MOUNT SAINT MARY S UNIVERSITY Business Administration Department MBA PROGRAM SYLLABUS. Semester 4 Theme: Concentration and Culminating Project

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1 MSMU MBA PROGRAM SYLLABUS- page 1 MOUNT SAINT MARY S UNIVERSITY Business Administration Department MBA PROGRAM SYLLABUS Semester 4 Theme: Concentration and Culminating Project BUS 261 CONSULTING: WORKING WITH AND BEING A CONSULTANT Spring 2016 Saturday, January 23, :00 AM 5:00 PM Sunday, January 24, :00 AM 12:00 PM Faculty: Barry Patmore, MBA bpatmore@msmu.edu

2 MSMU MBA PROGRAM SYLLABUS- page 2 SYLLABUS INTRODUCTION The course syllabus is one aspect of good pedagogy: It sets out information about the course as well as course expectations. From the faculty member s standpoint, it provides an easy-to-use form setting out the components and requirements so there is clear communication with the students. From the students point of view, the syllabus gives an overview of the coverage as well as the requirements, so they have a good sense of what the course entails from the beginning of the semester. Any surprises should be in the satisfaction of learning and the joys of being in an educational environment that values all the participants students and faculty. At Mount Saint Mary s University, we are guided by the Mount Mission to further the development of the whole person. The syllabus helps make that evident. The syllabus has two major functions: 1. THE SYLLABUS IS A STATEMENT OF COURSE EXPECTATIONS The syllabus sets out the course requirements, the grading scale, and the methods of assessment. It is intended to provide the students with sufficient information about the course expectations, along with due dates, and a class schedule. After the add/drop period, instructors should not redistribute points unless it is to the advantage of the student (e.g., reducing the homework/reading, removing a specific requirement, such as a quiz). The syllabus should be consistent with the catalog description. 2. THE SYLLABUS IS A PERMANENT RECORD The syllabus is a permanent record for the student, instructor, the department, and the institution. As such, it is both a professional and personal document. The syllabus provides a record of course content, grading methods, and information vital for equivalency transfers, as well as for the evaluation of a course or instructor. Subsequently, both faculty and students should retain course syllabi for future reference. Student Credit Hour Policy A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that reasonably approximates not less than: (1) One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or (2) At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) for other academic activities, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

3 SYLLABUS MSMU MBA PROGRAM SYLLABUS- page 3 Semester Theme Module Prefix and Number Module Title Module Description Module and MBA Program Learning Outcomes Required Textbooks and Materials Supplemental Readings and Materials Faculty Contact Phone Number Contact Address Faculty Availability Concentration and Culminating Project BUS 261 Consulting: Working With and Being a Consultant This course introduces the practice of management consulting and methods including: 1) Defining the scope and objectives of a consulting project, 2) Developing an RFP and evaluating and selecting consultants, 3) Understanding the importance of a thorough Consulting Services Agreement. 4) Understanding the process consultants follow, including the similarities with sound project management processes and, 5) Understanding Upon completion of this course, the student will have achieved the following course objectives and learning outcomes. He or she will: 1) Gain a basic understanding of the management consulting industry, the services offered and why leading companies often use management consultants. 2) Understand how to evaluate, select and work effectively with management consultants. 3) Understand the principles of successful consulting. 4) Understand the process consultants follow, including the similarities with sound project management processes. 5) Understand best practices for individuals working within organizations serving as consultants. The Basic Principles of Effective Consulting, by Linda K. Stroh (Author), Homer H. Johnson (Author). ISBN-10: ISBN-13: Available online at Amazon.com and other online book sites. A Kindle version is available at a lower price. Will be distributed in class Barry Patmore, MBA This course is conducted by Dr. Antoniou and Barry Patmore, whose 35-year career with Accenture included Managing Partner of Southern California and Worldwide Managing Partner of Business Process Reengineering. bpatmore@msmu.edu 24 hours by . Note: When sending an , be sure to put the following into the subject line B261 + your name + assignment description

4 Assignment Submissions: Due on the dates assigned MSMU MBA PROGRAM SYLLABUS- page 4 Preparation Prior to First Class Meeting (estimated time 3 hours) 1. Read the course text The Basic Principles of Effective Consulting. To save you time, scan Chapter 1, and thoroughly read chapter 2, 3 and 4. Then read the Key Success Factors section at the end of Chapters 5,6,7,8 and 9 and scan the text in those chapters so you know what they cover and can reference them if needed during your casework. 2. Read the following materials to become familiar with the major players in IT Consulting and Management. Read enough to understand their size, their major service offerings especially services related to: strategy consulting, business process reengineering, IT systems design and implementation, outsourcing etc. Read the following about the larger firms: Google PWC Booz merger and be prepared to describe the goals of the merger For a humorous page of lists including Top 10 things you shouldn t say in a consulting interview read Beware of articles that do not rank Accenture, IBM and McKinsey as among the largest there are some inaccurate articles on the internet that do not distinguish between IT firms with firms with large consulting practices. 3. Read the short Wikipedia article on Management Consulting -- you will get extra credit if you can find any better (free) industry overview Read Wikipedia articles on Business Process Management and Business Process Reengineering Be prepared to define Business Process Reengineering and to give an example of an important business process in a PC manufacturing company. 5. Based on the research and readings, develop an that answers the following questions: 1) What is Strategic Planning? How does it differ from systems design and implementation? 2) Name three of the largest management consulting firms that specialize primarily in Strategy Consulting? What are three service offerings prominently mentioned on their web sites. 3) Name three of the largest management consulting firms that offer IT, systems development and Business Process Outsourcing services. (Hint: they have more than 50,000 employees.) 4) What are three service offerings prominently mentioned on their web sites? How do their service offerings differ from the main service offerings from strategy firms? 5) What is Business Process Reengineering? 6) What are the major advantages and disadvantages of a consulting career? 7) List several important skills every consultant and project manager should have (not including good communications and interpersonal skills). What courses have you taken that teach these skills? 8) Indicate your experience working directly with consultants: none, moderate, extensive. If moderate or extensive, which firm did you work with?

5 MSMU MBA PROGRAM SYLLABUS- page 5 9) Based on your reading of the textbook, what are the key items to include in a consulting services agreement, not including fees and terms and conditions? (Counts for 25% of this assignment grade). 10) Read Case 1 and answer question 1: Define the selection criteria the hospital should us for selecting the consulting firm for the Design Phase. Include criteria for the consultant s team and criteria for the consultant s project manager. List specific skills and expertise the hospital should require not just generic skills and expertise. (Counts for 25% of this assignment grade). Send your entitled B 261 Pre-Class Assignment to abpatmore@msn.com by 6 PM Friday, January 22, s received after this deadline will receive a maximum of half credit.

6 AGENDA: Saturday, January 23, 2016 Note: Bring your laptop to class. MSMU MBA PROGRAM SYLLABUS- page 6 8-9:00 AM Quiz 1: THIS IS A CLOSED BOOK QUIZ. Demonstrate that you have done the pre-reading about the leading Consulting companies, their approximate revenues and head count, the scope of their offerings and common terminology. Be prepared to identify several management consulting firms that would likely be considered to assist a major manufacturer develop a strategic plan. Be prepared to identify several consulting firms that would be considered for the design and implementation of a new customer relationship management system or supply chain system for a large products manufacturer. Be prepared to list three major service offerings of a large strategy-consulting firm and three major service offerings from a firm like Accenture. You may not refer to notes or any related info on your PC or the internet. Take Quiz in class and when requested answers to abpatmore@msn.com entitled B261 Quiz 1. Professor Patmore will review answers and answer questions about the consulting industry followed by an overview of industry. Q&A about everything you wanted to know about Consulting but were afraid to ask. At the end of this hour, you should understand the major service offerings provided by the major firms as well as the size and scope of the consulting industry. 9:00-11 AM Lectures (break) and Q&A: 1) Common Types of Consulting Projects and Ways Consultants Can Be Utilized 2) Developing an RFP 3) Guidelines for Developing an Effective Consulting Services Agreement (CSA) 4) Consulting Firm Methodologies 5) Q&A 11 AM -1:15 PM Complete Case Assignment 1 (included immediately after this Agenda). Break into your usual teams and develop a PowerPoint presentation for the assignments in Case 1. Reconvene at the assigned time and be prepared to give a 10 minute presentation. Prior to the first team s presentation, each team will send an entitled B261 Case 1 with your team s PowerPoint to abpatmore@msn.com. Include names of team members on the first slide. 1:15-2 PM Team presentations and discussion. You will grade and rank the team presentations other than yours. Professor Patmore will give his comments on answers to the Case. Q&A and Lessons Learned. 2:00 PM 4:00 PM Consulting Key Success Factors Lecture (with a 15 minute break at 3 PM) 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Break into teams and start Case Assignment 2 (included immediately after this Agenda). By 4:45, send one per team to abpatmore@msn.com that defines your team s conclusions about the fundamental problems (consider using root cause analysis ).

7 AGENDA: Sunday January 24, 2016 Prep: Come dressed as a consultant professional appearance/attire MSMU MBA PROGRAM SYLLABUS- page 7 8:00-9:00 Complete the case and finalize your presentation. Be 100% ready to present to the CEO and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) by 9:00. This includes two printed copies to hand out to the CEO and CTO and a presentation loaded on the classroom computer. 9:00-10:30 Each team will have 10 minutes to present their findings and recommendations to the Hospital CEO (Patmore) and the CTO (Antoniou). Each Team will get feedback on strengths and suggestions for improvement. You will be asked to grade and rank the team presentations other than yours. 10:30-11:00 Presentation: How the actual consultant approached the Case and what were the key recommendations. Discussion. 11:00-12:00 Be prepared to answer one or more of the following questions: What have you learned that will help you in the role of an internal consultant? What have you learned that will help you in your upcoming consulting assignment Wrap up: KSFs, tools of the trade, tips. All the questions you always wanted to ask about Consulting but were afraid to ask. Key takeaways. Complete questionnaire about course.

8 B261 Case Study Children s Hospital of Large Metropolis (CHLM) MSMU MBA PROGRAM SYLLABUS- page 8 Background for both Case Assignment 1 and 2 Children s Hospital Case Children s Hospital is one of the best pediatric medical centers in the world, known for advancing research and diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents with complex diseases. Key facts about Children s Hospital. Treats more than 60,000 children a year in the Emergency Department. Admits more than 10,000 children a year to the hospital. Has 3000 employees including 1500 nurses and 300 doctors. Goals for the Electronic Medical Records Project 1. Create an effective electronic medical record of all relevant patient information including all treatment and diagnosis information for the patient 2. Improve medical outcomes and patient safety. 3. Improve the productivity and effectiveness of staff doctors and nurses. Background about the Electronic Medical Records Project The hospital has decided to utilize the electronic medical records applications from Cerner Software, the software vendor. So the design phase is based on the functionality of the Cerner Software applications adapted to the specific requirements of the hospital. Ten of the core applications within the Cerner Software suite are to be designed in this phase and then implemented in the next phase of the project. These Cerner applications will have to be interfaced with about a dozen existing IT applications that were not going to be replaced, including patient billing so the design phase will also need to define the integrations requirements. The IT infrastructure management (computer operations, server operations, communications operations, and end user help desk and technical support) has already been outsourced to a large IT firm responsible for operating the computer and communications infrastructure. B261 Case Assignment 1 1) What steps do you recommend that the selection team perform to determine whether the proposing firms can provide the following? a) Solutions that will generate positive outcomes for Children s Hospital. b) Knowledge capital and experience to assist Children s Hospital in designing (and eventually implementing) an effective electronic medical records system. c) Ability to work effectively with hospital personnel. d) A proactive and positive process for dealing with inevitable project management and execution barriers and problems. e) Accountability for budget, schedule and quality. 2) Assuming you selected the consulting firm; develop slides answering the following questions regarding the Consulting Services Agreement for the Design Phase of the Electronic Medical Records System. a) What are the key deliverables of the Design Phase (not the Implementation phase)? b) What are the roles and responsibilities of the consulting firm s project manager? c) What is the role and responsibility of the hospital executive responsible for the project? d) What involvement would you recommend from administrative personnel and nurses who understand the existing systems and business processes?\ e) What role would you recommend for hospital doctors and nurses during the design?

9 MSMU MBA PROGRAM f) What kind of fee arrangement would you recommend fixed fee or time and materials? What are the SYLLABUS- page 9 advantages and disadvantages of the arrangement our recommend? Not counting the introduction/agenda slide, the number of slides should equal at least the number of team members, so each member has an opportunity to present. CHLM Facts for Case Assignment 1 The Design Phase is estimated to take about six months. Guiding Principles for the Design Phase: The clinicians, IT (Information Technology) staff, and the consulting firm must work effectively together to complete the project. All patient data & information at Children s will be online. Data entry will be done in real time and will update the online database. All reference to patient data will be on line. The new system should improve the productivity and effectiveness of the doctors and nurses and be reasonably easy to use. The consulting firm will be responsible for the following during the Electronic Medical Records Project Design Phase: 1. Providing project management. 2. Defining major problems with the existing systems and business processes that need to be resolved by the new system and processes, 3. Defining the requirements that the new system needs to address. This includes helping the project team members from the hospital and the heads of the medical staff and nursing agree on priorities. 4. Designing how the software should be utilized to convert the hospital from an inefficient paper-based record keeping system to an efficient electronic medical records system. 5. Designing efficient new or improved business/medical processes that effectively utilize the functionality of the software. 6. Defining the new terminal capabilities and other computer hardware needed to support the new system including the configuration needed to support easy on line real time entry/access to treatment and medication information. 7. Defining a project plan for completing the next phase (systems implementation project) on time and on budget and achieving a quality result shortly after conversion to the new system. This phase includes: a) Prior to conversion, training all the doctors, nurses and assistants to utilize the system effectively when it goes live. b) Prior to conversion, testing the system to ensure that when it goes live there are no bugs that jeopardize patient safety or compromise staff efficiency. c) Implementing the software and new/improved processes in a manner that Improves staff productivity by at least 10% within 3 months after converting to the new system. d) Achieving a user satisfaction rating of at least 3 on a 5-point scale within 3 months after conversion and at least 3.5 within 6 months. The Hospital s chief information officer and some of his staff estimate that the Design Phase will require a team of about 15 consultants working with several subject matter experts from the hospital and several analysts from the IT department. The hospital s preliminary estimate of consulting fees for the Design Phase is $2 million. Their preliminary estimate of the Implementation Phase is $20 to $30 million subject to finalizing the design during the Design Phase. B261 Case Assignment 2: Resolving problems that occurred during the Implementation Phase Of the Electronic Medical Records Project (04/6/2015)

10 MSMU MBA PROGRAM Each team will play the role of an independent consultant hired by the hospital to review the project against SYLLABUS- page best practices and prepare a presentation that addresses the following: a. The scope and objectives of your project and the work steps you performed. b. Your team s conclusions about the fundamental problems the project is experiencing. (Think about the gaps between consulting project key success factors and what was actually happening.) c. Recommendations about how to structure the project for success going forward. (Include organizational changes and changes in roles and responsibilities.) What needs to change or improve? d. Specific recommendations about improvements to the CSA and any recommend changes regarding fee arrangements. The recommendations should reflect what you learned about Consulting Services Agreements and Consulting Key Success Factors plus what you have learned about effective project management and change management in other courses. Assume the presentation is being given to the CEO so focus on the most important recommendations for management. (The number of slides should equal at least the number of team members so each member has an opportunity to present). Case Assignment 2 Background: This case starts after the Design Phase was completed. The project is 4 months into the Implementation Phase. The Implementation Phase was estimated to take about two years. The Implementation Phase scope includes: detailed design of all on line data entry and information retrieval processes designing all new /revised business/medical processes dealing with patient treatment programming interfaces between all the new Cerner applications and 12 existing applications specifying thousands of parameters that define how the Cerner software would operate at the hospital converting and scrubbing all historical patient data for the last 10 years (about 20,000 patients) and entering it into the new on-line data bases developing training material for 3,000 people (nurses, doctors and IT support personnel) purchasing several hundred portable computers for real time data entry and access to electronic medical records thoroughly testing the entire computer application and all related hardware and software to ensure that it was reasonably bug free and ready to be implemented training the 3,000 people who have to know how to utilize the system while treating patients and ensuring they know how to effectively operate the new systems and business/medical processes before going live developing a support infrastructure to help users during the process of going live and for a reasonable period after conversion to the new system. What happened? CB Systems (CBS) was hired to conduct and manage the 6 month Design Phase (Case 1). CBS assigned a project manager and about 20 consultants to the design phase and they worked with a half dozen hospital personnel, most of whom were part time. Then CBS was hired to do the Implementation Phase on a time and materials contract with estimated fees of $20 million. The Implementation Phase project team was planned to be about 40 full time personnel, about 80% were from CBS and the rest from the hospital. Four months after the start of the Implementation Phase, the hospital s CEO became very concerned about the project. It had come to his attention that there was friction and distrust between CBS and the hospital s IT management as well as the doctors and nurses working part time on the project. Several of the senior hospital personnel involved with the project were dissatisfied with various aspects of how it was being managed by CBS and progress seemed slow. The CEO called BP Consulting a small firm that had helped the hospital develop the RFP and the Consulting Services Agreement for the Design Phase. The CEO described the situation and his growing concern. The CEO asked BP Consulting to review the project and recommend how to get it back on track. BP Consulting proposed that they would perform a formal project management evaluation, including: assessing the project status, comparing how the project was being managed against best practices of successful projects and developing recommendations regarding how to restructure the project so it would deliver a fully operational

11 MSMU MBA PROGRAM SYLLABUS- page system, on time and on budget. The CEO authorized BP Consulting to conduct the proposed evaluation and recommend actions needed to ensure that the project would have a successful outcome. Your team plays the role of the BP Consulting (but each team should have a unique name so we can keep track of the presentations). Since BP Consulting is a small firm and it is doing an independent and objective review, the firm made a decision that they would not propose to take over the responsibilities of CBS. Project Symptoms/Problems Your Consulting team defined the following symptoms/problems observed during your review of the project: 1. John Smith, the CBS Consulting project manager, was focused was on implementing the software package. He had extensive experience managing large complex systems implementation projects in other industries. He was personable and motivated and had very limited experience in medical process reengineering or change management. 2. Progress reporting was focused on software development details. The rest of the implementation plan for the project was at a high level. A testing plan or change management plan had not yet been developed. 3. The project management plan was at a summary level. Project management software was not being used. Interim deliverables and related target dates were not fully defined. 4. Recent status reports seemed overly optimistic but there was no actual time versus budget being tracked for major works steps. 5. The level of progress was unclear and there was a range of attitudes about how things were going from poorly (many hospital people) to quite well (most of the people from the Consulting firm). 6. The progress against the conversion target date was unclear. Several hospital team members questioned the feasibility of achieving the go live target date. 7. Scope of CBS responsibilities and the hospital s responsibilities were unclear. 8. There were many open functional design issues. 9. CBS senior executive overseeing the project had complained that they were being micromanaged and second-guessed by the hospital s IT management. 10. CBS had assigned few people who had prior Cerner software or hospital systems experience. 11. There was significant personal friction between one of the top managers from the hospital on the team and several of the top people from CBS. 12. The steering committee of hospital executives responsible for guiding the project had only met once. Its responsibilities were not defined. The chairperson (a senior VP) did not seem engaged. It was unclear what executive from the hospital other than the CTO (chief technology officer) was responsible for ultimate successful implementation. Several of the other VPs acted as if the CTO was the hospital executive responsible for the project. The doctors on the hospitals executive committee were not significantly involved in the project and had many other priorities. They said they did not have time to devote to the project. The VP of nursing seemed skeptical and pessimistic about the project. 13. Most of the personnel the hospital had assigned to the team were part time and there were no full time doctors or nurses on the project team. The responsibilities of the hospital people assigned were not defined. 14. There was no conflict resolution process. 15. The team comprised of CBS and Hospital personnel was not functioning effectively as a team. There was a them and us syndrome. 16. Some of the hospital senior executives were pushing for a fixed price contract. PROJECT KEY SUCCESS FACTORS QUESTIONNAIRE. Assume your team developed the following questionnaire to help evaluate the effectiveness of project management based on your extensive prior experience successfully managing projects. (When evaluating this project against the points in the questionnaire, apply what you learned in this course and in your project management and change management courses). For each question your consulting team needs to assign a 1 to 5 rating (similar to an Amazon product rating) with 5 being Outstanding. An executive level summary of your evaluation should be part of your team presentation. 1. Project goals, benefits and expectations are well documented.

12 MSMU MBA PROGRAM SYLLABUS- page 2. Executive support and leadership is strong. 3. The design is well documented, key deliverables are clearly defined, and target dates are specified. 4. Key stakeholders (including the project team, steering committee, executive sponsors and management) understand the design and believe it will achieve the project goals. 5. The implementation plan utilizes staged deliverables and milestones that will facilitate confirming the design and demonstrating the project team s ability to deliver effectively. 6. There is a clear definition of roles and responsibilities of CBS and the hospital personnel on the project. 7. Hospital staffing requirements for the project are well defined. 8. Scope, timing and cost targets are appropriate given the organization s ability to change. 7. An effective project management system is being utilized to track actual versus budget, estimates-tocomplete and change orders. 8. The consultant s project manager has adequate experience in designing and implementing systems of similar complexity in similar organizations. 9. The consulting firm s project team has adequate industry and software package experience. 10. The hospital has assigned sufficient experienced SMEs full time to the project. 11. Once the design is approved, there is rigorous change control. 12. There is direct, candid and frequent communication between vendor management and hospital management. 13. There are no major open contract issues and contract disputes seem unlikely. 14. The contractual terms are well defined, including contractor responsibilities and accountability. 15. Important open design issues and development problems are defined and there is an effective process for resolving them. 16. Work to date has been reasonably efficient and effective and has been done on time and on budget. 17. Project teamwork is effective and working relationships are positive. 18. Change management is well planned, adequately resourced and effective. Your presentation to the CEO should include: a) An agenda of what you are going to cover during your presentation and a list of team members. b) The major work steps your consulting team performed. Include conducting a survey of each project team member using the PROJECT KEY SUCCESS FACTORS QUESTIONNAIRE and summarizing the results. Hints: Keep in mind you are presenting to a senior executive. Read the case carefully and understand it before you start. (Previously, not all teams have evidenced doing this). List the major problems but be conscious of how many you list and how you group them -- focus on root cause problems that, if resolved, will have the biggest impact on restructuring the project so it is likely to be successful. (Prior classes have found this to be challenging so give it a lot of thought). Start each recommendation with a verb. If you identify alternative approaches to fixing the project, outline the alternatives you considered and for alternatives that are mutually exclusive, give the pros and cons of each. Assume you are presenting to the CEO and CIO so focus on the most important problems and then define action steps you think top management needs take. The recommendations should reflect what you learned about the Consulting Services Agreements and Consulting Key Success Factors plus what you have learned about effective project management and change management in other courses.

13 MSMU MBA PROGRAM SYLLABUS- page Avoid jargon, acronyms or parroting back terminology or diagrams you just learned. Senior client executives are most interested in your definition of the real problems or opportunities for improvement and your recommendations about what needs to be done and who needs to do what. Each team member must present something of substance ( The intro side does not count)

14 Assignments and point (percentage) allocations: MSMU MBA PROGRAM SYLLABUS- page DUE DATE Group/Individual ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTON PERCENTAGE OF GRADE PRIOR TO JANUARY Individual Preparation Prior to First Class 10 23, 2016 Meeting: Utilizing your text and the resources identified in points 2, 3 and 4 of Preparation Prior to First Class Meeting, prepare a one page to Professor Patmore. JANUARY 23, 2016 Individual Demonstrate that you read the 10 recommended sections of The Basic Principles of Effective Consulting prior to the class and you understand them. There will be a quiz to assess your understanding of the key concepts. Answers will be ed to Professor Patmore in class. (Students are honor bound not to make any post quiz modifications to the .) IN CLASS ASSIGNMENT on Case 1: to Professor Patmore containing answers to the questions in Case 1 Quality of class participation JANUARY 24, 2016 Group TEAM ASSIGNMENT: 50 Case 2: As a team, develop TOTAL

15 MSMU MBA PROGRAM SYLLABUS- page PLEASE NOTE: Wikipedia is NOT an acceptable reference for work due in this module. As a graduate student, you need to use scholarly resources/references. You may locate scholarly articles through EBSCO Host or Lexis/Nexis which can be accessed at the MSMU library. WRITTEN WORK: Writing Requirements: All assignments must be typed and spell/grammar checked. Note: while this is not a writing class, it is a graduate level course and, as such, failure to proofread submissions for spelling and grammar will result in a significantly lower grade being assigned. Papers are also to be well written with a logical flow of thought. Submit your papers double-spaced w ith 1" margins. Include a title page that identifies the assignment, the day it is due, the module name and number and your name. Papers should be in 12- point font. Indent paragraphs five spaces to indicate a new paragraph. Please include a title page on all papers. The title page should include your name, the title of the assignment, the date it is due, the class for which it was written (e.g. BUS 231) and the name of the professor(s). Please staple your papers together in the upper left hand corner. Please contact the Graduate Writing Tutor at the Learning Center for additional information about writing skills. Note: In this class, you will be marked down for incorrect grammar and/or spelling. Plagiarism (discussed later in this syllabus) will result in a number of consequences including a grade of F for your paper. To avoid plagiarism, be sure to use quotation marks for all direct quotes and use in-text citations for BOTH direct quotes and paraphrases. Group Assignments: When an assignment or in-class project is designated group, ALL group members are required to contribute to the group assignments. Failure of all members to participate will result in a reduced grade for every member of the group. At the completion of each module, you will be asked to grade your group members (See Appendix C for Group Grading Form). THE GROUP GRADING will be taken into account in determining the final grade for the course. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING ASSIGNMENTS: End-of-Semester Final Project: The student will further demonstrate learning outcomes from this module in the end-of-semester group project to be presented to the MBA Steering Committee and selected faculty. This project represents 10% of your grade for the indicated courses. PROFESSOR'S POLICY REGARDING LATE WORK: No late work accepted. Accepting late work encourages sloppy and unprofessional behavior. Because the workplace has zero tolerance when a project is not completed on time that same policy will be applied to this course. Being punctual and completing your work on time are very valuable personal attributes as they reflect your professionalism, so be sure to turn in all assignments on or before their due dates.

16 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING STUDENT/FACULTY EXPECTATIONS: MSMU MBA PROGRAM SYLLABUS- page WRITTEN WORK: Writing Requirements: All homework assignments (including case studies and the final group project) must be typed and spell/grammar checked. Note: while this is not a writing class, it is a graduate level course and, as such, failure to proofread submissions for spelling and grammar will result in a significantly lower grade being assigned. Papers are also to be well written with a logical flow of thought. Submit your papers double-spaced with 1" margins, and prepared in the APA format found in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Papers should b e in 12-point font. Please include a title page on all papers. SEE ADDITIONAL WRITING RESOURCES ON THE ATTACHED APPENDIX A. NO EXCEPTIONS. APA FORMAT REQUIRED for this class. Please contact the Learning Center / Graduate Writing Coach for additional information about APA format and/or go to on the Internet to get additional information. ORAL PRESENTATIONS: In the MBA Program, professional dress is required for all presentations, unless you are instructed otherwise by the professor. Recall: the purpose of the presentation is to inform the class of the case, organization or industry you analyzed and demonstrate how you (and your group, if applicable) conducted your analysis to reach the final conclusions. You should, as a group, be prepared to defend your conclusions and recommendations. You will be able to do this if you have researched your topic thoroughly and worked together to formulate logical conclusions. SEE ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS REGARDING ORAL PRESENTATIONS IN THE ATTACHED APPENDIX B.

17 GRADING SCALE: CRITERIA AND GUIDELINES MSMU MBA PROGRAM SYLLABUS- page Letter Grade Criteria Numeric Range A Student performance is clearly outstanding A- Performance indicates sharp insights and an ability to integrate and generalize material beyond the context of B B Student performance is above average, demonstrating a knowledge of facts and an ability to integrate and apply material within the context of the course. B C C Student performance is average, demonstrating knowledge of course content and exhibiting an ability to apply basic concepts within the context of the course. C D Student performance is below average, partially fulfilling F minimum course requirements. This level of performance may not prepare the student to progress to a more advanced level of study within the subject content or the Student j performance is unacceptable and does not meet minimum course requirements < 60

18 Participation Grading Criteria. MSMU MBA PROGRAM SYLLABUS- page Participation is graded on individual contribution to class discussions and participation in your study group. The vast majority of leaders interactions with others are oral. They generally spend very little time reading and even less time writing reports. For this reason, the development of oral skills is given a high priority in this course. The classroom should be considered a laboratory in which you can test your ability to interact and interface effectively with your peers. Some of the characteristics of effective class participation are: Are the points that are made relevant to the discussion in terms of increasing everyone's understanding, or are they merely interruptions or regurgitation of case facts? Do the comments take into consideration the ideas offered by others earlier in the class, or are the points isolated and disjointed? The best contributions following the lead off tend to be those that reflect not only excellent preparation, but good listening, and interpretative and integrative skills as well. Do the comments show evidence of a thorough reading and analysis of the material, including the text, the case (if applicable) and outside business resources? Does the participant demonstrate critical thinking about the issue and differentiate among opinions, assumptions, and inferences? Is there a willingness to test new ideas or are all comments cautious/"safe"? Is the participant willing to interact with other class members by asking questions or challenging conclusions? Outstanding Contributor: (A) grade: Contributions in class reflect thorough preparation. Ideas offered are substantive, provide one or more major insights as well as direction for the class. Arguments, when offered, are well substantiated and persuasively presented. If this person were not a member of the class, the quality of the discussions would be diminished significantly. Good Contributor: (B) grade: Contribution in class reflects thorough preparation. Ideas offered are usually substantive, provide good insights and sometimes direction for the class. Arguments, when presented, are generally well substantiated and are often persuasive. If this person were not a member of the class, the quality of the discussion would be diminished considerably. Adequate Contributor: (C) grade. Contributions in class reflect satisfactory preparation. Ideas offered are sometimes substantive, provide generally useful insights, but seldom offer a major new direction for the discussion. Arguments are sometimes presented, and are fairly well substantiated and sometimes persuasive. If this person were not a member of the class, the quality of the discussions would be diminished somewhat. Non-participant: (D) grade. This person has said little or nothing in this workshop or class. Hence, there is not adequate basis for evaluation. If this person were not a member of the class, the quality of the discussions would not be changed. Unsatisfactory Contributor: (F) grade. Contribution in class reflects inadequate preparation. Ideas offered are seldom substantive; provide few, if any, insights; and rarely a constructive direction for the class. Integrative comments and effective arguments are absent. Class contribution is, at best, time filler efforts making isolated, obvious, or confusing points. If this person were not a member of the class, valuable class time would be saved.

19 The classroom is your laboratory for demonstrating professional behavior and business acumen. Example of things that cause one not to earn the full amount of participation points: Doing homework in class Failing to listen and interact courteously with faculty and fellow students Not reading assigned material Being disruptive verbally and non-verbally Not participating in class discussions Missing class (please note: the MBA program has a zero tolerance policy for absences) Arriving late, leaving early Text messaging during class (yes, we can tell), cell phone/pagers going off during class Surfing the Internet during class Policies: MSMU MBA PROGRAM SYLLABUS- page 9 Classroom Attendance and Punctuality: Consistent attendance and timely arrival are highly valued behaviors in today's competitive, dynamic work environment. Therefore, classroom on-time attendance is required. Much of your learning will derive from discussions and activities in class, rather than from lecture, therefore you cannot make up an absence. PLEASE NOTE: THERE IS A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY FOR ABSENCES. PLEASE MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO ATTEND AND BE ON TIME FOR EVERY CLASS. ADDITIONAL POLICIES: Respect: Active participation in class requires a safe and trusting environment. It is important for us to respect the views and comments made by others, even if we disagree with such comments. I encourage debate and critical discu55ssion, yet it must be respectful, polite, and professional. Confidentiality: Confidentiality is required in order to foster a safe environment for active discussion of business related topics. Student discussions may involve experiences from their jobs or personal experiences. Therefore all discussions of business or personal experiences are expected to be treated respectfully and confidentially. Students should not share proprietary information without permission of their employer. Academic Integrity/Plagiarism: All student-submitted materials are expected to be the product of the student s own though process. Information from other sources may be used; however credit must be given, by using in-text citations. There are a few things you can do that will help you to avoid being charged with academic dishonesty. Please note the following: Anytime that you use the words or ideas of another person without giving credit, it is considered plagiarism, whether your actions are intentional or not! Differences between direct and indirect quotes: o Direct Quotes: include the exact wording from the source. o Indirect Quotes: summarizes or paraphrases the content from the source. APA in-text requirements: o Direct Quote: Author s last name, publication date, and page number. o Indirect Quote: Author s last name, publication date. Punctuation requirements: ALL word-for-word quotations must be placed in quotation marks. o Exception to the rule: Common Knowledge if the same information can be found in three or more sources and those sources do not cite an earlier source, the information is considered common knowledge. Also, commonly known facts (e.g., Washington, DC is the capital of the U.S.) do not need a citation, even if you had to look them up. o If you have knowledge that is not common knowledge, tell the ready why he or she should trust what you say

20 MSMU MBA PROGRAM SYLLABUS- page 10 When in doubt, CITE. A reference list should be attached to the paper to further identify the sources utilized. Please refer to the Mount Saint Mary s Catalog section on Academic Integrity for a complete discussion of cheating, failing to hand in original work, plagiarism, falsification or misrepresentation, and theft (pp ). If the work of someone else (whether it is quoted or paraphrased) is not property cited (or footnoted) in the assignment and if there is not a reference list giving the details of the work, THAT IS PLAGIARISM. If work is plagiarized in this course, the student will be subject to the consequences outlined in the Catalog which states, The penalty for an act of dishonesty could range from a grade of F on an examination or assignment, a reduced or failing grade for the course in question, probation, suspension or expulsion from the University. Repeated acts of academic dishonesty will be treated more gravely (p.46). Additional Requirements: The requirements and conditions established by Mount Saint Mary s University, as enumerated in the Graduate Student Handbook, Catalog, and Department of Business Administration policies, are incorporated in this syllabus, in their entirety, by this reference. Extra credit: There is no extra credit in this course, so please plan your time to be certain you are prepared for all class discussions and oral presentations and that all assignments are turned in on time. Americans with Disabilities Act: Mount Saint Mary s University Los Angeles, in compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of disability in administration of its education related programs and activities. We have an institutional commitment to provide equal educational opportunities for disabled students who are otherwise qualified. Students with documented disabilities must call , Director of the Doheny Learning Resource Center, to make arrangements for classroom accommodations. It is the responsibility of the student to obtain accommodation letters from the director and to make arrangements for the implementation of accommodations with faculty and/or staff in advance. Students who believe they have been subjected to discrimination on the basis of disability, or have been denied access to services or accommodations required by law, should contact the campus Disability Services Coordinator at his/her campus for resolution. For more information regarding disability grievance procedures, go to: msmu.edu/disabilitygrievanceprocedures. Course changes: The Instructor reserves the right to change assignments, as needed, to achieve the learning objectives of the course. These changes will not require additional work on the part of the student. Students will be informed, in writing, of these changes

21 MSMU MBA PROGRAM SYLLABUS- page 11 Electronic Writing Resources Follow these links to some excellent writing resources: APPENDIX A

22 APPENDIX B TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL ORAL PRESENTATIONS Be aware of your nonverbal communication throughout the entire group presentation. When you speak in a group you should still follow the guidelines for effective delivery (form). Remember that you are on stage during the entire presentation. While other speakers are talking, look attentive and be courteous. Make sure that you do not distract the audience by whispering, fidgeting, or grimacing. Do not hurt your own credibility by looking bored, or by frantically going over your notes. Ensure consistency of delivery. Glaring inconsistencies between the presenters delivery styles can disrupt the group presentation. Audiences become distracted by marked disparities in style, such as a captivating speaker followed by one less prepared or energetic. Achieve a good balance of delivery styles. Together with the other members, each participant should practices his/her portion of the presentation in the same order in which it will be given in the final form, and do so until it proceeds smoothly. Maintain a symmetry of appearance. Coordinate your attire with the other members of the group so that there is a symmetry of appearance. Audiences become distracted by radical differences in the attire of the presenters, especially if casual attire is mixed with business attire. Don t necessarily try to dress alike; this can also distract an audience. Rather, make sure that your attire is (1) appropriate to your presentation, (2) shows respect for the audience, and (3) is of like manner. When in doubt, opt for business casual. Approach the podium in the same fashion. If your presentation format dictates that each participant will get up from a chair and speak from a podium, make sure that everyone does so in the same way. Also, be attentive to the verbal transitions used to introduce the next speaker (if appropriate) and make sure to follow suit. Arrange your speaking environment to suit your needs. Arrange yourselves and any podium, chairs, tables, audio-visual equipment, etc., to accommodate your presentation. Don t accommodate yourselves to the environment. Arrange things so that they provide for easy transitions among speakers, accommodate audience viewing, and prevent unwanted distractions. Assign roles for the presentation. Choose the person with the strongest presentation style and credibility for the opening. Assign other presenters in the middle of the presentation. Select a strong speaker to conclude the presentation. Assign someone to handle the visual aids. Assign someone to manage a question-and-answer session (if applicable), however, each presenter should be prepared to answer questions about his or her section. Plan transitions among the speakers. Decide how each presenter will hand the presentation over to the next speaker. Determine how introductions will be made all at once at the beginning or as each speaker introduces the next speaker. Any method you decide is fine, just make sure to keep it consistent, and BE COURTEOUS. Coordinate speaking notes. Depending upon your chosen presentation format, each presenter will have their speaking notes. Decide how you will coordinate the handling of the notes: in a binder at the podium, in similar formats in front of each speaker, etc. Avoid distracting the audience with different formats between each speaker (paper, notes, binder, folder). This relates very closely to ensuring a consistent delivery.