GB 459 Business Strategy COURSE SYLLABUS: Spring 16 Week Term 2014 Dr. Barbara W. Altman I. COURSE OVERVIEW

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1 GB 459 Business Strategy COURSE SYLLABUS: Spring 16 Week Term 2014 Dr. Barbara W. Altman I. COURSE OVERVIEW A. Concise Course Description: This is a writing-intensive capstone course involving the integration of concepts and principles studied in accounting, economics, finance, management, marketing, quantitative methods, and other relevant business disciplines. It includes aspects relating to both creative and technical problem solving / business decision making. It is designed to be taken by senior business majors during their last semester. Prerequisites: ACC 203-Financial Accounting, ACC 204-Managerial Accounting, FIN 301-Principles of Financial Management, G B 311-Business Statistics, MGMT 301-Principles of Management, MKTG 314-Principles of Marketing B. Method of Instruction: This course is a 100% online course utilizing the TAMUCT Blackboard platform: Students will access all course materials (except textbook and Glo-bus simulation), assignments, student-instructor and student-student communication, activities, exams and resource links via the Course web site. Online learning requires students to be self-disciplined, be sure you understand and are prepared to comply with all required class assignments and deadlines. This is a time intensive course capstone course; be prepared to spend hours per week on readings and assignments. The course is divided into 7 units; dates and associated assignments are provided in the Course Schedule in the last section of this Syllabus. C. Required Resources Textbook: Dess, Lumpkin, Eisner, and McNamara (2012). Strategic Management: Text and Cases, 6th Ed., McGraw-Hill/Irwin, New York. ISBN Be sure to purchase the 6 th Edition, both earlier and one later edition are available. International editions are NOT allowed, as it has different resources. Note: students are not under any obligation to purchase their textbooks or other course materials from a university-affiliated bookstore. Students can purchase or rent the print text or digital text at their chosen retail or online store. The text must be purchased and received within the first week of class. Glo-bus Simulation: All students are required to purchase a 1-semester user license for the Globus business strategy simulation. Licenses must be purchased directly from the website: Your proper registration code will be posted on the course start here page; this code will ensure that you are enrolled in the correct section of Globus. GB 459 Spring Week Term Professor Altman

2 D. Expanded Course Description GB 459 is a challenging capstone course that focuses on how firms formulate, implement, evaluate, and present strategies through case study analysis, presentations and a computerized business simulation. It is a course about strategy and managing for success. The course centers on the theme that a company achieves sustained success if and only if its managers (1) have an astute, timely strategic game plan for running the company, and (2) implement and execute the plan with proficiency. This course allows students to explore in depth how and why a well-conceived well-executed strategy nearly always enhances a company s long-term performance. This course also gives students the opportunity to integrate much of the knowledge they have gained in their business curriculum. This is a big picture course. The problems and issues surrounding the tasks of crafting and implementing strategy cover the whole spectrum of business and management. Many variables and situational factors must be dealt with at once. Weighing the pros and cons of one strategy option versus another entails a total enterprise perspective and good judgment about how all of the relevant factors combine to shape what actions need to be taken. E. Student Learning Outcomes At the close of this course, students will be able to: 1. Think critically and strategically about a company, its present business position, its long-term direction, its resources and competitive capabilities, the caliber of its strategy, and its opportunities for gaining sustainable competitive advantage. 2. Conduct strategic analysis in a variety of industries and competitive situations and have a stronger understanding of the competitive challenges of a global market environment. 3. Demonstrate in writing how and why ethical principles, core values, and socially responsible management practices matter greatly in the conduct of a company s business. 4. Participate in a group case analysis and demonstrate the ability in both written and oral form to employ managerial judgment through assessing business risk, making sound business decisions and achieving effective outcomes. 5. Demonstrate via a strategy simulation the ability to make managerial decisions involving assessing business risk, making sound business decisions and achieving effective outcomes. 6. Successfully demonstrate via a nationally recognized exam, the critical knowledge bases expected of a graduating senior in a Bachelors in Business Administration degree program. Specific module level learning objectives are shown in Appendix 1. As a capstone course this class is also intended for students to build upon and demonstrate a number of cognitive and practical skills critical to business success that have been covered throughout their business undergraduate program. These skills include: a. Analogical thinking. Analogical thinking involves the application of terms and conceptual models to specific and especially new contexts. GB 459 Spring Week Term Professor Altman

3 b. Analytical thinking. Analytical thinking involves the careful consideration of data in an attempt to answer diagnostic-type questions such as, What is happening here? How do these facts all relate to each other? and What does it all mean? Analytical thinking is the bedrock of decisionmaking: it is only after engaging in analytic thinking that one should begin to ask the questions, is this good or bad? and what should I do? c. Integrative thinking. Integrative thinking involves the application of multiple conceptual or disciplinary frameworks to a single problem or scenario. d. Imaginative and creative thinking. Imaginative and creative thinking involves the identification, articulation, and realization of novel and hitherto unarticulated possibilities. This sort of thinking may also include the three types of thinking described above. e. Learning-by-reading. Learning-by-reading is a cognitive skill involving the active mental acquisition, storage, organization, and retrieval of thoughts and ideas that have been disseminated in a print medium. f. Written communication. Written communication is a skill involving the coherent and compelling expression of (typically one s own) thoughts and ideas (which are often derived or synthesized from the thoughts and ideas of others) through written language. g. Spoken communication. Spoken communication is a skill involving the coherent and compelling expression of one s own thoughts and ideas through spoken language. h. Internet communication. Communication through electronic medium involves written communication that adheres to commonly accepted rules of netiquette. i. Collaboration. Collaboration is the skill of cooperatively engaging in one or more of the above mental or practical tasks with one or more other people. It involves a particular set of organizing, coordinating, and communicating skills that are not required when working alone. F. Writing Intensive (WI) Course As a designated WI course, there are special skills and abilities that must be demonstrated and refined throughout this course. Upper division business WI courses are intended to foster the development of communication skills needed for participation in the business world, where effective communication is a highly valued and marketable skill. This course will focus on continuous improvement in written and internet-based communication. Given the ever increasing reliance of the business world on the internet, and social media, netiquette and internet communication skills-building will be integrated in to the course. Evaluation rubrics will be provided for students to understand expectations and progress. It will be the student's responsibility to make the instructional adjustments and corrections throughout the semester. As a designated WI course, students MUST pass the WI portions of the course, in addition to the course overall. Assignments which are considered part of the WI designation are noted in the assignment instructions. GB 459 Spring Week Term Professor Altman

4 Instructor: Office: Address: Office Hours: II. INSTRUCTOR COMMUNICATION AND CONTACT INFORMATION Phone: Web-conferencing: Dr. Barbara W. Altman Founder s Hall (FH), Room 318I Message tool, Course Blackboard site Alternate (if Blackboard is down): altman@ct.tamus.edu Mondays: 1:30 3:30 p.m. Online (virtual) via Course Blackboard site Wednesdays: 3:45-5:45 p.m. in FH Office on 1/15, 1/29, 2/12, 2/26, 3/19, 4/2, 4/16, 4/30; Remaining Wed. Online via Bb By Appointment By Appointment Via Blackboard Collaborate or Via Skype altman.tamuct Glo-bus Business Strategy Simulation Support: Elizabeth Brown, , Elizabeth.brown@ct.tamus.edu A. Student/Professor Interaction: I am readily accessible through Blackboard message, which I check multiple times a day during the week and once a day on weekends. I will get back to you within 12 hours during the week and within 24 hours on the weekend. Be sure to allow plenty of lead time prior to a due date if you are asking about an assignment. B. Online Office Hours: I have a combination of Face to Face and virtual office hours available this semester. During virtual Office Hours I will be at my computer and promptly answer messages. I encourage students to interact with me during office hours to clarify upcoming assignments, get clarity on course concepts, and/or review your grading status in the course. Occasionally, a University meeting or travel to an academic conference will preempt online office hours; an Instructor s Announcement will be posted if this occurs. C. Phone or Web-conferencing Appointments: If you wish to speak with me during virtual office hours, please send me a Blackboard message with your phone number and request that I call you. If you want to add video to the mix, we can either do a Blackboard collaborate or Skype session. You can also send a message at any time requesting a phone or web-conferencing appointment outside of regular office hours; include 3 possible dates/times and the associated phone number or conference tool you would like to use, and I will confirm one of the options. III. TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS AND RESOURCES A. Blackboard Access and Competency: This course will use the new TAMU-CT Blackboard Learn learning management system for class communications, content distribution, and assessments. Logon to to access the course Username: Your MyCT username (xx123 or everything before the "@" in your MyCT address) Initial password: Your MyCT password GB 459 Spring Week Term Professor Altman

5 For this course, you will need reliable and frequent access to a computer and to the Internet. If you do not have frequent and reliable access to a computer with Internet connection, please consider dropping this course and adding the Faceto-Face format version. Blackboard supports the most common operating systems: PC: Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista Mac: Mac OS X Mavericks NOTE: Computers using Windows XP, Windows 8 RT and OS X 10.6 or lower are NO longer supported Check browser and computer compatibility by following the Browser Test link on the TAMU-CT Blackboard logon page. ( This is a CRITICAL step as these settings are important for when you take an exam or submit an assignment. Upon logging on to Blackboard Learn, you will see a link to Blackboard Student Orientation under My Courses tab. Click on that link and study the materials in this orientation course. The new Blackboard is a brand-new interface and you will have to come up to speed with it really quickly. This orientation course will help you get there. The first week of the course includes activities and assignments that will help you get up to speed with navigation, sending and receiving messages and discussion posts, and submitting an assignment. There is also a Link within the course web site for Online Technology Resources, including Blackboard Help and On-Demand Videos on specific tolls. Your ability to function within the Blackboard system will improve your success in this course. Technology issues are not an excuse for missing a course requirement or deadline make sure your computer is configured correctly and address issues well in advance of deadlines. Complying with this requirement is part of your Course Agreement. B. Web-Conferencing Hardware A webcam and microphone are required for assignments in this class. Many newer computers have these capabilities included. If your computer does not, they can be purchased relatively inexpensively at any major retail outlet or office supply store. These tools will be needed to participate in Bb Collaborate tutorials with Ms. Brown on the Glo-bus simulation, web-conferencing meetings with your case analysis group and Dr. Altman, and the final group oral presentation. C. Technology Issues & Troubleshooting: For technological or computer issues, students should contact Help Desk Central. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: helpdesk@tamu.edu Phone: (254) Web Chat: When calling for support please let your support technician know you are a TAMUCT student. GB 459 Spring Week Term Professor Altman

6 Dr. Altman should be consulted via the Ask the Professor discussion forum or messages for course issues (NOT technology issues--they should be directed to the Help Desk). IV. COURSE ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS A. Student Profile and Course Agreement: Students should review this Syllabus in depth and be sure they are willing to comply with all assignments, and deadlines in this course. The course agreement requires students to agree to these expectations, and promise that they have the computer set-up, technology resources, and self-discipline needed for this fully online course. Do not sign the agreement if there are portions of this Syllabus you do not understand; post your questions to the Ask your professor Discussion Forum in Bb, get the response and then sign. Submit the completed form by the end of the first week of class; it is worth 15 grading points. B. Introductory Discussion Forum (WI): Students are required to compile a personal biographical statement and post it to the Introductory Discussion Forum the first week of class. Week 1 Instructions and the Personal Bio discussion forum show the required elements in the biographical statement. Be sure to read the Netiquette readings prior to posting to this forum and make sure your post is business caliber and professional. This forum will begin to establish a community of inquiry for our class this semester. It will also help you make decisions about the class members you would be compatible working with on the group case analysis. This statement/discussion posting is due the end of the first week of class and is worth 20 grading points for a bio statement that includes all elements requested. Some students are not comfortable posting a picture on the discussion forum; if this this circumstance applies to you please post all the relevant information to the discussion forum and send the photo via private Blackboard message to Dr. Altman. C. Exams: There will be three (3) exams covering the chapters in the text and any supplemental readings you may have been assigned. With the exception of the first exam (which may be taken twice if needed), all exams may only be taken only once. None of these exams will be comprehensive. All exams are 60 multiple choice and true/false questions. They will be taken on-line within Blackboard and grades will be available to students once the testing period ends. Students will only be allowed a limited window of time to complete exams, in this class that will be 90 minutes. Therefore, do not begin an exam unless you are sure you will have adequate time to complete it in one sitting without interruption. Note all Exams are due at 11:59 p.m. so do not start the Exam any later than 10:29 p.m. or you will NOT have the complete 90 minutes. Even though exams are administered online and you will have the use of your textbook, given the time constraints you will only be able to consult your text or notes on a VERY limited number of questions, so you must study and be familiar with the material prior to taking the Exams. Be sure to do a browser check prior to each Exam; technical issues on your end do not justify an Exam reset. If you experience a technical problem when taking an Exam that is a system issue, immediately post a ticket with the Blackboard help desk and GB 459 Spring Week Term Professor Altman

7 message Dr. Altman with the ticket number and time. Each exam is worth 100 points. D. National Business Standardized Test In addition to the exams above, each student must also complete a nationally recognized standards test for all undergraduate business majors. This will be a standardized test administered to business majors at most colleges and universities to assess minimum competencies across all business disciplines, including accounting, finance, economics, marketing, management, business law, and so on. This test is required by our university for purposes of degree plan assessment, and the data are periodically reported to TAMUCT s regional accrediting body to demonstrate that our degree programs are accomplishing their stated objectives. The test this semester will be administered totally online by the Peregrine Academics Testing Service. Instructions for taking the test will be posted to the course web site. We want you to do your best on this exam and while there is no way to prepare, be sure you are well rested and focused when you take the exam. Exam scores will be curved according to an average of TAMUCT students taking it, so try your best! Once you have completed the Exam be sure to download the Certificate of Completion and post it to the Peregrine Assignment link, this will be notification to Dr. Altman to request your score. She does NOT get notifications from Peregrine, but must request the score from them. A total of 100 points is available for the exam. E. Individual Case Write-Up (WI): Early in the semester, right after students sign up for a Case Group, they will engage in and write up a case analysis of the text case for their company. This required paper is an integral part of students demonstrating their individual writing competence. This assignment is worth 80 grading points. Students who do not receive a 60 (75%) or above will be required to rewrite the paper, in accordance with requirements for a Writing Intensive course. F. Group Case Analysis Project (WI): Following the individual case assignments, students will work in groups for the remainder of the semester on an in-depth strategic case analysis of their chosen firm. Students will self-select into groups in the designated signup area in Blackboard at during the second week of class. Case choices for this semester are noted in the course schedule in Section VII of this Syllabus. Each group will be responsible for preparing a series of written case study analyses relating to this firm. The text case is ONLY the beginning of the analysis; this project challenges students to engage in comprehensive research, using credible and reliable library resources, to update and supplement background about the firm for the purpose of choosing appropriate future strategies. Students must become familiar with these library sources and proper APA (American Psychological Association) format. The final assignment is an oral presentation which will be prepared virtually and recorded via the Blackboard Collaborate tool. The four parts to the group case analysis project in this class are: 1. Overall Strategic profile, General environment analysis and Industry competitive analysis GB 459 Spring Week Term Professor Altman

8 2. Internal company, ethical and SWOT analysis, and strategic alternatives 3. Final, fully-edited complete case document (includes revised parts 1 and 2, plus an introduction, strategic choice, strategic implementation, conclusion, transitions, and an integrated bibliography) 4. Oral (virtual) presentation Each part of the case analysis will build on previous parts. Feedback on Part 1 usually takes longer (approximately 1 week), so due dates for Parts 1 and 2 are spaced out accordingly. Both your final case write-up documents and your virtual oral presentations will be due the final weeks of class. Note that part 3 of the case analysis (i.e., the complete, integrated case document) should include written revisions of previous sections where you have received feedback suggesting rewriting. Points are available to be credited back to the initial grade on the project given quality of the rewrite in Part 3. The full details of each these assignments will also be posted on Blackboard in the Assignments area. For additional guidance, see the Case Analysis Files folder on Blackboard. Groups that do not receive a combined 75% (169 points out of a 225 points total available) on Parts 1-3 assignments are at risk of not passing this class, given the requirement that all students separately pass the WI (writing intensive) portion of the course. Working collaboratively is an important business skill and will be required in this group project. Group members should establish norms very early in the semester regarding work deadlines, expected behavior and standards. There will be a required peer evaluation (worth an additional 35 points) where the goal is 100% for each member (e.g. all team members acted professionally in the group, completed their work on time, handled an equal share of the load, etc.). Note that groups have the option of firing seriously underperforming or uncooperative group members. Groups seeking to dismiss a member must first contact the instructor with documentation ( paper trails, work samples, details of phone conversations, etc.) and a clear rationale for the dismissal. If the instructor deems the firing is warranted and in the best interest of the group the instructor, not the group itself, will notify the dismissed group member directly. The dismissed group member will have to complete the balance of the case analysis alone and will receive 0 points for the peer evaluation. Individuals are not permitted to self-select out of a group to complete the case analysis on their own. Please note that there is no minimum or maximum page limit for the case analyses individual parts or final submissions. However, experience has shown that most quality completed case studies (i.e., including all parts of the written analysis) fall in the page range, but some are longer than this. Quality and rigor of analysis is the guiding goal, and often quantity of pages does not translate to a higher grade. As stated above, significant additional library and internet research will be required for this project (Blogs, non-peer reviewed internet sites, and prior students papers found via Googling and Wikipedia are NOT allowed and will result in point deductions). Students are required to use credible business sources, that are found in the library business data bases (e. g. Business & Company Resource Center, Business Source Complete, ProQuest). Business press like the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Business Week, the business section GB 459 Spring Week Term Professor Altman

9 of major newspapers, and trade/industry specific publications are all good sources. The web site of the firm can be used, but should always be supported with verifying information. Please also note that the case study is meant to be integrative of all of the material in the course. In this respect it functions much like a comprehensive final exam would in other courses. The total case analyses portion of the class accounts for 30% of the final grade or 300 points. The detailed case study evaluation rubric used for grading each portion of the project is included on the Bb course site. G. Business Strategy Game: In this course each student will take part in a competitive, computer-based business simulation. This component of the course will be administrated and monitored by your teaching assistant (see contact information in Section II of this Syllabus), who will contact you during the first week of the semester with details and guidance. Your teaching assistant will also be available throughout the semester to help you with anything related to the simulation. Note that this portion of the course is administrated by the teaching assistant, so you should direct any and all questions to him or her. The strategy simulation counts 15% of your final grade. Your performance in the simulation will be a function of several objective measures within the simulation (EPS, credit rating, etc.). Your teaching assistant will clarify the exact evaluation rubric for the simulation. Each student will participate in the simulation as an individual, and you are required to participate in ALL decision rounds (10 points will be deducted for each round missed). There is a total of 150 points for the Glo-bus simulation. 25 points is based on the initial quiz grade, 25 points for participation and 100 points is based on your relative cumulative score of all your decision rounds (Glo-bus gain-to-date (gtd) score). Be sure to attend an orientation with Ms. Brown to better understand how the simulation works and scoring. Students will receive 10 bonus points for attending an entire Glo-bus orientation session. (note these will be the ONLY extra points available this semester). Grades for Glo-bus will be posted after all decision rounds have completed. Ms. Brown will send out periodic updates throughout the semester of student s rankings in the simulation. V. GRADING POINTS AND POLICIES There are 1000 grading points available in this class, assigned as follows: Student Profile and Course Agreement Personal Bio Statement/Intro Discussion Forum Exams (3@100 points each) Peregrine Standardized Business Exam Individual Case Analysis Group Case Analysis (4 parts@75 points each) Peer Evaluation Glo-bus Business Strategy Simulation 15 points 20 points 300 points 100 points 80 points 300 points 35 points 150 points GB 459 Spring Week Term Professor Altman

10 Total Points Possible 1000 Points Course Grade Calculation Minimum Points Required A 90% X B 80% X C 70% X D 60% X F 50% X A. Grading Policy: Minimum points required for a specific course grade are noted on the above table. Minimum points required for a specific course grade will NOT be revised for any reason. Meaning 899 points is a B, 799 is a C, etc. B. Posting of Grades: All student grades will be posted in the Blackboard Grade book and students should monitor their grading status through this tool. Grades for all assignments will be posted no later than one week after the assignment is due. Grades on Exams will be available once the availability period for the Exam has passed. Grades on the Peregrine exam are dependent on information from the national testing service; Dr. Altman will keep students informed when these grades will be posted. Ms. Brown will keep students informed when Glo-bus grades will be posted. C. Due Dates and Late Submissions: Due dates for Assignments and Exams are shown on the course schedule in Section VII of this Syllabus and in the associated sections of the Course web site. Time management is critical in this course, students should post all assignment due dates on the personal calendar most useful to them. Late submissions will not be allowed in this course unless you or a family member in your immediate care experiences a medical emergency. You must communicate this information to Dr. Altman at the soonest available time PRIOR to or on the day of the deadline, and provide a doctor s statement. VI. ACADEMIC RESOURCES AND POLICIES A. Course Standards Professional level writing and communication are critical skills in the business world. This standard should be displayed in all assignments for this class. All communications, both to the Professor and student colleagues, should be kept professional, including Discussion Forum postings and messages. For online correspondence, appropriate netiquette rules should always be followed (see folder on course web site for netiquette readings). For written assignments, all work should be proofread, free of grammatical errors, include proper citations and be in accordance with American Psychological Association (APA) standards. For helpful information on APA standards and correct citation formats consult TAMUCT Library s Citing Sources resource page B. Library Services Information literacy focuses on research skills which prepare individuals to live and work in an information-centered society. Library research skills are another critical tool in the business world and will be further explored via your group s GB 459 Spring Week Term Professor Altman

11 case analysis in this class. Research resources are outlined and accessed via the Library link on the Course web site left-hand menu or directly via For assistance on good resources to use for the Group Case Analysis, consult the library s Management subject guide: 17&search=business The contact information for the TAMUCT Business resource librarian is in the link below, he can be consulted for this project: C. Academic Integrity Texas A&M University - Central Texas expects all students to maintain high standards of personal and scholarly conduct. Link to and read the Code of Student Conduct below: Students found responsible of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism, collusion, and the abuse of resource materials. Avoiding plagiarism is a critical portion of the Case Study project, given its heavy dependence on multiple sources. Be sure to read the following links to avoid issues and understand how to paraphrase correctly: Avoiding Plagiarism by Dr. Michael O'Connor at Millikin University Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It, by Writing Tutorial Services at Indiana University A found incidence of Academic Dishonesty for any assignment or exam in this class will result in 0 points. Multiple incidences will result in an F course grade. In addition, found incidences of academic dishonestly in any part of the group case study project will be the responsibility of ALL group members. Incidences of academic dishonestly will also be reported to the Associate Director of Student Conduct per the Student Conduct policy. E. Disability Support and Access If you have or believe you have a disability and wish to self-identify, you can do so by providing documentation to the Disability Support Coordinator. Students are encouraged to seek information about accommodations to help assure success in their courses. Please contact Vanessa Snyder at (254) or visit Founder's Hall 114. Additional information can be found at or by linking to the Disability Support link on the left-hand menu on the course web site. Please advise Dr. Altman within the first week of class of any accommodations needed. D. Tutoring Tutoring is available to all TAMUCT students, both on-campus and online. Subjects tutored include Writing (APA). Tutors are available at the Tutoring Center in Founder's Hall, Room 204, and also in the Library in the North Building. Visit and click "Tutoring GB 459 Spring Week Term Professor Altman

12 Support" (link also available via the course menu) for tutor schedules and contact info. If you have questions, need to schedule a tutoring session, or if you're interested in becoming a tutor, contact Academic Support Programs at or by ing cecilia.morales@ct.tamus.edu. In addition, Tutor.com is an online tutoring platform that enables TAMU-CT students to log-in and receive FREE online tutoring and writing support 24/7. This tool provides tutoring Writing. To access Tutor.com, click on (link also available via the course menu). These writing resources can help with the case analysis assignments, but plan ahead as the Tutors require a certain turnaround time to review and provide comments on your drafts. F. Drop Policy It is the student s responsibility to be aware of University mandated drop deadlines should you find yourself needing to drop this course. The deadlines are all available via the TAMUCT Academic Calendar link from the Course web site left-hand menu. If you discover that you need to drop this class, you must contact the Records Office and ask for the necessary paperwork. Professors cannot drop students; this is always the responsibility of the student. The record s office will give a deadline for which the form must be returned, completed, and signed. Once you return the signed form to the records office and wait 24 hours, you must go into DuckTrax and confirm that you are no longer enrolled. If you are still enrolled, FOLLOW-UP with the records office immediately. Should you miss the deadline or fail to follow the procedure, you will receive an F in the course. Incompletes are NOT allowed in this class, as students are preparing for graduation. GB 459 Spring Week Term Professor Altman

13 VII. COURSE OUTLINE/SCHEDULE Grading Points available for each assignment noted in ( ) All assignments are due at 11:59 p.m. Weeks/Dates Topics/Readings 1. 1/13 1/ /21 1/27 Module 1: Intro to GB 459 & Strategic Analysis Course Introduction Read Chapter 1: Strategic Management, Creating Competitive Advantage Read Chapter 2: Analyzing the External Environment of the Firm Glo-bus simulation introduction Instructions & Graded Assignments Watch Dr. Altman s Introduction Video Download and read Syllabus carefully Familiarize yourself with course web site navigation and materials Any questions about Syllabus? post to Ask the Professor Discussion Forum Complete Student profile and Course agreement assignment, due 1/20 (15) Complete personal bio statement and post to Intro Discussion Forum, due 1/20 (20) Read fellow students posts Read text Chapters 1 & 2 Review case study options and determine preferences. Cases this semester are: #7 United Way of America #11 World Wrestling Entertainment #24 Nintendo #32 Jet Blue Sign up for case group, group sign-up will be online starting 1/27, 8 a.m. Sign up for Glo-bus simulation, review introductory materials Attend Glo-bus Collaborate orientation session (Ms. Brown will provide dates/times 10 bonus points) Glo-bus practice decision 1 due 1/27 GB 459 Spring Week Term Professor Altman

14 Week/Dates Topics/Readings Instructions & Graded Assignments 3. 1/28 2/3 Module 2: Strategic Analysis 4. 2/4 2/10 Reread Chapters 1 & 2 Read Chapter 3: Assessing the Internal Environment of the Firm Deadline for Group sign-up is 1/29 at 11:59 p.m, Groups will be posted on 1/30 Individual Case Analysis assignment due 2/6 (80) Glo-bus practice decision 2 due 2/3 Glo-bus Quiz 1, Available starting 2/4 Study supplemental readings & publisher materials on course web site on strategy analysis Exam 1 (Covers Ch. 1, 2 & 3) Available 2/7, due 2/10 (100) 5. 2/11 2/ /18 2/ /25 3/3 8. 3/4 3/24 (Spring Break is 3/10-3/14) Module 3: Strategy Formulation Read Ch. 5: Business Level Strategy Read Ch. 6: Corporate Level Strategy Module 3 (cont.): Strategy Formulation Read Ch. 8: Entrepreneurial Strategy and Competitive Dynamics Supplemental readings announced on web site Glo-bus Decision 1 (year 6) due 2/15 Glo-bus Quiz 1 due 2/17 (25) Group Case Analysis Part 1 Due 2/24 (75) Submit Glo-bus Decision 2 (year 7) due 2/28 Peregrine Business Exam due 3/7 (100 points) Submit Glo-bus Decision 3 (year 8) due 3/20 Study supplemental readings & publisher materials on course web site on strategy formulation Exam 2 (Covers Ch. 5, 6 & 8) available 3/21, due 3/24 (100) GB 459 Spring Week Term Professor Altman

15 Week/Dates Topics/Readings Instructions & Graded Assignments 9. 3/25 Module 4: Strategy Submit Glo-bus Decision 4 (year 9) 3/31 Implementation due 3/ /1 4/ /8 4/ /15 4/ /22 4/28 14/15. 4/29 5/9 Read Ch. 9: Strategic Control and Corporate Governance Read Ch. 10: Creating Effective Organizational Designs Module 4 (cont.): Strategy Implementation Read Ch. 12: Managing Innovation and Fostering Corporate Entrepreneurship Course Wrap-Up Case Analysis Part 2 due 3/31 (75) Submit Glo-bus Decision 5 (year 10) due 4/7 Submit Glo-bus Decision 6 (year 11) due 4/11 Submit Glo-bus Decision 7 (year 12) due 4/17 (final round) Exam 3 (Covers Ch & 12) available 4/18, due 4/21 (100) Case Analysis Part 3 Due 4/28 (75) Case Analysis Part 4 Due 5/5 (75) Peer Evaluation Due 5/7 (35) Professor Altman reserves the right to make changes to this Syllabus should circumstances during the semester cause revision. Note the date in the footer of this Syllabus. Should changes be necessary a revised Syllabus will be posted on the Course web site, an announcement posted to that effect, and the new version will have the new date in the footer. GB 459 Spring Week Term Professor Altman

16 Appendix A: Specific Module Level Objectives Module 1. COURSE INTRODUCTION: Students will learn the overall design of the course, the specific grade components involved, and the foundational terms upon which the course will build Students will learn the contents of the course syllabus Students will learn the organization and navigation of the course Blackboard page Students will learn the process of completing a case study analysis in this class Students will learn the process of participating in the Glo-bus strategy simulation Students will learn the meaning of strategy and the strategic management process Students will learn the vision, mission, and values framework. Module 2. STRATEGIC ANALYSIS : Students will learn the importance, content, and process of strategic analysis Students will learn the necessity and process of conducting an external environment analysis Students will learn the components of the general environment, as well as how to apply this framework Students will learn the components of the competitive environment, as well as how to apply this framework Students will learn the substance and application of the strategic groups framework Students will learn the necessity and protocol for conducting an internal environment analysis Students will learn and apply the value chain analysis framework, both to the firm and to the industry Students will learn and apply the resource-based view of the firm. Module 3. STRATEGIC FORMULATION: Students will learn the principles and process of formulating strategy Students will learn and apply business-level cost leadership, differentiation, focus, and combination strategies, and how the application of each relates to the industry life cycle Students will learn different varieties of corporate diversification, and the relative risks and benefits inherent in each Students will learn components of entrepreneurial strategy and competitive dynamics. Module 4. STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION: Students will learn the principles and process of implementing strategy Students will learn principles of strategic controls and corporate governance Students will learn a taxonomy of organization structure types and the elements and principles of designing effective organization structures Students will learn the qualities, dimensions, and paradoxes of innovation and the basic principles involved in managing it. GB 459 Spring Week Term Professor Altman