Graduate Course Syllabus

Transcription

1 Graduate Course Syllabus COURSE: BUSN 6200 STRATEGY AND COMPETITION Location: Leiden Term: Summer 2014 Day(s): Tuesday (+1xThursday) Time: 18:00-22:00 hours The Instructor: Name: Availability Mobile Phone: Dr Arie Barendregt RM MBA Valeriaanstraat 126, 3765 ES Soest. Find me on LinkedIn! ; About the instructor Arie Barendregt (55) has been active in European business-to-business sales and marketing management since 1980, working in roofing renovation, data and fire protection, gas and oxygen filtration, industrial hoists, credit management and debt collection, consumer packaging, industrial transportation packaging and packaging machines. He is now working as commercial director at De Jong Verpakking at De Lier, the only independent Dutch corrugated board packaging manufacturer, turnover 100 million p/a and 250 employees. After completing his marketing NIMA-C in 1994, Arie finished his MBA with distinction at Kingston University near London in the United Kingdom in In May 2008 he received the title RM, Register Marketeer, as one of the only 120 Dutch top marketers with this title. In addition, he obtained the Doctor of Business Administration (Ph.D) degree of Kingston University in January 2011 for his research regarding the hitherto unknown competitor study practices of small Dutch business-to-business enterprises. His doctoral thesis, Do Small Enterprises Study Competitors, is published worldwide through internet bookstores. Arie is teacher Total Cost of Ownership at the Dutch Packaging Centre at Gouda, and Professor Strategy and Competition in the Executive MBA programme of Webster University in Leiden since He also teaches Marketing Management at the MBA programme of Hogeschool Den Haag. He has published in the magazines Verpakken, Compres, MKB Ondernemen, Management Scope, Marketing Tribune, and Tijdschrift voor Marketing. Finally, Arie is active as a part-time consultant, with his own company Stracom Intelligence, giving in-company lectures as well as seminars and training on sales, marketing, and competitive intelligence to a wide variety of companies and organizations. Other speaker Mr Rik Dijkstra, Cube Consultancy Amersfoort, on the practice of Business Model Generation.

2 THE COURSE Course Definition (source: Webster University Graduate Catalogue) The student examines the conceptual and practical aspects of business policies and policy decision-making by utilizing all the concepts, theories, and tools that were presented in the previous courses. The student should be able to analyze and recommend a comprehensive and workable approach to the situation. The course should cover current business issues and developments. Prerequisite Completion of all other required courses in the MBA. Course Content The course combines readings selected from the strategic management textbook of Jones and Hill (including 22 up-to-date strategic business cases) with a series of relevant management and competitive advantage articles, selected because these articles are classics in the strategy field. In addition to reviewing classic (including military history) discussions in the field of business strategy, the course also uses Alexander Osterwalder s unique Business Model Generation structures to learn students how to build an understanding of the new directions in strategy theory and management, and learn to apply this understanding in their course work. Working in teams, students will have to write and present profound and in-depth case studies about the strategic decision-making processes in 7 relevant and up-to-date cases, using all available/discussed management models, concepts and analysis tools. This case study analysis methodology will be used extensively to encourage students to sharpen their abilities to filter, analyze, synthesize, and communicate critical information in an integrated way. Models will have to be used to find and substantiate the answers to the key questions in these case studies: what is happening in the firm s market, what is the strategic position of the firm, if anything - what is the firm s core problem, what are the possible solutions, what is your solution and why, how to implement your solution, and what are the critical success factors. Furthermore, this is a Capstone management game course for the Webster MBA program, requiring the student to integrate learning already achieved from all previous courses, and to include marketing, strategy and management assessments, using cost competitiveness and cost efficiency analysis in the decision-making process and as prerequisites for solid strategic management. Throughout the term, student teams will participate in this Capstone online strategy simulation management game, playing against other student teams, and they will develop and employs competitive scenarios that develop and test their capacity to think and act strategically and to undertake decisions under time and information constraints. In addition, they will have to log their own team s decision-making process during Capstone. In addition to this, the course will use Comp-XM, Capstone s competency exam, which is also located at the website. This tool will have individual students run the Capstone simulation a second time, as opposed to the normal simulation which they run in a team. In this individual simulation, students must make their own individual Capstone decisions as normal, but at the end of each round they will have to answer a series of multiple choice questions (typically 4-6 questions per round.) These questions are generated from the data produced by their individual performance on the simulation which helps insure that students will only work on their own exam and not in teams. This provides a consistent set of questions to ask students, but questions which are also individualized for that student. Comp- XM will be marked as the individual student s examination of this particular course. NOTE: student evaluations consistently rank this course among the best-appreciated courses at Webster Leiden (2010 score 3,91; 2011 score 3,82). However, this score comes at a cost: expect weekly workloads of 25 hours of self-study, course preparation, and team work! Incoming Competency This course is a required or core course for the MBA degree program.

3 Learning Outcomes Students understand the important facts, terminology, concepts, principles, and theories in the area of Strategy. Students can conduct industry analysis to assess the relative market position of a firm or product division. The student will be able to use accounting and financial information to assist in their strategic analysis. The MBA will be able to use quantitative tools to assist in the analysis of the strategy of the firm. The MBA can address unstructured business problems that span multiple functional areas. General Skills - where applicable all Webster courses will address: Writing skills. Presentation skills. Team working skills. Multicultural skills. Note: Webster has adopted the APA style for citations in all papers and in all departments. All students are encouraged to be consistent with this in their writing. Materials (Required Textbook) G.R. Jones and C.W.L. Hill (2010). Theory of Strategic Management with Cases, South Western, Ninth Edition Pages. ISBN-13: ISBN-10: Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers, Alexander Osterwalder. Paperback: 288 pages Publisher: John Wiley & Sons (20 Aug 2010) ISBN-13: ISBN-10: Required Material All assigned articles are required. Any articles not distributed can be found on the site of the Webster Online Library ( Any additional materials distributed in class are required.

4 Recommended Reading Material o Barendregt, A. (2011). Do Small Enterprises Study Competitors? Saarbrücken, VDM Verlag Dr Müller, ISBN o Chan Kim, W. and R. Mauborgne (2005). Blue Ocean Strategy, Boston, Harvard Business School Press, ISBN o Christensen C.M. and M.E. Raynor (2003). The Innovator s Solution, Boston, Harvard Business School Press, ISBN o D Aveni, R. (1994). Hypercompetition, New York, The Free Press, ISBN o Fahey, L. (1999). Outwitting, Outmanoeuvring and Outperforming Competitors, New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc, ISBN o Farhad, A. and K. Azhdar (2002). How Chief Executives Perception of the Environment Impacts on Company Performance, The Journal of Management Development 21(3/4): o Giles, L. (1998). Sun Tzu The Art of War, Gainesville, Instabook Corporation. o Grove, A.S. (1988). Only the Paranoid Survive, London. HarperCollinsBusiness, ISBN o Hamel, G. and Prahalad C.K. (1996). Competing for the Future, Boston, Harvard Business School Press, ISBN o Porter, M.E. (1980). Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors, New York, The Free Press, ISBN o Porter, M.E. (1985). Competitive Advantage, The Free Press, New York. o Porter, M.E. (1986). Competition in Global Industries, Boston, Harvard Business School Press, ISBN o Tichy N.M. and S. Sherman (1994). Control Your Destiny or Some Else Will, New York, Harper Collins Publishers. Finally, and needless to say, the Webster online library is a rich source of relevant academic material. Access select Articles and Databases, and select ABI/Inform Complete to access the ProQuest database with an infinite number of academic papers. In addition, you can find numerous academic papers on Letter Grades: GRADING Instructor s guidelines for percentage equivalent of the letter grade: Letter grades mean that in the opinion of the instructor the work was: A (4.0), A- (3.67) A (90-100), A- (85-89) Superior work B+ (3.33), B (3.0), B- (2.67) B+ (80-84), B (75-79), B-(70-74) Satisfactory work C (2.0) C (65-69) Barely adequate as graduate-level work F (0.0) F (0-64) Unsatisfactory. No credit granted. Other Designations: Satisfactory graduate work (B- or better). CR is reserved for courses designated by a department, CR involving internships, a thesis, practicum or specified courses. I Incomplete work IP In Progress NR Not Reported. W The student withdrew from the course An incomplete which was not completed within one year of the end of the course. ZF is treated ZF the same as F or NC for all cases involving GPA, academic warning, probation, and dismissal. The Instructor will evaluate students work as follows: Description: Percentage: Date due: Attendance, participation, and individual class 20% ongoing contribution In-class team case presentations 30% TBD Team work Capstone strategy simulation management game 30% Flexible discuss with your instructor Individual CompXM online examination 20% Flexible discuss with your instructor Students and Instructor will be asked to evaluate the course in a form to be handed out during lesson 8 of the term. Study load: Students are expected to spend approximately 25 hours per week on this course.

5 Assessment Tool (++ = key tool; + = secondary tool) Attendance Weekly Weekly Case Examination and Individual Preparation Analyses and inclass presentations CompXM Individual Class Capstone Participation Simulation Game 30 % 20 % 20 % 30 % Learning Outcome Learning Outcome Learning Outcome Learning Outcome Learning Outcome General Skills Presentation skills Writing skills ++ Team work skills Cross-cultural skills Activities Case study analysis, Group work, Management Simulation games, Team activities, Internet searches, Student team presentations, Final on-line examination.

6 ACADEMIC POLICIES University policies are provided in the current course catalog and course schedules. They are also available on the university website. This course is governed by the University s published policies. Please use the following link to see a complete overview of Webster Leiden s Policies and Procedures: policies Academic Honesty: The University is committed to high standards of academic honesty. Students will be held responsible for violations of these standards. Please refer to the university s academic honesty policies for a definition of academic dishonesty and potential disciplinary actions associated with it. Drop / Withdraw: Please be aware that, should you choose to drop or withdraw from a course; the date on which you notify the University of your decision will determine the amount of tuition refund you receive. Please refer to the university policies on drops and withdrawals (published elsewhere) to find out what the deadlines are for dropping a course with a full refund and for withdrawing from a course with a partial refund. Special Services: If you have registered as a student with a documented disability and are entitled to classroom or testing accommodations, please inform the Instructor at the beginning of the course of the accommodations you will require in this class so that these can be provided. Disturbances: Since every student is entitled to full participation in class without interruption, disruption of class by inconsiderate behavior is not acceptable. Students are expected to treat the instructor and other students with dignity and respect, especially in cases where a diversity of opinion arises. Students who engage in disruptive behavior are subject to disciplinary action, including removal from the course. Student Papers Retained: Student assignments and/or projects will be retained by the University for the purpose of academic assessment. Contact Hours: It is essential that all classes meet for the full instructional time as scheduled and that is: 43 contact hours for undergraduate semester classes (includes 8 hours project work); 32 contact hours for undergraduate term classes; 36 contact hours for graduate level classes. A class cannot be shortened in length. If a class session is cancelled for any reason, it must be rescheduled. Study Load per course: 8-week classes - students are expected to spend approximately 17 hours per week (21 hours including class time). 16-week classes - the average study load per week is 7.5 hours ( 10 hours including class time). Attendance, Participation, Assignments: Students are required to attend all classes and participate actively. Grading will partly reflect this. Class participation accounts for roughly 20% of the total grade. All classes include assignments (such as presentations or papers). Students must report to the instructor all assistance they received and all sources they used in carrying out their assignments. Otherwise they will fail the course and may also face other penalties. Auditors: are expected to attend all classes and actively participate in all aspects of the course, including mid-term and final exams, and will be provided with a Certificate of Achievement. First Class: The first session of a course is very important and cannot be missed. Therefore, in accordance with student guidelines on attendance, the instructor can request that students missing the first class without valid reason, and without having obtained permission beforehand, be dropped from the course. For this course, the instructor has requested that this rule is enforced. Partial Absence: At the discretion of the Instructor, grading can be reduced for students who regularly arrive late for class and/or leave class early. Exam Dates Students must receive permission from the Academic Director in order to take either mid-term or final exams on a date other than that set by the Instructor. Exam Office Policy (for graduate students): The University applies strict deadline regulations. Deadlines are set by the instructor and are listed (date and time) in the course syllabus. All written assignments weighted 20% or more must be submitted not to the instructor but to [email protected]. Assignments received after the deadline will be subject to a penalty: if received after the deadline but within 24 hours, the penalty is at the discretion of the instructor; if the deadline is missed by more than 24 but less than 48 hrs, we recommend that instructors downgrade the assignment by one letter grade. If the paper is later than 48 hrs, the Exam Office does not accept the paper and defers to the appropriate Head of Department who may issue a C or an F depending on the weighting. Faculty may, under documented circumstances and with the consent of the academic director, accept late work to be graded. If students cannot meet the deadline for valid reasons (beyond the student s control, such as illness or other extenuating circumstances), the student must submit a Request for Extended Deadline form which can be downloaded from the student section on the website. Based on the reason and evidence given, the instructor is alerted and decides, in consultation with both the advisor and Head of Department, on a new deadline. Normally extensions are approved for a maximum of two weeks. Exams: Students must seek permission from the Academic Director in order to take either mid-term or final exams on a date other than that set by the Instructor. Incomplete Work Incompletes (grades of "I") will only be allowed if agreed with the instructor and officially documented with an Agreement to Complete form (available from your advisor). If no such agreement has been documented, incomplete grades will automatically revert to F two weeks after the end of term. Instructors are actively encouraged not to accept students' work after the end of term. If a student's work has been delayed by causes beyond his/her control, an agreement to complete will normally be for a period of two weeks. Further extensions require the approval of the academic director; graduate-level integrated studies (coded 6000) will be exempt from this rule. It is the student's responsibility to complete the course within the specified time. Plagiarism is using another person s words or ideas without telling the reader. This applies not only to books and articles, but also to sources from the internet, or copying work from your fellow students. Those who are discovered cheating or plagiarizing will normally receive a failing grade for the entire course and may even be subject to dismissal. Please don t fall into this trap. Use in-text citations and include a bibliography in all your papers. (For more information, use the link to Policies and Procedures above). Please respect your sources, your audience and yourself. Note: WIKIPEDIA is NOT a source for academic referencing and can only be used in conjunction with other source referencing.

7 WEEKLY SCHEDULE Homework, subjects to be dealt with in the lesson, assignments, presentations, and examinations Public holidays Summer 2014: Ascension Day Thursday May 29, 2014 Whit Monday Monday June 9, 2014 Please be aware of the following irregular course date(s): Lesson 8 is scheduled for Thursday, July 3, 2014 Date: Tuesday, May 20, 2014 Time: 18:00 22:00 Lesson 1 Introduction into Strategy Explanation of the course, course objectives, as well as the rules of the game of this course. Presentation and discussion of Military Historic Strategy case studies. CAPSTONE GAME Introduction into the Capstone Simulation Game, including an explanation what it is, how to get it, how to access the game, and how to get started. CLASS PRESENTATION AND CAPSTONE GAME TEAM SELECTION Selection of your class presentation team & Capstone team (assess the distinctive competencies of your potential team members first, and create a complementary Management Team). You will have to organize joint team class presentations. Book: Jones and Hill, Chapter 1, Leadership, Strategy and Competitive Advantage, pp Book: Jones and Hill, Introduction: Analyzing a Case Study and Writing a Case Study Analysis C1 C12 (you can find this in the 2 nd part of the book). Book: Osterwalder & Pigneur: Chapter Canvas, pp Article: Porter, Michael. CEO as Strategist, Leadership Excellence, September 2005: 11. Article: Porter, Michael. Michael Porter on Competition, The Antitrust Bulletin, Winter 1999: Article: Mintzberg, Henry. Reflecting on the Strategy Process, Sloan Management Review, Spring 1999: Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2014 Time: NO CLASS PREPARE CAPSTONE GAME NUMBER C63624 Wednesday, May 21 (the day IMMEDIATELY after the first class): register yourself and download the Capstone.xls file at complete the Introductory Lesson, and read the Capstone Guide. Start the Capstone PRACTICE game round 21/5/14, 14.00pm Dutch time (07.00am US Eastern time). Start to play the game asap; there s only one practice round!

8 Finish the PRACTICE game round before 27/5/14, 14.00pm Dutch time (07.00am US Eastern time). The official COMPETITION game round One, starts 27/5/14, 16.00pm Dutch time (09.00am US Eastern time). Date: Tuesday, May 27, 2014 Time: 18:00 22:00 Lesson 2 The Roots of Competitive Advantage Book: Jones and Hill, Chapter 2, Opportunities & Threats Analyzing the External Environment, pp Book: Jones and Hill, Chapter 3, Competencies and Profitability Analyzing Internal Resources, pp Book: Osterwalder & Pigneur: Chapter Patterns, pp Article: Porter, Michael, Creating Advantage, Executive Excellence, November 1999: Article: Prahalad, Coimbatore Krishnarao (CK), The Role of Core Competencies in the Corporation, Research Technology Management, Nov - Dec 1993: Prepare a 10 PowerPoint slides team joint class presentation of the case THE RISE OF SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2014 Time: 18:00 22:00 Lesson 3 Building Competitive Advantage Book: Jones and Hill, Chapter 4, Strategy at the Functional Level, pp Book: Jones and Hill, Chapter 5, Strategy at the Business Level, pp Book: Osterwalder & Pigneur: Chapter Design, pp Article: Ghemawat, Pankaj. Competition and Business Strategy in Historical Perspective, Business History Review, Spring 2002: Prepare a 10 PowerPoint slides joint team class presentation of the case IMAX: LARGER THAN LIFE CAPSTONE GAME NUMBER C63624 The official COMPETITION game round One, starts 27/5/14, 16.00pm Dutch time (09.00am US Eastern time).

9 Finish and upload official COMPETITION game round One before 3/6/14, 14.00pm Dutch time (07.00am US Eastern time). Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2014 Time: 18:00 22:00 Lesson 4 Sustaining Competitive Advantage COMP XM CompXM individual exam explanation (what is it, where to get it, how to start). Book: Jones and Hill, Chapter 6, Industry Environment and Business-Level Strategy, pp Book: Osterwalder & Pigneur: Chapter Strategy, pp Prepare a 10 PowerPoint slides joint team class presentation of the case CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: CREATING A BLUE OCEAN BY BALANCING CREATIVITY AND BUSINESS CAPSTONE GAME NUMBER C63624 Capstone Game: finish and upload official COMPETITION game round Two before 10/6/14, 14.00pm Dutch time (07.00am US Eastern time). Date: Tuesday, June 17, 2014 Time: 18:00 22:00 Lesson 5 Technology Strategy and Global Strategy Book: Jones and Hill, Chapter 7, Technology, pp Book: Jones and Hill, Chapter 8, Global Strategy, pp Book: Osterwalder & Pigneur: Chapter Process, pp Article: Christiansen, Disruptive Technologies: Catching the Wave, Harvard Business Review, January - February 95, pp Prepare a 10 PowerPoint slides joint team class presentation of the case NETFLIX LEADING WITH DATA: THE EMERGENCE OF DATA-DRIVEN VIDEO CAPSTONE GAME NUMBER C63624 Capstone Game: finish and upload COMPETITION game round Three before Monday 17/6/14, 14.00pm Dutch time (07.00am US Eastern time).

10 COMP XM Register yourself, and download the CompXM.xls file at The individual Comp XM online examination is activated as of 17/6/14, 16.00pm Dutch time (09.00am US Eastern time). There are no weekly deadlines, but you will have to finish the CompXM questions before 8/7/14, 16.00pm Dutch time (09.00am US Eastern time). Start taking the Comp XM examination asap (note: there are 5 examination rounds) and don t wait with your individual exam until the last week! Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2014 Time: 18:00 22:00 Lesson 6 Corporate Strategies Book: Jones and Hill, Chapter 9, Strategy at the Corporate Level, pp Book: Jones and Hill, Chapter 10, Corporate Diversification Strategy, pp Prepare a 10 PowerPoint slides joint team class presentation of the case GOOGLE INC. CAPSTONE GAME NUMBER C63624 Capstone Game: finish and upload COMPETITION game round Four before 24/6/14, 14.00pm, Dutch time (07.00am US Eastern time). COMP XM EXAMINATION Comp XM individual work: answer the CompXM examination questions. Date: Tuesday, July 1, 2014 Time: 18:00 22:00 Lesson 7 Crisis Management in Strategy (1) Prepare a 10 PowerPoint slides joint team class presentation of the case BARNES AND NOBLE STRATEGY SHIFT Book: Jones, Chapter 13, Implementing Strategy in Companies That Compete Across Industries and Countries, pp

11 CAPSTONE GAME NUMBER C63624 Capstone Game: finish and upload COMPETITION game round Five before 1/7/14, 14.00pm Dutch time (07.00am US Eastern time). COMP XM EXAMINATION Comp XM individual work: answer the CompXM examination questions. Date: THURSDAY, July 3, 2014 Time: 18:00 22:00 Lesson 8 Crisis Management in Strategy (2) Course objectives assessment, student evaluation, remarks, and improvement suggestions. Book: Osterwalder & Pigneur: Chapter Outlook, pp Prepare a 10 PowerPoint slides joint team class presentation of the case TURNAROUND OF JC PENNEY COMP XM EXAMINATION Comp XM individual work: answer the CompXM examination questions. Date: Tuesday, July 8, 2014 Time: 18:00 22:00 Lesson 9 Capstone Log Presentations TEAM CLASS CAPSTONE LOG STRATEGY DECISION MAKING PRESENTATION Prepare a joint team class presentation of your team s Capstone logs, showing your decision-making process and insight building during your Capstone work. Discussion of the final Capstone results. CAPSTONE GAME NUMBER C63624 Capstone Game: finish and upload FINAL COMPETITION game round Six before 8/7/14, 14.00pm Dutch time (07.00am US Eastern time). COMP XM Presentation and discussion of the final CompXM results. Comp XM examination: finish the CompXM questions before 8/7/14, 16.00pm Dutch time (09.00am US Eastern time). GENERAL INSTRUCTIO N Make a weekly registration of your Capstone log, describing which actions your team has taken, what your objectives and assumptions were, what your alternatives were, and why you have selected your strategies every week.

12 Additional Information on the course: All cases are available as a hand-out. Due to the strict program build-up, it is mandatory to meet the presentation deadlines. However, exceptional personal circumstances of the student may interfere here, and, prior to the actual deadline, students who are unable to meet the required presentation date, must contact the instructor to discuss any change of the assignment deadline. A general tip: always make back-up electronic copies of your presentation work in order to avoid losing your work. Students are expected to take care of this. You can find all indicated papers / reading material in the academic database of ABI / Inform / ProQuest. In order to get there, go to You can enter the ProQuest article database by clicking on ABI/Inform Complete. Enter your Webster login number, and you are in business. If necessary, you can see at the right of this starting page Journal/Magazine/Newspaper list. You can use it to access the EBSCO database where you can also search for academic Journals. Students will have to make class presentations, Capstone online management game work, as well as an individual online CompXM examination. Please note that the preferred group size for Capstone as well as for the class presentations is a group of 3 students. The grading of all presentations will be based on the: a) Clarity of the presentations, b) Structure of the presentations, c) Style of the presentations, and d) Application of strategic models, concepts and theories in the presentations. Bonus points and top marks will be given to students who excel in all four categories simultaneously. The instructor will use an to ask you to review and assess your team members input and activities. Your feedback to the instructor is strictly confidential and will not be shared with anyone. Finally, please note that previous students have commented that the course program of BUSN 6200 ranks among the highest workloads (measured in time) of all Webster modules. Expect weekly workloads of at least 25 hours. Therefore, please take this into account in your time planning! Course Location: Leiden CONNECTIONS: A Webster.edu account is set up for each student and all Webster correspondence to students will be sent to students Webster.edu addresses.