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Henry Tam/MGI Case
Henry Tam/MGI Case
Henry Tam/MGI Case
Case overview
The
MGI case investigates a team that is
comprised of
members who are involved in order to participate
in a school contest and
members who are trying to start a real business.
Our goal: Conduct a thorough diagnosis of
the MGI teams processes in order to guide
our recommendations for how Henry Tam
can help his team.
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Background
Three former Soviet Union migrs (Sasha, Igor,
Roman) have an innovative music puzzle game.
Good reviews but poor sales
Contact 2 HBS students (Henry, Dana) to
participate in a business case competition
Also contact MIT student (Dav) for MIT business
case and Berkeley School of Music student (Alex) as
music industry consultant
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Henry Tam & Music Games International
Alexander "Sasha" Gimpelson, co-founder,
member of Music Educators' National Conference.
Mr. Gimpelson graduated from Columbia
University School of Engineering, and had Harvard
University MBA.
Igor Tkachenko, co-founder, is an award-winning
composer and pianist with an international
reputation.
Roman Yakub, co-founder, is an internationally
acclaimed composer with rich experience in both
traditional and electronic/computer composition.
Henry Tam, HBS MBA student, with background
in investment banking & business development
Dana Solman, HBA MBA student, with
background in finance
Dav Clark, MIT Brain & Cog Science grad
student, with expertise in wave form visualization
& software. Interest in creative uses of music.
Alexander Jan Sartakov, Berklee College of
Musch student with major in Music Business
Mangement and Music Production. Expertise in
computer music applications. Cast of Characters
Team (2003)
Team (2007)
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Questions about the case
http://www.interactiveclassics.com/index.html 5
Class discussion
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Diversity is a double edged sword
Diversity on job-related dimensions seems to
Bring more ideas & skills into a group
Increase contact with stakeholders outside the group
Increase innovation and problem solving
Decrease internal communication quality
Diversity of many types of diversity (including
functional area)
Increases tension & conflict
Decreases cohesion
Effects seems to decline with tenure
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Williams & OReilly Review of Group Diversity
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Distinguishing Between Task &
Relationship Conflict
Task conflict
To what extent are there differences of opinions regarding the task
in your work group
How frequently are there disagreements about the task you are
working on in this work group,
How often do people in your work group disagree about the work
Relationship conflict
Sample items for relationship conflict include How muc friction is
present in your work group,
To what extent are personality clashes present in your work group,
How much anger is present in your
How much emotional conflict is there in your work group
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De Dreu & Weingart:
Meta-analysis on conflict, team performance & satisfaction
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K = 30 studies, > 2,000 respondents
How do you deal with
diversity-related conflict?
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What Do You Do About It?
Recategorization
Super-category circle of inclusion
Find cross-cutting categories
Find superordinate goal
Identify common enemy
Declassify
Methods to get members to think of others as
individuals, not exemplars of their groups
Contact hypothesis get to know others in
context of equal status and communication
Mutual differentiation
Acknowledge differences
Emphasize complementary
Gaertner, S. L., Dovidio, J. F., Banker, B. S., Houlette, M., Johnson, K. M., & McGlynn,
E. A. (2000). Reducing intergroup conflict: From superordinate goals to
decategorization, recategorization, and mutual differentiation. Group Dynamics, 4(1),
98-114. 12
Circles of Inclusion
USA Terrorist
Cleveland/ Pittsburgh/
Browns Steelers
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