MANAGEMENT 4090
SECTIONS A & B
Course Outline
Spring 2009
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Brad Olson
EMAIL:
bradley.olson@uleth.ca
OFFICE:
D 534
CLASS TIMES:
Monday & Wednesday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. - Room: D 632
Monday & Wednesday, 10:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. - Room: D 632
OFFICE HOURS: Monday 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. & Wednesday 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 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 for textbook.
Syllabus, power point slides etc… can be found on the Class Web Site.
Olson, B. (2009). Management Policy & Strategy (Cases), Coursepack
Capsim Management Simulation Inc. (online registration is mandatory).
Internet site: http://www.capsim.com
COURSE PREREQUISITES:
Current Prerequisites (under 2008-2009 calendar):
For 40-course B. Mgt program: Fourth-year standing (a minimum of 90 credit
hours) including MGT 3020, MGT 3031, MGT 3040, MGT 3050 (or POLI 3420), 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 3050 (or POLI 3420), and MGT 3061.
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 accounting, finance, marketing, 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, a major simulation exercise, 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/Summary
Case question(s):
Mid-term exam:
Final exam:
Participation:
Business simulation game:
50
50
200
300
50
350
1,000 total points
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 should be between 5 and 8 minutes. Presentations
longer than 8 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.
MIDTERM EXAM AND FINAL EXAM: There will be two exams given during the
semester. Both will be content/theory exams consisting primarily of multiple choice
and/or short answer questions and some essay-type questions. The final exam will have
more essay-type questions. Content/theory exams will cover chapters assigned and
material brought up in lecture but not limited to your assigned readings. 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 ASSIGNMENTS AND BUSINESS STRATEGY GAME: Classes will be
divided into groups consisting of 5 or 6 members (depending on class size). The intent of
this group assignment 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. There will also be
peer evaluations. 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 unjust.
Please note: all comments regarding individual contributions (or lack thereof) should be
recorded in a journal or notebook. These peer evaluations are due April 17th, 2009.
Each group will participate in the business strategy game. The business strategy game is
a simulation exercise that gives players hands-on experience in crafting strategies, making
business decisions, and being responsible for financial performance. Students are
expected to spend a substantial amount of time on the game. Time commitment is
particularly heavy in the initial portion of the game.
You will need to register for this simulation game. To register, you will need your
“Industry ID number”. For Section A, the Industry ID number is C29251 and for
Section B, it is C29252. Please note that the industry ID number is NOT the registration
number. With my website, you can download slides to assist in your registration. Once
you have registered, I will provide you with a copy of the “Capstone Student Guide
2009”.
Although I will be a resource for the business strategy game (Capstone), I will not deal
with the operational issues of the game. There will be NO spoon-feeding. As a group, it
is your responsibility to understand the rules of the game. My input in the game will be
minimal. The manual is very explicit and straightforward. In other words, most of your
questions can be answered by reading the manual or through assistance from the
Capstone toll free number or their website. There is a steep learning curve in this game
so I would suggest you spend considerable time, upfront, playing the game.
At the end of the game, your team will submit a written report and make a formal
presentation (no longer than 25 minutes – presentations longer will be penalized by 10%)
about your company. The written report will be due on April 17th, 2009 by 5:00 pm.
Late reports will receive a 10% deduction from the group’s report grade. Presentations
will be on April 8th and 15th, 2009. I will discuss the content of the report and
presentations at a later date of the semester.
The break-down of the different categories of the simulation are as follows:
Results of game (between 100 – 150)
Presentation (between 50 – 100)
Company report (between 100 - 150)
Total must equal 350 points.
Your group must decide by January 26th, 2009 what your weighted percentages are for
each category. Otherwise, the weights will be 100 for game results, 125 for presentation
and 125 for company report.
CASE QUESTIONS: You will be responsible to be prepared for each case. 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).
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. As well, coming in late (or
leaving early) will decrease your participation points. 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
20% 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.
MGT 4090 Sections A & B
TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE
I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE ANY CHANGES DEEMED NECESSARY.
DATE
TOPIC
READING ASSIGNMENT
(OUTSIDE READINGS TBA)
01/07
Introduction/Strategic Management
Text: Chapter 1
01/12
Strategic Management
Text: Chapter 1
01/14
External Environment
Text: Chapter 3
01/19
Presentations/Internal Environment
Text: Chapter 4
01/21
Internal Environment/Case Analysis
Text: Chapter 4 /Edward’s Restaurant
01/26
Simulation Exercise – lab time
Practice round
01/28
Generic Strategy Activity
Text: Chapter 5
02/02
Simulation Exercise – lab time
Practice round due February 1 – 6:00 pm
02/04
Presentations/Business Level Strategy
Text: Chapter 5
02/09
Simulation Exercise – lab time
Decision 1 due February 8 – 6:00 pm
02/11
Mid-term Exam
02/16 – 02/18
Reading Week
02/23
Corporate Strategy/Simulation Exercise
Decision 2 due February 22 – 6:00 pm
02/25
Presentations/Corporate Strategy
Chapter 7
03/02
Acquisitions/Simulation Exercise
Decision 3 due March 1 – 6:00 pm
03/04
Presentations/Acquisitions
Chapter 8
03/09
Acquisitions
Decision 4 due March 8 – 6:00 pm
03/11
Acquisitions/Case Analysis
Chapter 8/Care Canada
03/16
Presentations/Corporate Governance
Decision 5 due March 15 – 6:00 pm
03/18
Corporate Governance
Chapter 11
03/23
Corporate Governance
Decision 6 due March 22 – 6:00 pm
03/25
Presentations/Strategy Leadership
Chapter 13
03/30
Strategic Leadership
Decision 7 due March 29 – 6:00 pm
04/01
International Strategy/Case Analysis
Chapter 9/Sepp’s
04/06
International Strategy
Chapter 9
04/08
Group Presentations
04/13
Holiday
04/15
Group Presentations
FINAL EXAM – SEE THE UNIVERSITY’S WEBSITE