University of California at Santa
Barbaraindex_files
Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and
Management
ESM 274, Competitive Advantage Strategies for Environmental
Innovation
Winter, 2010
Instructor: Professor Gary Libecap (4412 Bren Hall)
Class: MW 9:30-10:45 (Bren 1510).
Prof. Libecap’s office hours: MW, 11:00-12:30 and by appointment. Email:
glibecap@bren.ucsb.edu, phone 893-8611glibecap on 'Bren Samba Server (fiesta)' (U:)
Introduction: In this class we will examine the competitive forces that an organization
launching environmental innovations considers in devising strategies for entrepreneurial
success. We will begin with examination of strategy and competitive advantage concepts.
We will consider technology or product benefits to society and the firm, industry and
competitor analysis, production processes and nature of input supplies, identification of
target markets and consumer response. We then will turn to the environmental problem as
an opportunity for business. Finally we will incorporate these concepts in development of
business plans. We will show how competitive strategies are blended within the
marketing, operations, competitive analysis, and financial portions of the plan. The class
material will be presented within the context of student projects. All students will develop
a business plan around their group projects or other business/environmental projects.
Students will work in teams and present competitor, market, financials, and contingency
analyses. There will be weekly written assignments and presentations. The final product
is a draft business plan outline incorporating the material covered in class.
Readings. Most readings will be available either through required text books, reserve
reading, or via downloads.
Assignments. Students are required to be ready to discuss the readings used for each
class. There will a combination of lectures, student projects, and outside presentations.
Grading will be based on group assignments and presentations and the final project.
Honor Code and Joint Work. Each student is responsible for his or her own
contribution to the team.
Text Books.
Required: Robert M. Grant, Contemporary Strategy Analysis, 6th Edition, 2008,
Blackwell.
Required: Jeffry Timmons, Andrew Zacharakis, and Stephen Spinelli, Business Plans
that Work, McGraw Hill.Optional: Forest L. Reinhardt, Down to Earth: Applying
Business Principles to Environmental Management, 2000, Harvard Business School
Press.
Section &
Date
Monday
January 4
Wednesday
January 6
Monday
January 11
Wednesday
Topic
Readings
Course Overview;
Lecture 1: Course
Syllabus
Timmons, et al, Business
Lecture 2:
Plans that Work, Chapters
Business Planning
1-3.
and
Entrepreneurship
for Environmental
Innovation
Lecture 3:
Summary—
Entrepreneurship
and the
50-Mile Farms, Green Sun
Environment
and Verdant Earth Business
Lecture 4: Sample
Plans
Business Plans:
50-Mile Farms;
Verdant Earth;
Green Sun
Lecture 5:
Environmental
Strategy and
Competitive
Advantage
Lecture 6: Industry
and Competitor
Analysis
Grant, Chapters1-4;
Timmons, et al, Business
Plans that Work, Chapters
1-4.
Lecture 7: Sources Grant, Chapters 5 and 7
of Competitive
50-Mile Farms, Green Sun
Key points and Assignments
Go over course, divide into
business plans teams based on
existing or planned group
projects. Discuss role of
entrepreneurship in society and
solving societal problems,
including environmental and
resource problems with initiative
and wealth creation.
Examine student business plan
examples; student presentation
of proposed business plan ideas
for team development and
project selection.
Discuss concept of strategy,
measurement of success as they
apply to new environmental
ventures. Discuss industry and
competitor analysis in
developing a competitive
advantage. Teams are to apply
to their business plans projects
in class discussion. Compare
with 50-Mile Farms, Green Sun
and Verdant Farms.
Discuss resource advantages
and other factors affecting
January 13
Advantage
Monday
January 18
No class,
University
Holiday
Wednesday
January 20
Monday
January 25
Lecture 8:
Competitive
Advantage
Strategies
Presentation by
Eco Entrepreneur
(possibly to be
moved).
and Verdant Farms Business
Plans
Timmons, et al, Business
Plans that Work, Chapter 57.
Grant, Chapters 8 and 9
Green Sun and Verdant
Farms Business Plans.
Timmons, et al, Business
Plans that Work, Chapter 811. Appendices
competitive advantage. Teams
are to apply to their business
plan projects in class. Compare
with 50-Mile Farms, Green Sun
and Verdant Farms
Cost leadership and product or
service differentiation. Value
chain analysis. Teams are to
apply to their projects.
Student teams work outside of
class to provide outline of the
proposed business plan with
competitive advantage
arguments. To be turned in
Wednesday January 27 and
presented in class Jan 27,
February 1.
Business Plan
Outlines
Business plans outlines due and
presented in class. Mission and
vision statements, value
proposition statements due
February 3 and presented in
class.
Business Plan
Outlines
Business plans outlines due and
presented in class. Mission and
vision statements, value
proposition statements due
February 3 and presented in
class
Wednesday
February 3
Mission, vision
statements, value
propositions
Mission and vision statements,
value proposition turned in and
presented in class. Target
market definitions due February
8 to be presented in class
February 8, 10.
Monday
Target market
Wednesday
January 27
Monday
February 1
–
Industry
February 8
presentations:
Measurement,
criteria,
willingness to pay,
credibility, barriers
to entry.
definition
List of
competitors,
analysis of 5 key
competitive
factors
– Characteristics
of the target
market: location,
income, age,
ethnicity,
education.
– Identify how you
would contact
them.
Target Market definition.
Discussion of criteria and
measurement. Willingness to
pay. Credibility, Barriers to
Entry.
Marketing plan due February 17
for presentation in class, Feb
17.
–
–
Wednesday
February 10
Target market
presentations:
Measurement,
criteria,
willingness to pay,
credibility, barriers
to entry.
Industry
definition
– List of
competitors,
analysis of 5 key
competitive
factors
– Characteristics
of the target
market: location,
income, age,
ethnicity,
education.
– Identify how you
would contact
them.
Target Market definition.
Discussion of criteria and
measurement. Willingness to
pay. Credibility, Barriers to
Entry.
Marketing plan due February 17
for presentation in class, Feb
17.
Monday,
February 15
Wednesday,
February 17
No class,
University
Holiday
Marketing plans
Marketing plan presentation.
Focus on how you will obtain
information from the target
market and how you will
communicate with the target
regarding your product or
service.
Industry and Competitor
Analysis due February 22 for
presentation in class, Feb 22.
Monday,
February 22
Industry and
competitor
analysis, SWOT
analysis.
Industry and Competitor
Analysis. List existing and
potential competitors. Use
Porter’s 5 factors to analyze the
competitive structure of the
industry. SWOT analysis to
analyze competitors.
Differentiation/cost leadership
strategies for competitive
advantage due February 24 for
presentation Feb 24, Mar 1.
Wednesday,
February 24
Strategies—
Product
Differentiation,
Cost Leadership,
First Mover
Differentiation and cost
leadership strategies for
competitive advantage
presentations. Using value chain
analysis link your
service/product to the demands
of your target market. Describe
willingness to pay, barriers to
entry, credibility. Show how
your strategy will provide
competitive advantage.
Monday,
March 1
Strategies—
Product
Differentiation,
Cost Leadership,
First Mover
Differentiation and cost
leadership strategies for
competitive advantage
presentations. Using value chain
analysis link your
service/product to the demands
of your target market. Describe
willingness to pay, barriers to
entry, credibility. Show how
your strategy will provide
competitive advantage.
Financial plans due March 3 for
class presentation.
Wednesday,
March 3
Financials
Financials presentations.
Outline revenue and cost
projections, expected returns,
contingencies.
Business plans presentations
begin March 8.
Monday,
March 8
Business plans
presentations
Business Plans presentations
continue March 10.
Wednesday
March 10
Business plans
presentations
Business Plans presentations
Final Project due
via email to Gary
at
glibecap@bren.uc
sb.edu by 10 am.
Final business plan outline
due with marketing,
competitive analysis,
competitive advantage,
strategies, financials, and
team outline.
Friday
March 12
Last updated January5, 2010.