AEC 422-001 Topical Outline and Selected Assignments (Topics and Assignments Subject to Change) Fall 2014 Aug 27 Class organization Introduction: Strategy and Economics Discuss role and procedure of case studies Application and use of case studies using Nest Fresh Eggs Sept 1 Labor Day Sept 3 Unit 1: Applying Microeconomics to the Firm* Review Besenko, Introduction: Economics Primer, pp. 9-31 Horizontal Boundaries of the Firm: (Chapter 2) Guidelines for Agribusiness Markets and Competition Analysis Sept 8 Preliminary memo due on Nest Fresh Eggs In-class discussion of Nest Fresh Eggs case Sept 10 Horizontal Boundaries (continued)* Exercise 1 due Sept 15 Vertical Boundaries (Chapter 3)* Read Basenko Ch 3 Sept 17 Vertical Boundaries (continued)* Read Basenko Ch 4 Exercise 2 due Sept 22 Competitors and Competition (Chapter 5)* Sept 24 Competitors and Competition (continued)* Exercise 3 due Sept 29 Case Study: Diamond Foods Preliminary memo due on Diamond Foods Oct 1 Unit 2: Financial Decision Making* Handouts on financial decision making Final memo due on Diamond Foods Financial Decision Making (continued)* Oct 6 Financial Decision Making (continued) * Oct 8 Case Study: Monforte Dairy (or to be determined) Preliminary memo due on Monforte Dairy (or TBD) Oct 13 Unit 3: Industry Analysis Industry Analysis (Chapter 8)* Exercise 4 due Oct 15 Industry Analysis (Ch 8)* Final memo due on Monforte Dairy (or TBD) Oct 20 Case Study: Whole Foods Market, Inc. Preliminary memo due on Whole Foods Market, Inc. Oct 22 Unit 4: Value Chains and Competition Strategic Positioning for Competitive Advantage (Chapter 9)* Final memo due on Whole Foods Market, Inc. Oct 27 Strategic Positioning for Competitive Advantage (continued)* Oct 29 Case Study: Robert Mondavi and the Wine Industry Preliminary memo due on Mondavi Nov 3 Unit 5: Building and Sustaining Competitive Advantage Sustaining Competitive Advantage (Chapter 11)* Nov 5 The Origins of Competitive Advantage: Innovation, Evolution, Environment (Chapter 11)* Final memo due on Mondavi Nov 10 Building and Sustaining Competitive Advantage (continued)* Nov 12 Building and Sustaining Competitive Advantage (continued)* Exercise 5 due Nov 17 Case Study: Monsanto: Helping Farmers Feed the World Preliminary memo due on Monsanto Nov 19 Unit 6: Special Topics in Agribusiness Multinational Agribusinesses and Sustainability* Final memo due on Monsanto Nov 24 Case Study: Nestle: Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Preliminary memo only for Nestle case Nov 26 Thanksgiving Break Dec 1 Project Consultation Day Dec 3 Team project oral reports (two teams) Team Agribusiness Project Analysis written reports due from all teams Class evaluations Dec 8 Team project oral reports (three teams) Dec 10 Team project oral reports (three teams) Wrap-up discussion on team projects and reports Dec 15 No final exam – Reserve option to have oral reports at this time (1.00-3.00) *- likely QUOD