MGMTEX 440-1

Technology Management: Cloud Computing & Big Data

(Select Topics in Management: Cloud Computing & Big Data)

August Block 2020

2 unit credit elective course offering
5 sessions, 3.5 hours per session (with break), 2 classes per session
Course Number: MGMTEX 440-1
Dates: August 17 – August 21, 2020
Time: Weeknights, 6:30pm to 10:00pm
Location: Online via Zoom Videoconference interactive session as broadcast from Prof. Blevins home studio
UCLA Class ID: 561220110
A course offering from the Executive MBA program of UCLA Anderson

Professor: John Blevins

John.Blevins@Anderson.UCLA.edu
Mobile: +01 (323) 365-6565
http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty-and-research/decisions-operations-and-technology-management/faculty/blevins
Office (D-524, Cornell Hall) hours: By appointment
Available by email, text, instant message, phone, Zoom, FaceTime, WhatsApp, Skype, Google Hangouts, WeChat, Webex, etc.
Course Support: UCLA Anderson Executive MBA Office, +01 (310) 206-1435, Allison.Etkins@Anderson.UCLA.edu, (Course
specific), Shelly.Fraga@Anderson.UCLA.edu, (Administration specific)

Teaching Assistant: Jessica Chen

Email: Jessica.Chen.2021@Anderson.UCLA.edu
Mobile: +01 (914) 960 8699
Available by email, text, instant message, phone, Zoom, FaceTime, WhatsApp, Skype, Google Hangouts, WeChat, Webex, etc.

Course Synopsis
The course focuses on how cloud computing and data analytics are affecting business models. Emphasis is on
understanding how cloud technology is affecting the marketplace and consumer behavior. Secondary emphasis is
on how organizations can use these new technologies to their advantage, either through new product/service
offerings or new organizational capabilities. It is designed to learn managerial consumption of large data sets and
understand how results are produced to make data-driven decisions. A hands-on exercise will enhance
understanding of how large data sets can be used to gain business insights, not just as a reference. Industry guests
will present real-world scenarios given the recentness of the technologies & the rapid pace of market disruption
they cause. After taking this course, students in more traditional, non-technical business management roles will be
able to hold a knowledgeable & informed conversation with the CIO on usage/enablement of cloud computing
resources.

Course Overview
Cloud computing and the associated large datasets generated from its use have transformed business operations,
providing almost limitless computational power for startup companies as well as large, established firms. Due to its
minimal initial investment cost, pay-per-use model, and elastic compute/storage capabilities, firms of any size can
now leverage data resources to their strategic advantage. This cloud computing and big data technology
management course will educate students on the rapidly evolving and business-dynamic-changing impacts cloud
computing and large datasets are having on businesses. The student will learn about cloud computing capabilities,
the industry’s service providers, and how businesses are using these operational tools. The areas covered include:
Cloud Computing: The on-demand, highly-flexible use of computing resources as a service. Distributed
computing and access capabilities have made it possible for businesses to use computing resources

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 (computational power, computational infrastructure, software usage, storage/access/recovery, etc.) as
needed, significantly reducing capital expenditures. This distributed computing model has enabled small
firms to have the same technical capabilities as large corporations, significantly lowering the barriers to entry
and resulting in a large influx of young upstarts disrupting traditional business models and industries.

Big Data/Analytics: The study, measurement, and understanding of new business insights derived from
massively large amounts of data and the correlating effects deciphered from previously unknown interactions.
With large computational capabilities has come the ability to capture an extremely large amount of data.
Software advances have created the ability to churn through this data quickly to derive insights previously
unseen yet provide insights in a comprehensible way so business leaders can make informed decisions. Big
Data has enabled real-time business activity understanding from multiple large data sources. This permits
business plan modifications that can be acted upon to derive optimum returns, as the business is operating.

The course will include a look at how these technologies are working in conjunction to create synergistic growth
effects and ways to leverage this knowledge for exploiting these symbiotic effects in the student’s chosen business
vertical. Please note, the course materials may change based on speaker availability and further course
development prior to the start of the course.
Course CCLE (Common Collaboration & Learning Environment) Website: https://ccle.ucla.edu/course/view/201A-MGMTEX440-1

Course Description
The course provides five sessions (2 classes each session) focused on how cloud computing and data analytics
concepts are affecting business models through classroom lecture/discussion, industry guest speakers, team
collaboration, individual assignments, and outside study. It is designed to inform students and arm them with
relevant, highly-current information needed about shared-resource computing and large data sets as they lead
their organizations. After taking this course, a student who is in a more traditional, non-technical business
management role will be able to hold a knowledgeable and informed conversation with his/her firm’s CIO when
discussing the usage/enablement of cloud computing resources. The course will enable students to make informed
business management decisions that are affected by an understanding of the technology enabling new business
capabilities.
The emphasis throughout the course is on the understanding of how cloud computing technology is affecting the
marketplace and consumer behavior. Secondary emphasis will be on how organizations can use these new
technologies to their advantage, either through new product/service offerings or new organizational capabilities.
The course is designed to learn managerial consumption of large data sets and understand how those results were
produced in order to make data-driven decisions. A hands-on exercise will further enhance these learnings to
understand how large data sets can be used to gain business insights and not just taken as another reference point
more commonly associated with traditional data analysis.
Industry guest speakers will be an integral part of the course to present current and real-world scenarios given the
recentness of the technologies and the rapid pace of market disruption they cause. Class sessions will include
instructor-led lecture and discussion as well as guest speakers. Students are expected to actively engage with the
guest speakers, presenting poignant questions and well-thought-out scenarios to inquire about.

Course Content
The course includes professor-led interactive lectures, industry veteran guest lecturers, case study discussions,
simulations, and independent reading/research/viewing. The readings/video viewings are from various technical,
management, and economics literature/web sources. The case studies provide real-world examples of cloud
technology and data analytics impacts on various industries and markets. The industry visitors provide unique
opportunities to engage with leading practitioners from the companies and industries we discuss.

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 In-Session Course Activity Activity In-Session Time Percentage
Lecture & Class Participation 40%
Industry Guest Speakers 33%
Case Study Discussions 13%
Data Analytics Simulation (last class session) 13%
To assist you with your personal schedule planning and time management outside scheduled class sessions,
approximate read/watch times have been provided with each assignment below.

Course Outline
Class session details and topics.

Session Date Topic (subject to change) Key Information Session Pre-work

• Materials and videos • Preview, read and view all
Now until
posted on the course course materials prior to the
August 17,
website. start of class. Highly
2020
recommended.
• Course overview & objectives • Guest Speaker: Antonio • Video- Undersea cable video
• Cloud computing introduction and overview Lobato, Senior Solutions • Video- Thin undersea cables
o IaaS, SaaS, PaaS, BPaaS Architect, Google video
o Public, private, hybrid cloud • Article- How Cloud

1
o Cloud service models Computing is Changing
August 17,
• Big data & analytics introduction and overview Management
2020
• Big Data Visualization • Article- When Data Creates a
• Cloud service providers Competitive Advantage
• Data Analytics individual Simulation assignment (due • Article -Cloud Wars
session 5) discussion

• Case study discussion: Cloud computing (Fintech) • Team Case study analysis 1 • Article- Implementing Big
• Business model disruptions caused by cloud computing (Fintech) due Data Strategies: A Managerial
advances • Individual final research Perspective

2 August 18, • Analytic capabilities of large data sets

2020 • Firms using cloud and data capabilities for strategic
advantage (with case studies)
paper idea due

Director, Cloud Solutions

• Video- The Grand Theory of
• Guest Speaker: David Chou, Amazon
• Cloud Computing Case Study-
• Early stage company use of cloud capabilities Architecture, Microsoft Fintech: Choosing a Cloud
• Operational costs and benefits of cloud computing Service Provider
• Case study discussion: Big Data (Gap) • Team Case study analysis 2 • Article- Big Data Dreams-A
• Business executive technical understanding (operational (Gap) due Framework for Corporate
concepts): MapReduce, Hadoop, Kubernetes, OpenStack, • Guest Speaker: Kirk Dunn, Strategy
etc. Former CIO of Cloudera • Big Data Case Study-

3 August 19, • Cloud & data digitization disruptions

2020 • Integrating corporate data systems with cloud offerings
(Azure, AWS, Google, etc.)
Predicting Consumer Tastes
with Big Data at Gap

• Using Big Data for forecasting

• Data models & frameworks
• Uncovering causal effects
• Governance, compliance, legal, and tax implications • Guest Speaker: Jeetu Patel, • Article- With Big Data Comes
based on geophysical/digital location SVP and General Manager, Big Responsibility
• Data security & privacy considerations Security & Applications, • Video- OK Cupid
• OK Cupid video discussion Cisco, and formerly Chief

4
• Mined data usage ethics Strategy Officer, Box.com
August 20,
o Applying data insights to marketing, product
2020
development and business decisions
• Machine learning (ML)
• Neural networks (NN)
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Country specific competition

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 • AI human capital impacts
• AI business impacts
• Data Analytics Simulation Discussion • Individual final research • Simulation- Data Analytics
• paper idea due Simulation: Strategic Decision

5
Big data marketplace power
August 21, • Global economy digital impacts • Guest Speaker: Jason Lee, Making
2020 • Course summary Principal, Advanced
Analytics Group, Bain &
Company
• Individual final research
Sunday,
paper due Sunday, August
August 30,
30, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. PST
2020
(Los Angeles time)
NOTE: The course evaluation window will open Friday, August 21 at 10:00 p.m. PST and close soon after. Therefore, the evaluation should be
done immediately following our last class. All students are highly encouraged to submit a course evaluation. Early submission, right after our last
class is encouraged. Please note, UCLA Anderson no longer uses paper forms for evaluations, so all evaluations must be completed online.

Class Preparation
Class session pre-work materials are listed here, by class, to make it easier for you to find and prepare prior to each
class meeting.

Session Session Pre-work Materials (underlined items are in the UCLA Bookstore course reader, all else is available online)
• Video- Global undersea cables video, Business Insider, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlAJJI-qG2k (Watch Time: 2:22 minutes)
• Video- Thin underwater cables hold the internet, Vox Publications, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve810FHZ1CQ (Watch Time:
2:58 minutes)
• Article- How Cloud Computing is Changing Management, by Quentin Hardy, Harvard Business Review, February 7, 2018 (H045PM),
1 (Read Time: 12 minutes)
• Article- When Data Creates a Competitive Advantage… …and when it doesn’t, by Andrei Hagiu and Julian Wright, Harvard Business
Review, January-February 2020, (R2001-G) (Read Time: 17 minutes)
• Article- Cloud Wars, Business Insider, https://www.businessinsider.com/why-amazon-is-so-hard-to-topple-in-the-cloud-and-where-
everybody-else-falls-2017-7 (Read Time: 10 minutes)
• Article- Implementing Big Data Strategies: A Managerial Perspective, by Pooya Tabesh, Elham Mousavidin, and Sona Hasani, Kelly
School of Business, Indiana University, May 15, 2019, (BH978) (Read Time: 16 minutes)

2 • Video- The Grand Theory of Amazon, Polymatter, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyohSu-Ft_U&frags=pl%2Cwn, (Watch Time:

10:30 minutes)
• Cloud Computing Case Study- Fintech: Choosing a Cloud Service Provider by Clinton Daniel and Janis Grogan, North American Case
Research Association, March 31, 2017 (NA4073) (Read Time: 21 minutes)
• Article- Big Data Dreams-A Framework for Corporate Strategy, by Matthew J. Mazzei and David Noble, Elsevier/Science Direct, Kelly

3 School of Business, Indiana University, May 1, 2017 (BH817) (Read Time: 28 minutes)
• Big Data Case Study- Predicting Consumer Tastes with Big Data at Gap, by Ayelet Israeli, and Jill Avery, Harvard Business Publishing,
July 10, 2017 (9-517-115) (Read Time: 35 minutes)
• Article- With Big Data Comes Big Responsibility, by Scott Berinato, Harvard Business Review, November 2014, (Read Time: 11 minutes)
4 • Video- OK Cupid Video, The Atlantic, http://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/380086/the-uncomfortable-data-behind-online-dating
(Watch Time: 5:13 minutes)
• Simulation- Data Analytics Simulation: Strategic Decision Making, by Thomas H. Davenport, Harvard Business Publishing, February 24,
5 2016, (7050-HTM-ENG) (Action Time: 90 minutes)

Prerequisites
There are no technology prerequisites for the course. Students should come with an earnest interest in learning
about business and leadership management regarding technical matters. You do not need a technical background
to enroll in this course, nor do you need to be able to code. You will, however, need to be open to learning about
technological advances and you are encouraged to do additional outside class research to better understand the
technical details behind the topics of our discussions. Students should have an appropriate business background
either through education, personal or work experience that understands basic technical concepts in order to get

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the most from this course. Each student should feel comfortable to read about, understand, and discuss the
fundamental basics of the underlying technical issues of cloud computing and large data sets.

Grading
Grades are determined by active and relevant class participation including pre-class preparation (30%), two case
study write-ups (15% each), a data analytics simulation assignment (10%), and a final research report paper (29%)
including topic idea submission (1%). Individual work is 70% of your grade, with 30% earned collaboratively with
your team.

Activity Percentage Assignment

Class attendance and participation 30% Individual
Final research report 29% Individual
Case Analysis 1 (Cloud computing, Fintech) 15% Team
Case Analysis 2 (Big data, Gap) 15% Team
Data Analytics simulation 10% Individual
Final research report topic submission 1% Individual

CASE STUDIES: Each student team is required to digitally submit a 2-page case summary analysis of each of the
two cases covered prior to the start of class the day of the case discussion (Session 2 for cloud computing (Fintech)
and Session 3 (Gap) for big data). Each case summary should include a brief summary of the issue(s) faced and
recommendations suggested. The analysis should be presented in an executive summary format (otherwise
known as a management consulting format) of “answer-first” where your recommendations are presented in the
first paragraph along with a synopsis of the situation. Details of why you are making your recommendation with
strategic analysis to support it should be given in the body of the report. The focus should be on analysis
discussion, not restating the facts of the case. All members of the student team must actively participate in the
case summary development. All students should be prepared with notes from their analysis to kick off and actively
participate in the class discussion.

DATA ANALYTICS SIMULATION: Each student will be provided individual access to an online data analytics
simulation exercise to better understand the power of analytics in decision making. Acting as the brand manager
for a laundry detergent, you will be tasked with turning around the brand's performance by using analytic
techniques to understand current issues and determine the best strategy for improving performance. You will be
asked to predict market demand, set the channel price, make formulation decisions, determine promotional
spending strategy, and communicate your strategy effectively. Everyone will be provided two simulation access
runs to allow for a practice first, and then an actual simulation. Students should schedule 90 minutes for each
simulation, with the first run taking longer. The second run tends to be a bit shorter for most students once the
exercise is more clearly understood. Both simulation runs will be captured and recorded. The exercise will rank
your performance in comparison to your classmates, which will determine your grade on the assignment. Each
individual student is required to create a 1 page write-up (2 pages are accepted if needed) that addresses how you used
the data sets and explain your strategy. This Individual simulation assignment must be completed online and
accompanying write-up submitted before class on Friday, August 21, 2020.

FINAL RESEARCH REPORT PAPER: Each individual student is required to write a research paper that addresses how
cloud computing and/or big data are affecting companies/governments/NGO’s and their respective markets. The
paper should incorporate the findings and new learnings from the course. In order to make this exercise more
relevant to each student and for use in the field/upon graduation, the final report topic should be in the student’s
chosen field. Exceptions will be granted, but you are encouraged to make the topic relevant to you.

• TOPIC SELECTION: Each student is required to digitally submit one topic idea for the final research paper
by Tuesday, August 18, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. PST and must include a short paragraph explaining why the
topic was chosen and key areas that will be examined in the research paper. Professor Blevins can
provide directional guidance to ensure your topic is relevant and would be appropriate for this course.
Early submission is encouraged.

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 • RESEARCH PAPER: Each student is required to digitally submit an individually-written, well-researched,
critical analysis* research paper on a pre-approved cloud technology or big data market (or relevant
submarket) on or before Sunday, August 30, 2020, at 11:59pm PST. The reports should take the form of
an industry analysts report, as might be produced by Forrester Research, the Gartner Group, an
investment bank, etc. The reports should be a minimum of five pages, excluding graphs, charts,
references, etc. and must include carefully reasoned projections for future market directions. There
should be a minimum of 8 scholarly works (of high credibility) reference resources sited on the paper, but
the expectation for a report of this size would be greater than 15 and ideally 20 or more. Footnote
references are recommended over endnote references, but either will suffice. Just as in your case study
analysis papers, you are highly encouraged to put your conclusions, findings, and recommendations very
early in the paper in an “answer first” method. Provide the direction your paper will take very early in the
paper so the reader is encouraged to continue reading to learn how you came to your conclusions and
recommendations. You may also check out this Rosenfeld Library link
(http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/rosenfeld-library/databases/business-databases-by-category/analyst-
reports) to see what an industry analyst report looks like. Proper citation guidance may be found here:
http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/rosenfeld-library/citing-business-sources. Additional information, links
and an offer of librarian assistance is on the course website under the Extra tab. Given this individual
assignment is the most significant portion of your grade, my expectation is you will put forth an
appropriate effort for the largest component of your assessment. My desire is to have your paper present
all sides of your argument, with highly reputable sources that are heavily referenced, and then hear your
informed recommendation based on this new knowledge you’ve discovered. I would like your paper to
be of a high enough quality that it could be submitted to a conference in their “call for
papers/presenters”. Bring something forward that can change an industry or at least provide a new
perspective that can start a robust discussion among industry leaders. I’ve read past student papers and
was so impressed, I recommended them for conference paper submission. This has happened 5 times
with at least one student being selected to present her topic at an industry forum. I wrote a supportive
note for her and will do the same for you. Having your work accepted by a conference and your
presentation at an industry event looks great on your resume and brings you noted credentials. I hope
you’ll make the most of your paper, not only for this class, but also for your career, and enjoy the research
on the topic you select.

Student Learning Objectives and Competency Assessment: The course is designed to enable business executives
to make rational and intelligent strategic business decisions regarding issues involving cloud computing and big
data digital assets.

Learning Objectives Assessment & Measurement Learning Results

Knowledge Outcome:
Cloud computing concepts
Knowledge Outcome:
Big data concepts
Skills Outcome:
Effective technology
management decision
making
Attitudes & Values
Outcome: Prudent ethical
usage of customer/client/
employee/corporate Data
Behavioral Outcome:
Demonstration of knowledge
gained regarding technology
management decisions
regarding cloud & big data
for an organization
• Classroom discussions, interaction, analysis descriptions, and
points made during all 5 sessions of the course.
• Case study analysis write up quality.
• Research report content, materials, quality, and depth.
• Classroom discussions, interaction, analysis descriptions, and
points made during all 5 sessions of the course.
• Case study analysis write up quality.
• Research report content, materials, quality, and depth.
• Classroom discussions, interaction, analysis descriptions, and
points made.
• Case study analysis write up quality.
• Research report content, materials, quality, and depth.
• Viewing, understanding, and comprehension of assigned ethical
analysis assignments.
• Classroom discussions, interaction, analysis descriptions, and
points made during the ethical training session (session 4).
• Research report content, materials, quality, and depth.
Ability to make effective managerial
decisions regarding Cloud computing
including what areas to investigate and what
questions to ask.
Ability to make effective managerial
decisions regarding big data, analytics and
corporate data assets including what areas
to investigate and what questions to ask.
Ability to make effective managerial
decisions regarding technology-led,
technology-dependent or technology-based
business endeavors.
Established personal foundation for making
difficult, high-integrity and honorable
business management decisions regarding
data assets.
Managerial effectiveness and decision-
making confidence regarding senior-level,
technologically-based leadership decisions.

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All assessments, scoring, grading, and grade distributions are done in accordance with the stated course grading
policies as well as those established by the University. Fairness is at the utmost of these policies and they are
established to ensure all students are treated fairly and equally, allowing their work to be assessed in an equitable
manner.

Summary of Course Deliverables

Class Session Deliverable Due Grade % Assignment
• Active and relevant class participation
• All pre-work assignments
Sessions 1-5 read/watched/completed 30% Individual
• Preparation (personal notes/points) for
class and case discussion
• Team case study analysis-Cloud
15% Team &
Session 2 computing (Fintech)
1% Individual
• Individual final research paper topic
Session 3 • Team case study analysis -Big data (Gap) 15% Team

Session 5 • Individual Data Analytics Simulation 10% Individual

August 30, 2020 • Individual Final Research Paper 29% Individual

Course materials will be distributed via the course CCLE website and all assignments must be turned in via the
course website TurnItIn service feature. There will be no exceptions and late materials will be accepted by the site
with a late notification. Please plan your schedule in advance to meet the deadlines (all local Los Angeles times). If
you experience any technical difficulties with the course CCLE site, please contact the UCLA Anderson Help Desk,
Student Technology Services at +01 (310) 206-2045 or send an email to STS@Anderson.UCLA.edu. You may also
create and submit an online service ticket here: http://support.anderson.ucla.edu.

Course Materials
Course Website

The course CCLE (Common Collaboration & Learning Environment) website is located here:

https://ccle.ucla.edu/course/view/201A-MGMTEX440-1

Course materials will be distributed via the course website. These materials and supplemental readings have been
posted and are available for you now. Additional items may be supplemented throughout the course and you are
encouraged to check in often.

Course Reader

Most students will have the course reader provided to them as part of the registration process. If you
have not received the materials from the Executive MBA office, the course reader may be purchased
online through UCLA’s RedShelf service, which is part of the UCLA Bookstore (normally the process for
FEMBA students). The course readings have been posted and are available for purchase here (FEMBA
students):
https://ucla.redshelf.com/book/1606441

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If there are any questions, please contact UCLA Course Reader Solutions, 308 Westwood Plaza, Ackerman Union A
237, Los Angeles, CA 90095, phone +01 (310) 825-2831, readers@asucla.ucla.edu.

Lecture Videos

All of the live session lectures will be recorded for review later, if desired. The session recordings will be
embedded in each day’s section on the course CCLE.

Lecture Preparation/Review Videos

Preparation/Review videos have been posted to the course site on the specific subjects covered during each
classroom sessions and may be watched to prepare for the session in advanced (highly encouraged) or for review
of the materials after the class. Given this material is normally taught in a ten-week, quarter-long course that will
now be covered in five consecutive nights during the August Block offering, you are being offered the optional
opportunity to preview all topic sessions via video. By viewing the topics in advance of the course, you’ll be able to
absorb them more quickly when we go over them in-person during the sessions and combine the materials with
live discussion. This is not a normal practice for this course, but this additional benefit is being offered to you as an
option, knowing you may be pressed for time during the five consecutive nights of the course. Should you have
available time between now and the start of class, you are encouraged to views these videos in advance.
Total viewing Time: 5:04:47
Shortest: 0:01:54
Longest: 1:25:12
Average: 0:16:65

This is in addition to the videos being embedded on the course CCLE website under each day of the course where
the topic will be discussed. Hyperlinks to all videos are below and on the course website for your convenience.

Number Video Time Session

Pre-Course signup informational video 0:01:54 Pre-
Video 00 Cloud & Big Data August Block 2020: Course Welcome and informational Introduction course
0:07:42
Video V-1 Course Overview 0:05:18
Video V-2 Cloud Introduction 0:42:13
Session 1
Video V-3 Big Data Introduction 0:13:17
Video V-4 Big Data Visualization 0:12:37
Video V-5 Business Model Disruptions 0:10:48
Video V-6 Operational Cost Benefits 0:06:06
Video V-7 Large Data Set Analytic Capabilities 0:11:18 Session 2
Video V-8 Firms using Cloud & Big Data 0:13:00
Power of Big Data for market disruptions, Startups vs. Incumbents, plus incumbent
Video V-11
use 0:17:21
Video V-13 Cloud & Big Data Operational Concepts 0:19:47
Kubernetes 0:13:19 Session 3

Video V-12 Cloud+Data Digitization Disruptions, and The Theory of Disruptive Innovation 0:15:53
Video V-16 Data Security & Privacy 0:05:04
Video V-17 Government Compliance, Legal & Tax Implications (Digitization Impacts) 0:09:16
Session 4
Video V-18 Mined Data Usage Ethics (Digitization Impacts) 0:14:42
Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Deep Learning Business Mgmt Impacts 1:25:12

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Please note the videos listed below on are on topics we will not cover in class, but you may desire to
have exposure and understanding, and if so, you are welcome to view them.
Total viewing Time: 2:21:28
Shortest: 0:01:53
Longest: 0:46:26
Average: 0:12:52
Extra videos on topics that we will not cover, if you'd be interested in viewing for additional learnings

Theory of Disruptive Innovation (extended version including an Uber case discussion)

0:46:26
Video V-14 Insights from Big Data
0:09:03
Video V-15 Social Media Analytics
0:19:27
Video V-19 Talent Digitization Impacts
0:01:53
Video V-20 Big Data Forecasting (Predictive Analytics)
0:06:18
Video V-21 Technology Convergence Optional
0:05:26
Internet of Things
Video V-22 0:11:53
Video V-24 Beacons
0:12:52
Video V-25 AR/VR
0:04:26
Video V-26 VR (Virtual Reality)
0:06:11
Video V-27 AR (Augmented Reality)
0:17:33

Course Meeting Times

Lectures: 5 sessions, 3.5 hours/session with a break on weeknights from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. PST, August 17-
21, 2020

Class location: Online via Zoom Videoconference interactive session as broadcast from Prof. Blevins home studio
Link: To be provided to registered students via the course website on August 16, 2020

Class Attendance and Participation

Your participation grade will be based on attending class on time, for the full period, and adding value during the
class discussions, speaker interactions, and case study reviews. Given this is a condensed course, attendance is
mandatory. There will be no exception to this attendance policy. Students should ensure their calendar will allow
for attendance at every class for the full length of time of each of the five consecutive night’s class prior to
registering for the course. To ensure full engagement with your fellow classmates and to assist the teaching
assistant and I with your participation scoring, all students MUST enable your video feed for the full period of each
class.

Every student should prepare comments for each class session and be prepared to jumpstart classroom discussion
on the pre-class case study assignments. The comments should quickly and effectively identify the issue, industry
highlights/solutions, and describe how this technology could change, disrupt and/or create new opportunities for
an industry. This preparatory work may be done individually or in your study teams.

You will be provided the course materials in digital form in advance and may use them to follow along in real-time
and/or take notes. Digital note-taking (Microsoft OneNote, Apple Notes, Adobe Notes, Slack, Google Docs, Microsoft Word, etc.) is
encouraged. You are welcome to quickly view online websites for items relevant to our discussion, but you should
not disengage from the discussion during the quick lookup. Bookmarking for later review is suggested. Use of
mobile phones or digital devices for something other than course work is not acceptable.

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To help you plan your study/personal time more effectively, reading/viewing time estimates are provided. UCLA
policy stipulates 3 hours of work per week per unit per term, therefore for this 2-unit course, the outside class
expectation is 6 hours/week. Given that this 2 unit course is condensed into 5 consecutive nights as opposed to the
traditional 10 week quarter, the expectation is a total of 60 hours of outside class investment. Realizing you may
desire to spread this workload out both before and after the one week of our nightly meeting times, all course
materials, including pre-recordings of every lecture, in-class materials, readings and study guides, have been made
available to you on the course website. You are strongly encouraged to consume these videos/materials prior to
the first night of class.

Students needing academic accommodations based on a disability should contact the Center for Accessible
Education (CAE) at (310) 825-1501 or in person at Murphy Hall A255. When possible, students should contact the
CAE within two weeks prior to the course as reasonable notice is needed to coordinate accommodations. For more
information visit www.cae.ucla.edu.

Student Career Focus

The course will be particularly relevant to two types of students:

1) Students who are in or anticipate taking managerial positions in businesses for which technology is likely
to play an important role.
2) Students who anticipate consulting or investing in technology-influenced industries and must analyze firm
strategies.

The course may also be relevant to students who are not in a technology related field, especially if their industry is
being impacted by rapid change.

The course is open to all EMBA (Executive MBA), GEMBA (Global Executive MBA), FEMBA (Fully-Employed MBA),
and Exchange EMBA (Executive MBA Students participating in Anderson’s summer exchange program with their
respective business school) students, though priority will be given to students enrolled in the Easton Technology
Management Center Certificate Program. Full-time MBA (FTMBA) students, graduate Engineering and other
related UCLA graduate programs may be allowed to join the course on an exception-only basis with instructor and
program pre-approval. A limited number of seats will be reserved for this purpose.

Collaboration
You should form a study team with 3 classmates (maximum) prior to the first class session to perform team
assignments and to discuss class learnings. If you have not joined a team by the 8:00pm break on Monday, August
17, you must let Professor Blevins know so you can be assigned to a team. This course will include students from
UCLA Anderson’s Executive MBA programs (domestic US and International) as well as Fully-employed MBA
(FEMBA) students. Understanding many students in the course may have not met one another before, I will be
coordinating the opportunity to help form teams quickly on or before for the first class session. You are highly
encouraged to participate in the online course forum PRIOR to the course to get to know one another and form
teams of three before attending the first session. Students are encouraged to actively solicit team memberships
from outside your own program to foster cross-program networking. My experience suggests teaming will
significantly increase your understanding of the technologies and the amount of learning you take from the course.
It is recommended those who do not have a strong technical background join with others who do for the benefit of
both parties. Pairing with others will enable the less technical student to ask direct questions about the topics,
while the more technically-oriented student will enhance his/her ability to present the knowledge in a
comprehensible way.

Team Sign-Up Sheet is located here:

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Professor John Blevins | © 2020, All Rights Reserved | UCLA Anderson School of Management | Do not duplicate without permission
 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Qyym4p6yEWzSvxUx7eL8htls6nAQcOnKs7dD6eMJ_iI/edit?usp=sharing

Please coordinate with your classmates prior to our first class session to self-select student study teams and inform
Professor Blevins who is on your team, by filling out the Team Sign Up Sheet (link).

Zoom Online Meetings

All UCLA students are automatically provided a no-cost Zoom basic license, which can also host an unlimited
number of one-on-one meetings with no time limit and up 300 participants in an unlimited number of 40-min
meeting. Go to https://ucla.zoom.us for details and setup. Please note this is optional and not required.

Class Student Profile

All of your classmates are working executives from multiple MBA programs at UCLA Anderson.

40 students total
• 20 Executive MBA (EMBA) students, 50% of the class
• 14 Fully-Employed MBA (FEMBA) students, 35% of the class
• 6 Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) students, 15% of the class

Instructor
Professor John Blevins (J.B.)

John Blevins (J.B.) is an Adjunct Professor teaching strategic management for technology-based
businesses at UCLA Anderson. He specializes in emerging technologies that are disrupting
traditional business models including cloud computing, big data, analytics, social media, machine learning, and
artificial intelligence. Additionally, he is the Faculty Director for Anderson’s Executive MBA Field Study programs.
Professor Blevins speaks at academic and industry events covering technology-driven market changes, technology
management leadership and other topics. He provides expertise to the technology, telecommunications,
media/entertainment, healthcare, financial services, energy, aerospace, public sector, manufacturing, and
automotive industries. His 30-year work experience includes Deloitte Consulting, Microsoft, Oracle, and Shell Oil
based in Houston, Dallas, New York, Miami, London and Los Angeles where he held a variety of technology and
management roles.

J.B. is the principal of Navigation Pointe, providing management consulting services in the areas of corporate strategy and
organizational management for technology-based businesses. He guides traditional enterprises in their digital
transformation, assists technology-oriented companies with monetization strategies, and advises venture capital/private
equity firms in technology-related industry investments.

Professor Blevins has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering with heavy concentration in Speech Communications from
the University of Alabama, as well as a Master of Business Administration from the UCLA Anderson School of
Management.

Supplementary Optional Readings/Viewings

Supplementary readings offer additional foundational information for topics covered in this the course. If some of
these concepts are unfamiliar, you may wish to do some additional reading.

• Why Amazon is Worth $1 Trillion, Amazon’s Data Advantage video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp1Aq4h3sXA , September 21, 2018, (Watch time: 9:45)

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Professor John Blevins | © 2020, All Rights Reserved | UCLA Anderson School of Management | Do not duplicate without permission
 • “Big Data: Understanding How Data Powers Big Business” by Bill Schmarzo http://www.amazon.com/Big-
Data-Understanding-Powers-Business/dp/1118739574
• The Human Face of Big Data http://www.pbs.org/program/human-face-big-data/
• Cloudonomics: The Business Value of Cloud Computing http://www.cloudonomics.com
• The Case Study Handbook: How To Read, Discuss, And Write Persuasively About Cases, HBS Publishing,
https://hbr.org/product/the-case-study-handbook-how-to-read-discuss-and-write-persuasively-about-
cases/1584-PBK-ENG
• “Cloud: Making SME’s Nimble”, by Rajesj Rage, Senior Vice-President, Data Center and Cloud Business, Cisco-
India. Cisco Blog. https://www.cisco.com/c/en_in/about/knowledge-network/making-sme.html
• “Acquiring the capabilities you need to go digital”, By Matthias Daub and Anna Wiesinger, McKinsey
Quarterly, March 2015. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/digital-mckinsey/our-
insights/acquiring-the-capabilities-you-need-to-go-digital
• “Undersea Cables Connect LA to the Pacific Rim”, by KCRW Media, http://www.kcrw.com/news-
culture/shows/design-and-architecture/bridges-and-walls-the-fourth-border
• Article- Facts and Stats of World’s largest data centers,
https://storageservers.wordpress.com/2013/07/17/facts-and-stats-of-worlds-largest-data-centers, July 2013
(Note- this information is dated, and is DC sizes & locations are larger now)
• Article- Why It's Hard To Escape Amazon's Long Reach, https://www.wired.com/story/why-hard-escape-
amazons-long-reach/, December 23, 2018
• China's Tech Giants Aren't Copycats Anymore, Bloomberg, October 12, 2018,
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2018-10-11/china-s-tech-giants-aren-t-copycats-anymore-video
(Watch time: 2:50)
• Data Visualization Tool: https://www.qlik.com/us/
• Article (Forbes): How Do You Tell A Story With Data Visualization?
• Video: How data transformed the NBA | The Economist (6:41)
• Video: The End of Cloud Computing, Andreessen Horowitz Summit, Mr. Benedict Evans, November 2018
(Watch time: 25:03)
• Video: How Amazon Makes Money, February 18, 2019, CNBC, (Watch time: 5:36)
• Video: Amazon AWS Details, January 18, 2019, CNBC, (Watch time: 13:47)
• Video: Machine Learning: Living in the Age of AI, June 20, 2019, Wired Magazine, (watch time: 41:16)

Supplementary Optional Resources

Supplementary resources offer additional locations to learn more about topics covered in this the course. For
those needing additional information, these resources will lead to more in-depth knowledge.

• Technology Review, Published by MIT: http://www.technologyreview.com/

• Low cost web services access for startups from Amazon: https://aws.amazon.com/activate/
• No/low cost web services access for students from Amazon:
https://aws.amazon.com/education/higher-ed/
• Amazon Web Services Resources:
o https://aws.amazon.com/big-data/
o https://aws.amazon.com/testdrive/bigdata/
o https://aws.amazon.com/training/self-paced-labs
o https://aws.amazon.com/free

Honor Code
UCLA Anderson's Honor Code will apply at all times. Failure to properly cite reference materials, plagiarism†, and
other dishonorable behavior is unacceptable. All work submitted must be your original work created by you.
Please note, the course web site assignment submission system (assignment drop box or “Turn-It-In”)

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Professor John Blevins | © 2020, All Rights Reserved | UCLA Anderson School of Management | Do not duplicate without permission
automatically scans every document to check for plagiarism against all published works, all works on the Internet,
all works in any library, as well as the use of artificial intelligence to recognize student work inconsistencies.
http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/Documents/areas/adm/web/AndersonHonorCode.pdf
Assistance to help you avoid plagiarism may be found here:
http://guides.library.ucla.edu/c.php?g=180364
Course materials are provided to you for use during this course and personal reference after graduation in
perpetuity. The materials are copyrighted and must not be used for personal or business publication or reuse
without the express written consent of Professor Blevins. Such permission is often granted and you are
encouraged to seek approval.

Sustainability
Please Note: This Technology Management course is now "all-digital". All materials will be distributed digitally for
multiple reasons:

• To provide you the most up-to-date information, as digital formats allow updates in real-time.
• To extend deadlines to the last possible moment, allowing you more time (as well as the course team) for
assignments.
• To keep you from having to manage stacks of paper that could get lost and must be managed, in
replacement for "lightweight", always-accessible, digital versions you can access from anywhere, at any
time, on any device.
• To eliminate unnecessary use of earth's precious resources by conserving paper, printing ink, product
transportation/logistics, as well as the energy used in the process.
• To increase MBA student efficiency
• To lower/reduce/eliminate UCLA Anderson costs.

We invite you to join us in saving the planet's resources and making the course more efficient and productive for
you.

*The most characteristic features of critical analysis writing for a research paper are:

• A clear and confident refusal to accept the conclusions of other writers without evaluating the arguments and
evidence that they provide;
• A balanced presentation of reasons why the conclusions of other writers may be accepted or may need to be
treated with caution;
• A clear presentation of your own evidence and argument, leading to your conclusion; and
• A recognition of the limitations in your own evidence, argument, and conclusion

†Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the use of another person’s work (including words, ideas, designs, or data)
without giving appropriate attribution or citation. This includes, but is not limited to, representing, with or without
the intent to deceive, part or all of an entire work obtained by purchase or otherwise, as the student’s original work;
the omission of or failure to acknowledge the true source of the work; or representing an altered but identifiable
work of another person or the student’s own previous work as if it was the student’s original or new work.

Copyright © 2020, Professor John R. Blevins, UCLA Anderson School of Management

Version 5 (July 24, 2020)
Do not duplicate in whole or in part without permission
All rights reserved

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Professor John Blevins | © 2020, All Rights Reserved | UCLA Anderson School of Management | Do not duplicate without permission