Management Seminar

General characterization

Prerequisites

N/A

Bibliography

This is a course in the intersection of theory and practice and thus it uses the students’ knowledge acquired from prior courses. Students should use their prior courses’ bibliography in their essays and complement it with practical insights that may be acquired through a regular
attention to what managers read, such as The Economist, Harvard Business Review, Financial Times, McKinsey Quarterly, Deloitte University Press, among others.Students that feel their prior courses did not gave them an overall understanding of different fields of management, that wish to critically evaluate their previous knowledge and prepare themselves for classes with Guests, as well as strengthen the critical reflection in their individual reports, are invited to read the following:
Book:
Clegg, Kornberger, & Pitsis (2016). Managing and Organizations: An introduction to theory and practice. 4th edition. Sage. Check for contents and free resources on
https://edge.sagepub.com/node/34528/student-resources.

Articles, chapters, and reports:
Birkinshaw & Ridderstrale (2017). Fast/Forward: Make your company fit for the future (Chapter 1). Stanford University Press. Available for free on http://www.julianbirkinshaw.com/fastforward-sample.pdf.
Hagel, Schwartz, & Bersin (2017). Navigating the future of work: Can we point business, workers, and social institutions in the same direction? Deloitte Review 21 (pages 26-45). Deloitte University Press. Available for free on https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/insights/us/collections/issue-21/Deloitte-ReviewIssue21.pdf.

Heidrick and Struggles & Saïd Business School (2015). The CEO Report: Embracing the paradoxes of leadership and the Power of Doubt. Available for free on http://www.heidrick.com/Knowledge-Center/Publication/The-CEO-Report.
Kutz & Bamford-Wade (2013). Understanding contextual Intelligence: a critical competency for today’s leaders. E:CO, 15, 55-80.
Van Alstyne, Parker, & Choudary (2016). Pipelines, platforms, and the new rules of strategy. HBR

Teaching method

This course uses an approach to learning that relies on a constructive discussion between students, Guest managers, and Professor.
Classes have a three hours’ duration. The first class is a lecture on the value and the future of management, and the following classes are lectured by Managers on a specific topic. Students are invited to prepare the session in advance and actively engage with the managers during the
second hour of the class, discussing and even provoking them with ideas that they develop through self-reflection and group debates.
In the last hour of the class, students reflect on the topic and summarize their reflections in a written individual essay, which should show an understanding of the Guest’s position but mostly a critical reflection on the “best practices” presented and a creative way to move those practices
forward. This means that most of the study and preparation for the essays happens outside the class, through self-development anchored in a mentoring relationship created with the Professor.

Evaluation method

The Seminar will not be validated if the students miss more than ONE Session.

In the last hour of the session students deliver a small essay (max. 2 pages) with a critical view on the management problem and/or best practices presented by the guest, including:

1. An introduction on the topic, main challenges and best practices shared;
2. A critical analysis of the situation and impact of the management practices in the world;
3. A reflection on how those practices will still apply (or not) in the future;
4. Recommendations on how to overcome challenges and limitations, disrupt the business model and practice, and prepare teams, processes, and organizational structures for anticipated challenges in the context;
5. Personal reflection on how to prepare, as a future manager, for similar challenges and opportunities.

The final grade in the Management Seminar considers:
- Discussion with Guests (20%)
- Individual Reports (80%)

Subject matter

• Aiming to connect theories with practical application, the course uses knowledge and frameworks developed in diverse fields of management (strategy, information, marketing, operations, finance, human resources) and the specific content of each class is determined by a Guest Manager that presents a specific perspective on management and its day-to-day challenges.
  Guest companies and topics in past sessions of this course include:
  // Deloitte – The power of consultants
  // Delta Cafes – Internationalization challenges
  // IBM – Blockchain and Business (2018); Cloud computing and AI (2019)
  // IKEA – Supply chain management
  // Microsoft – Culture hack (digital workplaces)
  // Phillip Morris vs SportTV – Managing people in different contexts
  // Survey Monkey (ex) – Internationalization of Silicon Valley Unicorns
  // Vodafone – Engagement and ethical challenges of digital communities
  // Zalando – Digital business

Programs

Programs where the course is taught: