MANAGEMENT 4090 SECTION D
Course Outline
Fall 2007
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Brad Olson
EMAIL:
bradley.olson@uleth.ca
OFFICE:
D 534
CLASS TIMES:
Tuesday & Thursday, 1:40 p.m. to 2:55 p.m. - Room: D 630
OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. & Thursday 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. or
by appointment.
TEXTS: Hitt, M., Ireland, R., Hoskisson, R., Rowe, W., & Sheppard, J., (2006).
Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization -- Concepts, (Second
Canadian Edition). Toronto: Thomas/Nelson.
Internet site: http://hitt2e.nelson.com.
Syllabus, power point slides etc… can be found on the Class Web Site.
Olson, B. (2007). Management Policy & Strategy (Cases), Toronto: Nelson. (Note: will
not be ready until beginning of October)
COURSE PREREQUISITES:
Current Prerequisites (under 2003-2004 calendar):
For 40-course B. Mgt program: Fourth-year standing (a minimum of 90 credit
hours) including MGT 2060, MGT 3020, MGT 3031, MGT 3051 (or POLI 3421), and
MGT 3061.
For Post-diploma B. Mgt program: Fourth-year standing (a minimum of 90 credit
hours) and admission to the Bachelor of Management program via Diploma Admission
Route, including MGT 3031, MGT 3051 (or POLI 3421), and MGT 3061.
Former Prerequisites (under calendars prior to 2003-2004):
For all B. Mgt programs: Fourth-year standing (a minimum of 90 credit hours)
including MGT 2060, MGT 3010, MGT 3020, MGT 2030 (3030), MGT 3040, and MGT
3051 (3050).
COURSE OBJECTIVES: To provide students with the knowledge to integrate core
business functions and implement sound strategic decisions. Students will become
familiar with the terms, concepts and theories associated with business policy and
strategy. During and after this course, it is hoped that students will understand and
appreciate that strategic decisions affect the entire organization, and thus learn the
importance of integrating disciplines such as economics, accounting, finance, etc.
Emphasis will be placed on the development of analytical skills, critical thinking, and
written and oral communication skills.
METHOD: To convey the foundation of business policy and strategy, I will incorporate
lecture, class activities, case analyses, presentations and videos throughout the semester.
The student, therefore, must be fully prepared so that he or she is aware of what is being
covered in each class.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING:
Oral Presentations and Summary:
Case question(s):
Content exam 1:
Content exam 2:
Case final exam:
Group case assignments:
Participation:
Group project/presentation:
50
50
150
150
200
200
50
150
1,000 total points*
*does not include extra credit points – 5 points maximum
860 – 1000: Excellent - 950 – 1000 = A+; 900 – 949 = A; 860 – 899 = A-;
740 – 859: Good - 820 – 859 = B+; 780 – 819 = B; 740 – 779 = B-;
620 – 739: Satisfactory - 700 – 739 = C+; 660 – 699 = C; 620 – 659 = C-;
500 – 619: Pass - 580 – 619 = D+; 500 – 579 = D;
0 – 499: = Fail - 0 – 499 = F.
ORAL PRESENTATION PLUS BRIEF SUMMARY: Each student will select a
current article from any relevant business magazine (i.e. Harvard Business Review,
Academy of Management Executive) related to a strategic management topic or concept
and analyze the article, discussing its relationship and relevance to this course. Give a
summary of the article and discuss how a strategic management concept is illustrated in
this article. Visual aids are not necessary for this presentation. The outline will be brief,
no longer than one page (singled spaced), and will be due the day of the
presentation. Presentations longer than 10 minutes will be penalized. I will choose
who will speak in each session. I am looking at areas such as how interesting/relevant
the article is to the class (i.e. a strictly marketing article belongs in a marketing not a
strategy class) and how prepared you are (do you read the article, do you have good eye
contact, how is your voice transition and pronunciation, etc.). This is not an exhaustive
list, but these suggestions give you an idea of what I am looking for.
Feedback for your presentation will be not only based on my observations but also based
on your fellow classmates. Therefore, I will request feedback from your peers. This is an
excellent way to learn.
MIDTERM EXAMS AND FINAL EXAM: There will be three exams given during the
semester. Two will be content exams consisting primarily of multiple choice and/or short
answer questions and some essay-type questions. Content exams will cover chapters
assigned and material brought up in lecture but not limited to your assigned readings. The
final exam will be a case analysis. We will discuss the format of the case exam during
the semester. Make-up exams will only be given in extreme circumstances. You
must get approval from me before the day of the exam. I reserve the right to refuse
any request for a make-up exam. No hats are allowed in the exams. IPods, cell
phones and other such devices must be turned off.
GROUP CASE ASSIGNMENTS AND GROUP PROJECT/PRESENTATION:
Classes will be divided into groups consisting of 3, 4 or 5 members (depending on class
size). The intent of these group case assignments/projects is to prepare students to work
with others that have different responsibilities within a company. Therefore, groups
should consist of different majors (i.e. accounting, management, finance, and marketing),
if possible.
Each group will participate in the group case assignments and group project/presentation.
I will incorporate between 5 to 7 cases throughout the semester. I will choose two cases
to grade. There is no minimum page limit; however, there will be a 10 page, double
spaced, maximum limit (excluding tables, graphs, references). These assignments will be
announced in class. Graded cases will be due at the beginning of class. Group cases that
are late will not be accepted and thus your group will receive zero points for that case.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The group project/presentation should be performed on a public company. For the group
project/presentation, your group will complete and present a feasibility study.
Your analysis should include, but not be limited to, the following:
Industry Analysis:
The industry analysis should be organized as follows:
1. Industry Environment
- Discuss the competitors
- Discuss the products and services produced by the firms in this industry.
2. Strategies in the industry
- Business-level strategies being pursued by firms within the industry
- What must a firm do well to compete effectively in this industry?
3. General Environment
- How have the general environmental factors (i.e. demographic) influenced the
industry?
4. Industry Specific Environment
- i.e. Porter’s five forces.
5. Strategic Groups within the industry.
- Identify strategic groups within the industry.
6. Industry Opportunities and Threats
- What are the key opportunities and which companies are most likely to take
advantage of these opportunities?
- What are the key threats and which firms are likely to be most affected by
these threats?
Company Analysis
Please address the following issues in your company analysis:
1. Description of the Firm
- i.e. history, product lines, scope of firm, firm size.
2. Strengths and Weaknesses
- Which functional areas within the firm are particularly strong and which are
particularly weak? Why?
- Financial and non-financial performance analysis
- Other
3. Current Strategy
- Describe the firm’s strategies at the corporate, business, and functional levels.
Are they effective? Why?
4. Recommended Actions.
Your choice of industry and firm must be approved by the end of the eighth week of
class.
The following companies cannot be used: Microsoft, Nutrisystem, Bombardier, Google,
Canadian Tire, Tim Horton’s, L’Oreal, Cineplex, Starwood Hotel & Resorts, General
Motors, Aber Diamond Corporation, Westjet Airlines, Turnkey E & P, Apple Computers,
ATI Corporation, Encana Corporation, Stelco Ltd., Proctor & Gamble, Coca Cola
Company, Telus Corporation, Warner Music Group, Suncor Energy, Forzani Group
Limited, Shell Canada, and Starbucks, Dell Computers, Virgin, Royal Caribbean, Sirius
Radio, Qantas Airlines, Disney, Cott Corporation, Nike, Staples, Toshiba, Ebay, Boeing,
Goldcorp Inc., Puma.
Only one group will be allowed to analyze a chosen firm. Choice of firm is on a firstcome, first served basis.
There will not be a formal write-up, however, you must cite and reference your sources.
The group project/presentation will be graded on the quality of the content of the material
as well as the content of slides and the actual presentation of the material. Therefore, I
will need a copy of your slides and organized notes (no cue cards or hand written notes)
by no later than 3:00 pm the day before the presentation. It is essential that these
organized notes are clear, specific and well supported. Groups that are late will receive at
a minimum 10% deduction from their group project/presentation grade. Disorganized
materials will result in points taken off. I will provide more specifics on the analysis as
the semester progresses.
There will also be peer evaluations for group assignments/projects. These peer
evaluations will be conducted to assess individual contributions to team performance; I
will adjust grades as necessary based on the peer evaluations. However, I do have the
right to adjust any evaluation if I deem it unfair.
CASE QUESTIONS: You will be responsible to be prepared for each case. For the
cases not graded, I will choose at least one case where I will ask one or two questions that
you (individually) will write responses to during the class period. There will be a time
limit on the written responses. If you miss this class, you will receive zero points on that
question(s).
EXTRA CREDIT PROJECT: Part of the course will deal with the importance of
international management. To add some spice in the class, we will have an international
class day. The class will include an international food segment where groups that want to
participate will prepare a simple international dessert. I want variety so please ensure that
you contact me first so that everyone does not bring the same dish. Please ensure that you
provide a listing of your ingredients so that if anybody is allergic to a particular
food/spice then he or she will be alerted to it. No alcoholic drinks, please. Should a
group not want to participate in this project, yet still want to obtain the extra credit points,
they may prepare a report dealing with cultural issues that would affect the organization.
This report would be no longer than five pages, doubled spaced. Your group needs to
approve the topic beforehand.
Those individuals that do not wish to participate in either extra credit project will not be
penalized on their peer evaluation scores. They would forfeit only the points for the
extra credit project.
PARTICIPATION: Participation will be determined by your attendance and
involvement in class discussions. I will randomly take attendance and note individual
involvement throughout the semester. Coming to class prepared (or not prepared) will
increase (or decrease) your participation points. Therefore, attending and preparing for
class are essential. Rudeness to the instructor or to your fellow peers will not be
tolerated. Talking to classmates while the instructor or other peers are in discussion is not
acceptable, and you will be marked down for such actions. The distribution of these
points is solely at the discretion of the instructor. Attendance does not equal
participation, meaning coming to all classes will not, in itself, warrant all points
associated with attendance and participation. In fact, coming to class would only warrant
approximately 25% of the participation marks. Therefore, even if you came to every
class, yet you do not participate or participate very little in relation to other students, then
you should expect no more than a quarter of the participation points.
ATTENDANCE: You are expected to attend each scheduled class. If you must miss
a class, it is your responsibility to get notes, assignments and other information from
another student. I will make announcements of any schedule or exam changes in class.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: No form of academic misconduct will be tolerated.
Please see your student handbook or school catalog for the University's policy.
FINAL NOTE: It has been my experience (in both academic and job-related settings)
that the best way to learn is to enjoy what you are doing. So let’s have some fun. Let’s
come to class prepared and then together share what we have learned. My goal as an
educator is to teach students what is relevant in the “real world”. Sharing experiences
and knowledge will help fulfill this goal.
4090 Section D
TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE
I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE ANY CHANGES DEEMED NECESSARY.
DATE
TOPIC
READING ASSIGNMENT
(OUTSIDE READINGS TBA)
09/6
Introduction/Strategic Management
Text: Chapter 1
09/11
Strategic Management
Text: Chapter 1
09/13
Firm Performance
Text: Chapter 2
09/18
External Environment
Text: Chapter 3
09/20
Presentations/External Environment
Text: Chapter 3
09/25
Internal Environment
Text: Chapter 4
09/27
Presentations/Internal Environment
Text: Chapter 4
10/2
Business Level Strategy /Case Analysis
Text: Chapter 5/ Digitech Industries
10/4
Generic Strategy Activity
Text: Chapter 5
10/9
Presentations/Business Level Strategy
Text: Chapter 5
10/11
Content Exam # 1
10/16
Corporate-Level Strategy/Case Analysis
Text: Chapter 7/ Edward’s Restaurant
10/18
Presentations/Corporate Level Strategy
Text: Chapter 7
10/23
Acquisitions/Restructuring
Text: Chapter 8
10/25
Acquisitions/Case Analysis
Text : Chapter 8/ Vincor and the New…
10/30
Presentations/Corporate Governance
Text: Chapter 11
11/1
Corporate Governance/Case Analysis
Text: Chapter 11/ Care Canada
11/6
Presentations/Strategic Leadership
Text: Chapter 13
11/8
Strategic Leadership/Case Analysis
Text: Chapter 13/Sepp’s Gourmet…
11/13
Presentations/Strategic Leadership
Text: Chapter 13
11/15
International Strategy
Text: Chapter 9/Perdue Farms
11/20
International Day
11/22
International Strategy
11/27
Content Exam # 2
11/29
Group Project Presentation
Text: Chapter 9
12/4
Group Project Presentation
12/6
Group Project Presentation
FINAL EXAM – See U of L’s website