BUSI 5906A - Business Case Analysis
Fall 2013 F1 - Course Outline
Instructor:
Office:
Telephone:
Email:
Seminars:
Practicum:
Office Hours:
Julie Caldwell
810 Dunton Tower
520-2600 x 8848 julie_caldwell@carleton.ca
Wednesdays – 11:30am to 2:30pm
Tuesdays – 10:00am to 11:30am by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
Introduction to, and practical application of, the methods and tools of rigorous business case analysis and the design of strategic responses, including the preparation and delivery of presentations designed to convince decision makers of the validity of the analysis and strategic response.
LEARNING GOALS
This course aims to provide students with the following skills:
 Critical analysis of information through use of case-based corporate scenarios.
 Development of logical, coherent, and well supported arguments.
 Refined presentation, written and verbal skills for use in the business environment.
In addition, the course is consider a ‘feeder’ course for MBA students that are interested in competing in academic case competitions at the MBA level through our prestigious Sprott Competes training program
( http://sprottcompetes.ca
)
PREREQUISITES
Enrolment in the MBA.
The School of Business enforces all prerequisites .
REQUIRED READINGS
TEXT: The Case Study Handbook: How to Read, Discuss, and Write Persuasively About Cases by William Elliot,
Harvard Business school Press, 2007
CASE STUDY: Research in Motion: Managing Explosive Growth, Rod E. White, Paul W. Beamish, Daina Mazutis.
Product Number: 9B08M046
The book can be bought at Haven Books on Sunnyside.
The case study can be purchased at iveycases.com
BUSI 5906A 1 Fall 2013 F1

CELLULAR PHONES
The use of cellular phones IS NOT PERMITTED in this class. It is disruptive to the instructor and class members.
If you carry a phone to class, please make sure it is turned off. If an emergency situation requires you to keep your cell phone turned on you may wish to keep the silent mode on, please discuss this with the instructor prior to the class starting .
GRADING SCHEME
1. Practicum
2. Class Participation
3. 4 Short Case Analyses (10% each)
4. Final Case Presentation (Team)
5. Written Executive Summary (Team)
12%
13%
40%
20%
15%
TOTAL 100%
LATE ASSIGNMENTS POLICY
Assignments must be handed in before the class begins. Late papers will not be accepted.
PRACTICUM (12%) Tuesdays from 10:00am to 11:30am
Students will be required to practice and hone their presentation and analyses skills during this practicum.
Each week, students will be assigned a case to review and prepare an individual written summary. Each team will be expected to discuss the case and prepare a short 10 minute presentation on their findings and recommendations the following week.
Teams will be given a minimum of 15 minutes during the practicum to do a run through of their presentation and ask questions of the TA to ensure that they are on the right track. Teams are expected to stay and watch and learn from other groups during the practicum and to share feedback to other teams where appropriate, but are to be respectful of the time allotted for each group.
CLASS PARTICIPATION (13%)
Each week, the class will actively discuss new concepts and cases and present analyses and recommendations.
Participation marks will depend on three factors: presence, preparation, and positive contribution to the class.
Students who do not attend class OR arrive late/leave early will not be awarded participation marks for that week. Students who attend class but do not contribute in a positive manner to class discussions will also lose marks. Preparation and active participation in this hands-on and practice-focused course, is the expectation.
SHORT CASE ANALYSES (4 x 10% each) THIS IS AN INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT
Each week, a short case will be assigned. You must come prepared with a short case analysis which will be in the form of a written report of approximately 1 page. A short case analysis template will be provided. After the summary has been handed in, you will be given time to discuss the case with your team. Your team will then present the case in class the following week. You will be expected to practice your presentation in the
Practicum. Further details will be provided on the course website Assignments page. Please note that class presentations will be videotaped from week to week and made available for team review and practice.
Students not comfortable with this component should speak with the instructor at the first class. When possible, invited guests will attend classes for presentations and share feedback with teams.
FINAL CASE PRESENTATION (20%) THIS IS A TEAM ASSIGNMENT
Students will be assigned to small teams of 3 to 4 people. Each team will be assigned a case to assess and prepare a presentation to make to the class. Each team will present their case analysis during the last class.
Presentations will be 20 minutes in length followed by an opportunity for Q&A. Further details will be provided on the course website Assignments page. NOTE: no written team report is required on the day of this presentation.
BUSI 5906A 2 Fall 2013 F1

FINAL CASE REPORT (15%) THIS IS A TEAM ASSIGNMENT
Each team will be required to submit a written report based on final case presentation. The report will be no more than 4 pages in length that integrates the elements of analyses learned in the course. This is a team assignment. Further details will be provided on the course website Assignments page.
COMMUNICATION
Information on weekly assignments and other general information will be communicated during class on a regular basis. However, weekly readings, critical additional information, updates about the class and details regarding upcoming assignments will be posted to the course webpage ( https://carleton.ca/culearn/ ). It is your responsibility to visit cuLearn regularly and to do your required readings and analyses in advance of each class.
BUSI 5906A 3 Fall 2013 F1

Date Topic & Chapters
CLASS
Sept. 11
CLASS
Sept. 18
Part 1: COURSE OVERVIEW & EXPECTATIONS
Part 2: DEFINING PROBLEMS – CRITICAL
THINKING
Part 3: CASE DISCUSSION
PRACTICUM
Sept. 17
Practicum:
Practice presentations CASE 1:
 Allentown Materials Corporation: The
Electronic Products Division (Abridged)
Part 1: TEAM PRESENTATIONS – Case 1
Part 2: PRESENTATION SKILLS & STRATEGY
COURSE SCHEDULE
Reading/Chapter
2. What is a case
8. How to discuss a case
9. Writing a case-based strategy
*optional read of Ch. 10-12
5. Problems
CASE 1: Allentown Materials Corporation:
The Electronic Products Division (Abridged)
None
None
None
None
PRACTICUM
Sept.24
Practicum:
Practice presentations CASE 2:
 General Motors: Packard Electric Division
None
CLASS
Sept. 25
PRACTICUM
Oct. 1
Part 1:
Part 2:
TEAM PRESENTATIONS – Case 2
ANALYSIS
Practicum:
Practice presentations CASE 3:
 Whistler Corporation (Abridged)
3. How to analyze a case
4. Case Analysis Demonstrations
None None
Deliverables
 Team Presentation: CASE 1: Allentown
Materials Corporation: The Electronic
Products Division (Abridged)
 Individual Written Case Analysis for
Case 1
None
 Team Presentation: CASE 2: General
Motors: Packard Electric Division
 Individual Written Case Analysis for
Case 2
BUSI 5906A 4 Fall 2013 F1

CLASS
Oct. 2
Part 1: TEAM PRESENTATIONS – Case 3
Part 2: DECISIONS
PRACTICUM
Oct. 8
CLASS
Oct. 9
Practicum:
Practice presentations CASE 4:
 Malaysia in the 1990’s (A)
Part 1: TEAM PRESENTATIONS – Case 4
Part 2: RECOMMENDATIONS
PRACTICUM
Oct. 15
CLASS
Oct. 16
Practicum: Practice Final Presentations for RIM
FINAL TEAM CASE PRESENTATIONS
Oct. 23 NO CLASS
6. Decisions
None
7. Evaluations
None
 Team Presentation: CASE 3: Whistler
Corporation (Abridged)
 Individual Written Case Analysis for
Case 3
None
Team Presentation: CASE 4:
Malaysia in the 1990s (A)
Short Analysis Final Case: RIM
None
Final Case Presentations: RIM
Written Case Report Due: RIM
BUSI 5906A 5 Fall 2013 F1

BASIC NORMS FOR THIS CLASS:
A CALL TO ACTION FOR LEARNING AND SUCCESS THROUGH COMMITMENT
You are investing a lot of time, energy, and money in your education. Your chances of earning a potential return on your investment in each course end when each course does. Learning and success in your education requires your active commitment to it. You will be successful in this course if during class and homework times you are prepared to learn, engage in, and commit to the learning process. I am prepared to do everything I can to help you.
My Commitment Your Commitment

Prepare a learning environment for each class.

Come to all classes ready to learn and participate.

Start and finish on time, provide a break

Attend all classes, attend each class in full.
Missing classes and/or arriving late or leaving early, except for emergencies and with notification, is rude to the class and disruptive of the learning environment.

Cell phone/PDA switched off throughout class.

Cell phone/PDA switched off throughout class.

Solicit and encourage participation.

Participate constructively, presenting own ideas and critiquing those of others.

Present opportunities to learn new ideas.

Provide opportunities to apply new learning.

Strive to learn, seek clarification, and ask questions.

Think about how to apply new learning to examples given and share with class.

Keep up-to-date with theory and practice and link course material to current events.

Provide detailed instructions on assignments.
Provide timely feedback on assignments, exams.

Make an effort to track what’s happening in your profession.

Provide assistance and opportunities to consult during class breaks, during office hours, by email, and at other times as required subject to availability.

Seek assistance as issues arise. Do not expect
24 hour e-mail feedback, and consider your colleagues – the instructor deals with many students.

Follow instructions. Hand assignments in on time, learn from feedback.

Treat all course participants as responsible professionals, and act with civility and professionalism at all times.

Treat all course participants as responsible professionals, and act with civility and professionalism at all times. original prepared by Dr. L.A. Heslop; adjusted by Dr. N. Papadadopoulos
BUSI 5906A 6 Fall 2013 F1

IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Group Work
The Sprott School of Business encourages group assignments in the school for several reasons.
They provide you with opportunities to develop and enhance interpersonal, communication, leadership, follower-ship and other group skills. Group assignments are also good for learning integrative skills for putting together a complex task. Your professor may assign one or more group tasks/assignments/projects in this course. If you have a group assignment you may find the resources at http://sprott.carleton.co/students/undergraduate/forms-resources/forms/ useful.
Before embarking on a specific problem as a group, it is your responsibility to ensure that the problem is meant to be a group assignment and not an individual one.
Medical Certificate
Please note that in all occasions that call for a medical certificate you must use or furnish the information demanded in the standard university form. http://www.carleton.ca/registrar/forms/Med_Cert_Carleton_University.pdf
Person with Disabilities
Students with disabilities requiring academic accommodations in this course are encouraged to contact a coordinator at the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities to complete the necessary letters of accommodation. After registering with the PMC, make an appointment to meet and discuss your needs with me at least two weeks prior to the first in-class test or ITV midterm exam. This is necessary in order to ensure sufficient time to make the necessary arrangements. Please refer to http://www.carleton.ca/pmc/ for all PMC information.
Religious Observance
Students requesting academic accommodation on the basis of religious observance should make a formal, written request to their instructors for alternate dates and/or means of satisfying academic requirements. Such requests should be made during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist, but no later than two weeks before the compulsory academic event. Accommodation is to be worked out directly and on an individual basis between the student and the instructor(s) involved. Instructors will make accommodations in a way that avoids academic disadvantage to the student.
Students or instructors who have questions or want to confirm accommodation eligibility of a religious event or practice may refer to the Equity Services website for a list of holy days and
Carleton’s Academic Accommodation policies, or may contact an Equity Services Advisor in the
Equity Services Department for assistance.
Pregnancy
Pregnant students requiring academic accommodations are encouraged to contact an Equity
Advisor in Equity Services to complete a letter of accommodation . The student must then make
BUSI 5906A 7 Fall 2013 F1

an appointment to discuss her needs with the instructor at least two weeks prior to the first academic event in which it is anticipated the accommodation will be required.
Academic Integrity
Violations of academic integrity are a serious academic offence. Violations of academic integrity
– presenting another’s ideas, arguments, words or images as your own, using unauthorized material, misrepresentation, fabricating or misrepresenting research data, unauthorized cooperation or collaboration or completing work for another student – weaken the quality of the degree and will not be tolerated. Penalties may include expulsion; suspension from all studies at Carleton; suspension from full-time studies; a refusal of permission to continue or to register in a specific degree program; academic probation; and a grade of Failure in the course, amongst others. Students are expected to familiarize themselves with and follow the Carleton University
Student Academic Integrity Policy which is available, along with resources for compliance at http://www2.carleton.ca/sasc/advisingcentre/academic-integrity/ .
Important Dates and Deadlines can be found at: http://sprott.carleton.co/students/mba/dates-deadlines/
BUSI 5906A 8 Fall 2013 F1