SSS-P11

SSS-P11
PGDM 2011-13: Term-IV

Course Name: Strategy, System & Sustainability
(An elective of Strategic Management Area)

Credits	3.0
Faculty Name	Amar KJR Nayak, Professor of Strategy & NABARD Chair Professor
Program	PGDBM
Academic Year and Term	2012, Term V

1. Course Description:
The objective of the course is to understand the various dimensions and dynamics of sustainability; a subject of growing importance in the 21st century. The course aims to direct the notions of long term planning and strategy for overall sustainability rather than sustainability of individual firms as has been traditionally viewed. The mainstream notions of strategy will be extended to systems view and subsequently, the systems view will be extended to ideas of & practices for sustainability.

Through the Module 1 of the course, viz., strategy, the course aims to critically analyze management strategy for growth and efficiency; the drivers of today’s world, the firm or corporations. This section will aim to review the purpose of firm, nature of firm and the defects in firm design from the sustainability perspective. Through Module 2, the course will introduce the notions of systems approach including the mechanistic view and the organismic view. Understanding the difference between control mechanism in the closed and open systems will be part of understanding sustainability. With some grounding in Module 1 & 2, the logic and principles of sustainability will be better understood by the students in Module 3.

2. Student Learning Outcomes

· Be able to understand the various dimensions and dynamics of sustainability
· Be able to understand the system’s view to sustainability
· Be able to apply principle of organizational design and strategy towards sustainability

3. Required Text Books and Reading Material
All relevant reading materials in the form of articles will be provided.
4. Tentative Session Plan

Session No	Topics	Reading list/Exercises/Activities
Module 1: Traditional Strategy
1	Traditional Strategy Orientation	A Discussion on Strategic Thinking
2	Efficiency: Reason for Firm Existence	Williamson, O.E. (1999). Strategy Research: Governance & Competence Perspectives, vol. 20. No. 12, pp. 1087-1108
3	Paradigms of Strategic Control	Dynamic Capabilities and Strategic Management, Teece, et al (1997), Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 18:7
4	Logics of Competition	A Discussion
5	Competition: Basis for Efficiency	A Discussion
Module 2: Systems View
6	General Systems Perspectives	Introduction to General System Theory, L V Bertalanffy
7	Systems Theory & Approach	The Meaning of General System Theory, L V Bertalanffy
8	Closed Systems & Open Systems	A Discussion
9	Mechanistic & Organismic Views	A Discussion
Module 3: Understanding Sustainability
10	Principles of Sustainability	Efficiency, Effectiveness & Sustainability, Amar KJR Nayak, Sustainability Seminar 1.0, XIMB
11	Efficiency, Effectiveness & Sustainability
12	Language & Values in Sustainability	A Discussion
13	Logics of Cooperation	A Discussion: Why Human Cooperate by Henrich, Oxford
14	Locking in & Locking out dynamics	An Exercise
15	Transition Strategies	A Discussion
16	Organizational Redesign for Sustainability	Nayak, Amar K.J.R. 2010. Optimizing Asymmetries for Sustainability, Global Forum for Agricultural Research, CGIAR, Montpellier, France, March, 2010
17	Simultaneous Optimization of Asymmetries
18	Sustainable Design – Case 1	Mondragon Experiment, Spain
19	Sustainable Design – Case 2	Kibbutz, Israel
20	Sustainable Design – Case 3	Nava Jyoti Case, India

5. Evaluation:

Class Preparedness & Discussions: 20 %

Review Assignments: 30 %

Term Examination: 50 %

The Review Assignments will involve reviewing or critical analysis of a viewpoint, article or a book in each of the three broad areas, viz., strategy, system, and sustainability.

6. Academic Integrity

The standard institute rules of the program including the rules on plagiarism will be applicable to this course.

Created By: Debasis Mohanty on 05/19/2012 at 08:34 AM
Category: PGDM-II Doctype: Document

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