsisdirectly

proportionaltothequalityofyourpreparation,Irequestthatyoudraftasummaryofyouranalysis

ofeachcasewediscussinthecourse(exceptthoseonwhichyouaredoingateampresentation).

Pointformisappropriate.ThesesummariesmustbepostedonBlackboardbeforethebeginningof

theclasssession.SeetheAppendixformyCaseNotesTemplate.

(b)Inclass:Asinmanyofyourotherclasses,youractiveparticipationintheclassdiscussionisa

crucialpartofthelearningprocess:yourcontributionshelpbothyouandtherestoftheclass.In

class,Iwilloftencoldcall,sopleaseavoidembarrassmentbytellingmebeforeclassifyouarenot

prepared.Andifyouareuncomfortablewithclassparticipation,pleaseletmeknowatthe

beginningoftermandIwillworkwithyoutohelpyouovercomethisbarrier.

(c)Afterclass: Inacase-oriented,discussion-basedclasssuchasthis,muchofthelearning

happensafterclass,asthedustsettlesandthekeytake-awaylessons(TAs)becomeclear.

Within48hoursofeachcase-discussionsession,IwillneedtopostashortnotewithyourTAs

(about15lines,orlongerifyoulike)onourBlackboardDiscussionspace.TheseTApostingsmight

alsoincluderesponsestootherTAsalreadyontheDiscussionspace,andtheymayalsodiscuss

connectionsyouseebetweenthecaseandtheassociatedreadings.(TAsarealsorequiredforsessionswithguestspeakers;butthereisnoneedtopostTAsforsessionsdevotedentirelyto

readings.)

Researchproject

Studentsarerequiredtodoateamresearchproject,wheretheteamconsistsofuptothree

studentswhoworktogethertoidentifyatopicandprepareawrittenandoraloftheirreport.

Thesereportscantakeeitheroftwoforms:


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(1)Consultingreport:Thistypeofprojectmightfocusonaparticularfirmconfrontingaparticular

environmentalissue,oritmightconsiderthestrategyofagovernmententityoranactivistgroup.

Projectsofthistypeshouldbeaction-orientedandgofromanalysistorecommendations.The

GuidelinesweuseintheCCRswillserveasguidelinesforthistypeofreporttoo.

(2)Investigativejournalistreport:In this type of project, the group will assume the role of

investigative journalist, providing me and the class a briefing about either a specific firmsactions or a wider sustainability issue. This project would take as its model investigative reportsthat appear publications such as Business Week.

In either of these forms,teamprojectsmustincludesomeinteractionpreferablyface-to-face,butifnot,thenbyphone--withrelevantpractitioners(managersatcompaniesand/orNGOs,

governmentofficials,etc.),andyourreportmustincludeclearattributions(citations)totheseand

allothersources.

MoredetailsareintheAppendixontheTeamResearchProjectGuidelines .

Grading

Thecomponentsofthefinalcoursegradewillbeweightedasfollows:

Component Weights

1stteamcasereport 15%

2ndteamcasereport 25%

Teamresearchproject 30%

Classengagement:

Notes In-class TAs

15%

10%

5%

Total 100%

Classattendance

Classattendanceisessentialtoyourlearninginthiscourse.YourEngagementscoreswill

reflectyourattendance.Ifyoumustmissaclass,itisparticularlyimportanttoprepareaCaseNote

andsubmititbeforetheclass.

Add/DropProcess

Ifyouareabsentsixormoretimespriortothelastdaytowithdrawfromacoursewitha

gradeofW,Imayaskyoutowithdrawfromtheclassbythatdate.Thesepoliciesmaintainprofessionalismandensureasystemthatisfairtoallstudents.

Classrepresentative

YouwillbeaskedtoelectaClassRepresentativeduringoursecondorthirdsession.The

studentrepresentativewillactasaliaisonbetweenstudentsandmyself,toprovideinformal

feedbackandcommunication,particularlyonissuesthatindividualstudentsmaynotwishtoraise

personallywiththeinstructor.


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ComputersandPDAs

Thisisacourseduringwhichyouwillnotneedanycommunicationdevices.Soplease:no

telephonesorinternetusebycomputers.YouclassmatesandIwillappreciateyourundivided

attention.

Classroometiquette

Anatmosphereofmutualrespectandprofessionalismisinorder.Soplease...

arriveatclassontime:latearrivalsaredisruptivetoyourfellowclassmatesandtotheconductoftheclass;

avoidleavingtheclassroomwhiletheclassisinprogress:biologyhasitsimperativesofcourse,butourclassisacollectiveconversationofwhichyouareanintegralpart;

turnoffyourcellphonesbeforeyouentertheclassroomnocalls,notexting;donotengageinsideconversationsduringclass;donotpackupandleavetowardstheendoftheclassuntilitiscleartheclassisover.Academicintegrity

USCseekstomaintainanoptimallearningenvironment.Generalprinciplesofacademic

honestyincludetheconceptofrespectfortheintellectualpropertyofothers,theexpectationthat

individualworkwillbesubmittedunlessotherwiseallowedbyaninstructor,andtheobligations

bothtoprotectonesownacademicworkfrommisusebyothersaswellastoavoidusinganothers

workasonesown.Allstudentsareexpectedtounderstandandabidebytheseprinciples. SCampus,

theStudentGuidebook,(www.usc.edu/scampusorhttp://scampus.usc.edu)containsthe

UniversityStudentConductCode(seeUniversityGovernance,Section11.00),whilethe

recommendedsanctionsarelocatedinAppendixA.

StudentswillbereferredtotheOfficeofStudentJudicialAffairsandCommunityStandards

forfurtherreview,shouldtherebeanysuspicionofacademicdishonesty.TheReviewprocesscan

befoundat:http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/SJACS/.Failuretoadheretotheacademic

conductstandardssetforthbytheseguidelinesandourprogramswillnotbetoleratedbytheUSCMarshallcommunityandcanleadtodismissal.

Studentswithdisabilities

Anystudentrequestingacademicaccommodationsbasedonadisabilityisrequiredto

registerwithDisabilityServicesandPrograms(DSP)eachsemester.Aletterofverificationfor

approvedaccommodationscanbeobtainedfromDSP.Pleasebesuretheletterisdeliveredtothe

instructorasearlyinthesemesteraspossible.DSPislocatedinSTU301andisopenfrom8:30am

to5:00pm,MondaythroughFriday.ThephonenumberofDSPis(213)740-0776

Emergencypreparedness/coursecontinuity

Incaseofadeclaredemergencyiftraveltocampusisnotfeasible,USCexecutiveleadership

willannounceanelectronicwayforinstructorstoteachstudentsintheirresidencehallsorhomesusingacombinationofBlackboard,teleconferencing,andothertechnologies.Pleaseactivateyour

courseinBlackboardwithaccesstothecoursesyllabus.WhetherornotyouuseBlackboard

regularly,thesepreparationswillbecrucialinanemergency.USC'sBlackboardlearning

managementsystemandsupportinformationisavailableatblackboard.usc.edu.

Returningcoursework


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Finalexamsandallothergradedworkthataffectedthecoursegradewillberetainedfor

oneyearaftertheendofthecourse ifthegradedworkhasnotbeenreturnedtothestudent(i.e.,ifI

returnedagradedpapertoyou,itisyourresponsibilitytofileit,notmine).


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COURSESCHEDULE

Week Date Theme/Project Case

WHATISSUSTAINABILITYANDWHYSHOULDWECARE?

1 Jan14 Whatissustainability?

Jan16 Whyshouldwecare?

FORCESDRIVINGCHANGE

2 Jan23 Finiteresources MarineStewardshipCouncil

3 Jan28,30 Socialmovements

Anatomyofacorporatecampaign:

RainforestActionNetworkandCitigroup

4 Feb4,6 Governmentregulation

(Feb4:Projectproposalsdue

byemail)

Fueleconomystandards2007

5 Feb11,13 Institutionalforces GenerationInvestmentManagement

BUSINESSRESPONSES

6 Feb20,25 Strategy Patagonia

7 Feb27 Mid-coursereview

Projectpresentations:

situationassessment

8 Mar4,6 Productdesign Cradle-to-CradleDesignatHermanMiller:

MovingTowardEnvironmental

Sustainability

9 Mar11,13 Operations SustainabilityatMillipore

10 Mar25,27 Marketing

TheCloroxCompany:LeveragingGreen

forGrowth

11 April1,3 Navigatingpolicymarkets

(April1:projectreport

rough-cutduebyemail)

VerengoSolarPlus!

12 April8,10 Technology Monsanto:Helpingfarmersfeedtheworld

13 April15,

17

Measuringprogress Trucost:Valuingcorporateenvironmental

impacts

14 April22,

24

Researchproject

presentations

PROSPECTSFORSUSTAINABILITY

15 April29,

May1

Competingperspectiveson

thepolitical-economyof

sustainability


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SESSIONINFORMATION

(*signifiesmaterialisinthecourseReader)

WHATISSUSTAINABILITYANDWHYSHOULDWECARE?

Week1:MonJan14:Whatissustainability?

Beforeclass,goto:

http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/personal_footprint/and

calculateyourpersonalfootprint.Bringyourestimatetoclass.

Andalsogoto:http://www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator/index.htmtogetmoredetail

onwhatsourcesofyourfootprintarebiggerversussmallerthantheaverage.

Assignedreading:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability

Jan16.Whyshouldwecare?

Assignedreadings:Solow:Sustainability:Aneconomistsperspective,1991

Reviewthesustainabilityindicatorsinthesetworeadingsandbringtoclasstwofactsyou

foundparticularlydisturbingorimportant:

Worldwatch:VitalSigns2011reviewitonline

IPCCreadatleasttheSummaryforPolicyMakers:

http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/syr/en/spm.html

Optionalfurtherreading:

Muller:Theconversionofaclimate-changeskepticJune2012

Studyquestions:

1.Howurgentareoursustainabilitychallenges?

2. Whatexplainstheemergenceofsustainabilityasaprioritytoday?______________________________________________________________________________________

FORCESDRIVINGCHANGEINBUSINESSCONDUCT

Week2:Jan23:Finiteresources

*Case:Transformingtheglobalfishingindustry:TheMarineStewardshipCouncilatFullSail?(IMD

257-PDF-ENG,rev.2010)

Studyquestions:

1.WhatarethebarrierstoMSCsuccess?2.Whatarepastandcurrentstakeholderdemands,andwhatdid/doestheMSCdoto

meet/reconcilethem?

3.WhatarethechallengesaheadforMSC,andwilltheMSCbeabletomeetthem?Assignedreadings:

Wikipedia:CollapseoftheNorthernCodFishery

Hardin:Thetragedyofthecommons(1968).

Ostrometal.:RevisitingtheCommons:LocalLessons,GlobalChallenges(1999)


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WatchthedocumentaryTheEndoftheLineavailableonHulu

TheEconomist:TheSea,ASurvey.January2009

GreenpeaceBriefing:AssessmentoftheMarineStewardshipCouncil(MSC)Fisheries

CertificationProgramme,2009

Week3:Jan28,30:Socialmovements

*Case:Anatomyofacorporatecampaign:RainforestActionNetworkandCitigroup(A,B)(Stanford

P-42A,P-42B)

Studyquestions:

1.WasitstrategicallywiseforRANtolaunchacampaignonprojectfinance?CanRANrealisticallyexpecttoaffectprojectfinance,whichisprovidedbybanksaroundtheworld?

2.WasCitigroupagoodorbadtargetforRAN?Whynotfocusonprojectcontractorsthemselves?

3. AttheendoftheBcase,whatshouldCitigroupdo?4. IfCitibankagreestonegotiateanagreementwithRAN,whatshouldRANagreeto?What

shoulditnotagreeto?

5.WhatshouldwemakeofRAN'stactics?Isthisdemocracyinthemarketplace?Assignedreadings:

D.Spar,L.T.LaMur,Thepowerofactivism:AssessingtheimpactofNGOsonglobalbusiness,

CaliforniaManagementReview,Spring2003

Hari,Thewrongkindofgreen,TheNation,March2010

Optionalreading:

Bryant,Nielsen,andTangley:TheLastFrontierForests:EcosystemsandEconomiesonthe

Edge.WorldResourcesInstitute,1997

Week4:Feb4,6:Governmentregulation*Case:Fueleconomystandards2007(StanfordP-58)

Studyquestions:

1. WhatobjectivesshouldtheBigThreepursue?Cantheystopthe35mpgstandard?Shouldtheytry?

2. Whatassessmentdoyoumakeoftheinfluencebusinessexertedhereonpublicenvironmentalpolicy?

Assignedreadings:

*Publicpolicyandthemanager:Conceptualframework(HBS9-794-028)

*MichaelE.PorterandClaasvanderLinde:GreenandCompetitive:EndingtheStalemate,

HarvardBusinessReview,September-October1995.Wikipediaentry:Regulatorycapture


FullertonandStavins,Howeconomistsseetheenvironment,Nature1998

Ambecetal.,ThePorterhypothesisat20:Canenvironmentalregulationenhanceinnovation

andcompetitiveness?2011

OreskesandConway:Globalwarmingdeniersandtheirprovenstrategyofdoubt2010


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W.McDonoughandM.Braungart,Aworldofabundance,Interfaces,30,3,2000:55-65

ExplorethewebsiteonCleanChemistryat http://www.epa.gov/gcc/

*Unruh,GregoryC.,TheBiosphereRules,HarvardBusinessReview,2008

Week9:Mar11,13:Operations

*Case:SustainabilityatMillipore(HBS9-610-012)Studyquestions:

1. HowshouldMilliporefocusitsSustainabilityInitiative?HowshouldDavidNewmanmeasuresuccess?

2. Goingforward,howshouldMilliporeprioritizeprojectsfortheSustainabilityInitiative?3. WhatfactorsshouldMilliporeconsiderinsettingitsnextgreenhousegasreductiontarget?

Recallthatkeyparametersincludechoosingbetweenabsoluteandrelativereduction,a

percentagereductionlevel,itsduration,andthescopeofemissionscovered.

4. Consideringtheprosandcons,shouldMilliporepurchasecarbonoffsetsaspartofitsstrategytomeetitsgreenhousegasreductionobjectives?

5. Whatchanges,ifany,wouldyourecommendtoChairman,CEO,andPresidentMartinMadaustoimprovetheeffectivenessand/orefficiencyofMilliporesSustainability

Initiative?

Assignedreadings:

Wikipedia:ISO14000

L.H.Lovins,TheBusinessCaseforClimateProtection

EmilyRochonandPaulDickinson,AreCorporateCarbonIntensityTargetsGreenwash?

EthicalCorporation,March2009.

Week10:Mar25,27:Marketing

*Case:TheCloroxCompany:LeveragingGreenforGrowth(HBS9-512-009,revApril2012)

Studyquestions:1. WhydidCloroxmoveintogreenerproducts?2. HowsuccessfulhasthisbeenforClorox?Fortheenvironment?3. WhatwouldyourecommendtoSpringer?Cometoclasswithamarketingplanforeachof

Brita,BurtsBees,andGreenWorks.

Assignedreadings:

TerrachoiceEnvironmentalMarketingInc.:Thesixsinsofgreenwashing,2007

Ottman,Stafford,andHartman,AvoidingGreenMarketingMyopiaEnvironment,48,5,June

2006,pages2236.

Week11:April1,3:Navigatingpolicymarkets

*Case:VerengoSolarPlus!(HBS9-812-049,rev.Nov2011)

Studyquestions:

1. WhatcouldgorightandgowrongatVerengo?2. WhatshouldBishopandButtonrecommendtotheirBoardofDirectors?3. Whathavebeenthekeystepsinbuildingthebusinesstodate?4. WhatshouldVerengosBoardofDirectorsbethinkingabout?

Requiredreading:


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*Governmentpolicyandclean-energyfinance(HBS9-811-026,revJune2011)

HaleyandSchuler:Governmentpolicyandfirmstrategyinthesolarphotovoltaicindustry

CaliforniaManagementReview,54,1,2011

Optionalbackgroundreading:

USEnergyInformationAdministration:AnnualEnergyOutlook2012

Week12:April8,10:Technology

*Case:Monsanto:Helpingfarmersfeedtheworld(HBS9-510-025,revFeb2012)

Studyquestions:

1. AsyoureadaboutMonsantosproductpipeline,areyouconvincedthatthetechnologyisavailabletoachieveGrantspromisetoincreasefarmproductivitysufficientlytofeedthe

worldin2030?

2. Assumingthatisthecase,whatstepsdoesMonsantohavetotaketoensurethattheyieldpotentialisrealized?

3. OtherthantheseproductsfromMonsanto,andrelatedonesfromtheircompetitors,whatothersolutionsarepossibleforachievingtheproductivitygainsnecessaryforfeedingthe

worldin2030?Assignedreading:

*Theprecautionaryprinciple(HBS610-043,2010)

*Agriculturalbiotechnologyanditsregulation(HBS9-701-004,revApril2001)

Brown:Seedsofconcern ScientificAmerican,April2001

Foley:Canwefeedtheworldandsustaintheplanet? ScientificAmerican,Nov2011

Week13:April15,17:Measuringprogress

*Case:Trucost:Valuingcorporateenvironmentalimpacts(HBS9-612-025revdSept.2012)

Studyquestions:

1.WhatshouldJamieSalodotoimprovetheprofitabilityofTrucostsNorthAmericanoperations?

2. Trucostbelievesitsinformationismoreusefulandofhigherqualitythanthatofitscompetitors.HowhasTrucostleveragedthisinthemarket?Whatshoulditdodifferentlyin

thisdomain?

3. Allratingsandrankingsystemshavestrengthsandweaknesses.WhatarethetwomostimportantstrengthsandweaknessesoftheNewsweekGreenRankings?

Assignedreading:

NewsweekGreenRankings:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/features/2012/newsweek-green-rankings.html

Newsweekmethodology:http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/09/07/newsweek-

green-rankings-frequently-asked-questions.html

Week14:April22,24:Researchprojectpresentations

______________________________________________________________________________________

PROSPECTSFORSUSTAINABILITY

Week15:April29,May1:Competingperspectivesonthepolitical-economyofsustainability


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Assignedreadings:

M.Friedman,M.(1970)TheSocialResponsibilityofBusinessistoIncreaseitsProfits.New

YorkTimesMagazine ,1970.

*A.B.Lovins,L.H.Lovins,P.Hawken,Aroadmapfornaturalcapitalism, HarvardBusiness

Review2007

J.OTooleandD.Vogel:Twoandahalfcheersforconsciouscapitalism,2011H.MagdoffandJ.B.Foster,Whateveryenvironmentalistneedstoknowaboutcapitalism

(2010)

Studyquestions:

1. Takeeachofthesearticlesasexemplarsofadistinctperspectiveonpeople,theeconomy,andsociety.Fromthepointofviewofeachperspective,takingtheminturn:

a. Whatistherootissuethatmakesitdifficultforourcountrytomeetthechallengeofassuringenvironmentalsustainability?

b. Whatisthebestwayforwardforourcountry?c. Wheredotheyagreeanddisagreewitheachoftheotherthreeperspectives?

2. Whichperspectivecomesclosesttoyourpersonalviews?Why?Optionalfurtherreadings:

W.Domhoff:Alternativetheories;Class-dominationtheory(at

http://www2.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/)

______________________________________________________________________________________

May7(4pm):Researchprojectfinalwrittenreportdue

______________________________________________________________________________________


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GuidelinesForCaseAnalysis1

Thinkofyourcaseanalysesasconsultantreports.Imaginethatyouhavebeengivena

chancetostudythefocalorganizationandtocomeupwithadiagnosisandasetof

recommendations.Afewissuesareimmediatelyposed:

*Youwillneedtoexplicitlyidentifyaspecificclient,sinceyouractionrecommendationswillneedtobeonesthatthisclientcanimplement.

*Inthiscourse,youhavesomelatitudeinchoosingyourclient:evenifthecaseiswrittenfromthe

pointofviewofagivenfirmorperson,youmightchoosetotakeasyourclientoneoftheother

stakeholders.However,inchoosingyourclient,makesurethecaseandassociatedreadingsprovide

youwithenoughmaterial.Pleaseconsultwithmebeforehandsoweagreeonyourchoiceofclient.

*Theissuestoberesolvedmaynotbeobvious;butthisisalsotrueofmanyreal-worldsituations.

TheStudyQuestionsinthesessiondescriptionsareofferedonlytogetyourthinkinggoingthey

arenotanagendaforyouranalysis.

*Inthissituation,youarenotasubjectmatterexpertbutratherafacilitator:yourclientwill

knowmoreabouttheissuesandcontextthanyou,soyourjobisnottosomuchtosellthemon

yourrecommendationastolayoutasaclearchainofreasoningsothattheycanuseyourinputtoclarifytheirownthinking.Ifyouwanttoinfluencethem,youwillneedtodoitthroughargument

andreasoning.

Youwillmakethispresentationtotheclass,butyoushouldthinkoftheclassasifwewere

theclientandhis/herleadershipteam.(Dokeepinmind,however,thatrepresentativesofother

stakeholdergroupsmayattend!)Giventhiscontext,andgiventhetimeconstraintsonyour

presentation,youshouldnotwastetimerepeatingthecasefactsthatwouldbeknowntothis

audience.(Inrealengagements,youmightreviewthesecasefactstoestablishcommongroundand

tobuttressyourcredibility;butinclass,thatwontbenecessary.)

Yourpresentationsshouldincludethefollowingelements:

First,oneofthemostchallengingpartsoftheassignment:youneedasinglesummaryslide

onwhichyousuccinctlystate(a)thechallengefacingtheclientorganization,(b)therootissuethatmakesitdifficulttomeetthischallengesuccessfully,and(c)yourkeyrecommendationfor

resolvingthisrootissue.Imaginethatyourclientisforcedtocutshortthemeetingduetoan

emergency:youwillwantoneslideonwhichtosummarizeyourtakeawaymessagethisisit.

Suchasummaryisveryhardtodo;butitwillforceyoutodistillyouranalysis,andthatwillhelp

youprioritizeandshapetherestofthepresentation.

Second,youshouldlayoutanoverviewofyourpresentationtheagenda.Thisslide

shouldtelluswhattopicsyouwilladdressinwhatorder.Itwillbemuchmoreimpactfulif

simultaneouslyyoucansummarizeinashortphrasethekeyconclusionofeachofthesepartsofthe

presentation.Inthisway,itcanlayoutinskeletonformthesubstantivelogicofyourargument.

Thirdcomesthebodyofthereport.Hereyoushouldstartbyidentifyingthekeychallenge

facingtheclient.Thechallengeistheproblemtoberesolved,soitisimportantthatyoustatethe

challengeinawaythatyourclientwillimmediatelyrecognizeasanaccuratestatementofthe

problemathand.Yourstatementofthechallengecreatesasharedcontextwithyouraudience.It

issometimesprettyobvious,andyoumayhaveaddresseditsufficientlyinyoursummaryslide;but

sometimesitislessobviousandwarrantsaslidetoitself.

1TheseGuidelinesreflecttheaccumulatedinsightsofmanycolleagueswithwhomIhavetaught

withovertheyears.Theyarealsocloseinspirittotheproblem-solvingprocessrecommendedby

Americanpragmatistphilosophy,JohnDewey.


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Havingidentifiedthechallenge,yournexttaskistopeeltheonionanotherfewlayersto

identifytherootissuefacingtheclient.ThinkofthisasperformingToyotasFiveWhys.2Theroot

issueisthefactorthatmakesitdifficultfortheorganizationtoresolveitschallengesuccessfully.

Thinkofyourtaskhereasakintoaphysicians:thepatient(client)comesinwithawholesetof

presentingsymptoms(i.e.challenges)itsyourjobtoidentifytheunderlyingdisease(i.e.root

issue).Foraconsultantaswithadoctor,agoodrootissueanalysisyieldsinsightthatisactionable:

actionabilityiscrucial,sincetherestofyourpresentationisgoingtofocusonresolvingthisrootissue.

Notethatorganizationsusuallyfacemultiplechallenges,andforanyoneofthese,theremay

bemorethanonerootissue.Butyousimplydonthavetimetoaddressmorethanonechallenge

andonerootissueinashortpresentation.Theburdenisonyoutoaddvalue--asmuchvalueas

possible--forclientbyidentifyingthemostcriticalchallengeandthehighest-leveragerootissue.

Identifyingarootissueisoftendifficultbutitisimmenselyvaluableforyourclient.In

reallife,itisoftenmuchmorevaluabletoyourcolleaguesandclientstoidentifytherightquestion

thantofindtherightanswer.Yourdiagnosisofthisrootissueshouldbeargued,notjustasserted,

usingtherelevantfactsofthecaseandwhateveranalytictoolsseemnecessary.Someofthe

supportinganalysismayneedtogointoanAppendix.

Notetoothatsometimestheclienthasastrongopinionastothenatureoftheirrealproblem,andthatthisopinionmaybeexpressedinthecase,butyoumaythinktheiranalysisisnot

accurate.Inthissituation,youhavetoconvincethemthattherealproblemlieselsewhere.And

sometimesthecasedescribesasituationwithoutexplicitlyidentifyinganyspecificchallengesatall,

perhapsbecausetheclientorganizationisdoingverywellhereyourtaskwillbetoidentifythe

deepsourceoftheirsuccessandakeysourceofvulnerabilityinthefuture,andwhattheycoulddo

addressthatvulnerability.

Finally,notethatincasessuchastheseoneswestudyinthiscourse,therearetypically

multipleinternalandexternal stakeholdersinyourclientsdecision-making,andthese

stakeholdershavedifferentinterests,rights,andconcerns.Stakeholdersareanygroupsaffectedby

theissue.Somestakeholdersmaynotbeobviousatfirstsighttheymaybefarafield,

downstreamorupstream.Youneedtoaskyourself:Whoarethepartiesaffectedhere?What

rightsorinterestsorconcernsoftheirsareinvolved?Whatisthenatureoftheclientorganizations

economicandpoliticalrelationstothesestakeholders?Somewhereinthecourseofyour

presentation,youwillneedtoconsiderthesestakeholders.Youshouldfoldthatdiscussioninto

yourpresentationwhereveritaddsmostvalueforyourclient:thismayturnouttobeinyour

characterizationofthechallenge;itmaybeindefendingyourcharacterizationoftherootissue;it

mayinidentifyingandassessingyouroptions;oritmaybeinplanningyourimplementationplan.

Butitshouldcontributesomethingtoyouranalysissomewhere.

AfterdefiningtheChallengeandRootissue,youneednexttoidentifythe StrategicOptions

asmallnumber(usually3or4)plausiblecandidatesforaddressingtherootissuefacingtheclient

organizationandtherebyhelpingitmeetitschallenge.Theseoptionsrepresentalternativecompass

2AsexplainedonWikipedia:Theproblem(orwhatIamcallingthechallenge)isthatmycarwontstart.Ask:

1. Why?-Thebatteryisdead.(firstwhy)2. Why?-Thealternatorisnotfunctioning.(secondwhy)3. Why?-Thealternatorbelthasbroken.(thirdwhy)4. Why?-Thealternatorbeltwaswellbeyonditsusefulservicelifeandhasneverbeenreplaced.

(fourthwhy)

5. Why?-Ihavenotbeenmaintainingmycaraccordingtotherecommendedserviceschedule.(fifthwhy,arootcause)


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headingsoveralldirectionstheycouldfollowtosolvetheirproblem.Assuch,theyarestatedin

relativelyabstractterms,incontrasttotheimplementationplanwhichwillspecifyadetailed

itinerary(seebelow).Yourstrategicoptionsshouldthereforenotbelaundrylistsofthingsworth

doing:theyshoulddefinealternativegeneraldirectionstheclientcouldtake.Tobemaximally

usefultotheclient,theseoptionsshouldbe(a)plausiblebut(b)fundamentallydifferent,indeed

mutuallyexclusivejustasonecannotsimultaneouslypursuetwodifferentcompassheadings.In

practice,youwouldwanttomakesurethatyourlistofoptionsincludestheoneslikelytobeunderdiscussionwithintheclientorganization:byexplicitlyaddressingtheseoptions,youwillbehelping

yourclientreachareasonedconsensus.(Torepeat:youarelookingformutuallyexclusive

alternativeshere,notvariantsofthesamebasicidea.)

Havingarticulatedtheseoptions,yournexttaskistojustifyyourrecommendationofoneof

theovertheotherswithreasoningthatcouldconvinceaskepticalclient.Thekeytoconvincingthe

clientistorecognizethattherearelotsofpointsofviewintheclientorganization(andintheclass)

onhowtosolvetheirproblem:yourjobistoconvinceusthatthestrategyoptionyourecommendis

morelikelytoachievesuccess.Thebestwaytodothisisasfollows:

*Firstyouneedtoidentifyacommonsetofcriteriaagainstwhichtoevaluatetheoptions.Abroad

rangeofstrategicandoperationalfactorsarepotentiallyrelevant,butitisuptoyoutocomeup

withasmallsetofkeycriteria. 3Youshouldjustifythischoiceofcriteria:youcanoftendothatbyreferringtotheprioritiesimpliedbytheorganizationsbasicmissionandbusinessstrategy.(Note:

sinceoptionsprosandcons,andtheirrelativesizeoftendifferdependingonthetimehorizonof

yourdecision,itisimportanttobeclearaboutwhetheryouarechoosingamongtheoptionsbased

primarilyontheirrelativeeffectivenessintheshort,medium,orlongterm.Youcanthendealinthe

Implementationplanningsectionwithanyimportantissuesthatneedaddressingintheshorteror

longertermthanthisfocaltimeframe.)

*Thenyoushouldtakeeachcriteriononeatatime,andshowhowyouroptionscompareonthat

criterion.Havingidentifiedeachoptionsprosandconsonthiscriterion,youshouldbeableto

scoretheoptionsrelativetoeachotherforthiscriterion(usuallyascaleof1-4suffices:ifyouusea

widerscale,suchas1-10,yourisk(a)givingafalseimpressionoftheprecisionofyouranalysisand

(b)givingsomecriteriamoreeffectiveweightthanothersbyhavingagreatvarianceofscores.

Keepinmindthatyouarenotheretryingtoconductarealquantitativeanalysis:youarejustusingnumberstomakeyourqualitativeargumentsmoreexplicit.).Note:ifyouroptionsareallgenuinely

plausible,theneachofthemshouldscoreashighorhigherthantheothersonatleastonecriterion.

*Tosumupthesescoresinaconvincingway,youthenneedtoproposeasetofweightsforthese

criteriaaccordingtotheirrelativeimportanceintheprioritiesoftheorganization,andexplainwhy

theseweightsarethemostappropriate.

3Note:thiscoursefocusesonstrategicissuesthatarebynaturedeeplyambiguous:ourmaintaskis

toresolvethisambiguity.Theseissuesarethereforeratherdifferentfromthoseyouencounterin

manyothercourses,wheretheessentialtaskisnottoresolveambiguitybuttoresolveuncertaintyandcomplexity.Whereissuesareuncertainandcomplex,wecanoftenresolvethem

throughcalculation,evenifthecalculationsarethemselvesverycomplex;incontrast,whereissues

areambiguous,themeaningofourgoalsandthesignificanceofthefactsathandareindispute,and

calculationsthereforedonotconvince:thewayforwardhereisnotbycalculation,butbyreasoned

appealtointuition,soastoresolvethesedifferentmeaningsanddevelopingashared

understanding.Thatmakesitimperativethatthenumberofevaluationcriteriabekeptsmall

enoughtopreservethepowerofintuition.Formostofus,intuitionfailswhentherearemorethan

threeorfourcriteriainplay.


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*Multiplyingscoresbyweights,youcancreateaweightedscoreforeachoptionandrank-order

theoptionsfrombesttoworst.Note:puttingnumberstotheseweightsandscoresisagreatwayto

clarifyyourthinking;butthenumberswillnotconvinceyourclient:youneedtoexplaininmore

intuitive,qualitativelanguagetherationaleforyourconclusion,andthenumbersareheretohelp

makemoreexplicityourreasoning.

*Finally,youshould testthesensitivityoftheresultingoption-rankingtoplausiblealternative

estimatesoftheweights.(Irecommendyoufocusonalternativeweightsratherthanalternative

scores,becauseinprincipleitshouldbeeasiertogetconsensusonthescores,andthereal

disagreementsaremorelikelytobeexpressedindifferentviewsontherelativeweightsofdifferent

criteria.)Hereiswherethebenefitsofaformal,quantitativedecision-analysisrevealthemselves:

first,itcanshowwhetheryourpreferredoptionreallydominatesthealternatives,orifreasonable

peopleusingreasonablebutdifferentweightswouldreachdifferentconclusions.Second,ifyour

solutionisnotrobustagainstsuchdisagreements,closescrutinyoftheanalysiswillhelpyou

differentiatebetweentherealissueswheredisagreementwouldchangethefinalconclusion

andthenon-issueswheredisagreementdoesntmattertothefinalranking.Thebestwaytodo

thisistoask:whatwouldproponentsoftheotheroptions(theonesyouarenotrecommending)

argueiftheyweremakingtheirbestcase?Whatweightswouldtheywanttouse?Thenyoucan

discusstherelativeplausibilityoftheseweightscomparedtoyourpreferredweights.ThisanalysisshouldbesummarizedonaslidebutIrecommendyoufindawayofpresentingyourresults

qualitatively,i.e.withoutrecoursetoquantifieddata:heretoo,numbersrarelyconvinceanyone,so

youshouldusethemonly(a)toclarifyyourownthinkingand(b)tobuttressthecredibilityofyour

qualitativereasoning:leavethequantitativeanalysisitselfinanAppendixslide.

Now,havingdescribedandjustifiedthemaincompassheadingyouarerecommending,

youcanmovetoimplementationplanning,whereyouprovideyourclientwithadetailed

itinerarythatwillenablethemtoimplementyourrecommendedstrategy.Dependingonthecase,

youmaynothaveenoughdatatodevelopthispartofyourpresentationinanygreatdetail,but

ideallythisiswhatwouldappearinthissection:

*First,youshouldidentifythelikely hurdlesthefactorswithinthecontroloftheorganization

thatwouldfaceyourclientinpursuingyourproposedstrategy,andsuggestsomecounter-

measuresyourclientcoulduseovercomethesehurdles.

*Second,youshouldalsoidentifytherisksthefactorsoutsidetheclientscontrolconfronting

yourstrategy,thenshowthecounter-measuresthatcouldmitigatetheserisks,andiftheycantbe

mitigated,howtheclientshouldproceediftheserisksdomaterialize.

*Synthesizingthisanalysisofhurdlesandrisksandtheirrespectivecounter-measures,youcan

proposeasequencedandtimedimplementationplan,answeringthequestions:whatarethe

keystepstobedonetoday,nextweek,nextmonth,nextquarter,andnextyear,andwhoshouldbe

responsiblefortheseactivities.Thisplanwillbefarmoreusefulifyousupportitwithsome

reasoningi.e.explainwhyyourecommendthissequencingandtimingratherthananother.

*Finally,toconvincetheclientthatyourrecommendationispractical,youshouldconsiderthe

overallbottom-linethe costsaswellasthebenefitsofyourplanofaction.Reportsoftenforget

thiselementaryconsideration!Itsanicewaytowrapupthepresentation.

Note:youmaynothaveenoughinformationtogroundallthedetailsofyour

implementationplaninthecasedata.Inthateventuality,itisoftenhelpfultoworkwithsome

plausibleassumptionsandshowuswhattheplanwouldlooklike.Ataminimum,youwillhave

providedtheclientwithatemplate(straw-man)thattheycanbuildon.

Notetoo:yourimplementationplanprobablyhasmanyfacets,butitsveryusefulifyou

devoteaslidetooneparticularlyhigh-leveragecomponent.Thegoalherewouldbetopinpointthe

rootissuethatunderliestheimplementationchallengeandthentoproposeawayofaddressing


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it.Obviouslyyouwonthavetimetoargueinanydetailforthisrootcauseanalysis,letaloneto

discussalternativewaysofaddressesthatrootissue;butevenwithoutthat,thisslidecan

considerablyargumentyourpresentationsvalue.Iftheplanofactioninvolves,forexample,anew

structure,youmightincludeadetailedorganizationchartforthenewstructure.Orperhaps

effectiveimplementationinvolvestraining:youmightshowusacourseoutlineforthetraining

module.Orperhapsitinvolvesaleaderexplainingtothisorganizationtherationaleforanew

strategy:youmightincludeavideothatyoucreatewithyourteam.Inthisway,youcanmakemoreconcretetheimplicationsofyourplan,andshowthatyouhaveanticipatedsomeofthedetailed

actionplanningthatitwillrequire

***

Yourgoalistodelivertoyourclientasmuchvalueaspossiblethatis,deepinsightsthat

theywillnothavehadthemselves.Sothisprojectisaboutpeelingtheoniontogodeeperintothe

underlyingcausesandtherebyofferactionrecommendationsthataremorelikelytohavemore

substantiallypositiveeffects.

Toachievethisgoal,yourteamsworkwillneedtoproceedinahighlyiterativeway.You

willtypicallyfindthatyouneedtorevisitandreviseyourcharacterizationsofthechallengeandthe

rootissuewhenyougetintothestrategicoptionsandimplementation.Planonseveraliterations,

sinceeachtimeyouworkthroughit,chancesaregoodyouwilluncovermoreissues.

Asaresultoftheneedforthisiterativeprocess,youwillnotbeabletoneatlydivideupthe

workofpreparingyourreportamongyourteammembers.Whereasinotherclassesyoucanoften

delegatespecificpartsofaprojecttospecificteammembers,hereyouandyourteammemberswill

needtoworkcollaboratively,inface-to-facediscussion.Youwillbeabletodivideuptheworkof

layingoutthePowerpointslides,butthecontentwillneedtobedevelopedcollaboratively.

Organizeyourselvesandplanyourworkschedulesaccordingly.

***

Asconcernstheoralpresentationitself,herearesomeguidelines:

*Iwillholdyoutoa15minutetime-limit.Thismaysounddraconian,butitisnotunlikemany

real-lifesituationswherethetimeaccordedyoutomakeyourcaseistypicallyveryshort.Moreimportantly,thistimelimitforcesyouinyourpreparationtogettoandkeepthefocusonthemost

criticalissues.

*Inanalyzingthecase,pleaserely onlyondataincludedin thesyllabusmaterials (case,

readings).Thiswillputyourteamandtherestoftheclassonanequalfooting.Youmay,however,

usewhateverconceptualoranalytictoolsyouchoose,wherevertheycomefrom.

*Itisofteninterestingtoseewhatactuallyhappenedafterthecasetime-frame(e.g.whatthe

companydidandhowitworkedout):youwillhaveupto5extraminutesforyourpresentationif

youwanttosummarizetheresultsofresearchyouhavedoneonthat.Butremember:thebodyof

yourpresentation(thefirst15minutes)needstobeconvincingtoyourclient(theclass)knowing

onlywhatweknowinthecasetime-frame.Whatactuallyhappenedisunknowntothematthat

time.

*Youshouldworktoensurethatyourpresentationdevelopsitsargumentsinalogicalsequence.

Youwillneedtomakeeachslidecountmakingaclearpointthatcontributestothelineof

argumentleadingtoyourrecommendations.

*Yourpresentationmaterials(slides)shouldbeclearneithertoowordynortoosparse.Consult

thestandardreferencesonhowtolayoutvisuallyintelligibleandpleasingpresentationslides.

Ideally,yourslidetitlesshouldconsistofassertions(notjustspecifythetopicoftheslide)


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*Youwillfinditusefultopreparesome Appendixslides.Thesemightexplainsomeofthedetailsof

youranalysis,orshowyouranalysisofsomeissuesthatareinterestingbutnotquiteimportant

enoughtoincludeinyour15-minutepresentationitself.Itisgoodtohavethesereadyincasethey

areusefulinrespondingtoquestions.

*Atthestartofclass,youneedtoprovidemewithhandoutsofyourSlides,includingAppendices.

YoushouldincludeinthishandoutyourNotespages.I(andinreallife,yourclient)willbe

reviewingyourSlidesafterthepresentation,andIwillneedtobeabletounderstandthe

intent/meaningoftheslide.Donotsimplycopyyourspeechtextintothisspaceusebulletpoints:

theNotespagesshouldgivethebareminimumIneedtofollowthelogicofyourreasoning.

*Pleasenumberyourslides:thiswillgreatlyfacilitateourdiscussion.


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GradingSheetforCaseAnalyses

(forCaseconsultingreportsandforConsulting-typeresearchprojects )

Eachcomponentisworth0-4points

Haveyouidentifiedtherelevantstakeholdersandtheirconcernsandinterests?

*Haveyouidentifiedtherelevantstakeholders?

*Haveyouidentifiedtherights,interests,andconcernsofthesestakeholders?

*Haveyouusedyourstakeholderanalysiseffectivelytoinformyouranalysisandrecommendations?

Haveyouidentifiedarootissueunderlyingthekeychallengethatconfrontstheclientorganization?

*Haveyouclearlyidentifiedakeychallenge?

*Haveyouidentifiedanactionablerootissuethatunderliesthatchallenge?

*Haveyoumadeacompellingcasethatthisisindeedtherootissue?

Haveyouarguedcompellinglyforyourpreferredstrategyfortacklingtherootissue?

*Haveyouidentifiedsomeplausible,mutuallyexclusive,alternativecompassheadings?

*Haveyouanalyzedthesealternativesprosandcons?

*Haveyoujustifiedtheevaluationcriteriayouuseinthispros/consanalysisandtherelativeimportance

(weights)youassigntoeach?

*Haveyoujustifiedtheevaluation(scores)ofeachalternativeoneachoftheevaluationcriteria?

*Haveyoudoneasensitivitytestonthisanalysistoseeifreasonablepeoplewouldreachdifferentresults

usingplausiblydifferentscoresorweights?Haveyouusedthisanalysistopinpointwherethekeyunderlying

disagreementsmightlie?

Doesyourproposedimplementationplanpasstherealitytest?

*Haveyouidentifiedthekeyrisksinpursuingyourstrategy?

*Haveyouproposedcounter-measurestomitigatetheserisks?

*Haveyouidentifiedtheinternalandexternalhurdlesfacingyourstrategy?*Haveyouproposedcounter-measurestoovercomethesehurdles?

*Haveyoulaidoutatimedsequenceofactionsthatintegratesthesecounter-measuresandmaximizesthe

likelihoodofsuccessandhaveyouexplainedwhyyourecommendthissequenceandtiming?

*Haveyouidentifiedaparticularlyimportantimplementationissue/solutionandofferedsomeinsightinto

thataspectofyourplan?

*Haveyouassessedtheoverallcostsoftheplanandcomparedthemtoitsbenefits?

Isyourargumentwellpresented?

*Doestheargumentflowinlogicalway?

Fororalpresentations(Note:Ingradingtheoraldeliverypartofthepresentation,Iwillnotpenalizepeoplefor

languagedifficultieswhentheirfirstlanguageisotherthanEnglish):

*Istheoralpresentationengaging?

*Areaudio-visualmaterialsusedtogoodeffect?

Forwrittencaseanalyses:

*Isthewritingtechnicallycorrect(spelling,grammar,paragraphs)?

*Dotheexhibitssupporttheargumenteffectively?

Gradingengagement


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Classengagementhasthreecomponents:pre-classpreparation,in-classcontributionto

discussion,andpost-classpostingsonBlackboard.TheyareweightedpertheGradingscheme

shownearlier.HereishowIwillgradeeachcomponent:

Pre-classpreparation

Foreachclasssessiondevotedtoacasediscussion,youneedtoprepareaone-pagesummaryofyouranswerstothebasicquestionsforeachcasediscussionsession.Seethe

Appendix:CaseNotesTemplate .Infillingthisout,pointformisappropriate.Thesesummariesmust

bepostedtoBlackboardbefoethebeginningoftheclasssession.EachNoteearnsyouupto2

points,basedonmyassessmentofqualityandthoroughness.Latesubmissionswillnotbegraded.

(YouareallowedtomissoneNotewithoutgradepenalty.)

In-ClassContribution

Eachclasssessionearnsyouupto2pointsunderthisheading.Iwillusethefollowing

anchorsasawayofevaluatingyourcontributiontoourdiscussions.Iwillalsogiveyouan

opportunitytoevaluateyourselfusingthesamecriteriabothmid-wayandattheendofthe

semester:

Excellent(2points)-Contributionsreflectedexceptionalpreparationandanenthusiasticcommitmenttoourlearningexperience.Hadalwaysreadtheassignedmaterialandhad

thoughtaboutitcarefully.Embracedtheopportunitytolearninourtimetogether,broughtout

thebestinothers,andwasopentosubsequentconversations.Broughtupquestionsthatneed

tobefurtherexplored.Addedconsiderablytothequalityofthecourseexperienceforothers.

Good(1.5points)-Contributionsreflectedanadequatepreparationforclassandcommitment

toourlearningexperience.Commentshelpedthediscussionmoveforward,butdidnotopen

newtopicsorposedifficultissues.Hadreadthematerialbeforeclassandgivenitsome

thought.Tookadvantageofthelearningopportunitiespresentedhere.Addedsomethingtothe

qualityofthecourseexperience.

Barelysatisfactory(1point)Attemptedtocontributeoccasionally,butcontributionsoften

reflectedeitherweakpreparationoranapatheticorientationtothelearningopportunities

presentedhere.Commentsdidnotbuildonorrelatetoflowofclassdiscussion.Hadreadthe

material,butwithoutmuchefforttoengageit.Onbalance,addednothingtotheexperienceof

theclass.

After-classpostingstoBlackboard:Take-aways

Shortlyaftereachclasssessionthatisdevotedtoacasediscussion(preferablywithinafew

hours,whileyourmemoryisfresh),youshouldtakesometimetodistillthekeytake-awaylessons

(TAs).StartingwiththeweekofJan28,studentsshouldpostashortTAnote(10-15lines,orlonger

ifyouwant)onourBlackboardDiscussionspace,atthelatestwithin36hoursoftheclass.These

mightalsoincluderesponsestootherpostingsalreadyontheDiscussionspace.

EachTAearnsyouupto2points,basedonmyassessmentofqualityandthoroughness.

Latesubmissionswillnotbegraded.(YouareallowedtomissoneTAwithoutgradepenalty.)My

gradingcriteriaare:

CoverageThebestTAssynthesizethekeyideasthatemergedduringthediscussionandfromthe

readings.WeakerTAsfocusonjustasubset.

InsightWeakTAslistthetopicsweaddressed;thebestTAspinpointthelessonslearnedabout

thosetopics.ThebestTAsalsosuggestnewquestionsthatareraisedbytheselessons.

ConnectionsThebestTAslinkthelessonsofthisdiscussiontoothersearlierinthecourse.

WeakerTAsdontmakesuchconnections.


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PointofViewThebestTAsrevealhowthediscussionhasenrichedyourownthinking.Weaker

TAslackthatpersonalengagement,orsimplyreiterateapre-formedpersonalopinion.


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CaseNotesTemplate

Myname:

Thecase:

Whoisyourclient?

Whatisthecriticalchallengetheclientfaces?

Whoarethemainstakeholdersinvolvedhereandwhataretheirconcernsand

interests?

Whatistherootissuetheclientmustresolveinordertodealwiththiscritical

challenge?

Whatplausible,mutuallyexclusive,strategicoptionsshouldtheclientconsiderfor

resolvingthisrootissue?

Whichoftheseoptionsdoyourecommend,andwhyisitsuperiortotheothers?

Whatimplementationissuesshouldyourclientanticipateandhowshouldthey

addressthem?


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ResearchProjectGuidelines

Duedates

Feb4:Projectproposal(byemail) Feb27:Situationassessment:presentationtoclass April1:Rough-cutreport(byemail): April22,24:Presentationinclass May7(4pm):Finalwrittenreport(byemail)Projecttopic

Thesereportscantakeeitheroftwoforms:

(1)Consultingreport:Thistypeofprojectmightfocusonaparticularfirmconfrontingaparticular

environmentalissue,oritmightconsiderthestrategyofagovernmententityoranactivistgroup.

Projectsofthistypeshouldbeaction-orientedandgofromanalysistorecommendations.The

GuidelinesweuseintheCCRswillserveasguidelinesforthistypeofreporttoo.

(2)Investigativejournalistreport:Inthistypeofproject,thegroupwillassumetheroleof

investigativejournalist,providingmeandtheclassabriefingabouteitheraspecificfirmsactions

orawidersustainabilityissue.Thisprojectwouldtakeasitsmodelinvestigativereportsthat

appearpublicationssuchasBusinessWeek,WSJ,orNYT.

Paperscanbewrittenwiththecooperationofthefocalorganization,butthisisnotrequired.

Studentsshouldbearinmindthatifapaperiswrittenwiththecooperationofanorganization,the

organizationsdesiresforconfidentialitymaybeinconflictwiththecoursesrequirementthat

studentspresenttheirreportsinclass:ifthathappens,beintouchwiththeinstructortoworkout

anappropriatecourseofconduct.

Projectethics

Someconsiderationstokeepinmind:

Youneedtoshowyourreporttoyourclientatsomepoint:somakesurethatthecontent,style,andpresentationwillmakeyouandUSCproud.

Sourcing:allyourassertionsshouldbesourcedandbackedupwiththeappropriatedata,citations,andanalysis

Ifworkwaspartitionedwithintheteam,attributesectionstotheindividuals."Livepeople"researchcomponent

Allteamprojectsmustincludesomeinteractionwithpeopleactuallyinvolvedinthe

case/issueyouarestudyingmanagersatcompaniesand/orNGOs,governmentofficials,etc.

Ideally,thiswouldbeface-to-faceinterviews;ataminimum,youshoulddophoneinterviews.Your

reportmustincludeclearattributions(citations)totheseandallothersources.

Projectproposal(Feb4)

Theprojectproposalshouldbea1or2pagedocument,andshouldinclude(atleast)the

followingitems:

Theteammembersnames. Yourclientandthemainquestion(s)yourprojectwillinvestigate. Whyyourteamchosetofocusonthisissue. Yourresearchplan,includingsomethesourcesyouexpecttorelyon,includinghowyouwill


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meetthe"livepeople"researchrequirementdescribedabove.

Situationassessment(Feb27)

Todayyouwillpresenttotheclassyourproposalandyoursituationassessment.Your

presentationwillreviewwhatyouhavefoundsofarandtheresearchthatremainstobedone.

Rough-cutreport(April1) Bynow,youshouldhavemostofthedatacollectedandanalysescompleted.Thisrough-cutof

yourfinalpresentationslideswillhelppinpointanyareaswheremoredataoranalysisisneeded.

Finalpresentationinclass(April22,24)

Iwillassigneachteamoneofthesedatesbylottery.

Eachteamwillget20minutes(maximum)topresenttotheclassandthenabout5minutesto

respondtoquestions.

Youarefreetopresentyourreportinwhateverformatyoulike.Evenifyourprojecttookthe

formofaconsultingproject,youareundernoobligationtousethestructureproposedinmy

Guidelines.

Apartfromtheoralpresentation,eachteamhastwodeliverablesforthisdate:fortheclass,black-and-whiteHandoutsofPowerPointslides,andfortheinstructor,acopyofyourTalking

Document.YourTalkingDocumentiscomposedof:

PowerPointslides Notes:wheretheSlidebulletpointsarenotself-explanatory,Notesareimportant.These

Notesshouldnotbeyourvoice-overscriptandshouldnotbeaprosereportindisguise:they

shouldsimplyadd,inbulletpointform,whateverextrainformationthereaderwouldneedto

understandthepointsbeingmadeontheSlide.

Appendicesthatshowanybackupanalysisyouperformedordatayoucollected.(Notadatadump!).

Finalprojectwrittenreport(May7,4pm) Thisreportwillbeamoredetailedaccountoftheresultspresentedinyouroralpresentation

andslides.Ifyouroralpresentationledyoutoidentifysomepossibilitiesforfurtherimprovements,

thesecanbeincorporatedintothisfinalwrittenreport.Itshouldbeinproseratherthanbullet

points,about7-10pagessingle-spacedplussupportingAppendices.Takethespaceyouneedto

makeacompellingargumentbutnomorethanyouneed.Thisshouldbeaprofessional-quality

report,ofthekindyoucanshowaclientoraprospectiveemployer.

Gradingtheteamresearchproject

Thegradefortheresearchprojectwillbebased50%ontheclasspresentationand50%on

thefinalwrittenreport.

Documents

MOR 499 Sustainability