To: MSM Faculty, Partners and Contributors
This memo outlines essential information for chapter and case contributors. We hope the document gives participants the guidance needed to make each book a success. However, please bring questions to us, and we appreciate being told of any key items we may have overlooked.
Series title: Maastricht School of Management Series in Intercultural and Global Management
Series editors: Ronald Tuninga and Fred Phillips
Strategic aim of the series: • To influence the future of the teaching of international business.
• To make excellent, affordable textbooks available to students in overseas outreach teaching locations.
• To definitively specify content and the way that the subject is taught.
• To become the imprimatur of the best textbooks in the field.
• To showcase the expertise of MSM faculty members and network members who have been pioneers in their respective fields.
Didactic aim: Each book will be a concise but complete treatment of the topics covered in a particular MSM MBA core course. While it will be appropriate to the location, academic calendar, and teaching schedule of the course, the book will in all ways meet international standards for treatment of the subject. It should, in fact, set new and higher standards. Every student should complete the course saying, “This book told me what I really need to know about this subject.”
Targeted readership:The books will be read by:
1. MBA students in MSM’s traditional outreach courses.
2. MBA students in MSM’s online MBA program.
3. EMBA students in the new MSM-Cologne Business School program.
4. Practicing managers in MSM’s constituent countries.
5. Some MSM Executive Programs
6. Students and executive participants at other leading business schools. (Early volumes in the series have already been adopted as required texts in other schools!)
Timely and affordable delivery of books from major publishers to these target readers is not to be relied upon. Readers’ Internet connections may be slow, unreliable, or expensive. Readers do not have access to the comprehensive libraries containing the books, periodicals, databases and research journals that is taken for granted by MBA students in the OECD countries.
If your experience teaching these students is like ours, your students insisted on being assigned textbooks by the most prestigious writers (e.g., Kotler’s marketing book). But, because the book is long and many parts of it are not relevant to these students, they didn’t read it! At the end of the course, they ask the instructor, “What do I really need to know about this subject?”
The students are of a high intellectual caliber. They are not masters of American or British colloquial English, though they may be very familiar with the language of American popular youth culture. They do not wish to be patronized as students from “developing economies.” Rather, they want education that prepares them to be world-class managers, whether they work in their home countries after graduation or whether they go abroad; whether they work for indigenous companies or for multi-nationals.
Books in the series:The core topics that constitute the high-priority books in the series are as follows. A subsequent memo will give more detail on the chapter structure of each. After the core books are published, Maastricht School of Management may consider producing additional books on non-core topics.
1
Business in the Global ArenaTopics: Globalization; Trade & Investment; Global Macro-economics
2
Finance in International MarketsTopics: Capital Markets & Institutions; International Finance; Corporate Governance
3
Managing Cultural Diversity COMPLETED
4
Marketing in a Global Context (Editor: Dr. Arthur Sybrandy)
Topics: Global Marketing Management; International Customer, Market and Industry Analysis
5
Global Supply Chain Management (Editor: Dr. Dragan Nikolik)
Topics: Operations Management & Management Sciences; IT & Global Value Chain Management; Supply Chain Management
6
Leading Change in Multinationals COMPLETED
7
Innovation & New Business Ventures (Editor: Dr. Fred Phillips)
Topics: Intrapreneurship; Entrepreneurship; Innovation Management
8
Global Corporate Strategy COMPLETED
9
How to Write Your MBA Thesis COMPLETED
Writing style: Each book, chapter, and case:
• Must present MBA-level material.
• Must be written in International English.
• Must be suitable for our usual condensed course format, but should allow teachers flexibility to use the book for online 8-week courses.
• May refer to supplementary readings or other textbooks, but should be able to stand alone as the sole required book for its course.
• Will tell the student “What s/he really needs to know about this subject.”
• Must use American Psychological Association (APA) citation/bibliography style. Cited works can be shown in chapter endnotes. Supplementary/recommended reading not cited in the text can be listed in a post-chapter “Additional Readings” section.
• Will include post-chapter discussion questions, exercises, or problems.
Current MSM course structure includes a major assignment and an exam. Exception: Books will be used for MSM online courses of 8 weeks format, where students will be expected to submit individual and/or team ‘homework’ every week. Each book should have enough exercises and mini-projects to support this online course format.
Page layout and physical format:
• Each book is about 200 pages plus index. Paperback.
• Each book will include a series title page, listing all current and planned books in the series.
Structure and content of each book in series:
There will be one book for each core course in the MsM curriculum that was put in place in fall, 2005, the so- called “new curriculum.” Books for some foundation or concentration courses may be considered also, though this is a secondary priority.
Because we encourage contributions from diverse members of the MsM “bicycle wheel” network, it is tempting to think that these books can be “readings” works, i.e., collections. On the contrary, these must be textbooks, because they will be used as the primary course text in locations where a conventional main text is not easily procurable. Yes, a good teacher can give structure to a “readings” book plus his/her own lecture notes. But remember, someone other than yourself will teach this course at some point, and may not have access to your notes nor be able to interpret them the way you do.
Each of the books will include 15 chapters. Each of the chapters should be approximately 15 pages (single-spaced) including text, figures and examples. The last chapter will provide the reader with an integrative few of the topic as it has been discussed.
The international, multicultural, sustainable business and social responsibility dimensions are important for the discussions throughout the book. Also special attention should be given to the change dimension and to countries in transition.
o Each chapter should start with a nice example explaining the relevance of the chapter to the reader followed by the learning objectives. Examples throughout the various chapters should come from at least five of the countries where MSM is active.
o The main body of each chapter should include a number of examples varied over at least three continents.
o Each chapter should be concluded with a summary, questions for discussion, and a list of references and recommended readings.
o Books will feature a balance of cases and examples from OECD countries and from the developing world.
o Books will feature characters from diverse ethnicities and both genders, within the boundaries of realism for the country depicted.
o Books will cite works of the most prestigious scholars and authors in each field.
o There will be an emphasis on original cases. Examples from contributors’ experiences in many countries should be highlighted.
o Reprinting existing material (excellent cases, classic articles, etc.) is OK if permission can be granted for free.
o Draw also from MSM theses and dissertations.
o Involve as many members of the faculty-level MsM worldwide network as possible. Include paragraph biographies of coordinator and all contributors.
o Refer to downloadable material from the WWW, but not to interactive material (and certainly NOT to streaming video). Use/cite only pages that load/download quickly. Future editions may relax this requirement if the technological situation changes in our target markets.
o Most chapters in books to date in this series start with an “opening case,” including discussion questions, and end with a “closing case,” ditto.
Incentives:
Book editors who complete their books will be relieved of any research/publication “points” requirement for one year. Other faculty who contribute material to the book may be considered for waiver of point requirement on a pro rata basis.
Royalties for this series will be assigned to MSM, and earmarked for a faculty research fund. The fund is to be allocated by the Research Committee (probably on a “proposals” basis), but: Priority access to research funds will be given to early authors!
All contributors will be invited to the annual MSM Partners’ Conference. Outstanding contributors may be invited to teach a course for MSM. Names and 1-paragraph biographies of all contributors are included in the volume.
Evaluation:
The evaluation criteria listed below are adapted from criteria used at MIT, the University of Wisconsin and a Nevada public school district. They are not necessarily an exhaustive list of criteria. The series editors and individual book editors will keep these criteria in mind when evaluating your contribution to the book.
· Are the ways to teach from this book readily apparent to teachers other than the book’s author? Or will teachers need special training to teach from the book?
· Is the book effective for large group instruction as well as small class use?
· Does the book effectively convey content knowledge? Procedural knowledge?
· Is the book effective for students with varied learning styles and students with special needs?
· Does the book facilitate student interaction and/or projects?
· Is the book useful for review or testing of students’ mastery?
· Is the book useful for integrating with other subject areas?
· Clear explanations of illustrations are provided?
· Are lesson plans and teaching suggestions included?
· Material is relevant and appropriate for Master’s-level students?
· Reading difficulty level is grade appropriate?
· Use of space, print, type size, and color enhances readability?
· The materials require the students to use higher-level cognitive skills (analysis, synthesis, evaluation, etc.)?
· The subject matter is geared to the needs, interests, and abilities of students engaged in today's globalizing and changing environment?
· Activities and projects provide opportunities for students to apply problem-solving and decision-making skills?
· Topics are presented in an organized and logical sequence?
· Concepts, facts, data, and generalizations are clearly stated?
· The content of the textbook and all supplemental materials (graphics and text):
· Reflects the multi-ethnic nature of our society – past, present and future.
· Is free of racial, ethnic, or gender stereotyping or bias.
· Depicts age groups, ethnic/racial groups, genders and the handicapped in a variety of achievements and occupations:
· Includes lessons on contributions made to society by men and women from various racial and ethnic backgrounds?
· Adequate practice and feedback are provided.
· Instructions for exercises are understandable.
· Needed computer skills are appropriate for target student level.
· Cited Internet resources are relevant to the concepts.
· The textbook has been reviewed for accuracy of information presented.
· The textbook has appropriate support materials and references.
· The textbook stimulates student interest.
