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University of Rhode Island
College of Business Administration
Strategic Management
BUS 445 (Secs. 2 and 3) Spring 2010
Classes: M, W, F: 10:00 to 10:50 (Ballentine 115)
`
M, W, F: 12:00 to 12:50 (Ballentine 114)
Instructor: Silvia Dorado
Email: sdorado@mail.uri.edu
Phone: 874 5747
Web site: http://www.cba.uri.edu/dorado/
Office: Room 229
Office hours: M, W, and F: before or after class or by appointment.
Course Materials:
Textbook: Strategic Management (Instructor Silvia Dorado-Banacloche). Primis custom book.
ISBN 978-0390-18671-3. It is available for purchase in the bookstore. You can download from
the web http://ebooks.primisonline.com/eBookstore/index.jsp. It is the 2nd on the list of custom
books (the one which does NOT have the name of Bogdan Prokopovych).
Writing guide (required reading and usage for all written assignments). Munter, M. 1999.
Guide to Managerial Communication. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 7th or 8th edition).
There is an online version (MUCH CHEAPER) which you can download from
http://www.coursesmart.com/0132424266
Cases: We will be using three cases. You can download them from
http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/access/4626284
Simulation: Each student must subscribe to the CAP-SIM online simulation at
www.CAPSIM.com. (CAPSIM HELP LINE: 888-472-7554).
Once you subscribe, the CAP-SIM “Participants Guide” can be downloaded. We will be
working with 2 industries and each industry has a different registration number. I will arbitrarily
divide the class into two groups once we know the total number of students enrolled.
The Industries for Sec. 2 (10:00 to 10:50) are C35610 and C35611.
The Industries for Sec. 3 (12:00 to 12:50) are C35608 and C35609.
Course description:
Are good strategy-making and good strategy-execution the key ingredients of company success?
Most business people seem to agree, so the mission of this course is to explore the basic concepts
and tools of strategic analysis, and to drill you in the methods of crafting a well-conceived
strategy and executing it competently.
Courses in strategic management are meant to help you get a better handle on the big picture by
looking at an enterprise in its entirety—including the industry and competitive environment in
which it operates, its long-term direction and strategy, its resources and competitive capabilities,
and its prospects for success. They help you to apply and synthesize what you have learned in
prior business courses.
Dealing with the grand sweep of how to manage all the pieces of a business makes business
policy an integrative, capstone course in which you reach back to use concepts and techniques
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covered in previous courses. For perhaps the first time, you’ll see how the various pieces of the
business puzzle fit together and why the different parts of a business need to be managed in
strategic harmony for the organization to operate in winning fashion.
Learning goals:

Master knowledge of the strategic management process.

Skill in the evaluation of strategic fit in changing competitive environments.

Master knowledge of strategy analysis techniques.

Ability in integrating functional areas in management decision making.

Review knowledge and skill in the identification of the moral dimensions of management
practices.
Course format:
This course will accomplish these learning objectives through a diverse mix of methods and
activities, including
1. Lectures and class discussions of case studies.
2. In-class group exercises that will help you deepening your understanding and clearing up
questions about the material covered on the lectures.
3. Quizzes and exams that will encourage you to keep up with the readings.
4. A simulation, which pushes you to role-play as the top managers of a company in a
competitive environment.
5. Written assignments and presentations which will push to reflect about your performance
in the simulation and how the concepts that we are covering through the textbook can
help you to improve it.
Learning objectives emphasized in this course

Gain factual knowledge

Develop competent business writing and oral communication skills

Contribute productively to a team

Gain practice on how to take decisions on the face of ambiguous and uncertain
information

Cultivate a professional demeanor
CAPSIM Simulation (HELP LINE# 888-472-7554)
You will need an email address and the above SimID or “C number” on the first page of this
syllabus in order to register for your game and class. Your “registration number” is NOT the
SimID; you will not have a registration number until AFTER you register with CAPSIM and pay
the fee. Each student should have his/her own CAPSIM registration and email address. If you
make a mistake while registering for CAPSIM and can’t correct it yourself, then simply call
CAPSIM at 888-472-7554 for help.
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“Playing” CAPSIM
Participation in CAPSIM consists of running a company in the electronic sensor industry. The
class will be divided into two industries each with 5 management teams of 3 members competing
among themselves and with a computer (I’ll adjust depending on the number of students
enrolled). The game is played in 3 series of 8 rounds (rehearsal, practice, and competition). The
rehearsal round is the first one played and must be completed by the date established in the
schedule of classes. The second (practice) and final (competition) series are played in teams
each of the 8 rounds must be completed by the date established in the schedule of classes.
You will find that all of the normal financial/accounting data and documents a real firm would
have will be available to you for your CAPSIM company as it progresses through both the
practice rounds and then after I restart the game, the 8 years of competition. Further, there will
be a lot more information for you beyond simply accounting and finance data. In CAPSIM, lack
of data is not a problem.
How well your company performs in CAPSIM is simply a matter of (1) how much research and
effort each of your team members puts into the CAPSIM exercise, (2) how well your
organization of your team can bring all your team members’ collective experience and
knowledge to bear on running your CAPSIM firm, and (3) how effectively you can implement
the strategy your team has formulated. CAPSIM’s performance measure feature will be used to
assign a grade between 0 and 1000 to each individual’s (first series of 8 rounds) team’s
performance.
CAPSIM teams
Each team will have 4 (5) members. I will assign students to industries and teams considering
the list of students enrolled. If you are absent the first day of class you should talk with me to
find out your industry and team.
Teams will be assigned products and requested to assume the following three roles: Marketing
Manager, Production Manager, and Financial Manager. Chief Executive Officer and R&D
responsibilities can be delegated to a member of the team or shared among the members. Factors
to consider when distributing roles are the expertise and interests of members, and logistics such
as members’ flexibility of schedule (good for the CEO) and proximity to one another (out-ofclass meetings will most likely be necessary). You have to write a letter that explains why you
are the best person for the job (see “job letter” assignment).
Teams will be identified by their CAPSIM company name (Andrews, Baldwin, Chester, Digby,
or Erie); Ferris will be managed by a computer during the practice round but may be managed by
students during the competition rounds. Throughout the course, all team projects, both within
and outside of CAPSIM, will be conducted by CAPSIM company teams (the words “team,”
“group,” “CAPSIM company,” and the like are synonymous).
You will be required to file, with me, decision logs where you would specify your contribution to
the team. I would use these logs to take decisions regarding team assignment (during the
practice rounds) and grade (during the competition rounds.
Academic Standards: The course is governed by URI’s regulations and procedures regarding
Academic Standards, Cheating, Plagiarism, and Documentation of Written Work. If you have any
questions about what constitutes plagiarism and what are a professor’s explicit duties relative to student
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cheating, please read sections 8.27.10 – 8.27.20 of the URI Academic Regulations at:
http://www.uri.edu/facsen/8.20-8.27.html
Course evaluation
Grading: I grade considering the following distribution: A (>9.0), A- (9.0 – 8.5), B+ (8.5 – 8.0),
B (8.0 – 7.0), B- (7.0 – 6.5), C+ (6.5 – 6.0), C (6.0 – 5.0), C- (5.0 – 4.5), D+ (4.5 – 4.0), D (4.0 –
3.5), D- (3.5 – 3.0) F (<3) —grades will be round up to the next category (e.g. 8.5 will be graded
as A-)
List of assignments (see schedule of classes for deadlines)
Assignments
Grade
Exams
70 points
 Pop-quizzes (at least 3) (10 points)
 Midterm (20 points)
 Final (one part will be a take home due during finals week) (40 points)
Class engagement (throughout)
25 points
 Attendance (10 points),
 Class participation (7.5 points)
 Team-based in-class work (7.5 points)
Simulation
45 points
 CAPSIM rehearsal 8 rounds (individual score). Pass or Fail (825 points or
better). (5.0 points).
 CAPSIM practice (group score). Pass or Fail (350 points or better (10.0 points).
 CAPSIM competition rounds (group score) (25 points),
850 points or more: A
800 – 849:
A450 – 549
C
750 – 799
B+
400 – 449
C650 – 749
B
350 – 399
D+
600 – 649
B250 – 349
D
550 – 599
C+
244 or lower
F
 Contribution to team work (individual score) (5 points)
Team mid course presentation to the board (group score)
20 points
Written assignments
40 points
 Introductory assignment (TBD) (10 points)
 Strategy formulation reports (30 points)
 Required (each team member writes one)
o Situation analysis
o Outline your strategy
o Analysis of your competencies
o Financial structure policy
o Analysis of the competition
Total 200 points
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Special needs: Any student with a documented disability is welcomed to contact me as early in
the semester as possible so that we may arrange reasonable accommodations. As part of this
process, please be in touch with Disability Services for Students office at 330 Memorial Union or
at 874-2098.
Exams (70 points or 35% of final grade)
Pop-quizzes (10 points or 5% of your final grade). We will have pop-quizzes
throughout the semester to help evaluate the engagement of all including those who
prefer to remain quiet during class time. The course schedule already specifies a couple
of dates in which I plan to run pop-quizzes. It is likely that I will run more pop-quizzes
than those scheduled. The intention is to provide you with a grade based incentive for
you to keep up with the readings.
Midterms (there are 2 and each is worth 20 points or 10% of final grade). There will
be two midterms and no final during the semester. The first midterm will include about
50 multiple-choice and true/false questions and 2 short (1 paragraph) essay-questions.
The second midterm will be like the first one but will also include a take home section
due by the date and time scheduled for the final exam of this class. The take home part
will involve a reflection on CAPSIM considering what you have learned in this course. It
will not be a multiple choice exam but will require that you write an essay following the
writing guide of the course.
Class engagement (25 points or 12.5% of your final grade)
Grading for class engagement follows my teaching philosophy which guides me to think that you
will take out of this class as much as you put in.
Attendance (10 points): Attending class is critical to learning. One of the primary reasons
for meeting to learn business policy in the classroom (rather than learning the material
alone) is that it offers you the opportunity to share your experiences and learn from your
colleagues.
A class attendance form will be handed out at the beginning of each class which requires
your signature. Missing 6 or more classes (2 weeks) will half your attendance grade
(from 10 to 5). After that you will lose, first, 1 point out of your attendance grade, and
then 2 points. If you miss 6 or more classes (3 weeks) your attendance grade will be “0.”
Please don’t be late. Arriving on time is a form of respect towards other students and the
instructor. Late arrivals disrupt the class. Habitual lateness to class may be penalized
through your individual class participation grade.
If a student does miss a class, s/he is responsible for obtaining any notes, handouts,
assignment changes, or administrative notices, preferably from the course web site or
another student. Missing a class or tardiness will not be accepted as an excuse for not
knowing changes in administrative course details.
This year because of concerns with the spread of the H1N1 flu stream the university
suggests that any of us who develops flu-like symptoms should stay home until the fever
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has subsided for 24 hours. So, if you exhibit such symptoms, please do not come to
class. I will only consider this excuse if you notify me by calling 874 -5747, writing to
sdorado@mail.uri.edu of your status before your absence, or bringing a medical note
after if you fail to notify me ahead of time. I will then work with you to ensure that
course instruction and work is completed for the semester.
Individual participation (7.5 points): I will evaluate participation in class discussions based
on contemporaneous notes about the quality of each student’s contribution.
Group participation through in-class team work (7.5 points)It depends on the quality
and engagement on team class work during class time. We will have multiple in-class
work activities. I will compile them, go over them, and grade them excellent (shows
preparation and engagement in the task), pass (they did the job) or fail (careless, last
minute and/or incomplete write up). You can turn them in later but it is preferable that
you turn them in at the end of the class in which they are assigned.
CAPSIM participation (45 points or 22.5% of final grade)
Individual rehearsal rounds (5 points or 2.5% of final grade) Experience shows that
students perform better in the CAPSIM competition when they have thoughtfully
completed the individual rehearsal rounds. It also shows that unless it is graded most of
you never do it.
Team practice rounds (10 points or 5 percent of final grade). Those teams who
complete the practice rounds with a score of 350 (the equivalent of a D+) or better will
receive the full 10 points those who get 350 or less would receive 0 points.
Team competition rounds (25 points or 12.5 percent of final grade). I will use the
balance scorecard to evaluate your performance. The balance score card is one of the
topics we are covering in the course and a very important management tool.
Contribution to CAPSIM Team (5 points or 15 percent of final grade). You will
have to demonstrate your contribution to your team. You will be required to file, with me,
decision logs where you would specify your contribution to the team. As mentioned earlier, I
would use these logs to take decisions regarding team assignment (during the practice rounds)
and grade (during the competition rounds.
There is “No” make ups in CAPSIM so have a back up or redundancy plan to
make sure that the person responsible for inputing the data by the time
specified in the course calendar has done so.
In CAPSIM, there is no way to make up for a missed input data upload deadline; the company
just continues to operate without the missing input data, but with weakened performance. So, a
missed deadline does not mean that the game will be stopped so that everyone can catch up at
their convenience. Even though there maybe a valid reason for missing one, the firm’s
performance cannot be adjusted to account for the missing inputs other than by more effective
decisions in later rounds. Missing a deadline creates unnecessary pressure on the whole team in
the subsequent rounds and greatly helps your competitors.
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Day and time deadlines for submission of input decision data to CAPSIM are shown clearly on
the calendar part of the syllabus, and are also published within the CAPSIM website.
Mid semester Presentation to the board (20 points or 10% of final grade)
This is a power point presentation to the company’s Board of Directors. It should discuss what
you learned during the practice rounds and your plans for the competition rounds.
Evaluation of the presentation: All team members need to be in the room (if you cannot please
talk to me) during the presentation and the team needs to provide me with a paper copy of the
presentation. All team members also need to show proof that they have contributed to the team’s
presentation. In order to do this each individual needs to turn one work document used to
prepare the presentation, such as a copy of a completed worksheet from those included in
CAPSIM’s student guide. Lacking this material I will consider that the individual in question
has not contributed to the team presentation and will received a “0” grade for this assignment.
I will evaluate the evaluation through contemporary notes and will also consider the evaluations
of the Board of Directors (i.e., yours class peers who were members of the other industry). You
want to encourage your “Board of Directors” to pay close attention and honestly evaluate your
presentation.
I will only consider peer evaluations that show the student was paying attention and evaluated
the group with care.
Content of the presentation: Your Board presentation should truthfully inform the Board of your
company's effectiveness and prospects during the competition rounds. The Board Reports should
include, at a minimum:

A comparison of the actual strategies used and the original intended strategy.

An evaluation of strategies within the context of the competitive environment and your
internal resources and capabilities.

A description of the strategic decisions you made over time, why you made them, and how
you implemented them.

An analysis of the market and competition at the end of the simulation.

The strategy you would select for the remaining competition rounds.

A discussion of what you learned from your experience, what worked well, and what you
would do differently during the remaining competition rounds.
Format of the presentation: Follows guidelines included in the Munter guide for public
speaking.
Written assignments (40 points or 20% of final grade)
Introductory written assignment (10 points or 5 percent of your final grade).
(Content TBD). This assignment needs to follows the writing standards for the course
which will be presented in the form of a workshop at the beginning of the semester and
which follows the writing guide mandatory of this class.
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Strategy formulation reports (30 points or 15 percent of your final grade). These are
4 (or 5) must do reports (see course web site for details). You should cooperate in the
development of all the reports submitted by members of your CAPSIM team but one
person will be responsible for its execution and write up. Only this person will get
graded for the report. You will negotiate among yourselves who writes which report
considering your personal skills and how the due date fits with your schedule. Team with
4 members will write 4 reports and teams with 5 members will write 5 reports.
I will read the report and grade it but I am not your audience. Your audience is your team
members. The reports should help you and your team to improve the performance of
your company.
The course website includes specific guidelines regarding the content and expected
format for these reports. Bottom line they will bring together concepts from the textbook
to discuss CAPSIM, need to help your team to improve its performance, and have to
follow the Munter’s writing guide.
Academic Enhancement Center (AEC)
The AEC offers a comfortable environment in which to study alone or together, with or without
a tutor. AEC tutors are your peers they have taken your courses, and can answer questions,
clarify concepts, check your understanding, and help you to study. You can make an
appointment or walk in anytime during office hours -- Monday through Thursday from 9 am. to
9 pm, Friday from 9 am to 1 pm, and Sunday from 4 pm. to 8 pm. For a complete schedule -including when tutors are available specifically for this class -- go to www.uri.edu/aec, call (401)
874-2367, or stop by the fourth floor in Roosevelt Hall.
Illness Due to Flu
The H1N1 Flu Pandemic may impact classes this semester. If any of us develop flu-like
symptoms, we are being advised to stay home until the fever has subsided for 24 hours. So, if
you exhibit such symptoms, please do not come to class. Notify me at 874-5747 or
sdorado@mail.uri.edu of your status and we will then work together to ensure that course
instruction and work is completed for the semester.
Receipt of this syllabus and registration in this class will serve as evidence that you understand and
accept the requirements of this course.
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Schedule of classes (maybe modified during the semester to fit the needs of the class).
Week
Wk 1
Jan. 25, 26, 28
Introduction
Topic and Reading
M: Introduction to the course
W: Chapter 1
Must do’s
Give me a copy of a picture ID next class.
Register for capsim: www.capsim.com
Visit course website: BUS_445_Spring10.html
F: Introduction to CAPSIM
Wk 2
Feb. 1, 3, 5
Rehearsal
M: Chapter 2 (26 pages)
W: Workshop on using the
Munter’s writing guide 1, 2, 3, 4 to
work on reports. Writing vision
and mission statements
F: Practice simulation.
M: Chapter 3 (21 pages)
W: Ice-Fili’s strategy.
F: Practice simulation
W: Chapter 4 (32 pages)
F: Practice simulation
F: CAPSIM Rehearsal simulation completed (4
rounds mandatory. 8 rounds desirable).
F: BRING LAPTOPS
Wk 5
Feb. 22, 24, 26
Practice
M: Ice Fili and industry analysis.
W: Chapter 5 (25 pages)
F: Practice simulation
F: Round 3 decisions uploaded before class.
Wk 6
Mar. 1, 3, 5
Practice
F: Round 4 decisions uploaded before class.
Wk 7
Mar. 8, 10, 12
Practice
M: Ice-Fili (SWOT and value
chain) + Review for midterm.
W: Midterm (Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, Ice Fili, Munter, CAPSIM
guide).
F: Practice simulation
M: Chapter 6 (26 pages)
W: Silvio Napoli.
F: Practice simulation
Wk 8
Mar. 15, 17, 19
Practice
M: Chapter 8 (18 pages)
W: Silvio Napoli
F: Practice simulation
M: Strategy Formulation report (1 and 2) Situation
analysis (using data up to the round played)
F: Round 6 decisions uploaded before class.
Wk 9
Mar. 29, 31, Apr. 2
Practice
SPRING BREAK
M: Chapter 9 and Silvio Napoli.
W: Assurance of learning exercise
at the end of the chapter (you will
need your laptops).
F: Practice simulation
Wk 3
Feb. 8, 10, 12
Practice
Wk 4
Feb. 17, 19
Practice
W: Introductory written assignment (Report on Ice
Fili’s vision due).
F: Round 1 decisions uploaded before class.
F: CAPSIM Rehearsal simulation completed (8
rounds mandatory).
F: Round 2 decisions uploaded before class.
W: Pop quiz (Silvio Napoli)
F: Round 5 decisions uploaded before class.
F: Round 7 decisions uploaded before class.
F: Strategy Formulation report (3, 4, and 5) Strategy
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Wk 10
Apr. 5, 7, 9
Practice
M: Chapter 7 (21 pages) +
corporate governance from chapter
1.
W: Compartamos + discussion of
business in Russia, India, and
Mexico
F: Competition simulation
W: Expect popquiz on Case (Compartamos)
F: Round 8 decisions uploaded before class.
Wk 11
Apr. 12, 14, 16
Competition
M: Presentations workshop
(Munter’s guide last chapters). W:
Presentations Andrews, Baldwins,
and Chesters
D, and E work on simulation
F: Presentations Digbys and Eries.
A, B and C work on simulation
M: Competition simulation
W: Competition simulation
F: Competition simulation
M: Competition simulation
W: Competition simulation
F: Review for final midterm
Debriefing on CAPSIM
M: Final midterm (chapters 6, 7, 8,
9, Napoli. CAPSIM ).Take home
portion of final to be distributed.
Due by class final’s exam date.
W: Round 1 decisions uploaded before class.
F: Round 2 decisions uploaded before class.
Wk 12
Apr. 19, 21, 23
Competition
Wk 13
Apr. 26, 28, 30
CAPSIM
Debriefing
Wk 14
M. 3
M: Round 3 decisions uploaded before class.
W: Round 4 decisions uploaded before class.
F: Round 5 decisions uploaded before class.
M: Round 6 decisions uploaded before class.
W: Round 7 decisions uploaded before class.
F: Round 8 decisions uploaded before class.
Right now the schedule of finals shows:
May 7 (11:30 to 2:30 pm) for the 10:00 am class
May 12 (11:30 to 2:30 pm) for the 12:00 pm class