15.

311: ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES

Fall 2006
COURSE DESCRIPTION

There was a time when it was thought that scholars were close to knowing everything we needed
to know about how to design and run the optimal organization. Bureaucracy was best. It seemed
that only the details remained to be worked out: what was the ideal mix of salary and
commission; how many employees should there be for each manager; how bright should the
lights be in the workplace, and so on.

This smug complacency was shattered thirty years ago by a series of studies showing that there
is, in fact, no one best way to organize. Different environments place differing requirements on
organizations. An organization designed to thrive in a stable, well-understood environment, for
example, cannot be expected to do as well in conditions of uncertainty and rapid change. A
theory of relativity for organizational behavior was needed, and contingency theory was born.
Scholars began to search for the two or three key elements of the environment that determined
which type of organization was most appropriate in a given setting.

In the next two decades, they found not two or three but two or three thousand such
contingencies. It has become increasingly clear that the best way to organize in a particular
situation depends on so many factors—elements of strategy, industry, market, history, culture,
people, technology—that we will never find a recipe for the ideal organization and there will
never be a grand unified theory of organizational behavior. It is now clear that building and
sustaining quality organizations will always require the analytical skills, judgment, intuition, and
especially the creativity of human leaders and managers.

This course is designed to help you develop these skills, build your understanding of how
organizations behave and change, and enhance your capacity to act in organizations. Some
materials closely linked to this course have been introduced (albeit swiftly) in the Sloan
Orientation and have emphasized interpersonal relations and team processes. This course
focuses, however, on larger scale levels of analysis: organizational structure and design, power
and politics, culture and change.

COURSE SUMMARY

The ability to act with skill and creativity in organizations begins with the development of
multiple perspectives on organizations. As you are no doubt aware, humans habitually settle into
fixed perspectives, unchallenged mental models of how the world works, unconscious filters of
what we pay attention to and what we ignore. These habits offer powerful economies of thought:
without them, the simplest task of picking a face out in a crowd or listening to the radio while
driving would be impossible. But they impose costs as well. They lock us into a single view of
the world that may not be best, that is surely incomplete, that will become outdated, and that is
resistant to change. Creativity involves trading off economy of thought for innovation of thought.
It requires the discipline of interpreting what we see and hear in organizations from multiple
standpoints.
15.311: ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES Fall 2006

As a starting point, this course is organized around three different perspectives on organizations:
the strategic design perspective, the political perspective, and the cultural perspective. Each of
them offers a different angle on what is an organization, and each offers different tools for
action.

Accordingly, we will probe some of the social and psychological processes that make it likely
that managers will fall into unchallenged patterns of action and thought. We will then turn to a
more in-depth treatment of the strategic design, political, and cultural perspectives on
organization. While leading and managing others always presents challenges, our goal in this
course is to use the three perspectives to develop a more complete understanding of these
challenges, so as to enable organizational participants to best address these challenges. In order
to make the material tangible, we require that students go out into the world and study a real
organization as a “live” case study. Thus, a major requirement for this course is a team project
study of an organization that is attempting a change initiative (more on this later).

As this syllabus displays, the course combines conceptual and experiential approaches. It
involves exercises, case studies, lectures, videos, and group work.

COURSEWORK AND GRADING

Preparation

The expectations of you are relatively simple: arrive punctually to class, be well prepared, and
actively participate. There are several ways in which the materials in this course help you to do
this.

Short Introductions

These have been provided for each session in this course outline to give you some background
on the materials to be covered. You should read these first.

Study Questions

These are there to guide you through the case material, helping you to focus on what’s important.

Readings

Most sessions have accompanying readings, which you are expected to complete. All class
assignments and readings are in the 15.311 course packet available in graphic arts in the
basement of E52. Additional case materials may be handed out in class.

Surveys and Self Assessments

Prior to many class sessions, students will complete surveys or self-assessments relevant to the
upcoming class. The purpose of these assessments is to allow you to reflect on the relevance of
the topic to you personally in your career. The responses will be aggregated and discussed in
class.

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15.311: ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES Fall 2006

Participation (30%)

The character of the course naturally lends itself to active exchange among participants.
Participation is encouraged and recognized in several ways. Your grade for participation in the
course will be affected by absences. If you must miss a class, please let your instructor known
beforehand. To recognize those whose comments and questions benefit us all, a part of the
participation grade is based on contributions made in class. Both quantity and quality are
relevant and although consistent contribution is ideal, a few points of genuine insight may go a
long way. Sharing your perceptions and ideas with others is crucial for learning and for
understanding how the diverse opinions that you are likely to encounter in an organization are
articulated and debated. You will find yourself presenting and testing new ideas that are not
wholly formulated and assisting others to shape their ideas as well. You should be prepared to
take some risks and be supportive of the efforts of others. Finally, the completion of self-
assessments is mandatory. While the assessments are not graded, failure to complete
assessments in a timely manner will also affect your participation grade.

Team Project (50%)

During Orientation, each of you was assigned to a team. The goal of these teams is to help each
of you learn more effectively than you could as independent individuals. Your team will work
together on several assignments and exercises in 15.311. The most significant of these is that
each team is required to produce a team project for the semester. For reasons of administrivia,
students will be enrolled jointly in 15.311 (Organizational Processes) and the 15.328 (Team
Project class), with the grades locked across the two classes (i.e., each student will receive the
same grade in 15.311 as 15.328). The major requirements of the team project are 1) the writing
of a team project report (delivered to the OP faculty); and 2) the presentation of the team project
in the 15.280 Communications class that is graded as an assignment in 15.280 by the
Communications faculty. This project will involve students going into the field and studying an
organizational change initiative. More details on the team project will be covered when we kick
off the team project on the first day of class.

Individual In-Class Midterm Test (20%) November 2nd

Grading Summary

Participation 30%

Team Paper 50% (Due Dec. 7th)

Midterm 20% (Nov. 2nd)

SPECIAL SESSIONS:

We have designed this course to work in conjunction with 15.280 (Communications). Thus, the
classes will share certain assignments (these are listed in detail below). Some of our required
sessions will be offered jointly with the Career Development Office (in particular, October 20th
and November 17th). In addition, Roberto Fernandez and the Career Development Office will be
offering an optional session on Hiring on October 6th.

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15.311: ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES Fall 2006

SCHEDULE

Sessions 1 and 2: Introduction to Organizational Processes

(NOTE: Special time and location – see below for details)

Cohort A: September 7th, 1:00-4:00 in E51-149

Cohort B: September 7th, 1:00-4:00 in E51-145

Cohort C: September 7th, 1:00-4:00 in E51-376

Cohort D: September 8th, 8:30-11:30 in E51-149

Cohort E: September 8th, 8:30-11:30 in E51-145

Cohort F: September 8th, 8:30-11:30 in E51-395

One of the main goals of this class is to give students the skills to observe, diagnose, and guide
organizational change. One of the most valuable ways of achieving this end is by having student
teams study change initiatives in real organizational settings. In this session, we will introduce a
major component of the class, the Organizational Processes Team Project.

Organizations undertake initiatives in order to further their strategic or tactical business goals.
Your task is to analyze an initiative that was recently adopted, or is in the process of being
adopted in an organization. Each team will identify an initiative, conduct a multi-perspective
analysis, and relate it to what else is happening in the organization. The purpose of the
assignment is to improve your ability to diagnose and tailor initiatives in ways that work.

Case: Gabarro, “Aston-Blair, Inc.”

Additional Carroll, “Introduction to Organizational Analysis: The Three Lenses, MIT Sloan
Readings: School, Revised June 2006
Ancona et al., “Conducting Team Projects,” Managing for the Future:
Organizational Behavior and Processes, 1999 (2nd Ed.), Module 2a, pp. 1-21

Study The three lenses reading is foundational to this course. Use this reading as a tool
Questions: to prepare the following questions:
1. What are the problems facing Baker at the end of the case?
2. How did they evolve?
3. What actions would you take at the end of the case?
Why?

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15.311: ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES Fall 2006

Session 3 (September 14th): Team & Small Group Dynamics

As you have no doubt seen in your own experience, organizations are increasingly relying on
teams to accomplish their goals. In addition and more proximally, over the duration of this
course, and in your other core subjects, you will be working in project teams to complete
assignments. A solid understanding of the dynamics, benefits, and pitfalls of teams and small
groups is therefore essential to your success both in this class and your future organizations. In
this class, we will examine small group dynamics, using the context of a university athletic team
to explore a number of its key dimensions.

Case: Snook and Polzer, “Army Crew Team”

Additional Additional Team Project Material Available on SloanSpace

Readings:

Study Come to class prepared to discuss the following questions:

Questions:
1. Why does the Varsity team lose to the JV team?
2. What should Coach P. have done differently earlier in the season to resolve
this problem? At exactly what point should he have intervened differently?
3. At the end of the case what action should Coach P. take on Tuesday? Why
do you recommend this action? How should he implement this action?
4. How would you compare the Army Crew team to other types of
organizational teams? What are the key similarities and differences? What
lessons can we learn from the Army Crew team?

TEAM DAY (September 15th): Team exercises and presentations

(NOTE: Special time and location – see below for details)
Cohort A: 8:30-3:00 in TBA

Cohort B: 8:30-3:00 in TBA

Cohort C: 8:30-3:00 in TBA

Cohort D: 8:30-3:00 in TBA

Cohort E: 8:30-3:00 in TBA

Cohort F: 8:30-3:00 in TBA

In this special session, we will spend a day working on the role of teams in organizations. The
goals are to review the performance advantages and disadvantages of teams, and to check-in on
the progress of student teams’ projects.

Case: None

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15.311: ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES Fall 2006

Additional Ancona et al., “Team Handbook,” Managing for the Future: Organizational
Readings: Behavior and Processes, 1999 (2nd Ed.), Module 3, pp. 15-33

Study None
Questions:

Due: Status presentations on team projects. Also: Team Contract due September 22nd

Session 4 (September 21st): Individual Decision making and Sensemaking

In this class, we will discuss the complex psychological issues that arise when humans make
decisions. We will review the large body of managerially-relevant material on decision making
and decision biases from cognitive psychology.

Case: Roberto and Carioggia, “Mount Everest, 1996” [Handout]

Additional Hammond, Keeney, and Raiffa, “The Hidden Traps in Decisionmaking,”

Readings: Harvard Business Review, September – October 1998

Study Included in handout

Questions:

Session 5 (September 28th): Understanding Ethical Violations,

OR, Why Do Smart People Do Dumb Things?

Of late, the business press has been replete with stories of unethical and illegal business dealings.
In this session, we seek to gain insight into how it is that seemingly smart people can display
such glaring lapses.

Case: Vandivier, “Why Should My Conscience Bother Me?”

Additional Cialdini, “Commitment and Consistency: Hobgoblins of Minds,” Influence The

Readings: Psychology of Persuasion, 1993, Ch. 3, pp. 57-113

Study Come to class prepared to discuss the following questions:

Questions:
1. How did industry context, organization history, and strategic design, political
and cultural processes at B.F. Goodrich influence the unethical behavior of
Goodrich professionals?
2. Identify the key players and key decision moments in the case. What were
the escalation of commitment dynamics that enabled these individuals to
rationalize their unethical behavior at each point?
3. After this debacle, what actions could B.F. Goodrich senior executives have
taken to avoid future problems of this kind?

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15.311: ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES Fall 2006

Session 6 (October 5th): Strategic Design Perspective I

Organizational Structure and Processes

The formal structure of the organization plays a critical role in shaping the work that gets done in
organizations. There have evolved some general principles that managers tend to follow when
designing organizations. While there is no universal “best way” to organize, depending on the
purpose, there are better and worse ways to group, link and align organizational units. This
Diena case provides an excellent setting in which to examine the tradeoffs one makes when
designing formal organizational structures.

Case: Simons and Reinbergs, “Diena”

Additional Ancona et al., "The Organization As Strategic Design," Managing for the
Readings: Future: Organizational Behavior and Processes, 1999 (2nd Ed.), Module 2,
pp. 12-26

Study Come to class prepared to discuss the following questions:

Questions:
1. Describe A/S Diena’s strategy with respect to the Regional Press Group.
2. Which organizational structure for the Regional Press Group (hybrid,
centralized, or matrix) do you think will best meet Ašeradens’ goals?
Explain.
3. Sketch your proposed structure for the Regional Press Group within A/S
Diena

OPTIONAL SESSION (October 6th): Hiring: Theory and Practice

Special session by Prof. Roberto Fernandez, in cooperation with the CDO
(NOTE: Special time and location – see below for details)

Cohorts D, E, & F: 8:30-10:00 in Wong

Cohorts A, B, & C: 10:20-11:50 in Wong

This special session on hiring theory, given by Professor Roberto Fernandez, in cooperation with
the Career Development Office addresses key issues in hiring that are particularly relevant to
your job search process.

Case: None

Additional None
Readings:

Study None
Questions:

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15.311: ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES Fall 2006

Session 7 (October 12th): Strategic Design Perspective II: Incentives and Alignment

This is perhaps the most famous (or infamous) case of incentive structures in the management
literature. It makes a sharp argument in favor of some controversial ways of designing
compensation systems and motivating employees. The fact that these methods are controversial,
however, should not make us dismissive. As we shall see, Lincoln and others have long used
such reward systems with some interesting results. Be prepared to take a position on the reward
system.

Case: Bjorkman, “Lincoln Electric in China”

Additional Pfeffer, "Six Dangerous Myths About Pay," Harvard Business Review, May –
Readings: June 1998
Kohn, "Why Incentive Plans Cannot Work," Harvard Business Review,
September – October 1993

Study Come to class prepared to discuss the following questions:

Questions:
1. What are the key elements of Lincoln Electric’s alignment system? Think
about their industry, their strategy, their manufacturing operations, and their
culture. How does the alignment structure fit with the rest of their
organization? What role do you think this approach to alignment has played
in Lincoln’s past performance?
2. What is the applicability of Lincoln’s approach to alignment to other
companies and situations? Why don’t more companies operate like Lincoln?
3. Should Jeffrey Kundrach and Michael Gillespie implement the Lincoln
alignment system in China? Why or why not?

Session 8 (October 19th): Political Perspective I: Understanding Power and Authority

A central theme in the political perspective on organizations is that understanding the nature of
power, how to get it and how to use it, are essential for any manager to be effective. In order to
motivate our discussion of power and authority, we will watch a short film reporting a series of
classic experiments on obedience to authority.

Case: Milgram, Obedience to Authority Experiments

Additional Ancona et al., “The Political Lens,” Managing for the Future: Organizational
Readings: Behavior and Processes, 1999 (2nd Ed.), Module 2, pp. 40-49

Study Come to class prepared to discuss the following questions:

Questions:
1. What are the bases of power?
2. How can you exercise power? As an individual? As a leader?

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15.311: ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES Fall 2006

Session 9 (October 20th): Career Choices (in cooperation with the CDO)
(NOTE: Special time and location – see below for details)

Cohort A: 10:20-11:50 in E51-345

Cohort B: 10:20-11:50 in E51-335

Cohort C: 10:20-11:50 in E51-315

Cohort D: 8:30-10:00 in E51-345

Cohort E: 8:30-10:00 in E51-335

Cohort F: 8:30-10:00 in E51-315

In this special session, run jointly with the Career Development Office, we will turn our attention
to the examination of careers. As organizations are changing rapidly, so too are the nature of and
expectations for our careers. This case enables us to address two important topics: 1) We will
explore another alignment mechanism that companies are using to foster employee motivation
and commitment—increased flexibility regarding employees’ work and personal lives. As
organization leaders who will face the challenge of a huge demographic shift in the workforce,
this is one of the key issues you will need to address. 2) We will examine how new values
regarding work-personal life integration may affect your own personal career choices.

Case: Loveman, “The Case of the Part Time Partner”

Additional Hochschild, “When Work Becomes Home and Home Becomes Work,”
Readings: California Management Review, Summer 1997
Nocera, “Oh, Quit Whining and Get Back to Work!,” Fortune, March 17,1997,
pp. 44-45
Barlow, T., “Tribal Workers,” Financial Times, July 24 –July 25,1999, pp. 1-4

Study As you read the case, analyze the arguments about the partnership decisions to be
Questions: made, and come to class prepared to defend your votes regarding:
1. Would you vote to make Julie partner?
Why or why not?
2. Would you vote to make Tim partner?
Why or why not?

MIDTERM (November 2nd

In class, closed book, midterm essay exam based on the topics covered so far in this course

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15.311: ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES Fall 2006

Session 10 (November 9th): Political Perspective II: Networks and Power

Power is critical to getting things done in organizations. In this session, we will focus on how
individuals manage that power and the role that networks play for organizational actors in getting
things done.

Case: Eisenstat, “Managing Xerox’s Multinational Development Center”

Additional Cross, Nohria, and Parker, “Six Myths About Informal Networks,” MIT Sloan
Readings: Management Review, Spring 2002
Pfeffer, “Decisions and Implementation,” Managing with Power, 1992, Chapter
1, pp. 3-31
Burt, “Mastering Management: How Holes Help Support Structure,” Financial
Times, May 10, 1996, pp.1-2

Study Come to class prepared to discuss the following questions:

Questions:
1. What are the key challenges that John Clendenin faced in his work with the
MDC? Work through the “ketchup” example to highlight the strategic,
cultural, and political issues he faced in making the MDC successful. How
does Clendenin overcome opposition to his plans for the MDC?
2. Note Clendenin’s relations with his superiors, subordinates, and peers at
Xerox. How does Clendenin build and manage his relations with each of
these groups? What do you like and what do you not like about the way
Clendenin manages his relations with these groups?
3. Do you think Xerox’s formal structure helped or hindered Clendenin’s
ability to build up the MDC?

Session 11 (November 16th): Cultural Perspective I: Culture as Control

Today we will begin our discussion of culture and consider what it means for an organizational
culture to be strong or weak. We will consider one useful model of organizational culture and
see how it helps us better understand the Disney organization. And we will talk about the
advantages and disadvantages of strong cultures -- such as the one shown on the video for the
session -- for employees, shareholders and customers.

Case: Van Maanen, “The Smile Factory: Work at Disneyland”

Additional Ancona et al., "The Cultural Lens," Managing for the Future: Organizational
Readings: Behavior and Processes, 1999 (2nd Ed.), Module 2, pp. 64-75
Collins and Porras, “Cult-Like Cultures,” Built to Last, 1998, Chapter 6, pp. 115-
139

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15.311: ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES Fall 2006

Study Come to class prepared to discuss the following questions:

Questions:
1. If you’ve ever been to Disneyland or Disneyworld, think about your own
experience. As a customer, what did you like about Disney? In other words,
what does Disney effectively provide to their customers?
2. What are the key elements of Disney’s culture? What role does this culture
play in Disney’s success (and in their failures) in satisfying their customers?
3. Reflect on the culture of your last organization. If you have a material object
from your last organization that had some kind of special meaning for
organization members, please bring it to class. If not, come prepared to talk
about an artifact (symbol, story, language, or ritual that carries special
meaning for organization members) from your organization’s culture and
what that artifact meant to organization members. Was your organization’s
culture “cult-like” in the way described by Collins and Porras? Is this a good
or bad attribute? Looking back, what was the impact on your behavior of
being a part of that culture

Session 12 (November 17th): Introduction to Negotiation and Bargaining:

Special session by Prof. Jared Curhan, in cooperation with the CDO
(NOTE: Special time and location – see below for details)

All 10:20-11:50 in 26-100

Cohorts

Effective negotiation and bargaining are critical skills in business. In this special session,
Professor Jared Curhan will provide insights into negotiation theory with a focus on application
to negotiating compensation packages.

Case: None

Additional None
Readings:

Study None
Questions:

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15.311: ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES Fall 2006

Session 13 (November 21st): Cultural Perspective II: Culture and Change

There is near universal agreement that managing change is one of the most difficult, but
profoundly important, of management tasks. Cultural issues are often cited as a hindrance to
change efforts. In this session, we will explore how understanding organizational culture is a
crucial skill for changemakers. The case and the associated readings for this session highlight
the tradeoffs that need to be considered when guiding organizational transformations.

Case: Hamermesh and Dossabhoy, “Cleveland Twist Drill (A)”

Additional Beer, Eisenstat, and Spector, “Why Change Programs Don't Produce Change,”
Readings: Harvard Business Review, 1990
Tushman, Newman, and Romanelli, “Convergence and Upheaval: Managing the
Unsteady Pace of Organizational Evolution,” California Management
Review, 1986

Study Come to class prepared to discuss the following questions:

Questions:
1. What were the problems facing the company?
2. What was its history, culture, and structure?
3. What do you like and not like about Bartlett’s approach to the situation?
4. What was the reaction of others in the organization was to his actions?
5. Reflect on a past organizational change effort that you have been a part of.
Come prepared to talk about the approach used by your organization's
leaders to make this change and the strengths and weaknesses of this
approach.

Session 14 (November 28th): Integrating the Perspectives I: Organizational Change

We continue with our focus on managing organizational change. In this class, we will explore
the power of bringing the three perspectives to bear in a case involving complex change
processes.

Case: Beers, “The Strategy that Wouldn’t Travel”

Additional Ancona et al., “The Challenges of Execution: Roles and Tasks in the Change
Readings: Process,” Managing for the Future: Organizational Behavior and Processes,
1999 (2nd Ed.), Module 8, pp. 11-30

Study Come to class prepared to discuss the following questions:

Questions:
1. What were the main problems and underlying strategic, political, and
cultural causes at the Wichita facility? What did Karen and her team do that
made the changes at the Wichita plant happen? What were the enabling

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15.311: ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES Fall 2006

factors in the plant and in its context?

2. What are the problems at Lubbock? Why is change so difficult at the
Lubbock plant?
3. What action steps could Karen take in Lubbock now that would improve the
prospects for change?
4. What action steps could Karen take to improve her overall change initiative
in the company?

Session 15 (November 30th): Integrating the Perspectives II: Leading Change

In this final organizational change class, we will focus on the role of top management in leading
organizational transformation. This case allows us to learn from an organizational leader who
lead a change effort over a long period of time in a highly complex organization.

Case: Bartlett and Wozny, “GE’s Two-Decade Transformation: Jack Welch’s

Leadership”

Additional None
Readings:

Study 1. How difficult a challenge did Welch face in 1981? How effectively did he
Questions: take charge?
2. What were Welch’s objectives in the initiatives he launched in each of the
following periods: 1981-1984, 1985-1988, 1989-1994, 1995-2000?
3. What is your evaluation of Welch’s approach to leading change?

Session 16 (December 7th): Recap

Case: None

Additional None
Readings:

Study None
Questions:

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15.311: ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES Fall 2006

15.311: OP / 15.328: COMM JOINT SCHEDULE

Week 15.280 Date 15.311

1 Class 1 9/5
9/7 or 9/8 Classes 1 & 2
2 Class 2 (persuasion) 9/12
9/14 Class 3
9/15 Team Day
3 Class 3 9/19
9/21 Class 4
4 Class 4 9/26
9/28 Class 5
5 Class 5 10/3
10/5 Class 6
10/6 Hiring theory (optional)
6 Columbus Day — no class 10/10
10/12 Class 7
Class 6 w/CDO 10/13
7 Class 7 w/CDO 10/17
10/19 Class 8
10/20 Class 9 w/ CDO
SIP WEEK
8 Class 8 10/31
11/2 [midterm exam]
Class 9 w/CDO 11/3
9 Class 10 11/7
11/9 Class 10
10 Class 11 11/14
11/16 Class 11
11/17 Class 12 w/ Jared Curhan
11 11/21 Class 13
Thanksgiving – no class 11/23
12 11/28 Class 14
11/30 Class 15
13 Class 12 presentations 12/5
12/7 Class 16
14 Class 13 12/12

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15.311: ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES Fall 2006

May, 2005

MIT SLOAN ACADEMIC STANDARDS

As a member of the MIT Sloan academic community, the highest standards of academic
behavior are expected of you. It is your responsibility to make yourself aware of the standards
and adhere to them. These standards are discussed below, specifically regarding plagiarism,
individual work, and team work.

This discussion of academic honesty is not exhaustive, and there may be areas that remain
unclear to you. If you are unsure whether some particular course of action is proper, it is your
responsibility to consult with your professor and/or teaching assistant for clarification.

When students are found to have violated academic standards, disciplinary action will result.
Possible consequences include grade reduction, an F grade, a transcript notation, delay of
graduation, or expulsion from MIT Sloan.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism occurs when you use another's intellectual property (words or ideas) and do not
acknowledge that you have done so. Plagiarism is a very serious offense. If it is found that you
have plagiarized -- deliberately or inadvertently -- you will face serious consequences, as
indicated above.

The best way to avoid plagiarism is to cite your sources - both within the body of your
assignment and in a bibliography of sources you used at the end of your document.

Internet Research

Materials gathered through research via the Internet must be cited in the same manner as more
traditionally published material. Lack of such citation constitutes plagiarism.

These definitions were drawn from the MIT Libraries website. For more information please visit:
http://libraries.mit.edu/tutorials/general/plagiarism.html

Individual Assignments

When you are asked to do individual work, you are expected to adhere to the following
standards:

• Do not copy all or part of another student’s work (with or without “permission”).

• Do not allow another student to copy your work.

• Do not ask another person to write all or part of an assignment for you.

• Do not work together with another student in order to answer a question, or solve a
problem, or write a computer program jointly.

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15.311: ORGANIZATIONAL PROCESSES Fall 2006

• Do not consult or submit work (in whole or in part) that has been completed by other
students in this or previous years for the same or substantially the same assignment.

• Do not use print or internet materials directly related to a case/problem set unless
explicitly authorized by the instructor.

• Do not use print or internet materials without explicit quotation and/or citation.

• Do not submit the same, or similar, piece of work for two or more subjects without the
explicit approval of the two or more instructors involved.

Please note that many classes will require a combination of team work and individual work. Be
sure that you follow all the guidelines for individual work when a faculty member identifies an
assignment as an individual one.

Team Assignments

When you are asked to work in teams, there is a broad spectrum of faculty expectations. Three
general types of appropriate collaboration on team assignments are described below. The
instructor will indicate in the syllabus what his/her expectations are. If there is any uncertainty, it
is the student’s responsibility to clarify with the professor or TA the type of team work that is
expected.

Type 1 collaboration: the professor states that collaboration is allowed, but the final product must
be individual. An example of this might be a problem set.

• You are allowed to discuss the assignment with other team members and work through
the problems together.

• What you turn in, however, must be your own product, written in your own handwriting,
or in a computer file of which you are the sole author.

• Copying another’s work or electronic file is not acceptable.

Type 2 collaboration: the professor states that collaboration is encouraged but that each person's
contribution to the deliverable does not have to be substantial (taking a "divide and conquer"
approach). An example of this might be a brief progress report.

• Each team member is encouraged to contribute substantially to the team assignment,

however, the team may choose to assign one or more team members to prepare and
submit the deliverable on behalf of the team.

• Regardless of how work is shared or responsibilities are divided among individual team
members, each member of the team will be held accountable for the academic integrity of
the entire assignment. If, for example, one member of the team submits plagiarized work
on behalf of the team, the entire team will be subject to sanctions as appropriate.

• The team may not collaborate with other students outside of the team unless the professor
explicitly permits such collaboration.

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Type 3 collaboration: the professor states that collaboration is expected and that each team
member must contribute substantially to the deliverable. An example of this might be the FYC or
the OP project.

• Each team member must make a substantial contribution to the assignment. It is not, for
example, acceptable to divide the assignments amongst the team members (e.g., part of
the team does the FYC and the other part does another project), though the team may
divide the work of any one assignment to complete it as they deem appropriate.

• The team may not collaborate with other students outside of the team unless the professor
explicitly permits such collaboration.

To repeat, if there is any question about the rules for a particular assignment the student should
check with the faculty member.

Relevant Excerpts from the MIT Sloan Professional Standards

MIT Sloan’s Professional Standards provide a guideline for professional behavior by students,
and faculty inside the classroom. The MIT Sloan School is committed to creating an
environment in which every individual can work and study in a culture of mutual respect. When
making individual decisions we must keep in mind the interests of the many other stakeholders.

Consistent with the general goal of mutual respect, faculty, students, and staff are reminded to
demonstrate:

• On-time arrival to classes and presentations, with uninterrupted attendance for the
duration.

For example, those who arrive on time to an event or class and stay until it ends show
courtesy to both the speaker and the audience, and avoid disrupting the session for
others.

• On-time initiation and termination of classes and presentations.

For example, there is a 10-minute transition time period allocated between MIT Sloan
class sessions. A class session or any other public meeting is expected to formally end 5
minutes before its scheduled ending time, and the following class session or meeting is
expected to begin 5 minutes after its scheduled starting time. Students and faculty who
observe this practice allow classrooms to be cleared in a reasonable way, facilitate
traffic flow between rooms, and minimize disruptions to MIT Sloan’s tightly-scheduled
facilities.

• Maintenance of a professional atmosphere. This includes, but is not limited to:

o Using respectful comments and humor

Be aware that once you matriculate at MIT Sloan, you’ll be representing the MIT
Sloan School and MIT for the rest of your life. Make a positive impact as an
individual and School representative by extending respect to your MIT Sloan

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community colleagues and all other guests and strangers. For example, minimize
misunderstanding by communicating thoughtfully and using humor carefully in a
context of mutual respect with new acquaintances and strangers—and in the context
of your preexisting relationships with your friends. Those who use the ‘Golden Rule’
(e.g., treating others as they would like to be treated themselves) as a starting point in
their interactions with others will always have solid friendships and business
relationships at hand.

o Utilizing computers and technology suitably

(e.g., silencing wireless devices, no web-browsing or emailing)

For example, those who switch off their cell phones before the start of class respect
our academic environment by allowing uninterrupted learning to proceed. Similarly,
those who turn off laptop computers before a class or meeting avoid ‘multitasking’
activities such as internet browsing and emailing that are unwelcome and distracting
to their neighbors. Unless specifically permitted by a faculty member, an event
organizer, or a presenter, laptops should remain closed during MIT Sloan class
sessions, presentations, and meetings.

o Refraining from distracting or disrespectful activities

(e.g., avoiding side conversations and games)

As with the improper use of cell phones and laptops, side conversations and game
playing during meetings, events, and classes are distracting and discourteous to
colleagues, guests, and presenters, reflect poorly on the MIT Sloan School—and
should be avoided.

• Courtesy towards all guests, hosts and participants in the classroom.

MBA community members are expected to maintain decorum in interactions with

members and guests of the MIT Sloan community. Such behavior should: 1)—reflect MIT
Sloan Professional Standards, and; 2)—be consistent with the North American business
practices. Appropriate, courteous behavior enhances MIT Sloan’s reputation and
encourages others to participate in our activities, hire our students, and contribute to our
School. In MIT Sloan’s environment, MBA students are expected to observe the proper
dress, decorum, and etiquette that is appropriate to MIT Sloan Professional Standards
and North American business customs for each setting they are in. For example, unless
otherwise specified, business casual attire is the norm for the classroom.

• Observance of the most conservative standards when one is unsure about which
norms apply.

For example, if you are unsure whether a faculty member allows the use of laptop
computers in class, assume that laptops are not permitted unless/until you learn
otherwise. And if you are unsure if your comments will be offensive to someone,
particularly from another culture, refrain from sharing them.

These points offer specific illustrative examples to encourage broader reflection of each

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individual’s impact on the MIT Sloan community. For more guidance on these standards, please
contact the MBA Student Affairs Office in E52-101 (253-5049), or the MIT Sloan Professional
Standards Committee.

Upholding these expectations and the standards upon which they are based is a shared right and
responsibility for all faculty, students and staff at the MIT Sloan School. As a learning and
professional community, we seek and deserve no less.

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