Strategies and Business Policies - Dr. Joseph Brum Fayetteville Technical C.C
I. COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The student examines the conceptual and practical aspects of business policies and policy decision making by utilizing all the concepts, theories, and tools that were presented in the previous courses. The student should be able to analyze and recommend a comprehensive and workable approach to the situation. The course should cover current business issues and developments. Prerequisites: Completion of all other required courses in the M.B.A.
II. INCOMING COMPETENCY OF STUDENT EXPECTED BY PROFESSOR:
a. Satisfactory completion of all other courses in the MBA area.
b. Knowledge of research techniques and use of library resources.
c. Basic understanding of management principles and techniques.
d. Ability to analyze and report on management cases.
e. Understanding of multi-media tools, i.e.: E-Mail, and the Internet.
III. COURSE STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES:
a. To give the student experience applying strategic management concepts and techniques to different organizations.
b. To give the student experience applying and integrating the knowledge gained in prior courses and work experience.
c. To give the student decision-making experience in the Capstone Business Simulation game.
d. To improve the student's understanding of relationships among the functional areas of business and the strategic management process.
e. To improve the student's oral and written communication skills.
f. To sharpen the student's analytical and intuitive skills.
g. To give the student experience by completing a SWOT analysis and the matrices that are used in strategic management.
IV. SCHEDULE OF REQUIRED READINGS, CLASS PREPARATION, AND ASSIGNMENTS, VERBAL STUDENT PRESENTATIONS, DISCUSSIONS, LECTURES, AND EXAMS:
Week 1 Introduction to the course; course objectives; class procedures; absence policy; make-up work; homework assignment policy, case analysis notes, review of Power Point techniques and introduction to the Capstone Business Simulation Program.
Read Introduction pages xxiv through xxxii.
Discuss Chapter 1: The Nature of Strategic Management.
Read America Airlines - 2002 (page 50) and complete Experiential Exercise 1A on page 50. Be prepared to discuss it in class. Formulation of teams and assignments of individual and team cases.
Week 2 Weekly Quiz # 1
Discuss Chapter 2: The Business Mission and Discuss Chapter 3: The External
Assessment. Complete Experiential Exercise 2A> Evaluating a Mission Statement for Hatboro Area YMCA (page75). Complete Experiential Exercise 3A> Developing an EFE Matrix for American Airlines (page 116). Assignments are to be handed in at the beginning of class.
Case Assignment: Central United Methodist Church - 2002. (cases
page 206). Prepare a SWOT analysis for class discussion. Prepare copies for each
student and the instructor.
Capstone Business Simulation Practice Rounds (two)
Week 3 Weekly Quiz # 2
Discuss Chapter 4: The Internal Assessment.
Complete Experiential Exercise 4B> Constructing an IFE Matrix for American Airlines (AMR) (page 155)
Case Assignment: Read Boeing - 2002 (cases page 326) and prepare the following assignments for class discussion:
1. Prepare a SWOT analysis
2. Prepare an External Factor Evaluation Matrix
3. Prepare a Competitive Profile Matrix (Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon)
NOTE: prepare copies for students and the instructor.
Capstone Simulation Team Meeting. - Round 1 due by noon.
Week 4 Weekly Quiz # 3
Discuss Chapter 5: Strategies in Action.
Complete Experiential Exercise 5A> What Happened at American Airlines (AMR) in the Year 2002? (page 190)
Case Assignment: Read Coors - 2002 (cases page 451). Prepare a SWOT analysis; Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix (IFE) (strengths and weaknesses), and be prepared to discuss in class. Prepare copies for students and the instructor.
Capstone Simulation Team Meeting. - Round 2 due by noon.
Week 5 Weekly Quiz # 4.
Discuss Chapter 6: Strategy Analysis and Choice. Complete Experiential Exercise 6A> Developing a TOWS Matrix for American Airlines (AMR); Complete Experiential Exercise 6b > Developing a SPACE Matrix for American Airlines (AMR) (page 228).
Case Assignment: Read Biomet, Inc. - 2002 (cases page 372) and prepare the following assignments for class discussion:
Prepare a SWOT analysis; Prepare The Space Matrix and the four areas that make up this matrix which are Financial Strength (FS), Competitive Advantage (CA), Environmental Stability (ES) and Industry Strength (IS) and be prepared to discuss in class. Prepare copies for the students and the instructor.
Capstone Simulation Team Meeting. - Round 3 due by noon.
Week 6 Weekly Quiz # 5
Discuss Chapter 7: Implementing Strategies: Management Issues.
Complete Experiential Exercise 7A> Revising American Airline's (AMR's) Organizational Chart (page 272).
Case Assignment: Read Amazon.Com, Inc - 2002 (cases page 54) and prepare a SWOT analysis and The Grand Strategy Matrix and be prepared to discuss in class. Prepare copies for the students and the instructor.
Capstone Simulation Team Meeting. - Round 4 due by noon.
Week 7 Weekly Quiz # 6
Discuss Chapter 8: Implementing Strategies: Marketing, Finance/Accounting,
R&D and CIS Issues and Discuss Chapter 9: Strategy Review, Evaluation
Control and Complete Experiential Exercise 8D > Determining the cash value of
American Airlines (AMR) (Page 297)
Case Assignment: Read Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. -2002. (cases page 225) and prepare the following assignments for class discussion:
Prepare a SWOT analysis; Prepare a TOWS matrix and be prepared to discuss in class. Prepare copies for the students and the instructor.
Capstone Simulation Team Meeting. - Round 5 due by noon. Round 6 will be worked in class.
Week 8 Weekly Quiz # 7
Case Assignment: Read Hershey Foods Corporation - 2002 (cases page 317) and prepare the following questions for class discussion:
Determine the cash value of the firm with the use all of the following methods:
1- Net Worth
2- 5 times current annual profit
3- Price Earnings ratio method
4- Market Valuation
5- Average of the above 4 methods
Prepare a SWOT analysis.
Capstone Simulation Team Meeting. - Round 7 due by noon. Round 8 will be worked in class.
Week 9 Stockholders debriefing.
Course wrap up.
Students are encouraged to work with other students on the American Airlines Assignments.
NOTE: All assignments to be tuned in must be typed, and double-spaced. Students are encouraged to use MS Word, Excel, Power Point and the matrices templates.
V. TEXTBOOK: Strategic Management: Concept and Cases, Fred David, Prentice Hall,
9th Edition, 2003, ISBN# 0-13-047912-8
Management Simulations, Inc. (Smith, D.C.) The student Capstone Team Member Guide 2003 will be distributed during the first night of class. The fee for the materials and registration is $39 - you will be required to register for the simulation during the first night of class through the Capsim website (http://capsim.com). You may use your credit card to pay for this.
(Optional textbook) American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th edition). Washington, DC: Author. (ISBN 1-55798-810-2)
TO ORDER TEXT: Call MBS Direct at 1-800-325-3252 or by Internet: http://www.msdiect.net
VI. SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS: The selections listed below are to assist graduate
students in developing overall management skills:
Wall Street Journal
Harvard Business Review
Business Week
USE OF THE WEBSTER LIBRARY IS ENCOURAGED:
Eden-Webster Library at http://library.websteruniv.edu . Go to Databases and Internet Resources Selection. Excellent databases include Expanded Academic Index (InfoTrac), Academic Universe (Lexis-Nexis), Business & Industry, Applied Science & Technology Abstracts, PsycInfo, SocioAbs (Sociological Abstracts Abridged), and ERIC.
VII. VISUAL AIDS: Appropriate video and computer applications software (PowerPoint)
will be used to assist in student presentations. Overhead, transparencies, Internet material, and computer generated material will be used.
VIII. COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
AMR Experiential Exercises .....................................................20%
Weekly Quizzes.....................................................................10%
Class Participation.......................................................................10%
Case Moderator.............................................................15%
Capstone Business Simulation Rounds (normally 8 rounds)...... 30%
Peer Evaluation...............................................................................5%
Stockholders Debriefing...............................................................10%
WEEKLY QUIZZES:
Beginning in week 2, there will be a short quiz, which will cover chapter(s) in the previous week's assignment. There will be a total of seven quizzes.
CASE MODERATOR:
Each student is expected to have read and analyzed all of the chapter material and assigned cases prior to each class. The text material will be covered in review/discussions with the students playing a very active role. Cases(s) will be assigned for Weeks 2 through 8 as noted in the syllabus. A presenting team (or person depending on class size) will be responsible for a thorough analysis and oral presentation of One case. Each case discussion (approximately 30 to 35 minutes) will end with an epilogue to include current handouts for the class. The instructor will provide guidelines to assist with case preparation. The case moderator(s) will be assigned a case for class presentation and will be expected to lead meaningful and insightful discussions of the assigned case. Case assignments will be made during the first class meeting. Prepare a PowerPoint handout for the instructor (three to a page).
American Airlines (AMR) EXPERIENTIAL ASSIGNMENTS:
Commencing in Week One there will be an American Airlines (AMR) assignment for each chapter. Each student is to prepare two copies of these assignments. One copy will be given to the instructor at the beginning of each class period and the student will keep the second one.
CAPSTONE BUSINESS SIMULATION GAME ROUNDS: The purpose of the Capstone Business Simulation Game is to test alternative actions of an operating business in a competitive environment without incurring costs or the risk of implementing them in a real setting. Most strategic decisions, especially crucial ones, are made after consultation with key executives and colleagues in an atmosphere of committee deliberations and discussion.
Each team manages and analyzes their own 100 million-dollar Capstone Company and develops and implements strategic concepts. The management team will make decisions about various aspects of an assigned company's management for a given period of "simulated time". The simulation is played over several simulated years to maximize the firm's objectives. The objectives are, of course, achieved much more systematically and successfully by considering and applying concepts previously developed in prior MBA courses. There will be 2 practice rounds and 8 'real' rounds (decisions) in this simulation exercise. Students are REQUIRED to register for the simulation (a $39 fee) and to carefully read the student TEAM MEMBER GUIDE by the second week of class. These materials and further directions will be discussed in class and additional handouts provided.
CLASS PARTICIPATION:
Student must read the assigned cases and chapters before coming to class. It is imperative that all students get involved in discussion for each assigned case. Class participation by everyone is expected and required. If you do not get involved in every assignment, then you will receive a zero.
CAPSTONE SIMULATION ROUNDS:
Review the Capstone Business Simulation handout.
PEER EVALUATION:
Review the Capstone Business Simulation handout. (Page 9)
STOCKHOLDERS DEBRIEFING:
Review the Capstone Business Simulation handout.(Page 5).
Grade Distribution for this course is as follows:
95 - 100 = A
91 - 94 = A-
88 - 90 = B+
84 - 87 = B
81 - 83 = B-
75 - 80 = C
Below 75 = F
NOTE: Students are responsible for insuring that all grades of "I" have been changed prior to graduation. After one calendar year has passed, the grade of "I" becomes final.
If you are using TA, the military will recover TA funds after 120 days from completion of the course.
IX. CLASS ATTENDANCE: The following Webster University Graduate School policy is in effect for this course:
A. The student should notify the instructor prior to class if an absence is anticipated and he/she should not miss more than four contact hours. Makeup work will be assigned and, if the absence is unexcused, it may exceed the material presented.
B. For absences of eight hours, the instructor has the option to lower the student's grade one letter grade and to inform the student of his action.
C. If a student is absent twelve hours or more, the instructor has the option to assign an "F" grade, and to inform the student of the action. It is the student's responsibility to withdraw from the course.
D. For excused absences (in an extreme case) when the instructor chooses to award a grade of "I" (Incomplete) for twelve to sixteen hours missed, the student must provide acceptable documentation to verify that the absences were unavoidable (e.g. illness, military TDY). These actions will be coordinated with the Director.
E. In all cases, the student should withdraw from the regular course if(s)he has more than sixteen hours of absences.
X. ETHICS: Students who are discovered cheating or committing plagiarism will be awarded a failing grade for the course, and may be subject to dismissal or further discipline.