Prof. Dennis Briscoe, University of San Diego, USA

“The new World of Business – Learning to Cope with Chaos” (5 ECTS)


In this course, Dennis Briscoe will describe the New World of Business and the six forces that have made it a world of constant chaos, a world in which everything has changed and all the rules for dealing with this New World have had to be changed.
Prof. Briscoe will discuss the ways that organizations and managers have changed in order to deal with this New World and the many challenges they face in order to survive. He will also suggest both organizational and individual ways to cope with this permanent chaos and the many positive and negative consequences of the forces for change that have created this New World. Because these forces are changing the nature of all jobs and all organizations, Dennis Briscoe will end the course with a discussion of the impact of these changes on your careers and career options.



Course Outline

I. Introduction: General Nature of the New World

II. Forces for Change: Characteristics and Consequences
| Globalization
| Technological and Communication Revolutions
| Demographics and Population characteristics
| The Ideology of Small Government
| New Source of Wealth
| Global Surprises

III. Ultimate Consequence: A World of Permanent White Water

IV. Organizational Reactions

V. Management Challenges
| Cross-cultural management
| Technology
| Human Capital
| Talent Management
| Learning in Global Organizations

VI. Human Resource Management Challenges
| Recruiting and Staffing
| Training and Development
| Compensation
| Retention
| Downsizing and Outplacement
| Labor Relations

VII. Individual Coping Mechanisms

VIII. Career Consequences and Opportunities



End-of-Week Assignment

Choose one of the six forces for change to analyze. Write a term paper of 10 pages that includes the following:

1. A description and analysis of the nature of the force.
2. A critique of the importance of the force to the conduct of business, today.
3. An evaluation of the impact of the force on your career.

This paper should be 10 pages in length (not including any tables, figures, and references), typed in double-space, 12-point font, one-inch margins, with thorough documentation of the sources of all facts and ideas.