Aug 22
Aug 27
Aug 29
Sept 3
Sept 5
Sept 10
Sept 12
Sept 17
Sept 19
Sept 24
Sept 26
Oct 1
Oct 3
Oct 8
Oct 10
Oct 15
(Topics and Assignments Subject to Change)
Fall 2012
Class organization
Introduction: Strategy and Economics
Discuss role and procedure of case studies
Application and use of case studies using Nest Fresh Eggs
Unit 1: Applying Microeconomics to the Firm*
Review Besenko Ch 1, Basic Microeconomic Principles & summary p.38-39
Horizontal Boundaries: Economies of Scale and Scope (Chapter 2)
Guidelines for Agribusiness Markets and Competition Analysis
Preliminary memo due on Nest Fresh Eggs
In-class discussion of Nest Fresh Eggs case
Labor Day
Horizontal Boundaries (continued)*
Exercise 1 due
Vertical Boundaries (Chapter 5)*
Vertical Boundaries (continued)*
Chapter 5 plus Value Chain Analysis
Exercise 2 due
Competitors and Competition (Chapter 8)*
Competitors and Competition (continued)*
Exercise 3 due
Case Study: Dean Foods
Preliminary memo due on Dean Foods
Unit 2: Financial Decision Making*
Handouts on financial decision making
Final memo due on Dean Foods
Financial Decision Making (continued)*
Exercise 3 due
Financial Decision Making (continued) *
Case Study: Monforte Dairy
Preliminary memo due on Monforte Dairy
Unit 3: Industry Analysis
Industry Analysis (Chapter 12)*
Exercise 4 due
Industry Analysis (Ch 12)*

Oct 22
Oct 24
Oct 29
Oct 31
Nov 5
Oct 17
Nov 7
Nov 12
Nov 14
Nov 19
Nov 21
Nov 26
Nov 28
Final memo due on Monforte Dairy
Case Study: Global Wine Wars
Preliminary memo due on Global Wine Wars
Unit 4: Value Chains and Competition
Strategic Positioning for Competitive Advantage (Chapter 13)*
Final memo due on Monforte Dairy
Unit 4: Value Chains and Competition
Strategic Positioning for Competitive Advantage (Chapter 13)*
Final memo due on Global Wine Wars
Case Study: Global Wine Wars
Preliminary memo due on Global Wine Wars
Strategic Positioning for Competitive Advantage (continued)*
Final memo due on Global Wine Wars (Postpone due on Friday, Oct 26, at 5 PM)
Case Study: Whole Foods Market, Inc.
Preliminary memo due on Whole Foods
Unit 5: Building and Sustaining Competitive Advantage
Sustaining Competitive Advantage (Chapter 14)*
Unit 5: Building and Sustaining Competitive Advantage
Sustaining Competitive Advantage (Chapter 14)*
In-class discussion of Case Study: Whole Foods Market, Inc.
Preliminary memo due on Whole Foods
The Origins of Competitive Advantage: Innovation, Evolution, Environment
(Chapter 15)*
Final memo due on Whole Foods
Building and Sustaining Competitive Advantage (continued)*
Exercise 5 due
Case Study: Monsanto: Leadership in a New Environment
Preliminary memo due on Monsanto
Unit 6: Special Topics in Agribusiness
Multinational Agribusinesses and Sustainability*
Final memo due on Monsanto
Case Study: McDonald’s Corporation: Managing a Sustainable Supply Chain
Preliminary memo only for McDonalds case
Thanksgiving Break
Project Consultation Day
Team project oral reports (two teams)
Team Agribusiness Project Analysis written reports due from all teams
Class evaluations

Dec 3
Dec 5
Dec 14
Team project oral reports (three teams)
Team project oral reports (three teams)
Wrap-up discussion on team projects and reports
No final exam – Reserve option to have oral reports at this time (1.00-3.00)
*- QUOD