MGT 699 - Business Policy
and Strategy
WALTER J. FERRIER, Ph.D.
Tel: 257-9326
E-mail: walter.ferrier@uky.edu
Def.: Strategic Management -- The set of
commitments, decisions, and actions
required to achieve competitiveness.
Strategic Management in the News
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Low price leader / Price cutting
Differentiated player / Unique product or marketing
approach
Market pioneer / Innovator, first-mover / New
products, etc.
M&A / Restructuring / Turnaround
Alliances / Joint ventures
New international markets / off shore production
New plants / equipment / efficiency processes
Course Perspective:
Strategy…A View from the Top?
Top Management
Functional
Management
• Marketing
• Production
• R&D
• Logistics
• Acct./Fin.
Value-adding
Activities
Comments from the Fortune 500
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Need to change culture … need big picture view
Keeping track of competitors / customers is
everyone’s job
Cross-functional integration
– Strategy
– Problem-solving
– Decision-making
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Good ideas get killed on their way bubbling up …
because they bubble straight up instead of
circulating around first.
Medium-Term Benefits at Big Inc.
Top Management
Don’t let
this be you.
?
Interested in Entrepreneurship?
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Small business management …
Start-ups …
YOU will be a top officer, strategist,
decision-maker:
– Pazzo’s vs. Joe Bologna’s vs. Domino’s
– Lexington Brewing Co. vs. Anheuser-Busch
– John’s Running Shop vs. Footlocker
– Pannell’s Swim Shop vs. Dick’s Sporting Goods
Managing Expectations
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What you will get from this course:
– Useful frameworks/heuristics
– How to manage information and knowledge
– Ability to integrate and analyze
– Ability to anticipate and react
– Ability to solve strategic problems
– Ability to make decisions
– “Big picture” perspective
Strategic Management: Course Content
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What is it? What do CEOs do and worry
about?
Analysis of industries and competition
Business-level strategy: How to compete?
Competitive dynamics: Head-to head rivalry
Corporate-level strategy: Managing the
portfolio
Pedagogical Approach
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Real-world business cases & current events
On-line readings
Oral case reports
Field exercises
Web-based strategy simulations
Class discussions/participation
Videos, guest speakers
Course Materials
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QuickMBA.com
CAPSTONE™ simulation (...details soon)
AFTERMARKET™ simulation (...details later)
PRICE STRATEGY simulation (...details later)
MERGER PLAN simulation (???)
CITY CAR simulation (???)
XANEDU.COM on-line course pack:
 IBP and Meat Industry  Pennzoil
 XM Satellite Radio
 Gillette
 Webvan
 Kraft/Genl Food
 Plus 5 HBR articles
LISTSERV
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Subscribe:
1. Send E-mail by noon tomorrow to:
walter.ferrier@uky.edu
2. Check your e-mail tomorrow for ‘welcome’
message(s)
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To send message to MGT699 list:
Send to: MGT699@lsv.uky.edu
Remember: Messages sent to MGT699 list
will be received by EVERYONE in class!
Assignments & Grading
ITEM
Capstone Simulation Score
Oral Case Report
Case Analysis Summary #1
Case Analysis Summary #2
Other simulations, etc.?
Participation
WEIGHT
?
XANEDU.COM
University of Kentucky MBA - MGT 699 Business Policy & Strategy
1. www.xanedu.com/login?PackId=172828
2. Go to "Student Registration"
3. Confirm your CoursePack Selection; complete
purchase form.
4. Go to "My XanEdu“ to access MGT 699
CoursePack.
5. CoursePack includes encrypted items with
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and install a free SealedMedia plugin to access
this content.
CAPSTONE Simulation
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Web-based, interactive competition
simulation
Teams play role of CEO, CFO, COO, etc.
Teams compete against one another
Coordinate multifunctional strategy,
decision-making, etc.
Computer rankings, pre-game report, postgame report
Assignments for Next Week
MONDAY
 Subscribe to XANEDU.com
– What is strategy? (Porter)
– Making strategy: Learn by doing (Christensen)
– Minutes of Oct 19 ExComm Meeting
– I will also send other links about Cuban Missile Crisis via e-mail
WEDNESDAY
 Case study (XANEDU.com)
– IBP and the U.S. Meat Industry