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Management in Action IP 1

Course Coordinators

Professors Robert Wood & Robert Marks

Phone:  9931 9375

E-mail: rwood@agsm.edu.au                   

Overview

In this course you are responsible for your own learning. We are providing the materials and access to some information (through the course website) that you will find useful in developing your knowledge of the Sydney Symphony. You will also have access to some of the senior managers from the Sydney Symphony organization and there will a few lectures by staff. The topics covered by the managers and staff will include economics of the industry; financial structures; marketing the orchestra; human resource management; statistical analyses of ticketing data; and strategy.

 

The goals that you are responsible for achieving include:

♦  Developing your skills in the application of concepts and models learnt in Term 1 in the analyses of management issues confronting the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

 

♦  Integrating your knowledge from different disciplines in the analysis of
management issues.

♦  Developing your ability to solve complex organizational problems.

♦  Learning about products, management and economics of arts organizations.

 

Assessment

You will be evaluated on the following contributions:

                     1. Individual paper                         25%                       

                    

                     2. Participation                               15%

 

                     3. Team Project                               60%                      

           

            Final grades will be satisfactory/unsatisfactory. There will be no letter grades. Individuals must pass all sections of the assessment to achieve a satisfactory grade.

 

Individual Paper (25%): Due Date 8.30am, Thursday, April 15.

               Present a two-page analysis of two major management issues currently confronting the Sydney Symphony. Or: a letter to the Bobs, dated 30 April (but written before 8:30 Thursday 15th), which spells out how doing the IP changed (past tense) your perspective -- on the SSO, on music, on management, or on yourself -- a commitment to change, in other words. Two pages maximum. Be passionate.

 

Participation (15%)

               Attendance and contributions are required at all sessions. Please notify a course coordinator in advance by email if you will miss class and why. We also expect that you will be in class on time.  Do not disturb your classmates by arriving late or leaving during class. Any missed sessions without acceptable explanations could result in a failing grade on participation.

 

Team Project (60%):

Your client for the team project is Libby Christie, the new CEO of the Sydney Symphony, and her senior management team. Select one of the following projects:

 

1. Loyalty-Subscriber Strategy

Assess the viability of the Sydney Symphony subscription model, including analyses of the following issues: How can Sydney Symphony achieve greater commitment and loyalty from customers? What is the appropriate subscription model for contemporary lifestyles? How can subscription move single ticket buyers to subscribers?

 

2. Baby Boomer Strategy

Define the Baby Boomer Market and the extent to which the current Sydney Symphony segmentation strategy applies to that market.

 

3. Western Sydney Strategy

Develop a strategy for identifying and developing a loyal customer base in Western Sydney

 

4. Planning

Develop a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that can be used to link the strategies, goals and key responsibility of Sydney Symphony with the incentive contracts, assessment and development of musicians. You analyses should take into account the impacts on the culture of the orchestra, the motivations of musicians, the artistic excellence of the orchestra and the financial viability of the Sydney Symphony.

The final report should be a maximum of 15 pages plus a one page executive summary that summarizes your key findings and recommendations (please use 12 point Times New Roman font, double spacing, and 1Ó margins). Exhibits may be included in Appendices and will not count as part of the allowed length. Late assignments will be penalized at 10 points per day or part thereof.

The best reports will be presented to the senior management team of the SSO in May by the teams.

Information Sources

Course reading packet

Course website (http://www.agsm.edu.au/~bobm/teaching/SSO.html)

Your questions for Sydney Symphony managers and musicians during assigned class sessions.

Your own research

 
Course Schedule
 
Tuesday, April 13

 

8:30 - 10:00pm           Introduction/Industry Analysis          Robert Marks/Robert Wood, AGSM

 

10:00 -10:30am           Morning Tea

 

10:30 - 12:00pm         Understanding the Product                 David Vivian Russell, 2MBS-FM

 

12:00 - 1:00pm           Lunch

 

1:00pm                        Bus to Opera House

 

1:30 - 4:00pm             Sydney Symphony Rehearsal             Dene Olding, Concertmaster, SSO

 

Wednesday, April 14

 

8:30 -10:00am             Customer Data Analysis                    Simon Sheather, AGSM

10:00 -10:30am           Morning Tea

 

10:30 - 11:00am          Customer Data Analysis                    Simon Sheather

 

11:00 - 12.00noon      Marketing                                           Victoria Doidge, SSO

                                   

12:00 - 2:00pm           Lunch and study time

 

2:00 - 3:30pm             Organizational Analyses                     Tom White, ex-SSO

 

3:30 - 4:00pm             Afternoon Tea

 

4:00 - 5:00pm             Review and follow up                         Robert Marks/Robert Wood

 

Thursday, April 15

 

8:30 -10:00am             The musicians' view                           Ben Jacks, principal French horn, SSO

                                   

10:00 -10:30am           Morning Tea

 

10:30 -12:00noon        Finance                                               Rachel Hadfield, SSO

 

12:00 - 2:00pm           Lunch and study time

 

2:00 - 3:30pm             Strategy                                               Shayne Gary, AGSM

 

3:30 - 4:00pm             Afternoon Tea

 

4:00 - 4:30pm             A view from the Board                       John Conde AO -- Director, SSO

 

 

 

 

Available Materials

 

The following readings and websites provide information that will help you to achieve your goals for this course and to complete your individual assignment and team project. They will also be useful your preparation for the question and answer sessions with the managers and musicians from the Sydney Symphony that are listed in the Course Schedule. But the importance of individual materials will depend upon what you are trying to achieve, so you, not the instructors, will have to decide what is important.

 

You should also refer to the Sydney Symphony materials that you were exposed to in Term 1, such as the analyses of the financial reports in the Accounting class.

 

A (P) indicates that the material is in the course Readings Package. A (W) indicates that it is on the course website.

 

Understanding the Product

Boston Symphony Orchestra, Recipe for a Concert (W)


Randolph Magri-Overend (2004) "Gianluigi Gelmetti: Ready to baton a perfect pitch". Fine Music, February, pp14-15. (P)

 

Symphony websites - San Francisco Symphony Orchestra; Royal Scottish National Orchestra; London Symphony Orchestra; Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra; Orpheus Chamber Orchestra; Toronto Symphony Orchestra. (W)

Industry Economics and Marketing

William J. Baumol "Symphony Orchestra Economics: The Fundamental Challenge". (W)

 

The Economist reviews a recent history of the London Symphony Orchestra (W)

 

McKinsey & Company, (1995). Taking its Place on the World Stage, The Challenge of Accelerating the Sydney Symphony Orchestra's Development Towards International Renown. (P)

 

The Wolf Report and Baumol's Curse: The Economic Health of American Symphony Orchestras (W)

 

Joseph Robinson "Raising the Demand Curve for Symphony Orchestras" (W)

 

Organizational Analyses - Sydney Symphony

McKinsey & Company, (1995). (P)

 

Sydney Symphony "Induction Pack for New Employees" (P)


Sydney Symphony "KRA 2004 Goals" (P)

 

Sydney Symphony Orchestra "The Case for Structural Change" (W) Ð this is currently in the pack do you want to take it out and add it to the website instead?

 

David Vivian Russell (2004) "The power behind the throne". Fine Music, February, pp18-19. (P, W)

 

Organizational Analyses - General

C. Bangle, (2001). The Ultimate Creativity Machine; How BMW Turns Art into Profit. Harvard Business Review. January, pp 47-55 (P)

 

Drew McManus Adaptistration: a web log on the evolution of orchestra management. (W)

 

Paul R. Judy "The Leadership Complexity of Symphony Orchestra Organizations" (W)

 

Seymour and Robert Levine "Why They're Not Smiling: Stress and Discontent in the Orchestra Workplace"(W)

 

Robert Mnookin, with Gary Friedman and Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld "A New Direction: Transforming Relations within the San Francisco Symphony" (W)

What goes into orchestral management? Essentials of Orchestral Management was a ten-day course held earlier this year (W)

Benjamin Zander "Orchestrating the Executive Team"  (W)

 

Finance

Sydney Symphony (2002) "Annual Report" (W)

 

Microsoft suggests how the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's accounting could be improved (W)

 

Strategy

G. Saloner, A. Shepard, and J. Podolny (2001). Strategic Management, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. pp 1-16 and 19-23. (P)

The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra's Strategic Plan (W)