Georgia State University
J. Mack Robinson College of Business
MBA 8000
Managing in the Global Economy
Course Syllabus Spring Semester 2008
Instructors:
Bill Bogner, Christopher Lemley, Ed Palmer, Detmar Straub,
Alfred Mettler (course coordinator)
NOTE: It is your responsibility to read, understand and abide by all of the course information
and policies listed below. This course syllabus provides a general plan for the course;
deviations may be necessary.
Purpose of the course:
This cornerstone core course is aimed at providing an introduction to fundamental business
concepts from a global managerial perspective. Students will gain fundamental insights into key
business activities during different stages of an industry's lifecycle through lectures, case analysis, team
exercises, and critical evaluation exercises. The course is based on an integrative framework that
especially emphasizes the relationships, connections and dependencies among functional areas in
different life-cycle situations.
After having taken this course, students should be able to identify, describe and discuss different
stages of an industry’s life cycle as well as different key business activities from a global
standpoint. Furthermore the students should be able to apply selected management tools to solve
problems a firm typically faces in different life cycle stages and for different business activities.
Course Corequisites:
MBA 7025, MBA 7035
Georgia State University
J. Mack Robinson College of Business
A.
MBA 8000: Managing in the Global Economy
Spring 2008
COURSE MATERIAL
Required Course Package:
This course is based on cases and other reading material that can be downloaded from
the following website: http://www.study.net. Students will have to register there and
pay the required fee (approximately $ 115) in order to be able to access the course
material.
In addition, the following book will be used as background reading material:
Friedman, Thomas: The Lexus and the Olive Tree (May 2000 edition, paperback,
approximately $ 12), ISBN 0-385-49934-5.
B.
ATTENDANCE / ACADEMIC HONESTY / OTHER NOTES OF
IMPORTANCE
Attendance Policy:
Each student is expected to attend ALL scheduled class meetings for the entire duration of the class
meeting. An attendance sign-up sheet will be circulated each class period. Students who do not sign
the sign-up sheet will be considered absent. Students arriving late may be permitted to sign the sheet
only at the discretion of the instructor.
Any student who is absent from more than the equivalent of three classes will be dropped from the
course. Absences include the first week of class regardless of when a student registered for the
course. The last day to withdraw and receive a “W“ is March 3 rd, 2008. In the case of withdrawal before
March 3rd a “W“ is not given automatically. To get a “W“ a student must have done satisfactory work (at
the “C“-level or higher). Unsatisfactory work will result in a “WF“. If a student is withdrawn for excessive
absences after the midpoint of the grading period, a final grade of WF will be assigned automatically.
An absence from class for any reason (job conflict, illness, appearance in court, transportation
problems, etc.), even if permitted and/or excused by the instructor, will count as one of the class
absences against the three week equivalent cumulative limit specified in the previous paragraph.
Academic Honesty:
Behavior consistent with College and University policies on academic honesty and treatment of
members of the University community is expected of all. Cheating, plagiarizing, submitting the same
material for credit in more than one class, and other deceptive conduct with respect to a student’s work
output will be dealt with according to the University Policy on Academic Honesty, as set out in the
Graduate Bulletin of the Robinson College of Business and on the GSU and RCB websites.
Transgressions will be handled in accordance with College and University procedures.
Plagiarism and misrepresentation of work are serious offences, which can lead to expulsion and a
grade of “F” for the course. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, taking material from any source
written by another and presenting it as your own by failing to indicate full and accurate attribution to the
correct author/creator. This includes marginally altering material taken from another source and calling it
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Georgia State University
J. Mack Robinson College of Business
MBA 8000: Managing in the Global Economy
Spring 2008
your own creation. Plagiarism includes material taken from internet sources. Proper citation requires
quote marks or other distinctive set off for the material, followed directly by a reference to the source.
The source details may be in the footnotes/endnotes/reference section, but only listing a reference
without proper indication in the text is not proper attribution and can be considered plagiarism.
Misrepresentation of work includes, but is not limited to, presenting material that was prepared for
another class or outside work as an original work product that was produced for this class. All work
turned in for this class is represented by the student(s) to be original material prepared in fulfillment of
this course’s requirements.
Students in the Robinson College of Business should anticipate and expect that any and all cases of
fraud, plagiarism, misrepresentation of work, or any action that violates the University Policy of
Academic Honesty or other University policies, will result in disciplinary proceedings being against the
student(s) involved. Group members should be mindful that by placing your name on a group project
you are representing ALL of the material included.
University Policy on Disabilities:
GSU provides accessibility and reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. Students with
disabilities are responsible for contacting the Office of Disability Services to assess their needs.
Students must identify themselves and their needs to the professor no later than the first day of class.
Other Notes of Importance:
The instructors will use the students’ GSU e-mail addresses (as shown in GoSOLAR) as the primary
means of communication. Students should therefore check their GSU e-mail accounts at least on a
daily basis.
Beepers, cell phones and similar devices should be turned off (not down) or put in vibration mode at the
begin of the class. E-communication devices should not be used during class.
A refreshing beverage can be brought to the class, however, the eating of food during class time is not
allowed.
All students are to conduct themselves consistent with University policies concerning behavior in the
classroom and toward others in the University community. Students should consult their student
handbook, “On Campus”, for details on these policies.
There will be a ten minute break during most classes. It will occur at about the mid-point, but may vary
based on the flow of the material.
C.
IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION AND POLICIES
Grade Weights:
Final Exam
Mid Term Exam
Contribution to class
Instructor-Specific Component
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35%
25%
30%
10%
Georgia State University
J. Mack Robinson College of Business
MBA 8000: Managing in the Global Economy
Spring 2008
Mid Term Exam and Final Exam:
A mid term exam and a final exam will be given in this class. Both exams are instructor-specific. The
dates of these two exams are listed in the course outline. The exams will require written answers to
questions about the material and will ask you to use your skills to analyze a situation. The exams will be
the only activity in class on exam day. If you cannot take the exam at the scheduled date, you are
responsible for informing the instructor and arranging a make-up exam prior to the scheduled exam
date. No make-up exams will be given to accommodate holiday, vacation, or other social plans.
An examination score of 0 will be given if the instructor does not permit or excuse an absence from the
mid term or final exam. Absence from any examination, even when permitted or excused, will count as
one of the class absences against the limit specified in the previous section on "Attendance Policy."
Contribution to class:
Your class contribution grade for this course will be assessed in terms of the quality and quantity of your
participation in the discussion of the assigned cases and readings, including but not limited to:
1. your depth of analysis;
2. the realism of your comments or analysis;
3. the clarity of your presentation;
4. the integration of your comments into the ongoing discussion (i.e., willingness to listen to
classmates);
5. your ability to respond to questions and to defend your arguments; and
6. the contribution of your comments to the class’s learning.
Essentially, you will be graded on the thoroughness, sophistication, persuasiveness, and logic of your
classroom comments. It is important to note that a failure to meaningfully and regularly participate in
class can result in a final grade a full letter lower than that received on other graded items. Therefore
attendance is important – please arrange your schedule so that you will be able to arrive on time, attend
each class, and stay for the entire class period.
Instructor-specific component:
These points are allocated at the discretion of the instructor and will vary by class section and semester.
This component may be a group project, presentation and/or paper, one or more quizzes, a take-home
assignment, etc. Also, these points can be added to the grade-weights for the final exam, the mid term
exam, or participation. Your instructor will explain this component of your grade in detail during the first
week of class.
Grading Policy:
The Final Grade will be based on the typical 90, 80, 70, 60 etc. scale and assigned as follows:
Grade
Total Points
Value
Organizational
equivalent
A,
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D
F
93.0 100
90.092.9
87.089.9
83.086.9
80.082.9
77.079.9
73.076.9
70.072.9
60.0 - 69.9
Below 60.0
Outstanding
Excellence
Mastered material
Tagged
the bases
Unsatisfactory
Unacceptable
Promoted
Raise
No Raise
Reviewed
Fired
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Georgia State University
J. Mack Robinson College of Business
MBA 8000: Managing in the Global Economy
Spring 2008
Each student earns his or her individual grade independently. The course does not have a grading
curve. If you have any question, at any time, about your academic standing in the course, please make
an appointment and your instructor will be happy to discuss your performance with you. To preserve
your privacy, please do not attempt to discuss your performance directly before or after class, except by
appointment.
D.
GENERAL COURSE STRUCTURE AND OBJECTIVES
Course Structure
The course is based on a 2-dimensional matrix that combines the following four stages in the industry
life cycle, and five key business activities:
Stages in the industry life cycle:
A) Start-up and initial growth
B) Fighting for pole positions
C) Competing in mature markets
D) Renewal in declining industries
Key business activities:
1) Identifying markets, industries and competitive advantages
2) Finding and retaining customers
3) Organizing and using cash and capital
4) Integrating systems into organizations
5) Developing relationships among managers and employees
Course Objectives
1. Identify, describe, and discuss firms in different stages of the life cycle (initial stage, pole stage,
mature stage, renewal/dying stage).
2. Apply tools to solve problems relating to firms in different stages of the life cycle.
3. Identify, describe, and discuss the nature of markets, industries, and competition, how firms find and
retain customers, how firms organize and use cash and capital, how firms integrate systems into
organizations, and how firms develop and optimize relationships among managers and employees.
4. Apply tools to solve problems in the areas mentioned in 3 above.
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Georgia State University
J. Mack Robinson College of Business
E.
MBA 8000: Managing in the Global Economy
Spring 2008
COURSE OUTLINE (Spring 2008)
This course syllabus provides a general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary.
Daily assignments, which should be completed before that topic is covered in class, are listed in the
third column.
Class General topics
#
Class 1
Preparation Material
(accessible via www.study.net)
- Syllabus
- Creating value in organizations
- Fastest
growing,
most
admired
companies
etc.
Syllabus
1a) Can You Create More Value?
1b) Meg Whitman at eBay Inc.
- Economic forces behind value creation
- Industry-level forces behind value creation
- Competitive forces and strategy
2a) How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy
2b) Case: Apple Computer 2006
- Resource-based view of the firm and
competitive advantage
- Resources, capabilities and competences of
the firm
- Firm-level value chain
3a) The Core Competence of the Corporation
3b) Case: Southwest Airlines 1993
Class 4
- Infrastructure
- Information systems
- ERP implementation
4a) The Bullwhip Effect in Supply Chains
4b) Enterprise Resource Planning
4c) Case: Tektronix, Inc.: Global ERP
Implementation
Class 5
- Customer and market trends
- Competition in an emerging industry
- Satisfying consumer value requests
5a) Blue Ocean Strategy
5b) Virgin Mobile USA
Class 6
- IPO’s as part of entrepreneurial finance
- IPO process
- Pricing of IPO’s
6a) A Note on the Initial Public Offering Process
6b) Case: W.R. Hambrecht + Co: OpenIPO
Class 7
Mid Term Exam
7)
Class 2
Class 3
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Mid term case (will be available later)
Georgia State University
J. Mack Robinson College of Business
MBA 8000: Managing in the Global Economy
Spring 2008
Class General topics
#
Preparation Material
(accessible via www.study.net)
Class 8
- Discussion of Mid Term Exam
- The Lexus and the Olive Tree
- Actual topics
Class 9
- Business failures and their causes
- Bankruptcy procedures
- Bankruptcy and financial conditions
9a) The Trouble I’ve Seen
9b) Case: Jeepers!Inc. in 2000
Class 10
- Leadership and governance in mature systems
- Contrast US and German systems
- Roles of CEO and board of directors
10a) The Board’s Missing Link
10b) Reading: Banking on Germany?
Class 11
- Ethical conflicts in Global Management
- Stakeholder responsibility
- Corporate social responsibility
11a) Strategy and Society
11b) Case: Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts
Class 12
- Risk drivers and risk assessments
- Managing business risk
- Enterprise risk management
12a) How Risky is Your Company?
12b) Case: Environmental Risk Management at
Chevron Corporation
Class 13
- Mature phase of the product life cycle
- Innovations in mature industries
- Competition in mature industries
13a) The Discipline of Innovation
13b) Creativity is Not Enough
13c) Case: Innovation and Renovation The Nespresso Story
Class 14
- Role of a leader
- Leaders vs. managers
- Effective organizational change
14a) Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?
14b) What Leaders Really Do
14c) Case: Four Seasons Goes to Paris
- Review and synthesis
- The Lexus and the Olive Tree
- Actual topics
Will be announced in class
Final Exam
Downtown / Alpharetta / Brookhaven
(exact times/locations to be announced)
Class 15
See final
exam
schedule
Will be announced in class
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Georgia State University
J. Mack Robinson College of Business
MBA 8000: Managing in the Global Economy
Spring 2008
Course Matrix and Topics/Cases:
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