Lecture Notes on Ductile Process, Clarity, and Resourcing

Ductile Process Review

We've covered the first four steps of the ductile process and basic concepts so far. This term, we'll complete the process, focusing on steps in weeks eight and ten, with a guest lecture and low-fidelity prototyping workshop in week nine. Bring your primary data to the workshop.

We've explored curiosity, creativity, and started on clarity, resourcing, and implementation. We discussed desirability and feasibility and delved into discovering, understanding, creating, and testing.

Case Study: 2024 Exam

Read the case study (available on Inland and in hard copies) and answer the practice questions. The case study mirrors the format and length of the actual exam case studies. Refresh principles from lecture two if needed. We'll discuss the case study answers shortly.

The exam includes 20 multiple-choice questions (two minutes each) and four short-answer questions based on a case study (10-15 minutes to read the case study, reflect, take notes, and 15 minutes per question). The 2024 and 2023 exams will be released during week eleven's exam preparation session.

Case Study Discussion: Key Principles

Key principles from week two include:

  • User-centeredness (empathy)

  • Abductive reasoning

  • Interdisciplinary collaborations

  • Experimentation and iteration

  • Visualization

Identify these principles in the case study, provide evidence, explain the principle, and link it to the evidence. The case study may not reflect all principles.

Experimentation and iteration are evident through multiple prototypes. Sketches exemplify the visualization principle. Collaboration is present but not prominent.

Tools and Techniques

Identify tools and techniques used in different phases. For example, in the understanding phase, observation and interviews are used; in the testing phase, prototyping and sketching are used.

Understanding phase: Observations, interviewing (interacting with customers).

Testing phase: Prototyping (paper prototypes) to test ideas and gain insights.

Exam questions will require understanding concepts and applying them to case studies.

Clarity and Resourcing

Today's focus is on clarity and resourcing. We'll cover clarity, the resource-based view, resourcing techniques, and a networking simulation.

Clarity involves having a clear solution and scaling up or executing plans. The theoretical foundation is the resource-based view.

Resource-Based View

Introduced by Jay Barney, the resource-based view includes:

  1. Types of resources

  2. SWOT analysis

  3. Competitive advantage

Types of Resources

Resources can be tangible or intangible assets, organizational processes, information, knowledge, or human resources. Barney classifies them into:

  • Physical resources: Machines, equipment

  • Human resources: People, training, expertise

  • Organizational capital: Systems, procedures, unique processes, partnerships

SWOT Analysis

SWOT analysis involves matching internal strengths and weaknesses with external opportunities and threats. It is an integral part of the resource-based view.

Competitive Advantage

To gain competitive advantage, resources must be:

  • Valuable

  • Rare

  • Hard to imitate

  • Lacking strategically equivalent substitutes

For example, rare resources can be expertise or unique systems.

Capital Types

Resources can also be termed capital, influenced by economics. Pierre Bourdieu classified capital into:

  • Economic capital: Money, savings, intellectual property, tangible assets

  • Social capital: Networks, alliances, partnerships, memberships

  • Cultural capital: Personal attributes, disposition, skills, education, ethnic values

  • Symbolic capital: Awards, prestige, brand image, reputation

Examples can be mapped to both Barney's resource types and Bourdieu's capital types.

Exam questions may ask you to identify the type of capital based on an example.

Resourcing Action

Resourcing action involves acquiring resources internally and externally. This includes mapping who has what and assessing resource value.

Bricolage Behavior

Using existing resources at hand rather than acquiring external resources. This includes:

  • Using resources at hand

  • Recombining existing resources

  • Making do with limitations

After identifying resources, try using them via bricolage. If that doesn't work, use networks to gain resources.

Networking Simulation

Key Factors

Communication is key. Clear communications are critical.
Some network members might not respond.
Introverts may prefer online communication but knowing the situation, in-person may be more effective. Knowing who had resources could change your simulation strategy.

A bigger network leads to more resource options.

Networking and Resourcing

Key messages are about network structures, network strengths, content governance, and citizenship behavior.

Network Definition

A network is a patterned relationship between individuals, groups, or organizations. Networks are personal (direct relationships) or extended (links beyond personal networks with more formal arrangements).

Strong vs. Weak Ties

Strong ties involve frequent interaction and close proximity. Weak ties lack emotional attachment and frequent communication. Information from weak ties tends to be new and useful in resourcing.

Content and Governance

Content in networks includes resources, emotional support, market information, and advice. Governance mechanisms and trust shape access to resources.

Leaders in central positions can influence resource flow. Network size, position, citizenship behaviors, and communication frequency matter in resourcing.

Leaders must be talent magnets to attract and retain human resources. Multiplier leaders empower others and cultivate talent within the organization.

Multiplier Leaders

Multiplier leaders act as magnets for people or resources (mainly human resources), and they are able to motivate people and create work cultures where people:

  • can think,

  • can define directions.

  • give hard work.

  • give constructive feedback.

  • aren't micromanagers.

Multiplier leaders:

  • Liberators.

  • Talent Magnets. People like to work for multiplier leaders.

Diminishers (tyrants) are micromanagers who think they know it all and don't value others' input.

Leadership is crucial for attracting the right human resources for scaling and implementation.

Next Week

Guest lecture and project feedback session next week. Bring primary data, ideas, and solutions for low-fidelity prototyping. Attending and engaging in the project feedback session contributes to iteration process marks.