Business Policy and Strategic Management - Professor Mike Lambert San Francisco State University

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Scope 
This seminar is a "capstone course"; it is intended to put the finishing touches on your undergraduate business education at SFSU. It will integrate many of the concepts from your previous courses. The seminar deals with strategic management of business firms. It will give you a chance to study problems related to the management of the total firm rather than the individual business functions alone (finance, marketing, info. systems, etc.). With the use of a systematic analysis process, analysis of case studies, and participation in a business simulation exercise, you will have the chance to identify, critique and practice business strategies and policies used by a variety of U.S. business firms operating in domestic and international marketplaces. The seminar provides an opportunity to learn business analysis skills that will be useful throughout your future business career.

Class Format 
This seminar requires application of text concepts to written business cases and to the simulation exercise and requires extensive student participation within small work teams. Students will share responsibility for the collective learning experience. We shall operate more like a business organization with various managerial roles than as a traditional college class. As seminar leader, my job is to challenge you to do your best work and to evaluate your job performance. I will provide the structure for your effort and ask questions that encourage your best performance. Your job is to produce thoughtful critiques/solutions to the issues and cases discussed in the seminar. Our joint learning product will require both individual and team effort. Your contribution is essential. When you are not on the job and making your best effort the end product will suffer.

Business Simulation Exercise 
We will be using a business simulation exercise provided by Management Simulation Inc. (MSI) that is accessed through the internet. You will join a student team of 5-6 members and make R & D, marketing, production, finance, and HR decisions for a hypothetical firm in the U.S. electronic sensor industry for a simulated period of 8 years. This will be a "hands on" experience in running a business and you will become active strategic thinkers and doers.
You will need to have access to the internet, a PC (Apple products will not work) and MS Excel - 1997 or later version in order to conduct the simulation. If you do not have access to these tools, you may not enroll in this section of Bus 690.

Communication Skills 
My business experience has shown me that listening, speaking and writing skills are critical for a successful business career. How will your supervisor and co-workers know whether you have understood and thought about a subject unless you can effectively communicate the results of your efforts? You will need to apply your best oral and writing skills in this seminar. My standard for evaluation of your communication skills is what I would expect of a new college graduate joining my work group in a firm in the "real world". Another important dimension of being an effective business manager is your ability to work constructively within a small team. You should commit yourself to being a prepared, active and enthusiastic member of the management teams to which you will be assigned during the seminar.

Prerequisites 
A 2.0 or higher GPA in 7 core courses: BUS 360 (Bus. Communications), FIN 350 (Bus Fin.), MGT 405 (Intro to Mgt), MKTG 431 (Intro to Marketing), BA 412 (Opns Mgmt), BICS 363 (Info Sys), and BUS 682 (Bus Environ). You will need the knowledge acquired in those courses to be successful in this seminar. You will need to certify on the first day of class that you have completed these prerequisite courses, or equivalent courses, and have the necessary 2.0 GPA in them. You will need to turn in transcripts of the completed courses by the 2nd session of the class in order to remain enrolled in the seminar, unless the College of Business pre-req. checking system shows that you have completed them.

TEXTS:
Required:

  1. STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT, Concepts & Cases; Fred David; 9th Ed.; Prentice Hall, 2003 (SM)
  2. Student Assignment Package; Lambert; Spring 03 Ed.; 01-15-03; purchased from the SFSU Bookstore (SAP)
  3. STUDENT GUIDE; MSI, available from the instructor and paid for directly to MSI

SEMINAR ADMINISTRATION

Preparation Each student is expected to be prepared to discuss all of the text material, cases, and written assignments for each session. Preparation includes: (1) be able to respond to guided Discussion Questions (DQs) from the instructor related to the text and individual cases; (2) having written Strategic Analysis Summaries (SAS) assigned for specified case studies; (3) having written answers prepared for numbered assignments, i.e. Assmt. 4; You should count on spending 6 hours or more preparing for each weekly class session. Student work teams will have to meet outside class to prepare joint reports and to plan presentations.

Student Team Composition Student teams will be formed in the 2nd week of the semester to analyze the business cases. Students may self choose their team members based upon prior friendships, knowledge of each other's skill levels and work ethics. Another set of student teams will be organized at mid-semester to conduct the business simulation exercise. Students may self choose team membership for this purpose also. The instructor will serve as referee in a job filling fair for students who have not formed a team in advance.

Performance Measures - Individual Points Performance Measures - Team Points
Individual Written Case Analysis 10 Team Case Analysis and Presentation 15
Exper. Exercises/Written Assignments 6 Exper. Exercises/Written Assignments 9
Text Concept Exams (2), 10 Exper. Exercise - Optional 3
Student Peer Evaluations 5 Business Plan (2 versions) 20
Simulation exercise tutorials 2 Simulation Results and Team Evaluation 20 Participation - voluntary and solicited 5 
Total 38 + 67 = 105

Evaluation The evaluation of your performance will be based on: your demonstrated knowledge of the subject matter; the rigor of your analysis of the seminar cases and how you utilize the text material to develop your own ideas and make your own judgments; your insight, creativity and imagination in developing plausible solutions/answers to the case studies; and the quality and persuasiveness of your individual and group presentations. Student peer ratings will be used to evaluate the quality of student participation within the student teams for the business simulation exercise. All grades except the final course grade will be numeric. The following cumulative point totals and letter grade standards will be used:

90-105 = A; 80-89 = B; 70-79 = C; 60-69 = D; 1-59 = F 
Plus and minus qualifiers will be added to the letter grades for the top and bottom 2 points within each grade bracket; for example 81.9 points = B-, 88.0 = B+.

Attendance: If your outside job or serious illness requires you to miss a class session, it will be your responsibility to let me know of your unavoidable absence via e-mail or a call to my SFSU voice mail-box attached to my office phone. You should also check with your teammates to get a copy of class notes or other material you have missed.

Cheating and Plagiarism In order to uphold the SFSU policy on academic integrity, cheating on exams, copying another student's work, and other forms of plagiarism will not be tolerated. Students engaging in such behavior will risk penalties including an F for the specific assignment and/or dismissal from the course and a resultant F for the course. (plagiarize, verb; to steal and use the ideas or writings of another as one's own; Amer. Heritage Dictionary, 1973.)

Other Info Solicited class participation will be random; un-excused absences or unprepared responses will earn a 0 for the day. There will be many opportunities for voluntary participation within work teams and within the collective seminar group. Effective teamwork will pay off. All written work will require concise reports using specified content or formats. Late assignments will be accepted only within 1 week of the due date and will be assessed a 20% late penalty. You may communicate with me via e-mail re attendance and text questions, but I will not accept homework via e-mail except for good cause under pre-arranged circumstances.

Welcome to the seminar. Let's have some fun as we learn together!

Business 690; Section 2 Spring 2003 Instructor: Mike Lambert 690ASMTS-Tue-S03

SEMINAR OBJECTIVES

Provide a structured learning experience which gives SFSU students an opportunity to:

  1. 1. Learn the concepts and tools of strategic management.
  2. Develop your ability to think strategically about a business firm, its position in an industry, and how it can gain sustainable competitive advantage.
  3. Learn how to recognize multi-functional problems impeding the achievement of a firm's business objectives.
  4. Learn how to recognize strengths of a firm that can be deployed to achieve business objectives.
  5. Integrate concepts from your major field of study and from core business courses and see how they can be used in developing and implementing business strategy.
  6. Improve your work team membership skills.

Session SEMINAR CONTENT AND WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS

Section 1 - Overview of Strategic Management
Jan 28 Seminar Introduction and Admin.; Student backgrounds; identify tentative functional speciality;
Example of case study and Strategic Analysis Summary (SAS) format - Case: Lump's Fine Furnishings; shoot Student Pictures;

Feb 4 Read: SM- Intro - How to analyze a case; SM-1 Nature of Strategic Mgt.; 
Assmts. 1, 2, 3, 4 due from Stud. Assmt. Pkg; Finalize 1st student teams;
Read essay: "12 Secrets of Highly Successful Seminar Students" from Stud. Assmt. Pkg.;
Review Student Assmt. Pkg.; Discuss: Characteristics of Effective Work Teams;
Case Analysis: Southwest Airlines - Discussion Qs in Indiv. Tour # 1 from SAP; 
Hints: how to write effective SAS reports; Tips for visual aids;

Feb 11 SM-2 The Business Mission; Exper. Ex. 2A (pg. 75) - Evaluate mission statements for Criterion Prod. & Mid-America Plastics (Use worksheet from Stud. Assmt. Pkg. For EE 2A); 
Case analysis: SAS on SWA due - follow instructions explicitly in Indiv. Tour # 1 from SAP;
Discuss upcoming team case procedures & draw case assignments; Tips for team cases;

Section 2 - Strategy Formulation
Feb 18 SM-3 External Assessment; SM-4 Internal Assessment; Case analysis: Partial SAS on Dell or Hershey due - follow instructions explicitly in Group Tour # 1 or # 2 from SAP; 
Pass out Capstone Team Member Guide; Demo of registration procedures for Capstone;

Feb 25 SM-5 Strategies in Action; SM-6 Strat. Anal. & Choice; 
Case analysis: Final SAS on Dell or Hershey due - follow instructions explicitly in Group Tour
# 1 or # 2 from SAP; Capstone registrations due Assmt 5- personal resume;
Job Fair to form simulation teams; Team meetings to organize Sim. Practice Round #1;
Objectives for practice rounds of simulation;

Mar 4 Read Capstone student handbook - Chapters 1,2,3; Complete Capstone lessons 1 & 2 and quizes 
on line; Assmt. 6A due; Assmt. 7 due; Assmt. 8 Team EE & team reports due; 
[Sim. Practice Round # 1 decisions due to MSI by 0900 ET, Mar. 3 ]
Discuss results of Sim Practice round 1;

Note: Underlined phrase indicates written assignments/exercises to be turned in this day. 
See page 6 of the syllabus for description of seminar procedures.

Business 690; Section 2 Spring 2003 Instructor: Mike Lambert 690ASMTS-Tue-S03

Section 3 - Strategy Implementation
Mar 11 Read Capstone student handbook - Chapters 4, 5; 
Assmt. 9 - Situation Analysis - Team EE; Assmt. 10 - Indiv EE;
[Sim. Practice round # 2 decisions due to MSI by 0900 ET, Mar. 8 - Sat.]
[Sim. Practice round # 3 decisions due to MSI by 0900 ET, Mar. 10 - Mon.]
Discuss results & lessons learned from Practice rounds 2 & 3; 
Assmt. 6C on today's discussions; Mid semester evaluation (from Stud. Assmt. Pkg);

Mar 18 No class - spring break

Mar 25 SM-6 Strat. Anal & Choice; Assmt 11A - Initial Bus.Plan due;
Selected presentations from Bus. Plans; team meetings to get ready for Sim rounds 1 & 2;
Exam 1 - Chap. 1-6, bring Scantron form;

Apr 1 SM-7 Implementing Strategies; Review/discuss results of Sim rounds 1-2; 
[Sim. Round # 1 decisions due to MSI by 0900 ET, Mar. 29 - Sat. ]
[Sim. Round # 2 decisions due to MSI by 0900 ET, Mar. 31 - Mon.]

Apr 8 SM-8 Implementing Strategies; Review/discuss results of Sim rounds 3-4; 
[Sim. Round # 3 decisions due to MSI by 0900 ET, Apr. 5 - Sat. ]
[Sim. Round # 4 decisions due to MSI by 0900 ET, Apr. 7 - Mon.]
Assmt. 12 - Team EE on stockholder de-brief; Assmt. 13 - Indiv. EE - IFE/EFE;

Section 4 - Strategy Evaluation

Apr 15 SM-9 Strategy Evaluation; Assmt 11B due - Revised Bus. Plan - Teams A, B, C ;
Reports to Chairman of Board of Directors; Assmt. 6 B due - revised team roster;
Discuss how to estimate incremental financial impact of indiv. strategy;

Apr 22 SM-9 Strategy Evaluation; Assmt 11B due - Revised Bus. Plan - Teams D, E, F ;
Reports to Chairman of Board of Directors; Assmt. 6 B due - revised team roster;
Discuss how to estimate incremental financial impact of indiv. strategy;

Apr 29 SM-7 & 8 Implementing Strategies; Review/discuss results of Sim rounds 5-6;
[Sim. Round # 5 decisions due to MSI by 0900 ET, Apr 26 - Sat. ]
[Sim. Round # 6 decisions due to MSI by 0900 ET, Apr 28 - Mon. ]
Assmt. X - Optional Team EE - Incremental finan. Impact of contingency plan;

May 6 SM-7 & 8 Implementing Strategies; Review/discuss results of Sim rounds 7-8; 
[Sim. Round # 7 decisions due to MSI by 0900 ET, May 2 - Sat.]
[Sim. Round # 8 decisions due to MSI by 0900 ET, May 5 - Mon. ]
Exam #2 on chap. 6-9 (bring Scantron form) Assmt 4A - ending skills inventory;
Student Participation Rating - Capstone teams;

May 13 SM-9 Strat. Review & Evaluation; Assmt 14 - Team performance reports to Ch. of Bd.;
Final seminar evaluation from Stud. Assmt. Pkg.; 
Mgmt. team discussions: "What I learned from this seminar" and Major lessons from Capstone;

May 20 Final exam week - No Meeting

Note: Underlined phrase indicates written assignments/exercises to be turned in this day.
See below for description of seminar procedures.

SEMINAR PROCEDURES semproc-2d

  1. Case Analysis: The Student Assignment Package contains Case Analysis assignments (tour guides) individually tailored for each of the assigned case studies. These assignments will guide you in learning the concepts and techniques of strategic management. The Case Analysis assignments are due on the day designated in the course outline and will be graded in the case analysis section of the seminar.
  2. Discussion Questions (DQ)/Strategic Questions (SQ): Be prepared to respond orally to the pre-assigned DQs/SQs listed in the Tour Guide for the case study and also respond to the seminar leader's spontaneous DQs which are intended to highlight and reinforce the assigned text material and case studies and provoke further thought from the conferees. The DQs/SQs may also elicit facts/opinions/personal experiences related to the student's chosen "functional specialty" and "industry watch".
  3. Strategic Analysis Summary (SAS): Analyze the assigned case study as suggested in the introduction to the text. Develop a 2 to 3 page (plus exhibits) written summary of your analysis, the SAS document, using the concepts from the related chapter(s). The SAS has a specified format and is shown in the Student Assignment Package. The SAS will generally be prepared individually, but there will be one team analysis project assigned where all the team members will contribute to a lengthier SAS document. Be prepared to discuss and defend your analysis with your fellow seminar participants on the assigned day.
  4. Lambert's Tour Guide: A one page Tour Guide has been prepared for each case to be studied and analyzed, and in a few instances, for an Experiential Exercise. The Tour Guide is included in the Student Assignment Package. Generally, the individual guide contains DQs/SQs (see above) which, when answered by the student, will lead to an understanding of the Strategic Management process and/or help resolve a Critical Issue facing the firm in the case study. Although other aspects of the case could be studied, these DQs/SQs are what the instructor sees as the most important to be studied at this stage of the course. Students should make every attempt to answer all such DQs/SQs in the SAS document, and to follow any other instructions for the analysis of the case that are included in the Tour Guides.
  5. Numbered Assignments will be specified for certain days (i.e. Assmts. 1 & 2). Students are responsible to have the Assignment completed and to turn it in at the end of the seminar period for grading credit.
  6. Solicited and Voluntary Participation: You will be called upon randomly to share your answers to DQs and SAS assignments with the seminar group. Your responses will be graded by the instructor instantaneously. There will also be opportunities for you to share your answers to DQs and SASs with the other seminar conferees and earn "voluntary participation" credit.
  7. Team Assignments: You will be assigned to two small work teams of 4-6 students for this seminar. The first team will be comprised of students with the same functional specialty (concentration). The second team will be inter-functional to provide different knowledge resources for the completion of the business simulation exercise and to simulate the mixed backgrounds of task forces and committees in actual business organizations. For the second team, sudent peer ratings will be solicited on a confidential basis for each team member's contribution to the learning process and these peer ratings will be used to accumulate up to 5 points for the final seminar grade.
  8. Experiential Exercises (Exper Ex): These are assigned during the semester to enhance learning of the course concepts. They will be discussed in the small management teams. Conferees should turn in their worksheets from the exercises and team discussions for grading credit - 1 point for a reasonable effort; no credit if a worksheet is not turned in on the day assigned.
  9. Work Quality: At this senior course level, I expect students to display English writing and oral skills comparable to those used in the business world. All written assignments prepared outside the classroom should be typed, and should contain your best English grammar. Group reports should be integrated through the use of comparable writing styles so as to appear "seamless", as if written by one person. Oral presentations should be prepared using the skills learned in your earlier speech and business communications courses, with visual aids when appropriate. Individual and group rehearsals should be used if necessary to insure a professional presentation.

Business 690; STUDENT BACKGROUND SAP 690 SIM-V2

Name: In class call me by:

Major Expected graduation date

  1. What paid job, if any, do you currently hold in a business firm or other organization? Which company?
  2. What other paid jobs have you held? Which companies?
  3. When? How Long?
  4. Which of the jobs did you enjoy the most?
  5. Why?
  6. Why did you enroll in the College of Business at SFSU?
  7. What courses of study (subject areas) have interested you the most in your undergraduate business education?
  8. In which courses have you earned the best grades?
  9. What are you going to do after graduation?
  10. Please describe any disability or handicap that should be considered in evaluating your performance in this seminar: