Alleviating the Plunging-In Bias, Elevating Strategic Problem-Solving

Bhardwaj, Gaurab; Crocker, Alia; Sims, Jonathan; Wang, Richard D.

doi:10.5465/amle.2017.0168

Cited by 24 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…The second case differs from the first in that our industry partner clearly espouses a problem but provides insufficient information to solve it. This requires teams to search for suitable information, evaluate their sources' legitimacy, and engage deeply in understanding the problem (see Bhardwaj et al, 2018) before deploying analysis and solution development. The second case is more difficult in terms of assignment structure, and it poses considerably higher requirements for the teams' organizational enactment and sensemaking (Maitlis & Christianson, 2014).…”

Section: Overview Of the Learning Laboratorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning Laboratory: An Integrative Learning Design for International Business in a Complex Dynamic World

Zettinig

Aleem

Majdenic

et al. 2021

Journal of Management Education

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Graduates of international business (IB) programs are facing a complex dynamic world in which they need both specific and generalist knowledge they can activate in socially negotiated situations. Their competencies must go beyond narrowly applying knowledge, which requires open minds, transferable social competencies, and skills for crossing multiple boundaries to serve their organizations to deal with global challenges. In order to facilitate the development of such professional and personal competencies, we established a learning laboratory, a space providing simulated opportunities in real multinational organizational structures, where students experiment with intercultural encounters while solving business challenges and reflect on their experiences to develop their managerial practices. This article introduces our instructional innovation by discussing the underlying learning framework and providing an illustration of the approach. The lab has three main learning outcomes: building conceptual knowledge, developing sociocultural practices in multinational organizations, and enhancing self-awareness and reflective competencies. At the core of the lab are a series of IB strategy challenges which students solve by organizing, managing, and leading global virtual teams (GVTs) that are formed with members from five overseas universities. We detail the alignment of our framework, review the actions and interactions that facilitate learning, and discuss learning effectiveness and implementation of the lab.

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Section: Overview Of the Learning Laboratorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning Laboratory: An Integrative Learning Design for International Business in a Complex Dynamic World

Zettinig

Aleem

Majdenic

et al. 2021

Journal of Management Education

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…To shift this perspective, organizations need to engage in problem solving rather than just decision making. Problem solving involves choosing appropriate issues and framing a situation in a way that may challenge existing assumptions and cognitive biases to identify novel possibilities, while decision making is choosing the best possibility (Bhardwaj, Crocker, Sims, & Wang, 2018). Digital Equipment was able to make decisions but unable to properly frame and reframe the problem.…”

Section: Implications For Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Technology Change or Resistance to Changing Institutional Logics: The Rise and Fall of Digital Equipment Corporation

Lewis

2019

The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science

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This article uses an institutional lens to analyze organizational failure. It does this through a historical case study of Digital Equipment Corporation, an innovator and market leader of minicomputers who faltered and eventually failed during the period of technological change brought on by the emergence of the personal computer. The failure of Digital Equipment Corporation is interesting because it occurred despite its ability to adapt to changing technological forces. An institutional analysis shows that while Digital Equipment Corporation was able to develop personal computers widely considered technologically superior to its competitors, it resisted broader changes occurring in its institutional context. This study suggests that responding to external forces of change, such as technology, may not be enough. An organization must determine if and how such change might lead to a shift in its institutional context and then develop strategies to address such change.

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“…Many prepared cases, for example, are written toward a specific conclusion or focus. Some unfortunately are written in ways that explicitly or implicitly frame the core problem for the students which then induces a plunging-in bias that can undermine thoughtful analysis (Bhardwaj, Crocker, Sims, & Wang, 2018). We have also found that dated, prepared cases induce some students to do their own research in an attempt to discover what the firm has done regarding key issues and to what effects.…”

Section: The Exercisementioning

confidence: 99%

A Capstone for the Capstone: An Experiential Exercise in Strategic Management

Carter

Stickney

2019

Journal of Management Education

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The content of most MBA capstone strategic management courses emphasizes general management theory and analytical skill development. Additionally, the design of the capstone is often tasked with providing practical application, integrative thinking, and experiential learning. A common critique of the capstone, however, is its insufficient delivery of these important, noncontent objectives. This article describes a “capstone to the capstone” exercise which helps address this challenge. In this exercise, students work in functional and cross-functional groups to experience the realities of applying what they have learned to address strategic issues of a company. The exercise increases awareness of the value of functional integration, exposes students to realistic pressures and common process errors, and encourages student growth through reflective thinking. Empirical analysis suggests the exercise enhances practical understanding of course concepts, improves abilities to apply course concepts in realistic contexts, and opens new perspectives on cross-functional and group decision–process thinking.

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Alleviating the Plunging-In Bias, Elevating Strategic Problem-Solving

Cited by 24 publications

References 56 publications

Learning Laboratory: An Integrative Learning Design for International Business in a Complex Dynamic World

Learning Laboratory: An Integrative Learning Design for International Business in a Complex Dynamic World

Technology Change or Resistance to Changing Institutional Logics: The Rise and Fall of Digital Equipment Corporation

A Capstone for the Capstone: An Experiential Exercise in Strategic Management

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