SULEMAN DAWOOD SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
MBA PROGRAMME
CLASS OF 2015
AUDITORIUM A-203
SEMESTER IV 2014-15 (SIVB)
Assignments for the week of April 06 to April 10, 2015
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MONDAY, APRIL 06
0830 - 1000 CHANNEL MANAGEMENT
M LUQMAN AWAN
Topic : Adding Channel
Case : Nature View Farm
Assignment :
1.
How has Nature view succeeded in the natural food channel?
2.
What are the two primary types of Growth strategies under consideration by Nature view? a) How do the three options compare financially in terms of yearly revenue, gross margin, required investment & profit potential? b) If the venture capitalist extended their deadline for meeting the
$20 Million revenue target by 12 to 18 months would that change your recommended action plan?
3.
What are the strategic advantages & risks of each option? What channel management & conflict issues are involved?
4.
What action plan should company pursue? What changes in the current marketing mix, sales, brand & channel partner arrangements do you recommend in order to implement the action plan?
Read :
1.
Building and Editing the Channel Value Chain I The Key
Principles-Transforming Your Go to Market Strategy
2.
Building and Editing the Channel Value Chain I A Framework for
Getting Started-Transforming Your Go to Market Strategy
1

1000 - 1030 Tea break
1030 - 1200 CORPORATE
NAEEM ASHRAF
Topic : When to Borrow?
Learning Objective : To decide whether targeted resources be obtained via basic contracts or more complex arrangements be considered, such as alliances and acquisitions
Case : The Walt Disney Company and Pixar, Inc.: To Acquire or Not to
Acquire?
1200 - 1230
1230 - 1400
Break
COMPETITION LAW AND POLICY
KHALID MIRZA
Topic : Abuse of Dominant Position
Learning Objective : To gain a general understanding of violations under this category in modern competition regimes
Read : Abuse of Dominant Position
1400 - 1500
1500 - 1630
Lunch break
INTERNATIONAL FINANCE
SAMIR AHMED
Topic : Pakistan Mercantile Exchange and Internationally Traded Futures
Contracts
Learning Objective : To understand how futures contracts are traded internationally and the factors that drive their price movements
Read :
1.
Note on PMEX
2.
Note on Futures Contracts
Assignment :
1.
What is a futures contract?
2.
What are the factors that drive their price movements?
2

3.
How does PMEX replicate international markets in real time?
TUESDAY, APRIL 07
0830 - 1000 LEADING AND MANAGING CHANGE
ANWAR KHURSHID
Topic
Learning Objective
: Appreciative Inquiry
:
1.
Examine the basis of Appreciative Inquiry
2.
Explore how appreciative inquiry can be used in practice
Case : Avon Products (A)
Assignment :
1.
Assess the effectiveness of the appreciative inquiry in leading change at Avon Mexico.
2.
How is the 4-D model of appreciative inquiry applicable in the change effort at Avon Mexico?
3.
Read :
Do you think appreciative inquiry approach to change would be applicable in Pakistani organizations? Why or why not?
1.
The Appreciative Inquiry Model
2.
Change Through Appreciative Inquiry
Tea break 1000 - 1030
1030 - 1200 DIGITAL
KHAWJA ZAIN UL ABDIN
Topic : Freedom of Content
Learning Objective : This session helps students understand modern service provision through digital platforms and what it takes to market such a product. An example of non-traditional marketing approaches and their challenges, especially with audience driven campaigns
Case : Nettwerk: Digital Marketing in the Music Industry
3

1200 - 1515
1515 - 1645
Read :
1.
Unchaining Product Development
2.
Customer Driven Marketing
3.
Social Media Marketing for Digital Products
Break
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
SHAZIB E SHAIKH
Topic : Analytical Tools and Techniques (SAM Re-visited)
Learning Objective :
1.
Analytical techniques for customer profitability
2.
Refresher on analytical tools and techniques
Case : Pilgrim Bank (A): Customer Profitability
Assignment :
1.
Why do we need to make a data-driven decision in this case? Is it really necessary?
2.
How reliable will any inference based on the sample be? Can we, for example, really make meaningful conclusions about the profitability of the overall population of Pilgrim Bank’s customers?
3.
What “level” of analytics is necessary for Green’s task?
4.
Is the variety of data categories sufficient to support the analytical level you want?
5. Overarching question: Should we charge online customers or should we instead offer incentives to them?
Note : The data file for the case and example files from the reading should be available on the course site at LMS. Stat Tools is part of
Palisade Decision Suite and available in the Trading Lab and on
LMS. SPSS can also be used to help solve this problem as studied in SAM.
An Assignment has been created on LMS and your analysis must be submitted 30 minutes before the start of the class.
4

Read : (Along with reviewing relevant readings from your old SAM course pack)
1.
Ch. 11 “Regression Analysis: Statistical Inference”
2.
Ch. 9 "Hypothesis Testing"
Both from Data Analysis & Decision Making, Albright, Winston
& Zappe (2011)
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 08
0830 - 1000 CHANNEL MANAGEMENT
M LUQMAN AWAN
Topic : Managing Multiple Channels
Case : Cisco Systems: Managing the Go-to Market Evolution
Assignment :
1.
How have Cisco’s channels evolved in the last 10-15 years? Why have they evolved that way? What does the future look like?
2.
What grades would you give Cisco for managing that evolution?
Good or a bad? Why?
3.
Against the background of your answer to questions #1 and #2, how should Cisco distribute VoIP products? Through Voice
VARSs? Data VARs? Or both?
4.
What are your reactions to the “Pyramid” model advanced in
Figure C of the case? What is the core concept of this model? Is there an alternative evolutionary model that Cisco should adopt?
Read :
1.
Stewarding Multiple Channels-Transforming your Go to Market
Strategy
2.
The Customer Has Escaped
1000 - 1030 Tea break
1030 - 1200 CORPORATE
NAEEM ASHRAF
Topic : Borrow or Buy?
Learning Objective : To choose/explore whether to obtain new resources for organization through an alliance or a full-scale acquisition
5

Case : Telenor (A): From Cellular Networks to Financial Services
1200 - 1230
1230 - 1400
Break
COMPETITION LAW AND POLICY
KHALID MIRZA
Topic : Mergers
Learning Objective : To be informed as to how mergers can affect competition and the criteria on the basis of which mergers are cleared by competition authorities
Read : Merger Control
1400 - 1500
1500 - 1630
Lunch break
INTERNATIONAL FINANCE
TANVEER SHEHZAD
Topic : Foreign Exchange Markets and Currency Derivatives I
Learning Objective : The objectives of this session are to provide grounding in exchange rates calculations and currency derivatives
Case : Foreign Exchange Markets and Transactions
Assignment :
1.
Differentiate between real and nominal exchange rates.
2.
How can Forwards, Futures, Swaps and Options be used to hedge currency risks?
THURSDAY, APRIL 09
0830 - 1000 LEADING AND MANAGING CHANGE
ANWAR KHURSHID
Topic : Approaches to Change
Learning Objective :
1.
Sense the need for change
2.
Examine various approaches to organisational change and evaluate their relative implications
3.
Study and compare different change processes
4.
Identify three main constituencies of change within an organisation
6

Case : Navistar: Managing Change
Assignment :
1.
What were the major challenges faced by International Harvester?
By Navistar?
2.
How well were these changes handled?
3.
Is change becoming easier or more difficult to manage at Navistar?
4.
How significant is the health care cost issue? What position would you take?
Read :
1.
Leading Change
2.
Cracking the Code of Change
1000 - 1030 Tea break
1030 - 1200 DIGITAL
KHAWJA ZAIN UL ABDIN
Topic : International Market Case Study: The Power of Digital Media
Guest Speaker Session
1200 - 1230
1230 - 1330
Read : Marketing Today: Branding for Digital Marketing and Social
Media
Break
SESSION WITH THE ASSOCIATE DEAN
JAMSHED H KHAN
Venue : Auditorium A-203
Note : Attendance is mandatory for all students.
1330 - 1515
1515 - 1645
Break
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
SHAZIB E SHAIKH
Topic : Aligning BI Strategy with Business Strategy
7

Learning Objective :
1.
CRM features and elements
2.
CRM adoption as an instance of BI strategy
Case : Canyon Ranch
Assignment :
1.
The reading suggests a focus only on “pain-points” in the CRM cycle. Isn’t this against the essence of the CRM philosophy: integration of all processes that touch the customer to provide a single-window? Wouldn’t it result in a fragmented interaction with the customer?
2.
How is Canyon Ranch’s market changing? What does this mean for its business strategy? Has Canyon Ranch taken the right steps in this direction?
3.
Should Canyon Ranch engage in a personalisation and CRM strategy? Why?
4.
What should Canyon Ranch’s strategy look like? Focus on
Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires. The reading may help.
FRIDAY, APRIL 10
Read : CRM Done Right
0830 - 1845 MBA
HASSAN RAUF
Work on MBA Project
8