MOR 470: GLOBAL LEADERSHIP

Syllabus – Fall 2019 – Tue-Thurs 2:00-3:50 PM

Professor: Quentin Fleming

Office: ACC B1E (basement of Accounting)
Office Phone: (310) 459-9570
E-mail: Qfleming@marshall.usc.edu

Lecture Class
Tue./Thurs. 2:00 – 3:50 Room: JFF LL102

Office Hours
Thursdays 4:00 – 5:00 PM; and by appointment

Introduction and Course Objective: MOR 470 focuses on major theories and practices of
leading people in multi-national firms. The objective of this course is to introduce you to what is
involved with leading in a global setting. You will have an opportunity to develop general
leadership skills, gain an understanding of cross-cultural issues, and develop insights into the
qualities of a truly global leader.

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

 describe what leadership is and the skills necessary to demonstrate leadership;
 demonstrate an increased awareness of oneself, your current strengths and weaknesses in
leadership roles, and the ways in which others react and respond to you; and
 explain the influence of culture on human behavior in group and organization settings,
especially in cross-cultural situations, using relevant course frameworks (e.g., Hofstede,
Hall).

Required Materials: There are two required reading items for this course:
 A Course Reader containing the cases we will study as well as several important articles
will be available in the USC bookstore.
 The book “The Ugly American” by Eugene Burdick and William Lederer. Paperback,
published by W.W. Norton and Company. While possibly available in the USC Bookstore,
the easiest (and least expensive) source of the book is Amazon.com.

Prerequisites: While there is no “formal” prerequisite, students are strongly encouraged to have
completed BUAD 304 (Leading Organizations).

Course Notes: Copies of lecture slides and other class information are available through
Blackboard.

Learning Goals: In this class, emphasis will be placed on the USC Marshall School of Business
learning goals as follows:
Course
Goal Description
Emphasis
Our graduates will have an understanding of the key business areas
1 and their interplay to effectively manage different types of modern Low
enterprise.

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 Our graduates will have a global mindset demonstrating an
2 understanding of the interplay of local, regional, and international High
markets, and economic, social and cultural issues.
Our graduates will demonstrate critical thinking skills, decision-
3 making, and problem-solving abilities to strategically navigate Moderate
complex demands of business environments.
Our graduates will demonstrate leadership skills aspiring to be
4 High
sensible, future-oriented leaders and innovators.
Our graduates will demonstrate ethical reasoning skills, understand
5 social, civic, and professional responsibilities and aspire to add value Moderate
to society.
Our graduates will be effective communicators in speaking and
6 writing to facilitate information flow in organizational, social, and High
intercultural contexts.

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING DETAIL

Grading Summary. There are several components that combine to determine your course grade.
These are listed below with their relative weight.

Component Weight Due

Course Contribution 15% Throughout
Company Group Presentation (team grade) 10% 9/26-10/1
Country Group Presentation (team grade) 10% 11/14-21
Written Assignments: Case (3 total) 30% 9/19-10/31
Written Assignment: Country Leadership (1 total) 10% 12/3
Final Exam 25% 12/12

As a habit, I traditionally post “rough scores” several times throughout the semester (e.g., after
classes 10, 16, etc., and going into the final exam) to keep you informed of your standing. This is
done in a way that shows the performance of the entire class on all relevant components. Students
are identified using part of their student ID numbers to ensure confidentiality.

Final grades represent how you perform in the class relative to other students. Your grade will not
be based on a mandated target, but on your performance. The distribution of grades will closely
follow the guidelines of the Marshall School of Business. Three items are considered when
assigning final grades:

1. Your average weighted score as a percentage of the available points for all assignments
(ranging from 0 to 100).
2. The overall average percentage score within the class.
3. Your ranking among all students in the class.

To achieve course objectives, we will devote the majority of our class time to either: a) the
analysis and discussion of selected cases, or b) experientially-based activities. Occasional lectures
will be given to elaborate on key theoretical models and frameworks or to reinforce crucial
concepts. These lectures, however, will be subordinate to the case analysis and/or experiential
activities. Cases provide a natural “test-bed” for theory and provide vivid examples that aid
memory of concepts. Experiential activities are an indispensable proxy for the kind of knowledge
that can often only be gained through years of experience (sometimes not good experiences on the

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job!). A mix of old and new cases has been selected on a range of companies from a variety of
countries.

There are other reasons for employing the case discussion and experiential method of instruction.
First, cases force you to sift through a mass of information, some of it irrelevant or contradictory,
in order to identify the important issues. Second, both cases and experiential activities give you a
chance to deal with ambiguity. Most cases/exercises do not have obvious “right” answers. Leaders
must be able to function in situations where the right answer is not known.

The quality of your learning experience will be directly determined by: (1) your degree of
preparation, active listening, and participation, and (2) your classmates’ preparation, listening, and
participation. Some will not agree with you, and you may be asked to defend your position or
change your mind. So long as criticism is directed at arguments and not at individuals, is relevant
to the issues at hand and coherently articulated, it is very much welcomed.

Course Contribution. Course Contribution is manifested by the quality of your Day-to-Day

Participation in class, which is usually the result of your pre-class preparation, and by your
attendance.

Day-to-Day Participation: Your daily active verbal participation in case discussions and
experiential activities will be closely monitored. In grading class participation, I will look at both
the quantity and quality of your class contributions (with quality being much, much more
important). A classroom is a cost-free environment for experimenting and learning. Make use of
it. Shyness is no excuse.

With regard to quality, the dimensions looked for include:

You’ve read – and thought about – the case. Use data from the case rather than general
knowledge to support your idea.
You’re paying attention to what’s going on in the discussion or activity.
Your input and/or conduct is relevant. Comments that do not link up with what the discussion
is focusing on or behavior not related to the exercise being conducted can actually detract
from the learning experience.
You’re able to take it to the next level. Case comments that push the implications of a fact or
idea as far as possible are clearly superior.

Each student will receive a score for contribution at the end of each session. (Yep, I grade each
session!) For case discussions, the simple recitation of facts from the case will receive some credit
toward the student’s class contribution score. Comments that do more than simply recite case
facts, however, will receive substantially more credit. Comments that contain factual
misstatements, demonstrate lack of adequate preparation, or are distracting will not be helpful. For
experiential activities, being a “quiet wallflower” will get you some credit, being active/engaging
will get you more. “Tuning out,” discussing relationship issues or the football game will not be
helpful!

I will elaborate on the scoring criteria during our first class session.

Finally, because of the importance of class participation, you are encouraged to turn in a
Participation Card at the end of each case discussion or experiential activity. These cards are
entirely optional, but serve as a valuable “reminder” and will be used in combination with the
instructor’s own daily evaluations to determine your contribution score for the day.

Attendance Policy: Woody Allen once said: “80% of success is just showing up.” Woody was
right – class attendance is absolutely essential. All missed classes will be noted. The policy on
missed classes is to allow each student three (3) absences, no questions asked, no penalty. All
further absences over the limit will reduce the student’s contribution grade, no questions asked, no

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excuses of any kind accepted. Students with an excessive number of absences are at risk to fail the
course. Job interviews, etc., are not excused, so choose your absences carefully. Habitual lateness
(and leaving class early) for whatever reason will be noted as evidence of low course commitment
and penalized.

For students missing more than three classes who wish to make up these absences, I have a
“summary paper” policy. Please see me about this should the situation apply to you.

Group Projects and Presentations: Company and Country Leadership. In order to

strengthen your teamwork skills, you will work simultaneously as a team member on two different
project assignments throughout the semester: one assignment to study a global company and the
other to study a country. These two team projects will emphasize two key skills – those skills
related to conducting research (gathering and analyzing information) and those interpersonal skills
that evolve around working with a variety of people in groups. I will discuss these two assignments
in more depth early in the semester.

Company Project: At the beginning of the semester, approximately ten to twelve teams will be
formed for the purpose of examining one global corporation. Each team will consist of
approximately 5 members, and will choose a company that has a global presence. The team will
research the company and its leadership, and attempt to learn enough about the company that each
team member could speak about it as though he or she worked for that company.

See Appendix A for detailed instructions about this presentation.

Country Leadership Project: The same teams – as described in “Company Project” above – will
be assigned to study a country and that country's notion of leadership. No individual may
participate in a team that represents a country where he or she has ever lived. This presentation
will inform us about what leadership looks like within that country. Presentations may include
dress of that country, food, religious rituals, collages, summary points on posters, articles about
leaders from that country, etc. Each country chosen by a team will need to be approved to avoid
more than one team choosing a country.

See Appendix B for detailed instructions about this presentation.

Written Assignments: Case (3 total).

You will learn to conduct analyses – related to leadership and culture – and prepare written papers
for three of the cases found in the course reader. These papers should be typed/printed and will be
collected at the beginning of each class in which we discuss the case. Three papers are required.

Written Assignments require you to answer the study questions that I’ve provided for you
regarding each case (presented in the Day-to-Day Activities and Case Discussion Outline
document). Please note that the best papers are written in ‘depth and breadth’ (with references).
Citations from the course (e.g., Course Reader and other appropriate readings, lectures, PPT
presentations) are very helpful. Format should be single-spacing; maximum page length is one
page.

Written Assignments: Country Leadership (1 total).

Through the semester, we will discuss cases that are set in “foreign” (i.e., non-USA) countries. For
this paper, you will prepare a summary of what leadership might involve in that country – a
detailed statement (1-2 pages). Unlike the case-specific written assignments, for this paper ignore
the case and the case facts.
In your summary, you should describe what you think leadership probably involves in the
country identified. Put another way: Ask yourself “What do I need to know to be an effective
leader in this country?” You should use information provided in the readings as well as from other
sources. Make sure that you provide some logic for your assertions. In addition to the detailed

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statement, I ask that you develop at least 3 key questions about leadership in that country
(attached as an appendix). One paper is required.

One final note about Written Assignments. These papers are due at the beginning of class on the
dates listed in the Syllabus. For late papers, I use the “no problem” policy. I have no problem
accepting late papers as long as you have no problem with the fact that I’ll be required to deduct 25
points from the score.

Final Exam. A final exam is scheduled for this course. It will be given during the exam time
specified by the University. The exam will most likely consist of several short essay questions,
focusing on a case that will be handed out one or two weeks before the exam.

MARSHALL GUIDELINES
Add/Drop Process. In compliance with USC and Marshall’s policies classes are open enrollment.
I can drop you from my class if you don’t attend the first two sessions. Please note: If you decide
to drop, or if you choose not to attend the first two sessions and are dropped, you risk being not
being able to add to another course this semester, since they might reach capacity.

Technology Policy. Laptop and Internet usage is not permitted during academic or professional
sessions unless otherwise stated by the respective professor and/or staff. Use of other personal
communication devices, such as cell phones, is considered unprofessional and is not permitted
during academic or professional sessions. ANY e-devices (cell phones, PDAs, I-Phones,
Blackberries, other texting devices, laptops, I-pods) must be completely turned off during class
time. Upon request, you must comply and put your device on the table in off mode and FACE
DOWN. You might also be asked to deposit your devices in a designated area in the classroom.
Videotaping faculty lectures is not permitted, due to copyright infringement regulations.
Audiotaping may be permitted if approved by the professor. Use of any recorded material is
reserved exclusively for USC Marshall students. Students violating this policy will receive a
“zero” for the day and may be asked to leave that day’s class.

Statement for Students with Disabilities. USC is committed to making reasonable

accommodations to assist individuals with disabilities in reaching their academic potential. If you
have a disability which may impact your performance, attendance, or grades in this course and
require accommodations, you must first register with the Office of Disability Services and
Programs (www.usc.edu/disability). DSP provides certification for students with disabilities and
helps arrange the relevant accommodations. Any student requesting academic accommodations
based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each
semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please
be sure the letter is delivered to me as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in GFS
(Grace Ford Salvatori Hall) 120 and is open 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The
phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776. Email: ability@usc.edu.

Academic Integrity and Conduct. USC seeks to maintain an optimal learning environment.
General principles of academic honesty include the concept of respect for the intellectual property
of others, the expectation that individual work will be submitted unless otherwise allowed by an
instructor, and the obligations both to protect one’s own academic work from misuse by others as
well as to avoid using another’s work as one’s own. All students are expected to understand and
abide by these principles. SCampus, the Student Guidebook, (www.usc.edu/scampus or
http://scampus.usc.edu) contains the University Student Conduct Code (see University
Governance, Section 11.00), while the recommended sanctions are located in Appendix A.

Students will be referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards for
further review, should there be any suspicion of academic dishonesty. The Review process can be
found at: http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/SJACS/ . Failure to adhere to the academic conduct

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standards set forth by these guidelines and our programs will not be tolerated by the USC Marshall
community and can lead to dismissal.

Emergency Preparedness/Course Continuity. In case of a declared emergency if travel to

campus is not feasible, USC executive leadership will announce an electronic way for instructors to
teach students in their residence halls or homes using a combination of Blackboard,
teleconferencing, and other technologies.

Please activate your course in Blackboard with access to the course syllabus. Whether or not you
use Blackboard regularly, these preparations will be crucial in an emergency. USC's Blackboard
learning management system and support information is available at blackboard.usc.edu.

Evaluation of Your Work. You may regard each of your submissions as an “exam” in which you
apply what you’ve learned according to the assignment. I will do my best to make my expectations
for the various assignments clear and to evaluate them as fairly and objectively as I can. If,
however, you feel that an error has occurred in the grading of any assignment, you may, within one
week of the date the assignment is returned to you, write me a memo in which you request that I re-
evaluate the assignment. Attach the original assignment to the memo, and explain fully and
carefully why you think the assignment should be re-graded. Be aware that the re-evaluation
process can result in three types of grade adjustments: positive, none, or negative.

ADDITIONAL UNIVERSITY INFORMATION

Support Systems
Student Counseling Services (SCS) - (213) 740-7711 – 24/7 on call
Free and confidential mental health treatment for students, including short-term psychotherapy,
group counseling, stress fitness workshops, and crisis intervention.
https://engemannshc.usc.edu/counseling/

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1-800-273-8255

Provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress
24 hours a day, 7 days a week. http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Relationship & Sexual Violence Prevention Services (RSVP) - (213) 740-4900 - 24/7 on call
Free and confidential therapy services, workshops, and training for situations related to gender-
based harm. https://engemannshc.usc.edu/rsvp/

Sexual Assault Resource Center

For more information about how to get help or help a survivor, rights, reporting options, and
additional resources, visit the website: http://sarc.usc.edu/

Office of Equity and Diversity (OED)/Title IX compliance – (213) 740-5086

Works with faculty, staff, visitors, applicants, and students around issues of protected class.
https://equity.usc.edu/

Bias Assessment Response and Support

Incidents of bias, hate crimes and microaggressions need to be reported allowing for appropriate
investigation and response. https://studentaffairs.usc.edu/bias-assessment-response-support/

Student Support & Advocacy – (213) 821-4710

Assists students and families in resolving complex issues adversely affecting their success as a
student EX: personal, financial, and academic. https://studentaffairs.usc.edu/ssa/

Diversity at USC – https://diversity.usc.edu/

Tabs for Events, Programs and Training, Task Force (including representatives for each school),
Chronology, Participate, Resources for Students

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 CLASS SCHEDULE

Intended schedule of activities. Changes might occur.

Class Date Topic/Assignment Due

1 Tu 8/27 Topic: Course Introduction, Overview, Objectives

2 Th 8/29 *Meet in the JFF ELC* – (Exercise is TBD)

PART I: LEADERSHIP – LOCAL BEFORE GLOBAL

3 Tu 9/3 Topic: A Framework for Learning About Leadership

Course Reader: Lawler, “From the Ground Up,” Chapters 1 & 2

4 Th 9/5 Topic: Leading Americans is Pretty Straightforward (isn’t it?)

Course Reader: “Leadership Lessons from The Chilean Mine Rescue”

5 Tu 9/10 Topic: Know Thyself – Know Others. Part I

The Ugly American: Chapters 1-2, “Lucky, Lucky Lou #1” and “Lucky,
“Lucky Lou #2.”

6 Th 9/12 Topic: Leaders Are Only Half the Picture – Part I

*Meet in the JFF ELC – (PA exercise)

7 Tu 9/17 Topic: Know Thyself – Know Others. Part II

The Ugly American; Chapters 3-4, “Nine Friends” and “Everybody Loves
Joe Bing.”

8 Th 9/19 Topic: Leadership – What is “Effective” and What is Not?

Cases: Coach K—A Matter of the Heart; and Coach Knight—The Will to
Win
(Case Written Assignment)
9 Tu 9/24 Topic: Leaders Are Only Half the Picture – Part II
*Meet in the JFF ELC* – (Leaders and Followers exercise)

10 Th 9/26 Company Report Presentations

11 Tu 10/1 Company Report Presentations

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Class Date Topic/Assignment Due

PART II: CROSS CULTURAL ISSUES

12 Th 10/3 Topic: “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

The Ugly American; Chapters 5-7, “Confidential and Personal,”
“Employment Opportunities Abroad” and “The Girl Who Got
Recruited.”
Read 3 items (2 in Course Reader):
(a). Huntington, “The Clash of Civilizations?”
(Note: this article can be found online at “EBESCO Business Source
Complete” via Crocker Library at MyMarshall website.)
(b). Javidan, Teagarden and Bowen, “Making it Overseas;” and
(c). Trompenaars and Woolliams “Lost in Translation.”

13 Tu 10/8 Topic: Who Says “You Can’t Go Home Again?”

Case: Intel in China
The Ugly American; Chapters 8-10, “The Ambassador and the Working
Press,” “Everyone Has Ears” and “The Ragtime Kid.”
Course Reader: Rosenzweig, “National Culture and Management”
(Case Written Assignment)
14 Th 10/10 Topic: Cultural Intelligence (CQ)
The Ugly American; Chapters 11-12, “The Iron of War” and “The Lessons
of War.”
Course Reader: Earley and Mosakowski, “Cultural Intelligence”

15 Tu 10/15 Topic: Improved Performance and Leader Behavior

*Meet in the JFF ELC* – (Madagascar Energy)

Th 10/17 No class

16 Tu 10/22 Topic: Gender, Leadership and Global Careers

Case: Sumiko Ito
The Ugly American; Chapters 13-14, “What Would You Do If You Were
President?” and “How to Buy an American Junior Grade.”
Course Reader: Ghemawat: “Distance Still Matters: The Hard Reality of
Global Expansion.”

PART III: LEADING IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT

17 Th 10/24 Topic: How You Enter Sets The Stage (for success or failure)
Case: Sophia Tannis: The European Transfer
The Ugly American; 15-16, “The Six-Foot Swami From Savannah” and
“Captain Boning, USN”

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Class Date Topic/Assignment Due

18 Tu 10/29 Topic: Who Conforms to Whom? How Much? Why?

Course Reader: “Leading Global Teams: Managing SPLIT to Bridge Social
Distance”
Case: Dylan Pierce at Peninsula Industries
The Ugly American; Chapters 17-19, “The Ugly American,” “The Ugly
American and the Ugly Sarkhanese” and “The Bent Backs of Chang
‘Dong.”

19 Th 10/31 Topic: Does Technology Help or Hinder?

Course Reader: Leading Global Teams: Using SPLIT to Bridge Social
Distance
Case: Managing a Global Team: Greg James at Sun Microsystems
The Ugly American; Chapter 20, “Senator, Sir. . .”
(Case Written Assignment)
20 Tu 11/5 Topic: “When Does a Team Become Unmanageable?”
Case: (Re)Building a Global Team: Tariq Khan at Tek
The Ugly American; Chapter 21, “The Sum of Tiny Things.”

21 Th 11/7 Topic: Group Dynamics

*Meet in the JFF ELC* – (Disarmament)

22 Tu 11/12 Topic: Countries Aren’t The Only Thing With Boundaries

Case: The Road to Hell

23 Th 11/14 Country Report Presentations

24 Tu 11/19 Country Report Presentations

25 Th 11/21 Country Report Presentations

26 Tu 11/26 Topic: A Case Study of a Controversial Leader

In-class activity: “The Fog of War”

Th 11/28 Thanksgiving Recess

27 Tu 12/3 Topic: Leadership, Transitions and Relocation

Case: Catskill Roads
(Country Leadership Written Assignment)
28 Th 12/5 Course Review

Th 12/12 Final Exam: 2:00-4:00 PM

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 Appendix A
Guidelines for “Company” Leadership Presentations
THE TASK

Each team will use the materials we’ve covered in class to evaluate critically the leadership of a
company and present their findings in a presentation to the class.

For the company project, I’d like each of you to assume that everyone else in the class does not
know about the company that you’re researching. In summary, I’d like each of you to describe
the company, what it does, how it competes in the world marketplace, key challenges, and your
assessment of the company (as compared to its competition). I would like you to choose at least
one seminal leader for the company and describe her/him, what s/he contributed to leading the
company and what the ‘leadership culture’ is.

INSTRUCTIONS

We will suffer through 4-5 presentations per day:

 Each group gets about 15 minutes – approximately 10-12 minutes for presentation and 5
minutes for Q&A.
Note: Remember, this is a short presentation – so get to the point (i.e., cut out the
waste). This is an important leadership skill, but not as easy as you might think!
 There is no written report needing to be submitted.
 PowerPoint slides are expected! Every team must submit their slides to me by 2:00 PM,
Thursday, September 26 (i.e., when the 1st team presents – to keep it fair).
 No need to dress up in formal attire, the focus is on the substance behind what you’re
saying.
 Not every team member needs to speak (for this presentation). You can have one or two
speakers deliver most of the presentation. If a few people deliver most of the
presentation, please keep in mind my expectation that every person in the group will do
their fair share of work.

Criteria for grading presentations will be as follows:

 Sufficient and appropriate background review of your company (so we understand the
company’s leadership vis-à-vis the challenges/situation) – 25%
 Significance of the use of readings and course materials (e.g., STAR model, text, etc.) to
develop analysis of company and ‘fit/need’ for leadership – 35%
 In-depth identification and assessment of a few significant leaders – 30%
 Flow of material through presentation – keeping ‘on point’ with little extraneous material
– 10%

Teams not presenting on the first day need to e-mail me their overheads by 2:00 PM on
Thursday, September 26 – and no changes when you present!

If your team presents the first day, please give me a hard copy of your overheads – 6 slides per
page format – (and e-mail them).

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 Appendix B
Guidelines for “Country” Leadership Presentations
THE TASK

Each team will use a combination of independent research plus the materials we’ve covered in
class to evaluate and answer the question: “What does leadership look like in country _____?”
Teams will present their findings in a presentation to the class.

Assume that no one in the class knows about the country you’re presenting (or if they do know
something, assume it’s a misperception). Elements to consider could include: assumptions
leaders could/would make about their ‘followership,’ leader behavior, values of leaders and
followers, important historical events that “resonate” within that society, cultural nuances, the
role of religion, language, communication styles, etc. In other words: If you were transported
to that country, what would you need to know and/or do to help you be a successful leader?

INSTRUCTIONS

We will keep the same teams as we used for the company leadership presentations.

Countries to report on will be selected on a first come, first served basis.

Teams cannot report on a country that someone from that team has lived in.

We will suffer through 4-5 presentations per day:

 Presentations will be approximately 12 minutes – with a couple of minutes for Q&A.
 There is no written report needed.
 Every team must submit their PowerPoint slides to me by 2:00 PM, Tuesday, November
14 (i.e., when the 1st team presents – to keep it fair).
 Unlike the first presentation, everyone must now present. One or two speakers can
deliver most of the presentation, but because this is a class about leadership, everyone in
your group must speak briefly (i.e., 1-2 minutes). If a few people deliver most of the
presentation, please keep in mind my expectation that every person in the group will do
their fair share of work.

Criteria for grading presentations will be as follows:

 Sufficient and appropriate background review of your country (so we understand the
country, its people, etc.) – 35%
 Use of readings/course materials and the team’s independent research to develop analysis
of “leadership” within that country – 40%
 Identification and assessment of a few significant leaders within that country – 25%

Teams not presenting on the first day need to e-mail me their overheads by 2:00 PM on Tuesday,
November 14 – and no changes when you present!

If your team presents the first day, please give me a hard copy of your overheads – 6 slides per
page format – (and e-mail them).

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