Subscribe
Details
Alison Konrad, Professor, Organizational Behaviour, at Ivey Business School shares her approach to case writing and what she’s learned from publishing more than 50 research articles on topics such as inclusivity initiatives in organizations, employment equity programs, work-life balance initiatives, and more. Konrad reflects on her history as a case author, examines how the case method has evolved, and offers advice for educators looking to respectfully and effectively cover EDI issues in their own classes and cases.
Cases referenced in this episode:
Transcript
Hello, I'm Matt Quinn. Thanks for joining us for decision point from Ivy Publishing at the Ivy Business School. With us today is Alison Conrad, professor of organizational behavior at Ivy and holder of the course entertainment chair in women in management. Professor Conrads approach to case writing is informed by over fifty published research articles covering topics such as inclusivity initiatives and organizations, employment equity programs, work life balance initiatives and more. We ask Professor Conrad to reflect on our history as a case author, examine how the case method has evolved and offer some advice for educators looking to respectfully and effectively cover edi issues and their own classes and cases. Alice, and let's start rate from from the top. Thank you so much for joining us. I'd like to learn a little bit about your history. What as a case author? Can you talk to us about how you got started? Who Did you learn from and how long have you been writing cases? Well, I was recruited to join the Ivy Business School in the fall of two thousand and three and no I arrived, I was told about the expectation that we would write one to two cases a year. So I would the reason I joined the school because of the high prestige, the excited it's an exciting program but also I was very interested in learning about kate teaching and case writing. So so for me that was very motivating. So I right away in my first case the first year, and that was so I arrived in two thousand and three. The first one was published in two thousand and four and then I had one to do cases a year. I have, I think, twenty seven. there. It's amazing and it's been it's been fun to work with you. For those joining us today, Alison's been a great partner for our team, helping us to learn, working together on workshops. We've got a lot of experience working together and it's been a lot of fun. I want to take a dive down and talk about diversity and equity issues and your perspective as a case author. What have you noticed recently the shift and attitudes, the approach that publishers, colleagues of your students and even institutions are taking? What have you noticed recently? Well, I think firms are more open now to discussing your equity, diversity and inclusion initiative. Now that we sort of experienced me to and black lives matter. People want to see businesses take initiative in this area, and so I believe that's the reason leaders are seeming to be more open now about doing cases in this area, to show that they are being coactive and that they are taking diversity and inclusion seriously, certainly from the students side. Students have requested cases that reflect the broader set of leaders for a long time, but those requests are are more frequent now and it comes from more people. So I think students really have an appetite for this and and then business is also more willing to open their doors to us as pace writers in this field as well. So it's pretty exciting. It's great because you're seeing it from, you know, student demand and also companies, so we're seeing it on all levels, which is which is really great and so important for this to move forward. So I want to talk about structuring cases and you've definitely approached cases that have difficult or sensitive topics and from, you know, many cases to standard case structures. What has been your approach are is there one approach that's better than another in how to you know, approach this at when you're a writer when working with companies, how do you decide how to move forward with tackling sensitive topics? Yes, I've done different structures with my cases depending upon the level of access to information. Generally speaking, so many cases are best when I don't have a lot of detailed information but it is such a compelling incident or an event and it really illustrates some dimension or some dynamic of that's either helping or hurting equity, diversity, an inclusion, that it just stands alone very nicely as a discussion point. So many cases are useful for those things that you know no firm wants to open their doors to say here is our our roost moment and pad in a long time and and let's let you look at everything about it. So, generally speaking, those when we want to get to those really painful points that happen and it's not like if it's going to happen, it's when it's going to happen. So you have to learn how to handle it. So for those very painful moments, in many cases are usually dead because you can also show a range. You can show how there's a range of behaviors that all might fall within the field of harassment or microaggressions, and so having a set of many cases also broadens the concept. As you discuss some flacs. So those usually come from publicly available documents. Settlements of lawsuits are one, if they're if they're open settlements cases with Ontario Coming Rights Commission, as well as incidents that academic research that have been well documented on those. Those kinds of things come up in I love that you mentioned some of the sources because those are great creative sources that may not come to mind when we first heart start writing a case. I love that you've given us that tip. And for those that are new to case right, how would you define a mini case? Really, it's really short and sweet, so you can fit it on to a page, to a page in it half. I'm not sure how many words that is man yeah, not, not too many and definitely different from the traditional, you know, eight page case that we've seen, that we've seen before. Exactly, exactly. Yeah, many cases. From a student perspective, I had a chance to sit in on some classes where we use those like the one pager. They're great to get conversation started and really getting people thinking or even in breakout sessions to hand out a many case for folks to use. I think that's a great tool. So I are so appreciate that you brought that up. Now, along with the many cases and traditional cases, you talk about, you know, teaching notes, and let's let's talk about that for a moment. What are some of the key things that you keep in mind when writing at a teaching note to help faculty direct, direct the conversations to ensure that they're safe and that they're inclusive? What do you think about when you're writing those teaching notes? Yeah, I do think about out that, because leading conversations on sensitive topics in class is a difficult skill. Many, you know, instructors are nervous about it when we approach it's very helpful to have some tools in the teaching note that help, you know, structure the conversation in a way that going to go well. So the one thing that I do, and many of us do is, at the beginning of class, acknowledge that this will be an emotionally charged topic potentially and it might get heated. And so for that reason we're going to start class by setting up some ground rules for discussion. And so then that's the first pasture of the case discussion and students are really excellent at identifying things that they can do for each other to create a nice level of psychological safety in the room. So so that's a great way to start the class. And and and if everyone is sort of it's a top of mind to be kind and respectful to each other. So that's a great start. And then also, it's hard for me to put stuff like this in the teaching note, but I do try to invite and encourage in and say yes to all a broad range of student comment. I try to say yes regardless whether it comes from a politically liberal or blue the conservative side. It's important for me to be supportive of all of my students and care about everybody. So many of the comments I'm I'm less comfortable with the conservative side. It's just because that is not my starting values. But is I've heard those things and they're related to economic theory, which I respect. So I can say things like yes, I've heard that before, and what the implications for organizational action? or I could say something yes, you know, that is consistent with compensating. Differential theory and economics. Are The implications for our decision of them. So that way it's you know, all of my students should feel comfortable expressing their views and I can be supported and and my personal view is not with the classes about right. Yeah, I was just I was just going to say, you know, that pre work, when walking into the classroom, of kind of thinking about, all right, what are the different angles, what are the theories, as you've just mentioned, that might be referenced, and so that you are almost anticipating what some of the comments could be. In that that prep work before classes just becomes even more important. Absolutely, absolutely. And then another thing that I think is important to do in class is to interrupt comments that look like you're going to go down the wrong roads. So if I hear somebody say something that I judge is going to be Herfu to perhaps some of our other students in the room, I will say something about it. So a common example for me, and it's happened more than once, it's students will bring up, I don't Hitler as an example of a strong leader, and so that I can't let that go. So I usually just say, you know, that's a painful example and history his has judge that Hitler is not a good one. And also this class isn't about political economy, this business class. So could you give us a different example, one that's from business? And so I try to do it as gently as possible, being supportive of all of my students because, not generally speaking, they come from a very positive place and they're just engaged in learning, and so doing some kind of a gentle interruption and steering conversation to a more safer domain, which is in the legitimate domain of the class, which is business. I views on politically economy are extensive, but they are not educated. I'm not a page to that area, and so that's not, you know, what the class is about. And so staying in our domain of businesses really helps to focus the converstion station. And we are, you know, what should we be doing? How can we as leaders, manage this? Or I love that it's you know, it's coming back to you set the rules, you set the stage and then as the conversation goes on, you use those rules and values almost like guard rails to keep to keep the conversation on track. I really love that sentiment. Now, what's been the reaction? Two cases, you know, where there are challenging conversations or where you're discussing diversity issues. You know what's the reaction been from students? Well, very positive, very positive. These are very engaging conversation. You know, sensitive conversations are not boring. So they're very engaging. Everyone's in there, they're listening to each other, they're thinking, how can I contribute? How how should I praise my contribution? And so there's a very high level of energy, although some of the energy is nervous energy, but that is all right. And as we work through the different business problems and how would leaders can practice handle these situations, it becomes more and more normally become more comfortable with the topic. We can see we're going to a place that's very safe. You know, it's leadership. Is Leadership, even in painful moment. Then people get still getting happy and I'm so I didn't you know, I didn't know what's going to happen when we created a set of many cases that are very close to home. It's the breaking the signance series. These are my boardgressions that regularly happen in business school among students, and we decided to bring those to our class to have students start figuring out how can they manage this dynamic more effectively so that they themselves are going to be creating an an inclusive black classroom environment or for are increasingly to those student yeah, it's so neat to hear of these classrooms because it's giving an opportunity for the students to talk about the business practice side of it but also to exercise that muscle and conversations that may be uncomfortable and how do they deal without an exercise their muscle and doing it? It's a cool dichotomy and ways to grow that student to be the next the next leader, that it's so important for us to create that environment in the classroom. How do you manage and consider or think about maybe some of your own biases or the biases of writers that you work with, publishers editors, because that's another part of writing. The case that we have and we're learning about that and I've you publishing about how do we look for some of that conscious bias and writing? How have you managed it? Well, Matt, the impact of unconscious bias on my writing is something that is just always going to be a struggle. We know from evidence based research that it's really hard for an individual to control their unconscious pie. And even if we are successful in the moment and controlling our unconscious bias in the moment, what researchers have found is when they ask people three weeks later about the event, their answers are more stereotypical because they were trying to stop their buy it, they were trying to be right. So apparently what is top of mind when you're trying to control your byas is the stereotype. So I'm strengthened through that activity rather than weakened, and so it ends up effect in memory. So we don't really have a great tool for controlling unconscious bias as an individual humans. Our brain is not a good tool for that. We have to have outside guard real to help us. So, you know, in in businesses we don't just count on individuals controlling their unconscious bids. You know, we requests that they make sure they appa Peter Coool, that that's brought into birth and that they interview diverse set of candidates that are qualified and don't stop looking until they have a diverse group interview etc. So you know, for publication, I think what I is doing monitoring the diversity or lack of diversity among the decisionmakers in the catalog, as well as calling Sharon's excellent study of the language. You know, those kinds of metrics will help us as writers, but it is not that easy as a writer to know when you're writing is biased, and so I just I work with good pace writers and I do my best to interview multiple people about event to get in the perspectives. But I'm sure if she were to analyze my stuff telling would find biases in my writing as well. And for those of you that are aren't familiar with colleen sharance work, she's a great colleague of ours that we've had the pleasure to work with. She's at Brescia University College. It's affiliated with Western University and it's done some really great work looking at libraries of cases, including IB's. What's the representation of female leaders? Also looking at those, again, unconscious bias in writing style, and she's got involved and not only done the research but it's been actively involved with our teams to teach us more about this and how do we look out for it. What is unconscious bias look like? How do we be a force for change in this? She's been a great partner. So I encourage and will try to put the links up in the show notes to to some of her work, because it is fascinating and really important stuff. So of all the cases that you've written with an equity, diversity and inclusion focused is there one that stands out to you? As you know, the experience was was powerful that you really felt strongly about writing that. You know this needs to get out there, the story needs to be told. Anything stand out to you? Too many of them, but I guess from a macro level I really learned a lot and felt that the quality of information I got from the company was fantastic. In the case on cibcos during an inclusive culture leading the gender so that was a great experience because I was I was contacted by one of the senior leaders, well, actually one of the senior leaders. What happened is I invited I be alums who had graduated in the last twenty years to come visit my women in leadership and so chillian white bread from CIBC came and visited class one time and then invited me to write a case with and then she connected me to Jennifer Laidlaw, who's really doing amazing equity, diversity and inclusion work at CBC. So Jennifer and Jillian I did interviews with them and then he also connected me with several other senior leaders at ABC, and then one of the senior btps came from my class and spoke to my women in leadership breath about how the unconscious bias training had been so impactful on him and that how he's really opened his eyes to ways that they have to improve their systems for more equity. It was just very powerful. So I I really think the case in it up having a very nice form. I think it's well written and it had a lot of great information about exactly what our business is doing in this area and the approaches are quite coactive and sophisticated. HMM. And so having that company partner is so important. What have you found has worked when working with a company talking about what can be difficult conversations? What do you do as an author to put them at ease or get them on as a partner in creating these great cases? Any tips for the listeners? Generally speaking, if I'm working with an IVY along the trust you're right from the beginning, especially if they've come to my class and Stud me work with students and we have a nice lunch afterwards. This, you know, the trust has always been there. It's when I'm working with a company that's not necessarily just linked through an ivy alum I have ID publishing this MBA's, that nondisclosure agreements. I would happily sign one of those. I've done with a few of my CASS I've done like, like I said, over twenty and I've only had to sign like two or three NBAS. So mostly it's just, you know, the relationship is the bond of trust rather than a piece of paper. But the NBA's makes some people feel better and that's fine with me, and so that can help a lot. And also, really I don't cold call and go out to a company and say hey, can you tell me about the last time you had harassment incident? That is not going to happen. No one, you know, no one is going to want to tell a stranger about that. Instead, like I'll see, I saw an article in newspaper, I think it was the Hamilton Spectator. They're writing about this this growing and hastic firm Maple's labels, and how they started. This results only work environment, which is a very radical take on work life flexibility. And there is a it's a group of email entrepreneurs that wanted to have, you know, a very successful business and also be very present in their home lights. And so because they had been in the newspaper, I guess. You know, I just phoned right after the article, they invited me and so I had again a whole day of interviews. So so I think it's because they were ready to talk about their story and they already had it out there. I'm badly that open. Other Times, you know, I'll just be present in listening to interesting people talk or canists or whatever, and when I hear a story that I think I would make it, that it would make a good case, I just always have a business card on me and I'll go up that sleep and say, Hey, would you be interested in writing a cake or seen by the business school? Nobody Says No, Matt. Nobody says no if I if I approach them right after they've given a talk. So things like that, you know you you hit the right moment when people all have something to say and they're ready to shoot. Yeah, look for those signals that the company is open and willing to talk before you before you hit the hit the door, and NDA is something that if you're looking to develop trust, it's definitely something that gets going. But what we've seen, and I'm so glad that you mentioned it, is that, you know, creating a long term relationship. We see many authors that we work with companies over, you know, many years, sometimes decades on a new cases and seeing how things evolved. So looking for those opportunities to develop relationship is fantastic. Any last tips or hints for those that are looking to write a case that cover edi issues or looking to feature underrepresented groups? Any other thoughts on how to just just gets just getting started. My case is come to me serendipitously. My student will come to me and say, Hey, I had this experience and we write a case again, or I'll hear a speaker and I'll just want to write a case with that person. So I would just say just you have to have your ears open and also it's valuable to sort of know, Gosh, you know, I have this certain lesson that I do teach at there's certain concept in theory and I just don't have a case for it. So always having that top of mine. And then when I hear presentations, are the newspaper articles or student comes to me with it with a story or in a home comes to me with a story and want to write a case, I'll know if that fits my needs or not, and that's another way of doing it. So always having your needs top of mine, really having a sense of what is the next case I'm looking for, and then always being open to the stories that come to me, even if they're an not necessarily fitting that exact niche. That doesn't matter. A good case for it from a good story is a good case. That's great advice and just want to wrap things up here, Alice, and thank you so much for, first thing, you know, taking the time with us today to talk about your experiences, but, moreover, you know, all the things that you're doing to push forward these discussions and ensure that the case libraries and the material that's hitting the desk of future leaders is representative, that it starts conversations that are really important for the students to have and for us to have as companies and as academics. So thank you so much for everything that you're doing well, and thank you, Matt, for being open to these cases. Really that's the important thing from publishers is to say yes to these cases and and you guys do and I've really apprecated. If you enjoyed today's episode, subscribe to Decision Point on spotify or wherever you listen to be sure to check out the show notes for links to cases, resources and more. have any feedback, send us an email at cases at IV DOTCA.