The University of Texas at Dallas

Executive MBA Program

Class of 2011

MAS 6V03x11 - Enterprise Transformation – Course Syllabus

and
Enterprise Transformation Project (ETP)

Center for Finance Strategy Innovation

Professors:
David Springate • 972.6883.2647 • spring8@utdallas.edu
Elizabeth Frank Jones • 972.883.5909 • elizabeth.jones@utdallas.edu
Scott Mairs • 214.727.2210 • scott.mairs@utdallas.edu
Gerald Turner • 214.675.8346 • gerald.turner@utdallas.edu

Administrative Assistant:
Debbie Davis • 972-883-5941 • debbie.davis@utdallas.edu
CFSI Office: UTD-SOM 2.610 SM 44
“There is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than the creation of a new
order. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would benefit by the preservation of the old system and merely lukewarm
defenders in those who would gain by the new one”
Niccolo Machiavelli, 1513
General Course Information

Introduction
A unique mystery lies at the heart of this course, one that escapes the grasp of even knowledgeable and astute
thought leaders.
Global, economic and societal currents in today’s markets create significant turbulence, which contributes to
some companies flourishing while others fail. Considerable analysis has been directed toward each company’s
business model, relative competitive position, and resources. However, there has yet to be model that clearly
articulates and explains the root cause of these successes or failures.
In the 1980s through 1990s several leading technology companies including Wang, IBM and Digital experienced
considerable market turbulence, unanticipated changes and market dynamics that threatened their very existence
and possibly their industry. Of these three companies, only IBM has delivered the leadership and corporate
performance necessary to retain and grow its position in the industry. One might also question why Xerox and
Sears failed to address their industry turbulence even after Canon’s innovative shift in personal copiers and Wal-
Mart’s proven new business model of every-day-low-price discount retailing. Or we might consider the contrast
between General Electric (GE) and Westinghouse in the early 1970’s, when GE was very similar to
Westinghouse in terms of size, business mix, history and reputation. However, by 1999, GE had the world’s
second largest market capitalization. But Westinghouse had lurched forward from crisis to crisis until, in 1998,
its management decided to quit all industrial businesses and abandon Westinghouse’s century-old name
altogether. What explains the IBM, Wal-Mart, Canon and GE success and the Wang, DEC, Xerox, and
Westinghouse inability to ride out the turbulence and retain their former competitive positions?
In this course we will be exploring business and enterprise transformation as the key to unlocking this mystery.
Some companies succeeded in implementing transformational change, despite unattractive environments, poor
positions, inferior resources, or even a hard-to-match legacy of success. Other competing companies never saw
the turbulence coming or lacked the leadership and agility to take advantage of the new market conditions.
Course Description
This course is designed to provide an overview of the key concepts that comprise enterprise transformation. It
deals specifically with corporate-wide resource allocation and reallocation – relating and combining corporate
strategy, business structure and management systems within a targeted change management framework. The
critical roles of leadership, organizational change management, communication, and performance measurement
and management are highlighted as they accelerate and sustain large-scale, complex transformation programs.

Learning Objectives & Outcomes

Enterprise Transformation: We will explore the value, business architecture and implementation strategy of
leading global transformation and change programs. Enterprise transformation is a strategy shift that re-
aligns a company’s business, operations and technology resources toward new goals and objectives.
Transformation is a way of optimizing business results that, when implemented using strategy execution,
performance measurement and management, continually fine-tunes and aligns a company's strategy through
continuous innovation and disciplined execution to realize peak performance.

This course will draw upon your applied knowledge from all previous coursework, business acumen and
complex problem solving. The Enterprise Transformation course covers all of the core knowledge and
competencies within each of the disciplines listed above. In addition upon completion of this course students
will be able to:

Apply the full range of enterprise transformation knowledge, methods, frameworks and techniques to
successfully lead, direct and manage more effectively all pertinent dynamics around a comprehensive
enterprise & business transformation initiative including strategies, processes, operations, systems and
organizational change.
Understand the components and dynamics of effective enterprise transformations, their complexities,
interactions and interdependencies.
Understand and appreciate your role as change agent within your enterprise and how to effectively
garner support through effective business case development and articulation of benefits to be derived
from the transformation – getting and maintaining buy-in from sponsors and stakeholders.

Themes for Consideration

For those seeking to transform their businesses, we ask you to consider this set of critical questions:
What is “transformation” and how does it differ from managing change incrementally, turnarounds,
corporate renewals, restructuring, or seemingly sporadic shifts in strategic direction? When do we need
it?
How does a company’s ability to respond to market dynamics, global anomalies, or competitive threats
become frozen by corporate inertia? How can we create a shared commitment to change?
How can leaders of these companies identify and choose the appropriate levers for transforming their
businesses? How can they ensure that the resulting tensions and disruptive innovations are creative
rather than numbing or disabling?
Given an unknowable future, how can organizations plan and implement a roadmap that will guide
them effectively on their transformational journey? How can they motivate individuals within the
company to embrace the transformation by changing hearts and minds, thus releasing creative energy
and innovation?
What kind of company can successfully transcend the turbulence and ultimately master the task of
implementing transformational change? Why should any of us undertake it?

The course addresses these critical questions and more, drawing upon insights from a variety or articles,
whitepapers, research papers and other publications. We will also uncover the stories of transformation in
individual lives – our own, and of those we admire – because transformational leadership is not an observer sport.
It requires leaders who, while transforming themselves, successfully transform their organizations. Furthermore,
the course rests on three major premises. First, it is about transformation - and the ways in which the company
can realize its future desired state. Secondly, it is strategic, providing a systems approach to understand and
implement clear and concise mission, vision, and purpose for corporations. Finally, it is about the difference
made by leadership, which is ultimately the only true sustainable competitive advantage. All of our discussions
will shed light on your own roles as current and future leaders: specifically your leadership philosophy and how
to effectively drive innovation and strategy to delivery peak performance for yourself and your company.
High-Level Overview
The course will include two major phases. In the Fall 2010 sessions we will focus on foundational learning
around transformation and corporate performance management, including introduction and experience using
most of the key frameworks and tools that will be necessary for the Spring 2011 DFW Company semester
project. During the Fall, we will leverage a global case study to apply each of the primary tools. Then each of
these tools will applied to a active DFW Company project in the Spring. Teams will compete against one another
to complete a performance management assessment and build a transformation roadmap for the DFW enterprise
that they will be working with.
Required Texts
Enterprise Transformation: Understanding and Enabling Fundamental Change by William Rouse
Business Model Development by Alexander Osterwalder et al
Business Case Essentials – Marty Schmidt
Required & Supplemental Reading Materials and Resources will be made available for further
exploration on the subject of Enterprise Transformation