BUS 497A, Strategic Management Seminar. Department of Management College of Business and Economics California State University Northridge

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1 BUS 497A, Strategic Management Seminar Department of Management College of Business and Economics California State University Northridge Course Syllabus, Fall 2010 Course Professor Class No , Room SG-109, Monday 3:00 pm to 5:45 pm Class No , Room JH-1212, Monday 7:00 pm to 9:45 pm Jeffrey Stone, Ph.D. Office JH 4222 Phone Web Site (cel); (Dept. of Management) Office Hours Required Materials Recommended Materials Monday 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm Monday 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm Thursday 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm Dess, Gregory G., Lumpkin, G. T. and Alan B. Eisner. Strategic Management: Text and Cases, 5th Ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2010: ISBN Website: The Business Strategy Game: A Global Simulation, 2010 Edition, Business Week, Fortune Magazine, Wall Street Journal, The Economist Prerequisites Senior standing, BUS 302 and 302L, FIN 303, MGT 360, MKT 304, and a passing score on the Upper Division Writing Proficiency Exam 1

2 Course Description This capstone course integrates previous coursework and introduces concepts and approaches for analyzing, formulating, and implementing business interdependencies between the functional areas within organizations, and how these are impacted by external factors. To be effective in management roles, individuals must develop conceptual, analytical and communication skills. Using a simple model of the strategic management process, the course will provide an overview of strategic management, analytic tools to formulate corporate strategy, and processes to implement and evaluate that strategy. Student Learning Outcomes After you successfully complete this course, given a broad set of information pieces of which may vary considerably in relevance (1) you will be able to identify critical issues an organization is facing, (2) you will be able to draw on and synthesize concepts from a variety of functional areas of business, (3) you will be able to make relevant, valuable, and reasonable strategic recommendations for an organization, (4) you will be able to identify and discuss issues a firm faces in implementing various strategic recommendations, and (5) using appropriate strategic management concepts and language, you will be able to communicate, orally and in writing, your analysis of the issues and your subsequent recommendations. Content Using a simulation game and business case analysis, the course demonstrates the integration of accounting, finance, economics, marketing, production, quantitative analysis and human resource management. As a significant component of the course, students work in teams to identify and resolve problems, and implement plans. The course uses a computer simulation management game to provide students with an experience in business-decision making under uncertainty. Students develop and implement strategies to operate an ongoing firm in an international environment. Each firm competes in a consumer goods industry against several other firms. Students are responsible for decisions related to product price, quality, production, aggregate planning, marketing and financing. Students are expected to utilize knowledge gained in the business core courses and to apply the appropriate techniques and tools. Students will be dealing with issues related to (but not limited to) the following: Accounting: Finance Marketing Application and interpretation of accounting data. Ratio analysis, financial statements, and financial planning. Product line management, strategies of promotion, advertising and pricing, and analysis of the marketing environment. 2

3 Operations Management: Economics & Statistics: Management: Grading Aggregate production planning and production standards for quality, cost and quantity control, demand and production forecasting. Statistical analysis and quantitative models including linear and multiple regression. Planning, organization, motivation, and communication. Weight Computer Simulation Game 25% In-class exams from textbook and lecture (2 at 10% each) 20% Case Briefs (3 at 5% each) 15% Comprehensive Case Analysis and Update 15% Final BSG Presentation 10% Quizzes 5% Attendance/Participation/Instructor Evaluation 10% Total % Plus/minus grading will be used according to the following scale. Grading Scale >= 93% = A, 90-92% = A-, 87-89% = B+, 83-87% = B, 80-82% = B-, 77-79% = B+, 73-77% = C, 70-72% = C-, = D+, 63-67% = D, = D-, <60% = F. The Business Strategy Game (25% of course grade) In the Business Strategy Game (BSG), class members are divided into teams and assigned to run an athletic footwear company in head-to-head competition against companies run by other class members. Companies compete in a global market arena, selling branded and private-label athletic footwear in four geographic regions Europe-Africa, North America, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. The computer simulation game allows students to apply previously learned concepts, skills and techniques in an international competitive and goal-oriented environment. Successful management of a firm requires a balanced emphasis among all functional areas. The game is a dynamic-interactive simulation. The effectiveness of team decisions rests both on the theoretical correctness of each simulated yearly decision and on the competitive decisions of other teams. The Game website is at: BSG Scoring Weight Quiz 1 Score (online) 5% Quiz 2 Score (online) 10% 3-year Strategic Plans (2 at 10% each, online) 20% 3

4 Game Score 60% Peer Evaluation (online) 5% Total 100% Exams (20% of course grade) There are two exams that will consist of either multiple-choice questions or essay questions. The first exam will cover Chapters 1-4 and 13 of the textbook. The second exam will cover the remaining chapters. Case Briefs (3 at 5%, for a total of 15% of course grade) In all business capstone courses, a significant goal for each student is to develop an ability to analyze business cases. This activity consists of (1) evaluating an organization s internal strengths and weaknesses, (2) identifying external opportunities and threats faced by the organization, (3) suggesting viable strategic and tactical moves open to the organization, and (4) recommending and justifying an implementation plan for the firm. A very important skill to develop is an ability to identify the key strategic issue that an organization must address to be successful in the future. In this class, we will discuss nine cases. For each case discussion, you should prepare a case brief, the format of which will be provided in a separate document. In essence, a case brief provides a short analysis of an organization s internal and external environment, pinpoints the key strategic issue faced by the firm, and proposes and justifies the best course of action for the firm to address its key strategic issue. You will submit three written case briefs during the semester, the length of which should be between two to three pages, double-spaced typed. Briefs of less than two pages usually provide an insufficient analysis, while those longer than three pages usually contain too much detail. Comprehensive Case Analysis and Update (15% of course grade) In addition to the case briefs, you will submit a detailed case analysis. A case analysis provides a more comprehensive analysis of the internal and external environment, proposes three potential solutions to resolve the key strategic issue, and offers one recommended solution with detailed justification and implementation. The length of the case analysis should be between seven and ten pages, double-spaced typed. This semester, you will analyze the General Motors case. You are to make a recommendation to the GM Board of Directors at the end of the case, as you normally would in a case brief. After you make your recommendation, you will add three to five pages describing what General Motors actually did after the end of the case. You will complete this section by conducting online library research on GM. In this analysis, your update must include at least five references, with annotation according to the MLA Style Sheet. BSG Game Final Report and Presentation (10%) At the end of the semester, each team will prepare a five page written report and strategic plan for the next three years (Years 20-22). The report will consist of the following information: a description of you team s strategy and goals, implementation of activities performed to obtain these goals during the game, changes 4

5 made during the game in response to competitive forces, plans to continue your firm s future strategy and execution, and a retrospective look at lessons you learned in the game and what you would do differently if you were to play the game again. be similar to the information contained in the 3-year strategic plans that you complete online as part of the BSG Game. Each team will present the basics of this report in a presentation to the class. All members must present. Attendance, Class Participation and Instructor Evaluation (10% of course grade) In a seminar class such as this, the success of the class, the enjoyment of each student, and the degree of material learned is highly dependent on classroom participation. To that end, attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class. Students who do not stay for the entire class session will be marked absent. Your preparation for class discussion will be considered, as well as the extent and quality of your contribution. If it appears that the class is not adequately prepared to discuss a case, the professor may require that written case briefs be prepared and submitted before class. Chapter Quizzes (5% of course grade) A ten-question quiz will be administered at the start of each class, at the discretion of the instructor. You will have ten minutes to complete the quiz, beginning when the instructor distributes the quiz, which will usually be promptly at the beginning of the class period. From the start of the quiz, you will have ten minutes to complete the quiz. There are no make-up quizzes. Academic Honesty You will be held accountable to the student core values as described in the CSUN College of Business and Economics Student Core Values Statement and Ethical Conduct Pledge (see students.html for details). Also, please see the CSUN Catalog Policy on Academic Dishonesty, pp Any breach of academic honesty will, at a minimum, result in an F in this course. 5

6 Business Strategy Game (BSG) Schedule All decisions are to be submitted online by 12:59 pm on the decision due dates. No exceptions will be allowed, and teams that do not submit decisions will be penalized severely. Week Date Assignments 4 Wed, 9/15 Submit Year 11 Practice Decision Wed, 9/22 Wed, 9/29 Wed, 10/6 Wed, 10/13 Wed, 10/20 Wed, 10/27 Wed, 11/3 Wed, 11/10 Wed, 11/17 Wed, 11/24 Wed, 12/1 Submit Year 12 Practice Decision 2 Complete online individual Quiz 1 Reset the Game. Begin Competition Submit Year 11 Decision Submit Year 12 Decision Submit Year 13 Decision Submit 3-year Strategic Plan for Y14-16 Submit Year 14 Decision Complete online individual Quiz 2 Submit Year 15 Decision Interim peer evaluation available Submit Year 16 Decision Deadline to submit interim peer evaluation Submit 3-year Strategic Plan for Y17-19 Submit Year 17 Decision Submit Year 18 Decision Submit Year 19 Decision End-of-Game peer evaluation available Deadline to submit online End-of-Game peer evaluation form 6

7 Class Schedule This schedule is subject to change during the semester Wk Date 1 8/23 2 8/30 Topic Introduction to Course Ch. 1, Strategic Management Case Analysis Methods Discuss the Robin Hood case 1 BSG Overview and First Team Meeting Assignments Read the BSG Student Guide (online) Read Ch.1, No Quiz Read Ch. 13 Read Case 1 Quiz on Ch. 13 (financial ratios) 3 9/6 LABOR DAY -- No class 4 9/13 5 9/20 6 9/27 Ch. 2, The External Environment Discuss the Horror Show at the Cinemaplex case 31 Ch. 3, The Internal Environment Discuss the Pixar case 17 Ch. 4, Intellectual Assets Review of Business Tools for the BSG Read Ch. 2, Quiz on Ch. 2 Read Case 31 Read Ch. 3, Quiz on Ch. 3 Read Case 17 Turn in Case Brief for Case 17 Read Ch. 4, Quiz on Ch. 4 Re-read the BSG Student Guide 7 10/4 EXAM 1 covering Ch 1-4, 13 Bring Scantron to Class 8 10/ /18 Chapter 5, Business Level Strategy Discuss the Apple, Inc. case 23 Chapter 6, Corporate Level Strategy Discuss the One Ford case 36 Review Strategic Planning for the BSG Read Ch. 5, Quiz on Ch. 5 Read Case 23 Read Ch. 6, Quiz on Ch. 6 Turn in Case Brief for Case /25 Chapter 7, International Strategy Read Ch. 7, Quiz on Ch / / /15 Chapter 8, Entrepreneurship and Competitive Dynamics Discuss Current Affairs cases EXAM 2 covering Ch. 5-8 Review Strategic Planning for the BSG Chapter 9, Control and Governance Discuss Skeleton case 3 Discuss General Motors case 34 Read Ch. 8, Quiz on Ch. 8 Turn in Current Affairs Case Brief Bring Scantron to class Turn in General Motors Comprehensive Case Analysis 7

8 14 11/22 Chapter 11, Strategic Leadership Discuss Best-Laid Incentive Plans case 4 Read Ch. 11, Quiz on Ch. 11 Read Case /29 Ch. 12, Managing Innovation Discuss Keurig Coffee case 29 Read Ch. 12, Quiz on Ch. 12 Read Case /6 BSG Final Presentations Turn in BSG Final Report 12/13 Class 18733: BSG Final Presentations, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm Class 18734: BSG Final Presentations, 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm 8