MANAGEMENT 4090 SECTION D
Course Outline
Fall 2008
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 631
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), 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 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, 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:
Case question(s):
50
Content exam 1:
150
Content exam 2:
150
Case final exam:
230
Participation:
50
Business simulation game:
350
Simulation homework assignments: 20
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.
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 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.
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”. It is C27276. 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) about
your company. The written report will be due on December 5th, 2008. The presentations
will be on December 2nd and 4th, 2008. 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.
You must decide by September 23rd, 2008 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.
SIMULATION HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS:
I will give a number of exercises for you to complete in order for you to prepare for the
simulation game.
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.
FINAL NOTE: It has been my experience 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.
4090 Section D
TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE
I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE ANY CHANGES DEEMED NECESSARY.
DATE
TOPIC
READING ASSIGNMENT
(OUTSIDE READINGS TBA)
09/4
Introduction/Strategic Management
Text: Chapter 1
09/9
Strategic Management
Text: Chapter 1
09/11
Firm Performance
Text: Chapter 2
09/16
External Environment/Case Analysis
Text: Chapter 3/ Edward’s Restaurant
09/18
External Environment
Text: Chapter 3
09/23
Internal Environment/Case Analysis
Text: Chapter 4/ Care Canada
09/25
Simulation Exercise
Practice round
09/30
Generic Strategy Activity
Text: Chapter 5
10/2
Simulation Exercise
Practice round due Oct 1 - 2:00 pm
10/7
Business Level Strategy
Text: Chapter 5
10/9
Simulation Exercise
Decision 1 due Oct 8 - 2:00 pm
10/14
Content Exam # 1
10/16
Simulation Exercise/Corporate-Level Strategy
Chapter 7/ Decision 2 due Oct 15 - 2:00 pm
10/21
Corporate Level Strategy
Text: Chapter 7
10/23
Simulation Exercise/Acquisitions
Chapter 8/Decision 3 due Oct 22 - 2:00 pm
10/28
Acquisitions/Case Analysis
Text : Chapter 8/ Vincor and the New…
10/30
Acquisitions
Chapter 8/Decision 4 due Oct 29 - 2:00 pm
11/4
Corporate Governance
Text: Chapter 11
11/6
Corporate Governance
Chapter 11/ Decision 5 due Nov 5 – 2:00 pm
11/11
Holiday
11/13
Strategic Leadership
Chapter 13/Decision 6 due Nov 12 -2:00 pm
11/18
Strategic Leadership/Case Analysis
Text: Chapter 13/Sepp’s Gourmet…
11/20
International Strategy
Chapter 9/Decision 7 due Nov 19 - 2:00 pm
11/25
International Strategy/Case Analysis
Text: Chapter 9/Perdue Farms
11/27
Content Exam # 2
12/2
Group Presentations
12/4
Group Presentations
FINAL EXAM – T.B.A.