Integrating Leadership and Innovation into

Traditional Curricula

Bruce Griffiths, Organization Systems InternationalRodney Rogers, Portland State University

Agenda• Overview of our approach to

integrating competencies into the MBA curriculum

• Competency model development• Lessons learned:

– What worked– What didn’t work

The process• Reviewed literature Curriculum of Top 50 MBA

programs and other “innovative” programs– AACSB white papers on MBA programs– Academic and professional papers on MBA education

• Conducted over 45 individual interviews with business leaders in the Portland Metro area

• Conducted 5 focus groups• Conducted MBA student exit interviews (n=98)• Examined externally developed

competency models

Vision• Develop graduates with the full

complement of technical and managerial competencies who are highly sought after by employers

• Develop managers that understand and leverage the strengths of the Pacific Northwest. Within this context, the student will gain an appreciation for creativity, entrepreneurship, and social and environmental stewardship.

Competency approach• Assess student’s competencies at the

beginning of the program• Require student to complete a

development plan that addresses the student’s strengths and weaknesses

• Provide student with continuous feedback regarding their development

• Provide student “coaching” and support for their development plan

Managerial Competencies • “Admit to”

– Personal (integrity, initiative, learning agility)• Developed Competencies

– Contextual/Technical (Accounting, Finance, HR, Information Systems, International, Marketing, Operations, Organizational Behavior, Economics, Law, Statistics)

– Interpersonal (team mgmt., diplomacy/conflict mgmt., relationship building)

– Communication (writing, presentation, listening)– Leadership (strategic thinking, risk taking,

visioning) – Conceptual (problem solving, business

thinking, creativity)

MBA Coursework: Core and Electives

Major Assessments Points

LeadershipDevelopment:1.3600 withone coaching session2. Develop plan3. Frameworks

Leadership Immersion:Behavioral simulation with follow-upcoaching session

BusinessProject:AppliedBusiness projectwith competencycoaching

APPENDIX B - INTEGRATION OF COMPETENCIES

Functional Diplomacy/ Team Player/ StrategicAcademic Knowledge Conflict Team Writing Presentation Listening Thinking andCourses Management Management Skills Skills Skills VisioningTERM 1BA 531 PBA 500 P P P P P PBA 501 S FIN 514 Economics PTERM 2

ISQA 511 Statistics SMGMT 500 Ethics P SACTG 511 Accounting SACTG 512 Accounting P STERM 3

ISQA 551 Operations PISQA 552 Info. Systems P SFIN 561 Finance STERM 4

MKTG 544 Marketing PMGMT 501 Law P SMGMT 550 OB, HR P S

TERM 5MGMT 562 Strategy P

BA 506 P P P P P PElective

Interpersonal Proficiencies Communication Proficiencies Leadership Proficiencies

Development of Competency Models

Polaris

Polaris: Constant Reference

Polaris• A Universal Model– Professionals, Managers, and Leaders

• Based on 50+ Custom Models Over Past 25 Years (plus Benchmark Research), including:– The Walt Disney Company - Universal– Nike – Country General Managers, Universal– Hallmark Cards - Universal– Magma Power – Front Line Leaders– Wisconsin Power and Light – Management– US Department of Energy - Management– Canfor (Canada) – General Managers (Plant Managers)– SIEMENS - Management– Crayola (Binney & Smith) - Management– Sheraton Hotels – Hotel General Managers & (IBU) Restaurant Managers – ITT Industries – International Management– Racal Datacom – Sales Managers– NCR – Customer Service Reps– Dow Corning – Supervisors, Sales Professionals, Marketing Professional

Polaris: 41 in 7

WHAT IS A COMPETENCY?A competency is a persistent pattern of behavior resulting from a cluster of:

knowledge, skills, abilities, motivations - attitudes values beliefs personality

that define a coherent facet of overall competence needed for exceptional performance.

WHAT YOU SEE & WHAT YOU DON’T

This is an ice berg

Competency: Persistent Pattern of Behavior

Enabled by Knowledge, Skill, and Ability(Capability;Could You Do It With A Gun to Your Head?)

and Drivenby Motives: Values, Attitudes,Beliefs, Personality, Trait, Instinct

Competency as A “Stream” of Behavior

bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

Informal Comms

Influence

Relationship Building

“b” = a discrete behaviorTIME

IN A SENTENCE . . .A COMPETENCY manifests itself in

observable, effective, persistent BEHAVIOR, that has been enabled by KNOWLEDGE, SKILL, AND ABILITY and energized by MOTIVES (VALUES, ATTITUDES, BELIEFS).

WHY “COMPETENCIES”?• Needed to more practically and

accurately define more complex, cognitive roles like leader, trainer, consultant, sales rep

• A complete representation requires a role be captured from within (knowledge, motives, values, attitudes, beliefs skills, abilities) and from the outside (performance, behavior) - - these are competencies

COMPETENCE IS COMPLEX!•Nothing difficult is ever easy!

–Competencies are fuzzy at the edges •Must tolerate some ambiguity•Must expect some complexity

PRIMARY USEFULNESS• Help describe the ideal state

needed for exceptional performance in an organizational role

• A blueprint of the makeup of the type of person needed for the role

• A template for making comparisons

• A diagnostic tool to evaluate performance

OBJECTIVESOBJECTIVES•

Specific objectives that focus the role on what is important in the short term

RESPONSIBILITIESRESPONSIBILITIES•

The core definition of a particular job: purpose, responsibilities, performance measures

COMPETENCIESCOMPETENCIES

The knowledge skills and motivations needed for this role

COMPETENCY MODELS ARE NOT COMPLETE JOB MODELS . .

HOW TO BUILD A MODEL• Choose Target Role (s)• Benchmarks, Best Practices,

Literature• High Performer Interviews• Future Spin• Validation Survey

Focus on the Best • Identify Some One Who Generates:

• Respect• Likeable

• Results• Likes What They Are Doing

• Positive & Negative Behavioral Episodes• Context, What Happened,

Consequence

FUTURE SPIN• While models emulate current high

performers probably equipped to take the organization into the future, it is necessary to test the final draft against organizational vision and strategy

• Are you building a model that defines the employee of the FUTURE?

Validation• Content Validity (Lawshe) • Job Content Experts (JCE’s) Rate

Each Competency– Absolutely Essential to Not Necessary

• Content Validity Ratio• Statistically Significant Agreement

– Competency is Absolutely Essential or Essential

Issues and Concerns

• I’m Not Just Pieces – Parts! Synergy?• Behaviors Versus Motives • How Many Competencies?• Are All Competencies Created Equal?

SYNERGY: LOOK TWICE

• Competency models necessarily dissect roles into smaller parts (otherwise they are useless in application; too broad band)

• Notion of synergy requires a look at the whole (may be more, or less, than the sum of the parts)

Behaviors Versus Motives?

This is still an ice berg

Competency: Persistent Behavior

Enabled by Knowledge, Skill, and Abilityand Drivenby Motives: Values, Attitudes,Beliefs, Personality

Specifics of the Portland State experience

BA 508: Leadership Development and Assessment

• A 2 credit course taken at the beginning of the program – Each student is expected to write a personal

development and learning plan based upon the results of the initial 3600 evaluation.

– During the term the students are involved in various activities to develop their interpersonal, communication, strategic leadership, and conceptual competencies.

– This class meets 4 hours per week for 10 weeks.

BA 509: Leadership Immersion • A 2-day (8 am to 6 pm) behavioral-

based simulation experience– In-basket exercises and role play– Multiple 10 person teams competing– Designed to assess students’ technical skills

and managerial competencies. – Feedback provided on 10 specific

managerial competencies– This course can only be taken as a Pass/No

Pass grading option.

Lessons learned• Limit competencies• Partnering with an external organization

provides certain advantages• Providing students competency model at

beginning of program is key• The aggregate 3600 data can be used to

focus co-curricular workshops• Importance of mid-point assessment

center

Lessons learned• There were unintended benefits of

explicitly linking each core course with competency

• Faculty must be supported to develop skills to provide competency feedback

• Coaching session very time intensive • Develop a competency library

Questions