Strategic Management - Jeffrey R. Nystrom University of Colorado at Denver

PREFACE

This document is much more than a conventional course syllabus. It is best described as a comprehensive course manual. The role that it plays is similar to that of a contract. It informs you of what I expect from you and what you can expect from me. Its principal purpose is to help you successfully complete the course. It is deliberately thorough and detailed; consequently, it is a tool that empowers you to act. In sum, in order to do well in this course, you must take the time to read the syllabus in its entirety. Although it is a rather lengthy document, I think you will appreciate its completeness and find that it is a very useful tool.

Again, the course syllabus is designed to empower you to act. Please take the time to read it. It contains answers to many of the questions you have right now about the course and/or are likely to have in the future. More often than not, answers to questions you have regarding the course can usually be found just by looking! Asking questions-in class, via e-mail, etc.-that are answered in this course syllabus merely demonstrates to me that you have not taken the time to read it. Admittedly, it is not exhaustive-there will be occasions throughout the term when you will not be able to find answers to questions you have in the course syllabus no matter how hard you look. In these instances, you should not hesitate to ask for help.

My principal goal is to deliver a course that is both intellectually rewarding and fun. Stated differently, my aim is to take you on an exciting intellectual adventure through the field of strategic management. I hope that you enjoy the journey and will find my course is all that you expect and more. I truly look forward to working with you and wish you the greatest success in studying strategic management.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work reflects ideas and feedback from colleagues and former students. I'd like to specifically thank the following individuals for their contributions to this work:

• R. L. Beh, San Diego State University
• Kenneth L. Bettenhausen, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center
• Wayne F. Cascio, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center
• C. Marlena Fiol, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center
• Gary L. Geise, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center
• Dawn G. Gregg, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center
• Ed O'Connor, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center
• Paul J. Patinka, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center
• John A. Pearce II, Villanova University
• Richard B. Robinson, Jr., University of South Carolina
• Ray Zammuto, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center

GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION

Course Description As stated in the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center 2006-07 Catalog: "Concerned with the development of a general management perspective in establishing the strategic direction for an enterprise. The student gains an understanding of strategy formulation and implementation within the context of the global environment. An emphasis is on the integration of knowledge acquired in previous functional area courses."

Course Goal Statement Each student will be able to identify and analyze the issues involved in integrating the various functional activities of a firm and demonstrate, in a simulated business environment, their ability to use the tools and techniques of strategic management - as well as knowledge acquired in previous functional area courses - to diagnose strategic issues, evaluate strategic options, and formulate and implement a competitive strategy for a firm.

Course Prerequisites Note: This course is intended as a final semester capstone course. Prereq: BUSN 6560 and 6640 - strictly enforced; BUSN 6630 strongly recommended.

E-MAIL AND TELEPHONE USE POLICIES

You are expected to ask all non-emergency and non-personal, course-related questions in class. I am more than willing to address any course-related questions you may have at any point in time during the scheduled class meetings. When you ask a question in class rather than outside of class (i.e., via e-mail or telephone) other students with similar or related questions benefit from the discussion that ensues (i.e., others benefit from our dialogue). In effect, when you ask a question in class, as opposed to outside of class (i.e., via e-mail or telephone), you are contributing to the learning of others. Course-related questions are defined as all questions that are not personal in nature.

In case of an emergency, do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail or telephone. Emergencies typically involve what is termed an extenuating circumstance-an event, situation, or incident that you experience that is clearly beyond your control and that will prevent you from satisfying a course requirement (such as not being able to take an examination as scheduled). Additionally, questions that are of a personal nature should be asked before or after class (or in the privacy of my office). All questions sent via e-mail (including telephone inquiries) that are personal in nature and particularly sensitive will typically receive following response: "The question you are asking is one that must be addressed in a face-to-face meeting (i.e., in person, in my office)." Regarding this policy, it is important to note that I am simply acting in accordance with the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA affords you certain rights with respect to your educational records. In particular, it prevents me from disclosing a student's academic records (e.g., grades) via e-mail or telephone. Therefore, under no circumstances will I distribute or discuss grades via e-mail or telephone. Please do not request grades via e-mail or telephone. Tip: maintain accurate records of the grades you earn on examinations and assignments throughout the term. If you maintain accurate records, then calculating your current (or final) grade in the course is a relatively straightforward process. Nonetheless, do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail or telephone to schedule an appointment to discuss grade-related issues in the privacy of my office. The grading system and policies of the course are fully explained in a separate section of this syllabus (see Table of Contents, Grading System and Policies).

In general, I will reply to all personal- and emergency-type questions sent via e-mail or left in my voice mailbox Monday through Thursday within 24 hours. I will reply to all personal- and emergency-type questions sent via e-mail or left in my voice mailbox Friday through Sunday by 5:00PM on the following Monday. I will answer all non-personal and non-emergency, course-related questions sent via e-mail or left in my voice mailbox at the next scheduled class meeting. Hence, if you have a course-related question that requires an immediate answer, then you need to be sure to ask the question in class. Again, this policy is designed to encourage you to ask all course-related questions in class so that other students can benefit from your question, including my answer. I will always set aside some class time to deal with miscellaneous course-related questions.

Important note: if you need to communicate with me via e-mail, you must use your official UCDHSC-assigned e-mail address, no exceptions. Additionally, always include the course and section number in the subject line (e.g., Subject: BUSN 6710, Section 001).

COURSE MATERIALS

REQUIRED

Readings Packet

The readings packet is available at the Auraria Campus Bookstore.

Capstone^®; Business Simulation Student Guide

The Capstone^®; Business Simulation Student Guide 2007 will be handed out at the first class meeting. You will need to register for the simulation. Specifically, you will need to purchase a registration number from Management Simulations, Inc. ^®; (MSI^®;). The fee is $39.99. The $39.99 fee provides you with a unique registration number: a "ticket" to participate in the simulation. Instructions for purchasing a registration number are included in the Capstone^®; Business Simulation Student Guide 2007. As explained in the Capstone^®; Business Simulation Student Guide 2007, to purchase a registration number, log on to www.capsim.com and click the link for "New Students." In the course of the registration process, you will be prompted to enter an "Industry ID." I will provide you with an "Industry ID" at the first class meeting. Please do not attempt to register (i.e., purchase a registration number) until I have provided you with an "Industry ID."

Business Periodical

BusinessWeek. You will have a chance to order a subscription to BusinessWeek at the current student rate (20 issues for $19.97) by completing the order form (sign-up sheet) that I will circulate at the first class meeting. Alternatively (or in the event you don't sign up at the first class meeting), you can order a subscription to BusinessWeek at the current student rate (20 issues for $19.97) by calling 1-800-843-7352 (8:00AM-5:00PM Central Time, Monday through Friday). Note: although I strongly recommend purchasing a subscription to BusinessWeek, you should be aware that articles from BusinessWeek are accessible online through the Auraria Library. Although you can access fairly current issues of BusinessWeek online via the Auraria Library, it is important to understand that the latest issue is typically not available online via the Auraria Library until one week after its initial publication date. For this reason, I strongly recommend purchasing a subscription to BusinessWeek. Nonetheless, instructions for accessing articles from BusinessWeek via the Auraria Library are included in this syllabus (see Table of Contents, Reading Assignments: BusinessWeek).

OPTIONAL

Textbook

Pearce II, John A. and Richard B. Robinson, Jr. (2007). Formulation, Implementation, and Control of Competitive Strategy, 10th ed., McGraw-Hill/Irwin, New York, NY. (ISBN-13: 978-0-07-326100-3) The textbook is available at the Auraria Campus Bookstore.

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND CONTENT

BUSN 6710 is intended as a final semester course. It is best characterized as an integrative capstone course - it seeks to tie together material covered in previous functional area courses. Stated differently, it is a comprehensive business course - it forces you to draw on all of your knowledge of business (i.e., knowledge of economics, management, finance, accounting, production and operations, marketing, information systems, etc.).

Beyond offering you an integrative capstone experience, however, this course aims to introduce you to the fascinating and ever more important field of strategic management. Pearce and Robinson (authors of the optional textbook for this course) define strategic management as follows: "The set of decisions and actions that result in the formulation and implementation of plans designed to achieve a company's objectives." Although this definition is accurate, it is best characterized as a conventional textbook description of strategic management. Fiol, a prominent scholar in the field, puts a more literal description forward. She states: "Literally, strategic management is the process of deciding where an organization is to go, how to get it there, and putting the pieces into place to make it happen." Similarly, Pearce and Robinson write, "...all of the research studies and practices of strategic management can be narrowed down into three application questions: (1) Where is the company currently headed, (2) Where should it be headed, and (3) What is the best way of getting it there?"

The course closely examines how current trends are impacting the strategic management process. More specifically, the course will demonstrate to you that strategic management is an increasingly important area of activity for anyone holding responsibility for the long-term success of an organization. Indeed, just a few decades ago, senior managers could plan corporate strategies, implement them over a period of years, and not be overly concerned about having to change them. The 21st century presents a different reality. Current trends - rapidly changing markets, globalization, shifting government policies, new technologies, increasingly powerful consumers, and other such forces - have intensified the role of and need for effective strategic management. These forces also have made the task of strategic management more difficult and more critical over time. With its importance in steering an organization along a path of sustainable competitive advantage, strategic management and the issues associated with it is arguably the single most important area commanding the attention of general managers and other business and organizational leaders.

In short, this course is about the strategic management process-how managers develop and implement strategies-and how that process itself is changing. We will discuss (1) how different industry conditions support different types of strategies, (2) how industry conditions change and the implications for strategic management, and (3) how organizations develop and maintain capabilities that lead to sustained competitive advantage.

The content portion of the course identifies and reinforces the building blocks of current strategic management thought. While the course introduces you to the latest theoretical and empirical research in the field, it uses pedagogical techniques and cutting-edge course materials that give you the opportunity to practice applying the tools and techniques of strategic management - as well as knowledge acquired from prior coursework - to actual strategic issues and situations. In general, the course seeks to strike a healthy balance between theory and practice. Nonetheless, the course purposefully places greater emphasis on managerial application. Whenever possible the course uses up-to-date, real-world examples and cases drawn from the business press (e.g., BusinessWeek) to demonstrate the importance of effective strategic management. Additionally, each student is required to participate in Capstone^®;. Capstone^®; is a cutting-edge business simulation. Participation in Capstone^®; will provide you with a chance to use the tools and techniques of strategic management - as well as knowledge acquired in previous functional area courses - to diagnose strategic issues, evaluate strategic options, and formulate and implement a competitive strategy for a firm. Overall, its purpose is to provide you with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in running a business as a member of a senior management team. Taking on the role of a member of a senior management team (i.e., playing the role of a key strategist) also serves to promote the achievement of an underlying goal of the course: getting you to think strategically; that is, to shift your perspective from short-range to long-range issue analysis, from scientific to artistic management, and from narrow specified viewpoints (often ingrained in functional area courses) to broad comprehensive perspectives.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this course are to:

• Develop your understanding of concepts and approaches to strategic management.
• Enable you to recognize the most-important internal and external influences on an organization's strategy.
• Increase your skills in identifying strategic issues and options.
• Enhance your understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of different strategies.
• Provide you with an experiential understanding of the issues involved in integrating the various functional activities of a firm into a coherent strategy.
• Heighten your awareness of the fundamental uncertainties that strategic managers face in charting a firm's course over time.

COURSE FORMAT

While there are a wide variety of modes of instruction from which educators may choose, the inquiry method or a discussion-type format (i.e., teaching through questioning and discussing) is especially effective in a graduate-level strategic management course. However, rarely will one approach achieve the desired results, therefore, this course will use a combination of instructional methods. Specifically, I will conduct this class using a lecture/discussion format, with greater emphasis on and more time dedicated to discussion. Additionally, as previously noted, a cutting-edge business simulation (Capstone^®;) is used as a means to effect learning in this course. The format of the course is discussed in greater detail next. The discussion should give you a good understanding of the basic format of the course and a general idea of how the typical class session is structured.

BASIC FORMAT OF THE COURSE

In general, the course consists of two essential parts-knowing and doing. Each part is addressed in turn next.

The "knowing" part involves learning the strategic concepts applicable to strategic management. You will learn about these concepts through reading assignments (reading assignments from the readings packet, textbook, and BusinessWeek), videos, and lectures. You will also be given an opportunity to develop your own understanding of the concepts by applying them in discussions. A brief description of each of these items follows. The reading assignments from the readings packet, textbook and BusinessWeek are revisited and treated more extensively in a separate section of this syllabus.

• The readings packet serves as a means to introduce you to essential topics and concepts of strategic management. Stated differently, the reading assignments from the readings packet are designed to introduce you to the building blocks of current strategic management thought and the latest theoretical and empirical research in the field. The readings packet is comprised principally of seminal articles drawn from refereed journals. Collectively, these articles can be viewed as a good sampling of some of the best work of some of the most distinguished scholars in the field.
• Like the readings packet, the textbook serves as a means to introduce you to essential topics and concepts of strategic management. And, like the reading assignments from the readings packet, the reading assignments from the textbook are designed to introduce you to the building blocks of current strategic management thought and the latest theoretical and empirical research in the field. In fact, the astute reader will recognize that it draws heavily from (and frequently cites) the thinking articulated in the articles in the readings packet. However, compared to the readings packet, the textbook exemplifies a more traditional (or conceptual approach) to the study of strategic management. In general, the articles in the readings packet and my lectures address the bulk of the material presented in the textbook. Even so, I think you will find the textbook to be a valuable resource.
• BusinessWeek is the required business periodical for this course (see Table of Contents, Course Materials). Cases (i.e., articles) drawn from BusinessWeek will serve to form the basis of the majority of the discussions. The discussions based on articles from BusinessWeek are designed to both elicit and illustrate important strategic management topics and concepts and provide you with many meaningful opportunities to examine strategic management issues in the context of real organizations and real events.
• The videos adopted for use in the course serve to enhance your understanding of important strategic management concepts and topics. Moreover, the videos effectively illustrate (using real-world examples) how the concepts that you are learning about in the course are actually applied and used in practice. Overall, the videos interject a greater degree of realism into the course.
• My lectures are designed to do three things. First, they serve as a means for me to disseminate and clarify the conceptual material put forward in the articles from the readings packet. However, since it is not practical for me to address every article from the readings packet in my lectures, my lectures will place emphasis on material deemed to be essential and/or excessively complex. Second, my lectures serve as a means for me to fill in any gaps left in the articles as well as to build important bridges between them. Stated differently, my lectures go beyond merely restating material covered in the articles. For this reason, I recommend that you complete the reading assignments from the readings packet as scheduled, attend class regularly, and take good notes. Finally, my lectures serve as a means to set the stage for the discussions.
• Overall, the discussions are designed to enhance your understanding of the conceptual material put forward in the readings packet and give you a chance to apply the concepts that you are learning about in the course. Further, as previously noted, BusinessWeek is the required business periodical for this course (see Table of Contents, Course Materials). Cases (i.e., articles) drawn from BusinessWeek will serve to form the basis of the majority of the discussions. The discussions based on articles from BusinessWeek are designed to both elicit and illustrate important strategic management topics and concepts and provide you with many meaningful opportunities to examine strategic management issues in the context of real organizations and real events.

The "doing" part of the course involves your participation in Capstone^®;, a business simulation. This simulation provides you with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in running a business as a member of a senior management team. The management teams are required to evaluate internal and external conditions and make strategic decisions, evaluate outcomes, and compete with other management teams for resources, opportunities, and markets. Each team develops a strategy for its firm and applies the course's concepts within a practical decision-making framework. The result is that you will have the opportunity to see the interaction of an organization's production, marketing, R&D, HR, and financial operations, and observe the impact of key decisions on performance within a competitive market.

Note: the class will be broken down into two different competitive groups (i.e., industries). Each industry will be divided into four to six teams (i.e., firms or top management teams), with four to seven participants (i.e., top managers) per firm. Class size will determine the number of firms per industry and top managers per firm. Industries and firms will be formed at the first class meeting. Additionally, each firm will be assigned a Board of Directors. Specifically, each firm (i.e., top management team) in each industry will function as a Board of Directors for a firm (i.e., top management team) in the other industry. For pedagogical purposes, however, each Board member will serve (or operate) independently as a Board member (see Table of Contents, Capstone^®; Business Simulation Assignments).

STRUCTURE OF THE TYPICAL CLASS SESSION

In general, each scheduled class session will consist of two fairly distinct parts: a lecture segment, followed by a discussion segment.

Additionally, some class time (generally the last 20-30 minutes of each class session) will be set aside for top management teams to coordinate/sort out team assignment issues and to work on Capstone^®;-related tasks. I urge top management teams to use this time to meet with their company's assigned Board of Directors as well. I suggest, however, that you coordinate/sort out team assignment issues and discuss Capstone^®;-related tasks with your top management teammates (as well as with your company's Board of Directors) before class, after class, and, during breaks as time permits. Without question, the Capstone^®; part of the course (i.e., the "doing" part of the course) is a very time-intensive component of the course. You should be prepared to devote a considerable amount of time (i.e., time outside of class) to the Capstone^®; component of the course. The first few decision rounds may feel pressed because the learning curve for the simulation is very steep. However, you will feel comfortable with the allotted time within a few decision rounds. A thorough study of the Capstone^®; Business Simulation Student Guide 2007 is critical.

Note: regarding the Capstone^®; component of the course, for pedagogical purposes, we will not discuss the results of each Capstone^®; round during regularly scheduled class meetings. Rather, near the end of the term, we will spend two full class sessions discussing the final results of the simulation (see Table of Contents, Course Schedule).

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND POLICIES

This section outlines and fully explains the course requirements and policies. I urge you to read it carefully and more than once.

READING ASSIGNMENTS: READINGS PACKET (REQUIRED)

The reading assignments from the readings packet are outlined in the course schedule. The readings packet is comprised of 34 articles, grouped into 13 distinct sections (see below, Readings Packet: Contents). You are expected to read the article(s) assigned to each class session prior to attending class. If you do not complete them in this manner, you will not get much from the course lectures and class discussions. Moreover, if you do not read them in advance, it will be very difficult for you to make positive contributions to the class discussions surrounding them. Note: since it is not practical for me to address every article from the readings packet in my lectures, my lectures will place emphasis on material deemed to be essential and/or excessively complex. Nonetheless, for examination purposes, you will be held accountable for knowing the material put forward in each of the 34 articles in the readings packet.

Readings Packet: Contents

Section 01

• No Contents

Section 02

• 02-1: Collins, J.C. & Porras, J.I. "Building Your Company's Vision." Harvard Business Review, September-October, 1996, pp. 65-77.
• 02-2: Lencioni, P.M. "Make Your Values Mean Something." Harvard Business Review, July, 2002, pp. 113-117.

Section 03

No Contents

Section 04

• 04-1: Porter, M. "How competitive forces shape strategy." Harvard Business Review, March-April, 1979, pp. 137-145.
• 04-2: Porter, M. "Strategy and the Internet." Harvard Business Review, March, 2001, pp. 62-78.

Section 05

• 05-1: Ohmae, K. "Managing in a Borderless World." Harvard Business Review, May-June, 1989, pp. 2-9.
• 05-2: Thomas, H., Pollock, T., & Gorman, P. "Global strategic analyses: Frameworks and approaches." Academy of Management Executive, 13(1), 1999, pp. 70-82.
• 05-3: Hitt, M.A., Tyler, B.B., Hardee, C., & Park, D. "Understanding strategic intent in the global marketplace." Academy of Management Executive, 9(2), 1995, pp. 12-19.

Section 06

• 06-1: Stalk, G., Evans, P., & Shulman, L.E. "Competing on capabilities: The new rules of corporate strategy." Harvard Business Review, March-April, 1992, pp. 57-68.
• 06-2: Marino, K.E. "Developing consensus on firm competencies and capabilities." Academy of Management Executive, 10(3), 1996, pp. 40-51.

Section 07

• 07-1: Surowiecki, J. "The Return of Michael Porter." Fortune, February 1, 1999, pp.135-138.
• 07-2: Porter, M. "What is Strategy?" Harvard Business Review, November-December, 1996, pp. 61-78.
• 07-3: Hambrick, D.C. & Fredrickson, J.W. "Are you sure you have a strategy?" Academy of Management Executive, 15(4), 2001, pp. 48-59.
• 07-4: Mintzberg, H. "Crafting Strategy." Harvard Business Review, July-August, 1987, pp. 66-74.
• 07-5A: D'Aveni, R.A. "Coping with hypercompetition: Utilizing the new 7S's framework." Academy of Management Executive, 9(3), 1995, pp. 45-60.
• 07-5B: Canger, Jonathan M. and Doyle, Joseph J. "Executive Commentary." Academy of Management Executive, 9(3), 1995, pp. 45-60.
• 07-6: Kanter, R.M. "Collaborative Advantage: The Art of Alliances." Harvard Business Review, July-August, 1994, pp. 96-108.
• 07-7: Das, T.K. & Teng, B.S. "Managing risks in strategic alliances." Academy of Management Executive, 13(4), 1999, 50-62.
• 07-8: Magretta, J. "The Power of Virtual Integration: An Interview with Dell Computer's Michael Dell." Harvard Business Review, March-April, 1998, pp. 72-84.

Section 08

• 08-1: Day, G.S. "Strategies for Surviving a Shakeout." Harvard Business Review, March-April, 1997, pp. 92-102.
• 08-2: Christensen, M. Clayton, Rayner, M., and Verlinden, M. "Skate to Where the Money Will Be." Harvard Business Review, November, 2001, pp. 72-81.

Section 09

• 09-1: Markides, C. "To Diversify or Not to Diversify." Harvard Business Review, November-December, 1997, pp. 93-99.
• 09-2: Marks, M.L. & Mirvis, P.H. "Making mergers and acquisitions work: Strategic and psychological preparation." Academy of Management Executive, 15(2), 2001, 80-92.
• 09-3: Henry, D. "Mergers: Why Most Big Deals Don't Pay Off." BusinessWeek, October 14, 2002, pp. 60-70.
• 09-4: Eisenhardt, K.M. and Sull, D.N. "Strategy as Simple Rules." Harvard Business Review, January, 2001, pp. 107-116.
• Section 10
• No Contents
• Section 11
• 11-1: Hitt, M.A., Keats, B.W., & DeMarie, S.M. "Navigating in the new competitive landscape: Building strategic flexibility and competitive advantage in the 21st century." Academy of Management Executive, 12(4), 1998, pp. 22-42.

Section 12

• 12-1: Ireland, R.D. & Hitt, M.A. "Achieving and maintaining strategic competitiveness in the 21st century: The role of strategic leadership." Academy of Management Executive, 13(1), 1999, pp. 43-57.
• 12-2: Collins, James. "DON'T REWRITE THE RULES OF THE ROAD." BusinessWeek, August 28, 2000, pp. 206-208.
• 12-3: Unseem, J. "CONQUERING Vertical Limits." Fortune, February 19, 2001, pp. 84-96.
• 12-4: Collins, J. "Level 5 Leadership: The Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve." Harvard Business Review, January, 2001, pp. 66-76.
• 12-5: Collins, J. "The 10 Greatest CEOs of All Time." Fortune, July 21, 2003, pp. 54-68.
• 12-6: Seller, P. "The new breed." Fortune, November 18, 2002, pp. 66-76.
• 12-7: Charan, R. & G. Colvin, "WHY CEOs FAIL." Fortune, June 21, 1999, pp. 68-78.
• 12-8: Beer, M. & Nohria, N. "Cracking the Code of Change." Harvard Business Review, May-June, 2000, pp. 133-141.

Section 13

• 13-1: Kaplan, R.S. & Norton, D.P. "Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System." Harvard Business Review, January-February, 1996, pp. 75-85.

READING ASSIGNMENTS: TEXTBOOK (OPTIONAL)

The textbook is optional and, accordingly, the reading assignments from it are optional too. The reading assignments from the textbook are outlined in the course schedule. The readings assignments from the textbook complement and reinforce the reading assignments from the readings packet. The textbook is comprised of 13 chapters. As previously noted, the readings packet is comprised of 34 articles, grouped into 13 distinct sections (see above, Readings Packet: Contents). It is deliberately divided into 13 distinct sections so that it emulates the organization of the textbook (e.g., Section 01 of the readings packet corresponds to Chapter 1 of the textbook, Section 02 of the readings packet corresponds to Chapter 2 of the textbook, and so forth). Specifically, each article in the readings packet has an associated reference number comprised of two parts. The first part of the reference number indicates the section that an article belongs to while the second part indicates the position of an article within a section. The first number also indicates the corresponding chapter of the textbook. For example, an article with a reference number of 07-2 indicates the article is the second entry in Section 07 of the readings packet and corresponds to Chapter 7 of the textbook.

READING ASSIGNMENTS: BUSINESS WEEK (REQUIRED)

BusinessWeek is the required business periodical for this course (see Table of Contents, Course Materials). Cases (i.e., articles) drawn from BusinessWeek will serve to form the basis of the majority of the discussions. The discussions based on articles from BusinessWeek are designed to both elicit and illustrate important strategic management topics and concepts and provide you with many meaningful opportunities to examine strategic management issues in the context of real organizations and real events.

In general, each BusinessWeek Reading Assignment (typically 5-7 per term) will be comprised of a single article, however, there may be occasions where they are made up of multiple articles. The cases (i.e., articles) from BusinessWeek that you will be required to read throughout the term are not identified in the course schedule. Bear in mind that we will be examining strategic management issues in the context of real organizations and real events as they are unfolding in the business press; hence, it is impossible to outline the articles in advance (i.e., the articles have not yet been published).

Each BusinessWeek Reading Assignment (i.e., the article(s) assigned for reading and associated instructions) will be posted (i.e., announced) on Blackboard (in the "Announcements" area) at least 2-3 days prior to the class session to which it is linked.

Step-by-step instructions and tips to help you complete the BusinessWeek Reading Assignments are outlined next. Remember that there is nothing to submit; the instructions and tips are simply intended to help you get the most out of the BusinessWeek Reading Assignments and associated discussions. In other words, if you follow the instructions and tips outlined here, then you will be better prepared to participate in the discussions.

Instructions and Tips for Completing BusinessWeek Reading Assignments

• Step 1: Read the assigned article(s). That is, engage in more than a cursory scanning of the assigned article(s). In fact, I strongly recommend reading each article (or articles, if multiple articles are assigned) at least twice.
• Step 2: Thoughtfully analyze the article(s). How do you go about analyzing a BusinessWeek article? The publishers of BusinessWeek have devised a straightforward framework that can be used to analyze any article in the magazine. I encourage you to use this general framework to analyze each article assigned for reading. This framework, with a few minor modifications, follows. For each article assigned, attempt to answer the following questions:
• "What is the reporter's primary topic and related arguments?"
• "What are the three or four key points the reporter makes under this thesis?"
• "What evidence does the reporter use to support these points? What sources does the reporter quote? How credible were the sources and how did they serve the topic?"
• "How might this article be perceived by the general public, policy makers, and international audience?"
• "What are the reporter's main conclusions and what is the basis for them?"
• "How is this article useful in your class work? What is its importance in relation to your financial, marketing, and managerial studies?" What is its importance in relation to what you are learning about in this course? Does the reporter make use of any key terms or concepts put forward in the articles from the readings packet (or textbook)? In other words, can you find a connection between the content of the article and the conceptual material put forward in the articles from the readings packet (or textbook)?

Note: Although you are not required to submit your responses to these questions for my review, you should prepare some preliminary answers to them. Remember, the questions are designed to guide and facilitate the discussion of the article(s). Simply stated, I will pose these exact questions (or similar questions) to get a discussion started and/or at various points throughout a discussion as a means to move a discussion forward.

• Step 3: Answer any additional questions and/or complete any preparatory tasks that I may have assigned. Once in a while I will assign additional questions to supplement the general questions put forward in the BusinessWeek framework outlined above. Again, these questions are intended to get you thinking in the right direction (i.e., to prepare you for the discussion). Additionally, don't be surprised if from time to time you are asked to complete some preparatory tasks; that is, tasks that must be completed prior to the scheduled discussion. Any additional questions and/or preparatory tasks will be noted alongside the BusinessWeek Reading Assignment when it is posted on Blackboard.
• Step 4: Outline the major issue(s) raised in the article(s). Next, take a position on the major issue(s) raised and make recommendations based on both facts and opinions. In other words, don't be surprised if at some point in time during the discussion of the article(s) you are asked to take a position on the major issue(s) raised and make recommendations based on both facts and opinions.
• Step 5: Attempt to answer the following question: Are there any issues or questions the article(s) fails to address? Simply stated, after reading the article(s) you will invariably be left with some unanswered questions. I encourage you carefully record these questions and share them with the class. In other words, attempt to write some discussion questions of your own. (Hint: if you really want to impress me as well as your peers, attempt to draft discussion questions that prompt your peers to use higher-level critical thinking skills.)
• Step 6: Identify at least one important lesson learned from the article(s) and be prepared to share it with the rest of the class.

As explained elsewhere in this syllabus, you will have a chance to order a subscription to BusinessWeek at the current student rate (20 issues for $19.97) by completing the order form (sign-up sheet) that I will circulate at the first class meeting. Alternatively (or in the event you don't sign up at the first class meeting), you can order a subscription to BusinessWeek at the current student rate (20 issues for $19.97) by calling 1-800-843-7352 (8:00AM-5:00PM Central Time, Monday through Friday). Note: although I strongly recommend purchasing a subscription to BusinessWeek, you should be aware that articles from BusinessWeek are accessible online through the Auraria Library. Although you can access fairly current issues of BusinessWeek online via the Auraria Library, it is important to understand that the latest issue is typically not available online via the Auraria Library until one week after its initial publication date. For this reason, I strongly recommend purchasing a subscription to BusinessWeek. Nonetheless, instructions for accessing articles from BusinessWeek via the Auraria Library are outlined next

Step-by-step instructions for accessing articles from BusinessWeek via the Auraria Library:

1. Go to www.cudenver.edu/home.htm (the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center Home Page).
2. Left click on the "Library" link. (Note: if you are attempting to access the Auraria Library from off-campus, you will be asked to enter "Your Name" and "Student ID" before being permitted to proceed. If you are denied access, you will need to confirm your Auraria Library "patron status."
3. Left click on the "find articles and more" link. (Note: assuming you are on the correct page, the "find articles and more" link is the second entry in the "find it" column of the page.)
4. List databases by title: (type "Business Source Premier (Ebsco)" in the blank field and left click "Go").
5. Left click on the "Business Source Premier (Ebsco)" link. This action will take you to the EBSCOhost Research Databases.
6. Find: (i.e., enter your search criteria in the blank fields). For example, enter the title of the article. (Note: whenever possible, view articles in PDF Full Text rather than HTML Full Text. At minimum, you will need Adobe^®; Reader^®; 6.0 in order to view an article in PDF Full Text format.)

CAPSTONE^®; BUSINESS SIMULATION ASSIGNMENTS

Except for the Independent Advisory Evaluation assignment, which must be completed independently, all other assignments associated with Capstone^®; are to be completed as a team. Each assignment has an associated due date. The due date for each assignment is clearly delineated in the course schedule. Each assignment is due at the start of class on its associated due date. Each assignment must be submitted in person (i.e., an assignment submitted via electronic means will not be accepted). Further, I do not accept "late work" (i.e., I do not award partial credit for an assignment submitted after its stated due date).

Note: as shown in the column of the course schedule titled "Capstone^®; Decision Round," three practice rounds are scheduled, followed by six competition rounds. Regarding the decision deadlines, decisions for each Practice Round (PR) and Competition Round (CR) are due (i.e., must be uploaded on the Capstone^®; website) by 8:00PM Mountain Time (MT) on the dates indicated in the column of the course schedule titled "Capstone^®; Decision Round." For example, decisions for PR1 are due by 06/06/07 8:00PM MT. It is extremely important that teams understand that the time shown on the Capstone^®; website (i.e., the time associated with the deadline for uploading decisions for each round) is Eastern Time (ET), not Mountain Time (MT). Therefore, the time associated with the deadline for uploading decisions for each round will appear as 10:00PM ET on the Capstone^®; website, which is 8:00PM MT. Furthermore, I process each round ("ready or not") when the stated deadline expires. I will not attempt to contact teams that fail to upload their decisions by the stated deadline to remind them to upload their decisions so that I can process the simulation. Simply stated, if your team fails to upload its decisions by the stated deadline, I process the simulation anyway, re-running (i.e., using) your team's decisions from the previous round.

Assignment: Situation Analysis

Detailed instructions for completing the Situation Analysis assignment are included in the Capstone^®; Business Simulation Student Guide 2007. Important note: in completing the assignment, please assume eight rounds/years and a four-team industry. The Situation Analysis assignment is due on the date indicated in the course schedule.

Assignment: Peer Performance Appraisal System

Each team must produce and submit a document comprised of the following items:

1. A brief description of the team's peer performance appraisal system.
2. A copy of the team's official Peer Performance Appraisal Form (i.e., worksheet).

The two items must be submitted as a single document. Furthermore, although this is a team-based assignment, each team member [this means you] must submit an exact copy of the document. This protocol will confirm that each team member [again, this means you] fully understands and accepts the team's appraisal system, including its official Peer Performance Appraisal Form. The Peer Performance Appraisal System assignment is due on the date indicated in the course schedule.

The peer review process used in this course, including detailed instructions and tips to help your team develop a peer performance appraisal system and worksheet, is fully explained next.

Peer Review Process

A peer review process is used in this course. Why? Occasionally there are "free riders" on the teams, people who don't carry their weight in getting the work done. Stated differently, although I can objectively evaluate the overall quality of the output that your team produces, I cannot reliably appraise your input (i.e., contribution) to that output. Therefore, in order to appraise your contribution, I must garner feedback from individuals who directly observed your actual performance. Clearly, your peers are in a far better position than I am to rate your day-to-day performance as a teammate. How will you be affected by your peers' assessment of your performance throughout the term? I will allow a team to petition me to differentially assign Capstone^®; performance scores to its members if the majority of its members indicate (through the team's peer performance appraisal system) there have been serious problems in getting a particular teammate to contribute. Specifically, near the end of the term each member of your team will submit to me a numerical grade (from 0 to 100 points) reflecting his or her appraisal of your overall performance as a teammate throughout the term. If your average peer review score indicates that there was a performance deficiency on your part, I will award a different Capstone^®; performance score to you so that the Capstone^®; performance score you receive is a more accurate reflection of your overall contribution. Beyond question, an average peer review score of less than 73 (i.e., less than a grade of "C") is indicative of a serious performance problem. Therefore, if your average peer review score falls below 73, then I will interpret the score as a formal petition by your teammates to differentially assign Capstone^®; performance scores. If this is the case, then your average peer review score represents the maximum percentage (or fraction) of your team's Capstone^®; performance score that you will be awarded. For instance, if your team earned a Capstone^®; performance score of 90% (i.e., 90/100 or 0.90) and you earned an average peer review score of 72% (i.e., 72/100 or 0.72), then you would be awarded a Capstone^®; performance score of 64.8 [i.e., (90/100)(72/100) = 0.648(100) = 64.8%]. Note: although I generally adopt the recommendation of your teammates (i.e., use your average peer review score to derive your final Capstone^®; performance score), I reserve the right to impose a penalty that I judge to be appropriate.

The form that you are required to use to record and submit your final appraisal of each member of your team is attached at the end of the syllabus (see Table of Contents, BUSN 6710: Capstone^®; Peer Review Summary Form). The form is accompanied by a detailed set of instructions to help you complete and submit it. Completing and submitting a Capstone^®; Peer Review Summary Form is not an optional assignment. The completed form is due on the date indicated in the course schedule section of the syllabus. The completed form must be submitted in person; forms submitted via electronic means will not be accepted. Failure to submit your Capstone^®; Peer Review Summary Form by the stated deadline will result in a reduction your final course grade by one full grade designation (i.e., an "A" would become an "A-" and so on). It is imperative that you submit your Capstone^®; Peer Review Summary Form on time because I need it to calculate an average peer review score for each member of your team. Furthermore, if you fail to submit the form after the deadline for submitting it has expired and I do not receive it by 5:00PM on the last Wednesday of the term, you will earn a grade of "F" in the course.

Instructions and Tips for Developing a Peer Performance Appraisal System

Aside from the general requirements outlined below, each team is empowered to develop a performance appraisal system that it deems will promote group effectiveness. The general requirements are as follows:

• The appraisal system must permit each team member to independently evaluate the performance of each member of the team.
• Ehe appraisal system must yield results that can be expressed in quantitative terms. Specifically, the appraisal system must yield an overall numerical rating for each team member (i.e., a final score for each team member) that can be converted to and expressed on scale of 0-100 points.
• Each team must develop an official Peer Performance Appraisal Form (i.e., worksheet). A sample Peer Performance Appraisal Form is illustrated in Table 1. Teams are welcome to adopt the form shown in Table 1 in its entirety; however, I encourage each team to develop their own unique form.
• Each team must provide a brief description of its appraisal system. At minimum, the description should outline the purpose of the system and include instructions for completing the team's official Peer Performance Appraisal Form.

Each team should put a lot of thought into the appraisal system it develops as well as the appraisal form it adopts; once implemented (i.e., submitted), the team's appraisal system (including its appraisal form) cannot be modified.

There are two broad types of appraisal systems (or rating formats): results-oriented and behavior-oriented. For our purposes, a behavior-oriented appraisal system is recommended. While there are many different types of behavior-oriented appraisal systems, I recommend using a graphic rating scale format. A performance appraisal form (i.e., worksheet) using a graphic rating scale format-a behavior-oriented appraisal system-is illustrated in Table 1.

As illustrated in Table 1, ten rating factors (or performance dimensions) are identified along with six response categories (each response category describes a level of performance and is accompanied by a point value). As shown in Table 1, the response categories and corresponding point values are as follows: outstanding (5.0 points), very good (4.5 points), good (4.0 points), fair (3.5 points), poor (3.0 points), and very poor (2.5 points). Additionally, each performance dimension is weighted to reflect the dimensions relative importance. (Note: if your team chooses to weight its performance dimensions, remember that the total of the weights must always equal 1.) Finally, it is important to clearly define the meaning of each response category as well as each performance dimension. For example, in Table 1, what does "outstanding" mean? Similarly, in Table 1, what does "attendance" mean? Specifically, how does one earn an outstanding rating for attendance? I encourage your team to carefully identify and clearly define the rating factors (performance dimensions) it will use to measure member performance and to clearly describe the level of performance associated with each response category. Again, feel free to use the peer performance appraisal form shown in Table 1 as a template to develop your team's appraisal form. In fact, the performance dimensions outlined in Table 1 represent areas in which teams typically experience problems. For example, I often hear students complain about teammates that fail to attend meetings on a regular basis (attendance), fail to meet assigned deadlines (dependability), do not complete assigned tasks in a satisfactory manner (quality of work), do not do their fair share of the work (quantity of work), and so on.

The performance appraisal form shown in Table 1 is easy to use. The rater simply selects the response category that best describes the performance of the individual being rated on each performance dimension. The rater then computes a weighted score for each performance dimension by multiplying the score awarded on each performance dimension by its corresponding weight. A total weighted score is then computed by summing the weighted points awarded for each performance dimension. In the example in Table 1, the person being rated earned a final rating of 4.90. This score translates to a 98 on a 0-100 point scale. I am illustrating this point because (as previously noted) the performance appraisal system that your team develops and implements must yield a numerical rating for each team member that can be converted to and expressed on a scale of 0-100 points. This is because I use a scale of 0-100 points to assign final Capstone^®; performance scores and, if necessary, to differentially assign scores, hence, the 0-100 point scale serves as a standard scale for the entire class.

In sum, although one could cite many factors that impede team effectiveness, my experience with student work groups demonstrates the vast majority of problems that surface within them stem from unclear (or an absence of) performance standards and expectations. Simply stated, most students falsely assume their peers know what the performance standards of the group are and what is expected of them. In fact, this is the primary reason for requiring your team to develop a performance appraisal system. By requiring your team to develop an appraisal system at the outset of the term, I am reminding your team of the importance of establishing clear performance standards and expectations for its members.

Note: each team is expected to use its peer performance appraisal system as a means to remedy any performance-related issues they may experience throughout the term. If after repeated attempts a team finds they are unable to get a particular teammate to contribute, then I strongly recommend reassigning any work initially delegated to that teammate to other members of the team. In other words, high-performing teams are adept at knowing when it is time to stop depending on an unreliable teammate.

Table 1: Sample Peer Performance Appraisal Form
Rating Factors (Performance Dimensions)	Level of Performance (Response Categories)
Out-Standing (5.0)	Very Good (4.5)		Good (4.0)		Fair (3.5)		Poor (3.0)		Very Poor (2.5)		Weight		WeightedScore
1. Attendance													0.10			0.50
2. Dependability													0.15			0.75
3. Quality of work													0.15			0.75
4. Quantity of work													0.05			0.25
5. Willingness to listen													0.10			0.50
6. Leadership provided													0.05			0.25
7. Conflict management													0.10			0.50
8. Camaraderie													0.10			0.40
9. Course knowledge													0.10			0.50
10. Communication													0.10			0.50
Total Weighted Score													1.00			4.90
Total weighted score converted to a 0-100 point scale (4.90/5.00)(100) = 98																98

Source: the foregoing discussion of peer performance appraisal systems was adapted from Cascio, W. F. (1995). Managing Human Resources: Productivity, Quality of Work Life, Profits, 4th ed., McGraw-Hill, New York.

Assignment: Strategy Statement

In no more than four typed, double-spaced pages (outline format is fine), summarize your company's intended strategy. Your strategy statement should include:

1. The strategy your company has chosen to pursue, defined in terms of Hambrick and Fredrickson's framework for strategy design. Additionally, briefly explain why you think the strategy your company has chosen to pursue is a sound one. Specifically, use Hambrick and Fredrickson's strategy checklist (i.e., "key evaluation criteria") to test (i.e., defend) the quality of your company's proposed strategy. (See Readings Packet, 07-3: Hambrick, D.C. & Fredrickson, J.W. "Are you sure you have a strategy?" Academy of Management Executive, 15(4), 2001, pp. 48-59.)
2. The strategic objectives your company has set for itself with specific performance targets (e.g., 30% overall market share by Year 5, 15% ROS by the end of Year 6, etc.) - please check performance targets of electronics firms in the real world to determine reasonable stretch targets. (Note: Your grade will not suffer if you do not meet your targets - it will suffer if you do not provide stretch targets that make sense for this industry and for your company's chosen strategy.)
3. A description of the product(s)/markets you have chosen to pursue and a justification of why they make sense, given your overall strategy.
4. A summary of the concrete functional level strategies (e.g., marketing, finance, production, R&D, and HR) you intend to use in support of your company's strategy, and specific projections of investment amounts and performance outcomes in each functional area (e.g., X% of sales will be spent on X, Y, and Z marketing media, and awareness of X product will be maintained at Z levels each year, etc. for each functi nal area). (Note: Here again, your grade will not suffer if you do not meet your functional area performance targets - it will suffer if you do not provide targets that make sense for this industry and for your company's chosen strategy.)
5. A summary of your planned decision processes, including approaches/techniques for making sales forecasts, decision rules to determine investments (e.g., R&D, advertising), approaches for raising capital, and justification for choice of performance criteria to determine the success of your strategy. Don't be generic! What makes your firm unique? What is its identity? In what fundamental ways will you distinguish yourself from your competitors?

Please enclose a list of your top management team members and their role(s) (e.g., Marketing VP, Finance VP, Operations VP, Human Resources VP, CEO) in your organization.

Important: your team also needs to decide on the measures (i.e. criteria) by which its financial performance will be evaluated and the weights for those criteria. Complete the Scoring Capstone^®; Financial Performance Form (attached at the end of this syllabus, see Table of Contents, BUSN 6710: Scoring Capstone^®; Financial Performance Form). Please attach the completed form to the Strategy Statement assignment. Additionally, each team must post (i.e., enter) their measurement criteria on the Success Measurements page of the Capstone^®; website by the deadline associated with CR1 (i.e., prior to the end of CR1). To post success measurements, go to www.capsim.com, login and go to: Homework>Success Measures>Input.

The Strategy Statement assignment is due on the date indicated in the course schedule.

Assignment: Final Board Report and Final Board Presentation

As suggested by its title, the Final Board Report and Final Board Presentation assignment is comprised of two parts: (1) a Final Board Report (written part) and (2) a Final Board Presentation (oral part).

Each team will maintain a record of its activities including such things as strategic postures taken, assumptions employed, decisions made, the outcomes of those decisions, and the changes felt necessary. Based on this information, each team will report on its Capstone^®; experiences in the form of a Final Board Report and Final Board Presentation to the Company's Board of Directors and shareholders. Each of these items is addressed in turn next.

Your Final Board Report is not intended to be an academic paper. It should be a truthful sell-job to the Board illustrating your company's effectiveness. It should be a formal typed, double-spaced, ten-page maximum report, not including the attachments and appendices needed to provide backup information.

The Final Board Report should include, at a minimum:

1. A discussion of your company's initial strategy (intended strategy). (Note: please attach and clearly label as "Appendix A" an exact copy of your company's Strategy Statement assignment.)
2. A description of the strategic decisions you made over time, why you made them, and how you implemented them.
3. A discussion of how and why your strategy evolved over time (emergent strategy).
4. A discussion of the market segments you emphasized and how you managed them.
5. If your firm got into trouble during the course of the simulation, a description of what you did to get out of it.
6. An analysis of your market and competition in each market segment, with projections of how you think the market would evolve if the simulation continued for another three years.
7. An analysis of your company's strategic capabilities and how well it is positioned if the simulation were to continue for another three years based on the above competitive analysis.
8. A description of the changes you would make to products, market segments, capacity and automation, marketing, and finance going forward over the next three years.
9. A description of the methods by which your team arrived at decisions, critical incidences it faced, and how it conducted its sales forecasts, as well as projections of Year 6 results.
10. A discussion of what you learned from your experience, what worked well, and what you would do differently if you had it to do over again.

The Final Board Report is the basis for your Final Board Presentation to the Board of Directors and shareholders. Each team will have 10-12 minutes to present their case (usually gloating or begging for mercy) to their Board of Directors and shareholders, followed by a 10-minute question-and-answer period.

The Final Board Report (copies for all Board members and one for me) is due on the date indicated in the course schedule. The class session in which your team is scheduled to give its Final Board Presentation is preset (i.e., it is based on your firm's Industry ID) and clearly indicated in the course schedule. Note: a mandatory attendance policy will be in effect during the two class sessions in which Final Board Presentations are scheduled, no exceptions.

Assignment: Capstone^®; Boards of Directors and Independent Advisory Evaluation

As explained elsewhere in this syllabus, your firm (i.e., your firm's top management team) will function as a Board of Directors for a firm (i.e., top management team) in the other industry. For pedagogical purposes, however, each Board member (i.e., each member of your firm's top management team) will serve (or operate) independently as a Board member. Stated differently, each of you (i.e., each member of your firm's top management team) will serve individually (i.e., independently) on the Board of Directors for a "sister" team in the other industry. I will make and announce Board assignments at least one week prior to the deadline established for uploading decisions for Competition Round 1 (CR1). As a Board member, you will independently evaluate the performance of your assigned sister team over the six-year time period of the simulation and will share your conclusions with me in the form of an Independent Advisory Evaluation assignment.

You may choose how involved you wish to be as a Board member with your assigned sister firm throughout the term. My suggestion is that you remain highly involved, even requesting the industry's Capstone^®; Courier on a regular basis and regular summary reports from them. This is for at least three reasons: 1) It is a means for you to learn for the benefit of your own firm, 2) it benefits your assigned sister firm to have you as a Board member be familiar with them before the final advisory evaluation is due, and 3) it allows you to put together a more thorough and complete advisory evaluation, which I will assess to see how well you understand the Capstone^®; dynamics in the other industry.

The final advisory evaluations should consist of one completed Capstone^®; Board of Directors Evaluation Form (attached at the end of this syllabus, see Table of Contents, BUSN 6710: Capstone^®; Board of Directors Evaluation Form) from each Board member as well as short report (i.e., a formal typed, double-spaced, two-page maximum commentary about the sister team's strategic decision making) from each Board member. Additionally, each Board member's report should conclude with one pressing question for the sister team-a question to be asked during the question-and-answer period of the sister team's Final Board Presentation. As a Board, I encourage you to share your thoughts about your sister team's performance with each other. However, it is very important to remember that the Capstone^®; Board of Directors Evaluation Form including the short report (i.e., the formal typed, double-spaced, two-page maximum commentary about the sister team's strategic decision making) must be completed independently. Be thorough in completing these advisory evaluations. They are one final means by which I will assess your individual understanding of the industry dynamics. In other words, these advisory evaluations provide me with a means to assess each of you as Board members, rather than the sister company you are evaluating. After evaluating the Independent Advisory Evaluation assignments, I will award each team member a final Capstone^®; performance score (i.e., I will adjust Capstone^®; performance scores based on this final individual Capstone^®; assignment). Specifically, your final Capstone^®; performance score will reflect my assessment of the quality your Independent Advisory Evaluation assignment. For this reason, each member of your firm's top management team will likely be awarded a somewhat different Capstone^®; performance score. In any case, the maximum Capstone^®; performance score possible is equal to the score assigned to the team as a whole (i.e., the unadjusted or raw score). The upshot: although the assignment (i.e., the Independent Advisory Evaluation assignment) is not intended to serve as a means for you to improve upon the Capstone^®; performance score awarded to your team as a whole, it is an important assignment because my assessment of it could have a negative effect on your final grade.

Please submit your Independent Advisory Evaluation assignment to me immediately following the Final Board Presentations of your sister company's industry (i.e., your Independent Advisory Evaluation assignment is due at the end of the class session in which your sister company gives its Final Board Presentation). The class session in which your sister team gives its Final Board Presentation is clearly identified in the course schedule.

EXAMINATIONS AND EXAMINATION POLICIES

Examination #1 and Examination #2

Each exam accounts for 25% of your overall grade. Generally, each exam is comprised of 5 to 7 essay-type questions and will cover material from the readings (i.e., articles in the readings packet), lectures, discussions (i.e., articles drawn from BusinessWeek), and videos. (Note: the class sessions in which the examinations will be administered are identified in the course schedule.)

Examination Policies

You are not permitted to reference your notes or any other course materials during any of the scheduled examination periods. Moreover, electronic devices of any kind (e.g., cellular telephones,

calculators, lap-top computers, electronic dictionaries, and the like) must be turned off and properly stored during all examination periods. Failure to comply with the aforementioned policies during an examination period will result in an automatic grade of "F" (i.e., zero) on the examination in question.

I will grade and return all examinations within 14 days of the date on which they were administered. I will provide you with a reasonable amount of class time to review each graded examination. Students are advised that a graded examination is an official record. Altering a graded examination (i.e., an official record) in any way is an act of academic dishonesty. Moreover, students are advised that they will not be permitted to retain any of the graded examinations. In this course, the unauthorized possession of an examination in any form is an act of academic dishonesty (see Table of Contents, Academic Ethics).

If you know in advance that you will not be able to attend a class session in which an examination is scheduled, you must submit (via e-mail) an explanation and petition to reschedule the examination at least two full weeks (i.e., 14 days) prior to the class session in which the examination in question is scheduled, no exceptions. If you fail to submit (via e-mail) an explanation and petition to reschedule an examination at least two full weeks (i.e., 14 days) prior to the class session in which the examination in question is scheduled, you will not be permitted to reschedule the examination.

If you fail to attend a class session in which an examination is scheduled, you must submit (via e-mail) an explanation and petition to take a make-up examination within 24 hours of the time the examination was originally scheduled, no exceptions. If you fail to submit (via e-mail) an explanation and petition to take a make-up examination within the 24-hour time period, you will earn a grade of "F" (i.e., zero) on the examination in question.

Note: it is only under extremely extenuating circumstances (i.e., documented circumstances clearly beyond one's own control) that a petition to reschedule or take a make-up examination will be approved. I will review and reply to a petition submitted via e-mail within 24 hours. If I approve your petition, my reply will include a limited number of proposed dates and times upon which to take the examination. You are expected to rearrange your schedule to accommodate one of the dates and times that I propose. If you fail to take the examination as agreed, you will earn a grade of "F" (i.e., zero) on it.

CLASS ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION POLICIES

The learning experience in a course like this one depends heavily on each student being prepared to actively participate in every class session. Stated differently, the role that you are expected to play in a course using the discussion method as the primary mode of instruction is markedly different from the one played in a course using a traditional lecture only format. It goes without saying that you are required to attend class on a regular basis. However, in order to get the most out of this course, you must also be prepared and willing to participate in all of the scheduled classroom discussions. Simply stated, attending class on a regular basis is not enough; if you are unprepared and unwilling to participate in classroom discussions, you will not get much out of this course. What constitutes positive participation? Positive participation includes the maintenance of a regular attendance record, active involvement in all class discussions, offering comments that enhance the learning experience of others, and the maintenance of a classroom demeanor that encourages the participation of others.

Indeed, we all have experiences that will enrich the topics and direction of discussion in the course. In general, quality comments possess one or more of the following attributes:

• Offer a different, unique and relevant perspective on the issue(s) under discussion.
• Contribute to moving the discussion forward as a conversation, not a monologue.
• Explicitly build on other comments-too often we fail to listen to the comments of others.
• Transcend the "I feel" syndrome; that is, they include some evidence or analysis of inherent tradeoffs, demonstrating reflective thinking.

Relate to the topic(s) at hand.

Bottom line: attending class on a regular basis and participating in class discussions is required and expected of every student enrolled in the course. Further, I firmly believe that I should not have to base a specific percentage of your final grade in this course on the quality and quantity of your class attendance and participation to entice you to attend class and participate in class discussions.

Note: although a specific percentage of your final grade in the course is not explicitly based on the quality and quantity of your class attendance and participation, grading policies of the Business School permit me to use my assessment of the quality and quantity of your class attendance and participation throughout the term as a criterion to derive your final grade. Specifically, I use my assessment of your class attendance and participation throughout the term as a "fudge factor," allowing me to adjust your grade up or down if necessary. Therefore, the quality and quantity of your class attendance and participation could affect your final grade (e.g., it could be the factor that determines whether or not you earn a grade of "A" or "A-").

Note: you are responsible for obtaining any supplemental material that may have been distributed in class as well as for complying with any changes made to this syllabus in your absence.

STUDENT DATA FORM

You must complete and submit a Student Data Form, attached at the end of this syllabus (see Table of Contents, BUSN 6710: Student Data Form). Completing and submitting a Student Data Form is not an optional assignment. I use them to record notes regarding your attendance and participation throughout the term. I also refer to them when assigning final course grades. The completed Student Data Form is due on the date indicated in the course schedule. (Note: you must submit the completed form in person; do not attempt to submit it via electronic means).

Note: 11-Month MBA students, just put your full name in the appropriate blank on the form and, in the space provided, describe in one sentence what you want to get out of this course.

ACADEMIC ETHICS

As stated in the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center 2006-07 Catalog (see Page 91): "Students are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of honesty and integrity. Cheating, plagiarism, illegitimate possession and disposition of examinations, alteration, forgery, or falsification of official records, and similar acts or any attempt to engage in such acts are grounds for suspension or expulsion from the university. In particular, students are advised that plagiarism consists of any act involving the offering of the work of someone else as the student's own." Furthermore, as stated in the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center 2006-07 (see Page 39): "Students are expected to know, understand, and comply with the ethical standards of the university. In addition, students have an obligation to inform the appropriate official of any acts of academic dishonesty by other students of the university." For further information on this topic see the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center 2006-07 Catalog, Pages

39-40. Outlined next is a detailed explanation of plagiarism. The explanation was copied exactly as is appears in the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center 2006-07 Catalog, Pages 39-40.

Plagiarism is the use of another person's distinctive ideas or words without acknowledgement. The incorporation of another person's work into one's own requires appropriate identification and acknowledgement regardless of the means of appropriation. The following are considered to be forms of plagiarism when the source is not noted:

1. Word-for-word copying of another person's ideas or words
2. The mosaic (the interspersing of one's own words here and there while in essence, copying another's work)
3. The paraphrase (the rewriting of another's work, yet still using their fundamental idea or theory)
4. Fabrication (inventing or counterfeiting sources)
5. Submission of another's work as one's own
6. Neglecting quotation marks on material that is otherwise acknowledged

Acknowledgement is not necessary when the material used is common knowledge.

Important note: Regarding the Capstone^®; component of the course, for all intents and purposes, it is a test (i.e., an academic exercise). Top management teams, including Boards of Directors, are expected to maintain high standards of scholastic integrity and ethical conduct throughout the course of the simulation.

CLASSROOM CONDUCT

As stated in the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center 2006-07 Catalog on Page 45: "Students are expected to conduct themselves appropriately in classroom situations. If disruptive behavior occurs in a classroom, an instructor has the authority to ask the disruptive student to leave the classroom. Should such disorderly or disruptive conduct persist, the instructor should report the matter to Auraria Public Safety and/or the appropriate Dean's office. The appropriate Dean or his/her representative may dismiss a student from a particular class for disruptive behavior, while the Student Discipline Committee may recommend to the Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs to withdraw, suspend, permanently expel, and/or permanently exclude the student from the campus." For further information on this topic see the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center 2006-07 Catalog, Page 45.

WORKLOAD

Faculty policies state that classes in the Business School should require of their students a workload in and out of class that enhances quality education and is consistent with the amount of academic credit granted for a course. For a 3-semester hour graduate course, it is expected that the volume of work outside of class normally would require a student, on the average, to commit a minimum of 100-130 hours per term.

GRADING SYSTEM AND POLICIES

Grades will be earned as shown in Table 2.

Table 2
25%	Examination #1
25%	Examination #2
50%	Capstone ®; performance (see explanation below, " Capstone®; performance "

Capstone^®; performance

Overall, your Capstone^®; performance score will contribute 50% to your final grade. It will be determined as follows:

Strategy Development/Statement (10% of Capstone^®; performance score)

• Your team's intended strategy and targeted product(s)/markets.
• Strategic objectives with specific performance targets (e.g., 30% overall market share by Year 5, 15% ROS by the end of Year 6, etc.).
• Summary of planned decision processes, including approaches/techniques for making sales forecasts, decision rules to determine investments (e.g., R&D, advertising), approaches for raising capital, etc.

Strategy Implementation (35% of Capstone^®; performance score)

• Development, implementation, and management of the team's overall and supporting functional strategies as reflected in Points 2 through 5 of the Final Board Report and the Part I score from the Capstone^®; Board of Directors Evaluation Form.
  Positioning for the Future (25% of Capstone^®; performance score)
• Competitor and market analysis, internal capabilities analysis, and positioning for the future as reflected in Points 6 through 8 of the Final Board Report and the Part II score from the Capstone^®; Board of Directors Evaluation Form.
  Financial Performance (30% of Capstone^®; performance score)
• Financial performance based on criteria and weights selected by each team as reflected in the Part III score from the Capstone^®; Board of Directors Evaluation Form. Note: Capstone^®; will declare an "Overall Champion" (or financial winner) in each industry. Although this verdict is interesting as well as meaningful, it is important to remember that financial performance is just one of four quality components used to determine your team's Capstone^®; performance score. Hence, the team which the software declares as being the "Overall Champion" in each industry does not automatically earn the highest Capstone^®; performance score.

In sum, your team's performance will be measured in four areas (i.e., your team's Capstone^®; performance score is comprised of four separate quality components). Your team's performance in these four areas will determine its Capstone^®; performance score. After evaluating the Independent Advisory Evaluation assignments, I will award each team member a final Capstone^®; performance score. Specifically, your final Capstone^®; performance score will reflect my assessment of the quality your Independent Advisory Evaluation assignment. For this reason, each member of your firm's top management team will likely be awarded a somewhat different Capstone^®; performance score. In any case, the maximum Capstone^®; performance score possible is equal to the score assigned to the team as a whole (i.e., the unadjusted or raw score). The upshot: although the assignment (i.e., the Independent Advisory Evaluation assignment) is not intended to serve as a means for you to improve upon the Capstone^®; performance score awarded to your team as a whole, it is an important assignment because my assessment of it could have a negative effect on your final grade.

Additionally, if your average peer review score falls below 73, then I will interpret the score as a formal petition by your teammates to differentially assign Capstone^®; performance scores. If this is the case, then your average peer review score represents the maximum percentage (or fraction) of your team's Capstone^®; performance score that you will be awarded. For instance, if your team earned a Capstone^®; performance score of 90% (i.e., 90/100 or 0.90) and you earned an average peer review score of 72% (i.e., 72/100 or 0.72), then you would be awarded a Capstone^®; performance score of 64.8 [i.e., (90/100)(72/100) = 0.648(100) = 64.8%]. Obviously, this score would then be adjusted so that it reflects your performance on the Independent Advisory Evaluation assignment as well.

Letter grades are normally assigned as shown in Table 3.

Table 3
A	(4.0)	93%-100%
A-	(3.7)	90%-92.99%
B+	(3.3)	87%-89.99%
B	(3.0)	83%-86.99%
B-	(2.7)	80%-82.99%
C+	(2.3)	77%-79.99%
C	(2.0)	73%-76.99%
C-	(1.7)	70%-72.99%
D+	(1.3)	67%-69.99%
D	(1.0)	63%-66.99%
D-	(0.7)	60%-62.99%
F	(0.0)	00%-59.99%

As illustrated in Table 3, a PLUS/MINUS grading system will be used in this course. Further, although letter grades are normally assigned as shown in Table 3, grading policies of the Business School state that the average GPA across all students in the class (i.e., the average letter grade awarded in the class) should generally fall within the following range: 3.1 to 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Therefore, if necessary, the ranges shown in Table 3 will be modified so that the average GPA across all students in the class falls within the suggested range.

As a rule, I round final grades to the nearest hundredth (i.e., two displayed decimal points). In other words, I do not automatically round the decimal to the nearest whole number. For instance, as illustrated below, if you earned a 92/100 on Exam 1, a 95/100 on Exam 2, and an adjusted Capstone^®; performance score of 92/100 you would have earned a final grade percentage of 92.75. This grade percentage would earn a final letter grade of A- (see Table 3).

[(Exam 1 score/100)(.25) + (Exam 2 score/100)(.25) + (Capstone^®; performance score/100)(.50)] = (__________/1.00)(100) = __________%

[( 92/100)(.25) + ( 95/100)(.25) + ( 92/100)(.50)] = ( .9275/1.00)(100) = 92.75%

Grade Records

I grade with integrity and I am obligated to assign and submit a final grade that accurately indexes your academic performance in the course. Therefore, I reserve the right to correct any inaccuracies found in my grade records associated with your performance in the course (e.g., inaccuracies resulting from errors made in assigning and/or recording grades for assignments, examinations, etc.).

Week (Session)	Date	Topic(s)	Reading Assignments (from Readings Packet), Capstone ®; Business Simulation Assignments, Examinations, Etc.
Week 1 (Session 1)	05/29/07	Course Introduction and Capstone ®; Business Simulation Introduction	Set up Capstone ®; Industries, Firms, and Boards of Directors
Week 1 (Session 2)	05/31/07 Readings Packet: Section 01 Textbook: Chapter 1	Strategic Management Capstone ®; Business Simulation Student Guide 2007 07-1 (Preview): Surowiecki, J. "The Return of Michael Porter." Fortune , February 1, 1999, pp.135-138. 07-2 (Preview): Porter, M. "What is Strategy?" Harvard Business Review , November-December, 1996, pp. 61-78.	07-3 (Preview): Hambrick , D.C. & Fredrickson, J.W. "Are you sure you have a strategy?" Academy of Management Executive , 15(4), 2001, pp. 48-59.
Week 2 (Session 3)	06/05/07 Readings Packet: Section 02 Textbook: Chapter 2 Company Mission Readings Packet: Section 03 Textbook: Chapter 3	Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics 02-1: Collins, J.C. & Porras, J.I. "Building Your Company's Vision." Harvard Business Review , September-October, 1996, pp. 65-77. 02-2: Lencioni, P.M. "Make Your Values Mean Something." Harvard Business Review , July, 2002, pp. 113-117.	Due: Student Data Form and Situation Analysis. PR1 Decisions aredue by 06/06/07
Week 2 (Session 4)	06/07/07 Readings Packet: Section 04 Textbook: Chapter 4 The External Environment Readings Packet: Section 05 Textbook: Chapter 5	The Global Environment 04-1: Porter, M. "How competitive forces shape strategy." Harvard Business Review , March-April, 1979, pp. 137-145. 04-2: Porter, M. "Strategy and the Internet." Harvard Business Review , March, 2001, pp. 62-78. 05-1: Ohmae, K. "Managing in a Borderless World." Harvard Business Review , May-June, 1989, pp. 2-9. 05-2: Thomas, H., Pollock, T., & Gorman, P. "Global strategic analyses: Frameworks and approaches." Academy of Management Executive , 13(1), 1999, pp. 70-82. 05-3: Hitt, M.A., Tyler , B.B., Hardee, C., & Park, D. "Understanding strategic intent in the global marketplace." Academy of Management Executive , 9(2), 1995, pp. 12-19.	Due: Peer Performance Appraisal System. PR2 Decisions aredue by 06/10/07
Week 3 (Session 5)	06/12/07 Readings Packet: Section 06 Textbook: Chapter 6	Internal Analysis 06-1: Stalk, G., Evans, P., & Shulman, L.E. "Competing on capabilities: The new rules of corporate strategy." Harvard Business Review , March-April, 1992, pp. 57-68.	06-2: Marino, K.E. "Developing consensus on firm competencies and capabilities." Academy of Management Executive , 10(3), 1996, pp. 40-51. PR3 Decisions aredue by 06/13/07
Week 3 (Session 6)	06/14/07 Readings Packet: Section 07 Textbook: Chapter 7	Long-Term Objectives and Strategies 13-1 (Preview): Kaplan, R.S. & Norton, D.P. "Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System." Harvard Business Review , January-February, 1996, pp. 75-85. 07-1: Surowiecki, J. "The Return of Michael Porter." Fortune , February 1, 1999, pp.135-138. 07-2: Porter, M. "What is Strategy?" Harvard Business Review , November-December, 1996, pp. 61-78. 07-3: Hambrick , D.C. & Fredrickson, J.W. "Are you sure you have a strategy?" Academy of Management Executive , 15(4), 2001, pp. 48-59. 07-4: Mintzberg, H. "Crafting Strategy." Harvard Business Review , July-August, 1987, pp. 66-74. 07-5A: D'Aveni, R.A. "Coping with hypercompetition: Utilizing the new 7S's framework." Academy of Management Executive , 9(3), 1995, pp. 45-60. 07-5B: Canger, Jonathan M. and Doyle, Joseph J. "Executive Commentary." Academy of Management Executive , 9(3), 1995, pp. 45-60. Due: Strategy Statement (attach Scoring Capstone ®; Financial Performance Form).	Note: each team must post (i.e., enter) their measurement criteria on the Success Measurements page of the Capstone ®; website by the deadline associated with CR1 (i.e., prior to the end of CR1). CR1 Decisions aredue by 06/17/07
Week 4 (Session 7)	06/19/07 Readings Packet: Section 07 (Cont.) Textbook: Chapter 7 (Cont.)	Long-Term Objectives and Strategies (Cont.) 07-6: Kanter, R.M. "Collaborative Advantage: The Art of Alliances." Harvard Business Review , July-August, 1994, pp. 96-108. 07-7: Das, T.K. & Teng, B.S. "Managing risks in strategic alliances." Academy of Management Executive , 13(4), 1999, 50-62.	07-8: Magretta, J. "The Power of Virtual Integration: An Interview with Dell Computer's Michael Dell." Harvard Business Review , March-April, 1998, pp. 72-84. CR2 Decisions aredue by 06/20/07
Week 4 (Session 8)	06/21/07	Examination #1	CR3 Decisions aredue by 06/24/07
Week 5 (Session 9)	06/26/07 Readings Packet: Section 08 Textbook: Chapter 8	Business Strategy 08-1: Day, G.S. "Strategies for Surviving a Shakeout." Harvard Business Review , March-April, 1997, pp. 92-102.	08-2: Christensen, M. Clayton, Rayner, M., and Verlinden, M. "Skate to Where the Money Will Be." Harvard Business Review , November, 2001, pp. 72-81. CR4 Decisions aredue by 06/27/07
Week 5 (Session 10)	06/28/07 Readings Packet: Section 09 Textbook: Chapter 9	Multibusiness Strategy 09-1: Markides, C. "To Diversify or Not to Diversify." Harvard Business Review , November-December, 1997, pp. 93-99. 09-2: Marks, M.L. & Mirvis, P.H. "Making mergers and acquisitions work: Strategic and psychological preparation." Academy of Management Executive , 15(2), 2001, 80-92. 09-3: Henry, D. "Mergers: Why Most Big Deals Don't Pay Off." BusinessWeek , October 14, 2002, pp. 60-70.	09-4: Eisenhardt, K.M. and Sull, D.N. "Strategy as Simple Rules." Harvard Business Review , January, 2001, pp. 107-116. CR5 Decisions aredue by 07/01/07
Week 6 (Session 11)	07/03/07 Readings Packet: Section 10 Textbook: Chapter 10 Implementation Readings Packet: Section 11 Textbook: Chapter 11 Organizational Structure Readings Packet: Section 12 Textbook: Chapter 12	Leadership and Culture 11-1: Hitt, M.A., Keats, B.W., & DeMarie, S.M. "Navigating in the new competitive landscape: Building strategic flexibility and competitive advantage in the 21 st century." Academy of Management Executive , 12(4), 1998, pp. 22-42. 12-1: Ireland , R.D. & Hitt, M.A. "Achieving and maintaining strategic competitiveness in the 21 st century: The role of strategic leadership." Academy of Management Executive , 13(1), 1999, pp. 43-57. 12-2: Collins, James. "DON'T REWRITE THE RULES OF THE ROAD." BusinessWeek , August 28, 2000, pp. 206-208. 12-3: Unseem, J. "CONQUERING Vertical Limits." Fortune , February 19, 2001, pp. 84-96. 12-4: Collins, J. "Level 5 Leadership: The Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve." Harvard Business Review , January, 2001, pp. 66-76. 12-5: Collins, J. "The 10 Greatest CEOs of All Time." Fortune , July 21, 2003, pp. 54-68. 12-6: Seller, P. "The new breed." Fortune , November 18, 2002, pp. 66-76. 12-7: Charan, R. & G. Colvin, "WHY CEOs FAIL." Fortune , June 21, 1999, pp. 68-78.	12-8: Beer, M. & Nohria, N. "Cracking the Code of Change." Harvard Business Review , May-June, 2000, pp. 133-141. CR6 Decisions aredue by 07/04/07
Week 6 (Session 12)	07/05/07 Readings Packet: Section 13 Textbook: Chapter 13	Control, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship 13-1: Kaplan, R.S. & Norton, D.P. "Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System." Harvard Business Review , January-February, 1996, pp. 75-85. 08-2 (Review): Christensen, M. Clayton, Rayner, M., and Verlinden, M. "Skate to Where the Money Will Be." Harvard Business Review , November, 2001, pp. 72-81. Handout: Zammuto, R. F. & Nystrom J. R. (2003) "Why do some technological innovations create disruptive changes for industries while others do not?" In D. R. Laube and R. F. Zammuto (Eds.), " Business Driven Information Technology: Answers to 100 Critical Questions for Every Manager ," 10-14. Stanford , California : Stanford University Press. Due: Final Board Report (copies for all Board members and one for me).	Note: CR6 results will be made available after Final Board Reports are submitted.
Week 7 (Session 13)	07/10/07	Final Board Presentations Industry ID C19240 Companies: Andrews, Baldwin, Chester , Digby, Erie , and Ferris, respectively. Due: Industry ID C19240 - Capstone ®; Peer Review Summary Form.	Due: Industry ID C19241 - Independent Advisory Evaluation.
Week 7 (Session 14)	07/12/07	Final Board Presentations Industry ID C19241 Companies: Andrews, Baldwin, Chester , Digby, Erie , and Ferris, respectively. Due: Industry ID C19241 - Capstone ®; Peer Review Summary Form.	Due: Industry ID C19240 - Independent Advisory Evaluation.
Week 8 (Session 15)	07/17/07	Summary/Remaining Questions
Week 8 (Session 16)	07/19/07	Examination #2

Note: as shown in the column of the course schedule titled "Capstone^®; Decision Round," three practice rounds are scheduled, followed by six competition rounds. Regarding the decision deadlines, decisions for each Practice Round (PR) and Competition Round (CR) are due (i.e., must be uploaded on the Capstone^®; website) by 8:00PM Mountain Time (MT) on the dates indicated in the column of the course schedule titled "Capstone^®; Decision Round." For example, decisions for PR1 are due by 06/06/07 8:00PM MT. It is extremely important that teams understand that the time shown on the Capstone^®; website (i.e., the time associated with the deadline for uploading decisions for each round) is Eastern Time (ET), not Mountain Time (MT). Therefore, the time associated with the deadline for uploading decisions for each round will appear as 10:00PM ET on the Capstone^®; website, which is 8:00PM MT. Furthermore, I process each round ("ready or not") when the stated deadline expires. I will not attempt to contact teams that fail to upload their decisions by the stated deadline to remind them to upload their decisions so that I can process the simulation. Simply stated, if your team fails to upload its decisions by the stated deadline, I process the simulation anyway, re-running (i.e., using) your team's decisions from the previous round.

BUSN 6710: CAPSTONE^®; PEER REVIEW SUMMARY FORM

As indicated by its title (i.e., Capstone^®; Peer Review Summary Form), this form is used to summarize your appraisal of each of your teammates' performance throughout the term.

• Step 1 Complete a Peer Performance Appraisal Form for each of your teammates. Recall that your team was required to develop and adopt an official Peer Performance Appraisal Form (i.e., worksheet) that would yield an overall numerical rating (i.e., a final score that could be converted to and expressed on scale of 0-100 points). Note: don't attach the completed worksheets to this form or submit them with this form-I don't need the completed worksheets.
• Step 2 Place the name of each team member (excluding your name) in the appropriate space on this form.
• Step 3 Place the final score that you awarded each of your teammates in the appropriate space on this form. Remember that the final score is the score derived from your team's official Peer Performance Appraisal Form (see Step 1). You must assign an exact point value (e.g., 100.0, 90.0, etc.); that is, do not assign a range of points (e.g., 90-100).
• Step 4 Add any comments and simply fold the form in half (please do not staple or tape it shut).
• Step 5 Submit the completed form. (The completed form is due on the date indicated in the course schedule. The completed form must be submitted in person; forms submitted via electronic means will not be accepted.)

Important note: please leave the shaded area of this form blank; I record your Average Peer Review Score here.

NAME OF EACH TEAM MEMBER (EXCLUDING YOUR NAME)	FINAL SCORE
1.	/100
2.	/100
3.	/100
4.	/100
5.	/100
6.	/100

CAPSTONE^®; BOARD OF DIRECTORS EVALUATION FORM

Your charge is to evaluate the performance of your assigned sister team over the six-year time period of the simulation. These are the criteria by which to evaluate the overall performance of the team:

The intended strategy statement accounts for 10% of the team's Capstone^®; performance score. The first set of questions below focuses on the team's performance during the full six years of the simulation and (along with the discussion of strategy implementation in the Final Board Report) accounts for 35% of the team's Capstone^®; performance score. The second set of questions focuses on the firm's positioning for the future, and (along with the discussion of positioning for the future in the Final Board Report) accounts for 25% of the team's Capstone^®; performance score. A financial performance score, calculated using the weighted criteria the team selected, will be provided to you by the instructor and accounts for 30% of the team's Capstone^®; performance score.

Please complete this form, attach your short report (i.e., a formal typed, double-spaced, two-page maximum commentary about the sister team's strategic decision making), and submit them to the instructor immediately following the Final Board Presentations of this company's industry.

Ratings: Please indicate the effectiveness of the company in the following areas with a rating of 1 to 5, with 5 indicating that they did an excellent job in this area.

Part I: Six Year Summary

1. Were the market segments in which the company operated consistent with its strategy?
2. Was the company's R&D and product positioning within market segments congruent with its strategy?
3. Was the company's financial strategy and cash management consistent with its overall strategy?
4. How successful does the company's promotion and sales force management appear to be?
5. How well were inventories and stock outs controlled?
6. How effective was the team's use of capacity and automation within the context of the company's overall strategy?
7. Was the company's management of human resources consistent with its strategy?
8. If the company got into trouble, did it make reasonable decisions to overcome the problem?

Total points for Questions #1-8

_________

Part II: Positioning for the Future

9. If the simulation were to continue for another three years, is this company in a good position to do well in the future?
10. Has the management team made adequate investments in plant capacity and product development to position the firm for the future?
11. Has the management team struck a good balance between short- and long-term concerns?
12. Have they been thorough in identifying and addressing potential future threats and opportunities?
13. Have they been thorough in identifying competitor dynamics, and have they positioned themselves well vis-à-vis present and future competition?
14. Have the members of this management team shown that they have the competencies required to manage this company successfully in the future?

Total points for Questions #9-14

_________

Part III: Financial Performance (You will be provided with this team's Financial Performance Score, calculated using the weighted criteria the team selected, at the beginning of the class session in which this team's industry is scheduled to deliver its Final Board Presentations.)

X	Measure	NA	Average	Ending	Cumulative	%
X	Profit	?		?	?	%
	Market Share	?	?	?		%
	ROS	?	?	?		%
	Asset Turnover	?	?	?		%
	ROA	?	?	?		%
	ROE	?	?	?		%
	Stock Price	?	?	?		%
	Market Cap	?	?	?		%
Total 100%

Financial Performance Score = (____)(5) =

_________

Total Points

_________

Taking into consideration how this team performed relative to the other teams in its industry, what letter grade would you assign to this team's performance?

A   A-    B+    B    B-    C+    C    C-    D+    D    D-    F

SCORING CAPSTONE^®; FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE FORM

To determine the "Overall Champion" (or financial winner) of the game, a possible eight categories may be measured:

1. Profit (Cumulative)
2. Market Share (Ending)
3. ROS (Average)
4. Asset Turnover (Average)
5. ROA (Average)
6. ROE (Average)
7. Stock Price (Ending)
8. Market Cap (Ending)

Each team will select the categories (i.e., choose specific financial measures and weights) by which they wish to be scored (or judged) upon. A minimum of four categories must be selected ("Profit" must be one of the categories, minimum weight 20%). Excluding Profit, the minimum allowable percentage for any single category selected is 10% and the maximum allowable percentage for any single category selected is 30%. In the table below, place an "X" in the appropriate space to the left of each desired category, and then place a percentage in the appropriate space on the far right. Weightings must add up to 100%.

The completed form is due on the date indicated in the course schedule. Please attach the completed form to the Strategy Statement assignment. Additionally, each team must post (i.e., enter) their measurement criteria on the Success Measurements page of the Capstone^®; website by the deadline associated with CR1 (i.e., prior to the end of CR1). To post success measurements, go to www.capsim.com, login and go to: Homework>Success Measures>Input.

Note: if your top management team posts measurement criteria (financial measures and weights) that are not in compliance with the requirements outlined above and/or fails to post its measurement criteria on the Success Measurements page of the Capstone^®; website by the stated deadline, then I will secure the services of a consultant to help remedy the problem and your firm will be assessed a $3,000,000 "consulting fee" for CR1.