BS 492
3/6/2016
Business Department
CASES IN BUSINESS POLICY
SYLLABUS
BS 492
Instructor: Gary Kieff
Office: AB 56
616-632-2929
Course Homepage http://www.kieff.com/gary/BS492
TF 1:40-2:55
Home: 784-1289
gary@kieff.com
Text:
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Competitiveness and Globalization Concepts
Michael A. Hitt, R. Duane Ireland, Robert E. Hoskisson
South-Western, 2001 (6th Edition) ISBN: 0-324-01731-6
http://www.swlearning.com/management/hitt/sm6e/sm6e.html
Capstone Business Simulation
www.capsim.com
Register on-line ($39) after
receiving the Student Guide.
Course Description:
A case oriented course focusing on organizational strategy and its implementation through top-level
management.
Course Objectives: Common to all sections of BS 492, and will be the focus of assessment.
That each student will...
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Determine the economic environment
Determine the financial position of the
company through an analysis of the financial
statements use of ratios etc.
Determine the current marketing strategy of
the company (products, services, target
markets, marketing mixes, competition, etc.)
Determine the management philosophy
and/or style in place.
Define and articulate the problem of the case.
Grading:
Article Summaries
Exam
Team Members Evaluation
Capstone
Assignments (check off)
Capstone performance
Board Member Report
Case Analysis
Strategic Audit Worksheet
Case Presentation
Class Assessment
Instructor Assessment
Company Analysis (written)
(4 @ 20 pt.) 10%
6%
(4 @ 20 pt.) 10%
6.
Determine appropriate alternatives, with
stated strengths and weaknesses, for dealing
with the problem (s)/issues in the case.
7. Determine the most appropriate course of
action to be taken.
8. Explain how the chosen course of action will
be implemented.
9. Write a comprehensive analysis of the case.
10. Give a comprehensive oral presentation of the
case to peers.
80 pt.
50 pt.
80 pt.
Grading Scale
95% = A
90% = A87% = B+ 84% = B
80% = B- 76% = C+
74% = C
70% = C-
(8 @ 10 pt.) 10% 80 pt.
24% 200 pt.
6 % 50 pt.
(4 @ 20 pt.) 10%
80 pt.
6% 50 pt.
6% 50 pt.
12% 100 pt.
820 total pt.
Participation:
Since exchange is a necessary component of learning, students are expected to attend all class periods,
come to class prepared for the discussions, and take an active part in work groups and class discussion.
I will do everything to make each class productive, but hope it will be a little fun as well. Let me know if I can
help.
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BS 492
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CASES IN BUSINESS POLICY
Calendar
Topic
Week
1
Jan.
10
13
Introduction
What’s a Business For? (handout)
2
17
20
The Strategic Management Process & External Environment
Internal Environment & A New Manifesto for Management, Sumantra Ghoshal, Sloan
Management Review, 1999 – (ABI Inform database)
3
24
27
Business Level Strategy & Competitive Dynamics
Corporate Level Strategy & Strategy, Value, Innovation, and the Knowledge
Economy, (One page summary) W. Chan Kim, Sloan Management Review, 1999 –
(ABI Inform)
4
31
Take Home Exam. Due – Introduction to Capstone & Rehearsal – Complete Capstone 0
Solo Rehearsal assignment by 9:00am Fri.
Review Rehearsal Round – Complete Capstone 1-1 Team Practice Round #1
assignment by Mon. 9:00am Team begin develop & input Practice Round #1
Feb.
5
6
7
8
Mar.
9
3
7
10
Review Practice Round #1
Team meeting & Governance – Capstone 1-2 Situational Analysis by Mon. 9:00am
14
17
Review Practice Round #2 & Situational Analysis
Team meeting & Acquisitions – Capstone 1-3 Vision Statement & 1-4 Vision
Statement Critique by Mon. 9:00am
21
24
Review Capsim Competition Round #1 – Team Evaluation #1
Team Meeting & International – Capstone 1-5 Outline Your Strategy by Mon. 9:00am
28
3
Review Capsim Competition Round #2
Team meeting & Cooperative – Capstone 1-6 Competencies and Competitive
Advantage by Mon. 9:00am
Break 6-10
14
17
Chapter
1
2
3
4, 5
6
10
7
8
9
Review Capsim Competition Round #3 – upload by Fri. 9:00am
Review Capsim Competition Round #4 – Capstone 1-8 Chose Performance Measures
by Mon. 9:00am
10
21
24
Review Capsim Competition Round #5 – upload by Fri. 9:00am - Team Evaluation #2
Review Capsim Competition Round #6 – upload by Fri. 9:00am
11
28
31
Review Capsim Competition Round #7
Team meeting & Structure and Controls
11
Review Capsim Competition Round # 8 – Team Evaluation #3
Board Briefing Presentation
Introduction to Case Analysis & Strategic Audit & Leadership
12
12
Apr.
4
7
13
14
15
.
May
11
SA Case: Individual Due (takes several hours)
14
Easter Break
18
21
Strategic Stories: How 3M is Rewriting Business Planning, Gordon Shaw et al,
Harvard Business Review, 1998 – (handout)
Team Meeting - Data Collecion, Analysis & Entrepreneurship
25
28
Case: Presentation #1
Case: Presentation #2 – Team Evaluation #4
5
13
Written Case Analysis Due in my mail box or e-mail
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DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENTS
This course consists of two essential parts – knowing and doing. The "knowing" part of the course involves
learning about strategic management and the organization of business enterprises. The readings, lectures, and
case discussions are designed to help you understand strategic management concepts.
The "doing" part of the course involves a Strategic Case Analysis Presentation and a Business Simulation. The
business simulation, called Capstone, provides you with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in running
a business as a member of a top management team. Each team must evaluate situations and make decisions in
competing with other management teams for resources and markets. Each team will formulate and implement
strategies that integrate production, marketing, R&D, HR, and financial functions within a practical decisionmaking framework. You will be able to experience decision making under conditions of uncertainty, the tradeoffs necessary among different functions, and the impact of decisions on performance within a competitive
market. The first four weeks students will focus on learning the Strategic Management process. The focus will
be on the readings and text. The remainder of the course students will develop a Strategic Case Analysis
Presentation and participate in a computer simulation which will allow you to organize a team and make
decisions and see the results. You will be assigned to a team and each team will operate as a company. This will
include developing a business strategy and making annual decisions in regard to implementing the plan.
ONE PAGE SUMMARIES
For specified reading assignments, a one-page summary of the author's key points will be required. The point
here is to discuss what the author said, not your opinion, save that for class. I expect these summaries to be
clear, concise statements of the important concepts and to be presented in a manner than reflects your
understanding of what the author means, not a restatement of what he/she said.
EXAM
There will be one take home exam consisting of 50 multiple choice and True and False questions covering the
text and material presented in class
STRATEGIC AUDIT WORKSHEET (SA): Case preparation
For the first case identified on the Course Outline in bold type and preceded by SA, each student will read the
case and complete the SA (Strategic Audit Worksheet) individually prior to class. For the cases presented by
other teams, a Strategic Audit is to be completed prior to the case presentation.
TEAM MEMBER EVALUATIONS
The first class teams of 4 – 5 will be formed. Theses teams will used to complete the Group Cases, the Capstone
Simulation and for collaboration and support for members. Four times during the course, see Course Outline,
team members will fill out an evaluation form on each team member’s contribution.
STRATEGIC ANALYSIS - CASE PRESENTATION
The class will be divided into teams and each team assigned one case to prepare and present to the class. Those
not presenting will prepare an SA from the material in the text. The presenting group will need to bring the case
up to date. The data in the case is usually at least two years old. When presenting your case be creative, you job
is to make us familiar with the company, its current situation, possible strategic alternatives (with advantages
and disadvantages) and convince us your alternative is the best. There is no one right way to present a case but
the STRATEGIC ANALYSIS WRITTEN ANALYSIS outline, below, is a good generic guide for the
presentation as well. The presentations are usually 45 to 60 minutes, followed by questions. The team making
the presentation need not turn in a Strategic Audit on the case. The presentations will be assessed by other class
members as well as the Instructor (see Case Presentation Assessment form)
CAPSTONE SIMULATION:
Each student is required to purchase the simulation on-line after the semester begins. It is accessed
through www.capsim.com. The cost is $39. Details are provided in the Team Member’s Guide which
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will be provided to you and the extensive documentation available on the Capsim website which you are
encouraged to study in detail. The simulation is administered on the Internet.
Capstone is an Internet/PC-based simulation that is designed to give students the opportunity to craft strategies,
to make business decisions and to be held accountable for the financial performance of those strategies and
decisions. You and your team members will assume the role of the top management team of one of 5 companies
in the sensor industry. Over the 8 year time frame of the simulation, your team will encounter a range of
strategic issues that will force you to integrate your knowledge of accounting, finance, marketing, operations,
and strategic management.
Each team manages and analyzes their own Capstone® Company and develops and implements strategic
concepts. The management team will make decisions about various aspects of an assigned company's
management for a given period of "simulated time". The simulation is played over several simulated years to
maximize the firm's objectives. There will be 2 practice rounds and 8 'real' rounds (decisions) in this simulation
exercise.
BOARD MEMBERS REPORT
Each team will present an evaluation of their company’s performance during the simulation (see
attachment Board Members Report).
CAPSTONE PERFORMANCE
Each team will chose the measures on which they would like to their company to be assessed.
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RESOURCES
TEXT: http://www.swlearning.com/management/hitt/sm6e/sm6e.html
CAPSIM: www.capsim.com
Aquinas Woodhouse Library
To access these indexes and databases, you must be an Aquinas College student, faculty or staff member. OffCampus users must follow the off campus access instructions before using these databases.
http://www.aquinas.edu/library/data.html#bus : The Aquinas Library online databases. The first
one; ABI/Inform contain many business and other publications. (Contains most readings for
course)
Tutorial
http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/bones.html : A bare bones tutorial for conducting web searches. (For
some strange reason you will need to cut and past the URL, it is not loading with a mouse click)
The Spider's Apprentice: A Helpful Guide to Search Engines
STRATEGY
SEC (EDGAR) US Securities and Exchange Commission
U.S. Census Bureau
Corporate Governance Wharton School of Business
Hoover's.com financial information source
Research company financial information online
Fortune 500 list
Strategy + Business Journal
http://bea.gov/ Bureau of Economic analysis
http://www.bls.gov Bureau of Labor Statistics
http://www.lib.washington.edu/business/bizweb/ University of Washington Library, many items open to
all
Forecasts 2002: World Future Society
Knowledge Management
Strategy + Business Journal
GOVERNMENT RESOURCES: If the link doesn't work, right click on the highlighted word and copy
the url. Use that in your Browser.
Government Information Resources
Small Business Administration
Department of Labor
Bureau of Economic Analysis (bea.gov)
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Trade Commission Home Page
Library of Congress
NASA Information Services
Legislative Information on the Internet
U.S. Government Printing Office
SEARCH ENGINES: Feel free to use your own favorites
Google
Profusion.com
Yahoo!
About
Ask.com Ask Jeeves, uses normal English wording
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COMPANY ANALYSIS:
Company Profile - briefly describe the firm. At minimum discuss the industries and markets in which the firm
competes.
Clearly and succinctly gives background, current situation, and information required to understand the
analysis that follows. Industries and markets
Environmental Analysis (External & Internal, include financials) - describe and analyze the firm’s General,
Task/Industry and Internal Environment. You will have to do research on the industry in order to do this
analysis. Evaluate both the present profitability and future potential of the industry. To support your assertions
about current profitability, use Porter's methodology and refer to an analysis of key industry norms and financial
indicators. When discussing the macro environment, threats and opportunities remember we are looking for
trends outside the company. Ending with a good solid SWOT.
General
Trends identified
Industry clearly defined - Sufficient Industry and Competitor analysis and data on trends and
financial/interpretation reasonable
Identification and analysis of significant forces - supporting evidence
Rivalry Entry Barriers Buyer Power
Supplier Power Substitutes
Opportunities identified and reasons clearly argued
Threats identified and reasons clearly argued
Verifiable evidence supporting arguments consistently provided
Internal
Strengths identified - reasons clearly and correctly argued
Weakness identified - reasons clearly and correctly argued
Analysis of Corporate Strategy - describe and categorize the type of corporate strategy (e.g., vertically
integrated global firm) the firm is following and whether this is driven by strategic motives (to improve the
performance of the core business) or financial considerations (to spread risk). Often organizations make multiple
decisions about the strategic direction of the firm at a corporate level. If your firm is doing this, you will want to
assess whether there appears to be a coherent plan unifying all of these decisions. If there is a unifying plan at
the corporate level, explain what the organization is trying to do. If not, you may want to concentrate on the one
or two corporate moves that you believe are most significant to the firm's survival. Assess your company's
critical strengths and weaknesses using either the concept of core competency or Porter's value chain approach.
Analyze this strategy in light of your SWOT analysis.
Description is specific and well documented
Categorization appears reasonable
Reasons for categorization clearly stated
Motive for strategy (financial/strategic) adequately described and argued
Analysis Of Business (Competitive) Strategy - describe and categorize the type of business strategy (e.g.,
overall cost leadership, focused differentiation in a single niche, etc.) the firm is following in its core industry,
then analyze how well it addresses environmental issues while capitalizing on the firm's strengths and avoiding
its weaknesses.
Strategic Recommendations - Based upon your previous analysis, what recommendations would you make to
improve your organization's ability to gain competitive advantage? Justify your ideas. State at least three
recommendations with a full discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of each. Select one and support it.
Reasonably follows from previous analysis
Persuasively argued.
General Analysis – Persuasively argues how well strategy:
deals with industry forces
takes advantages of opportunity
takes advantage of strengths
avoids weakness
avoids threats
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CASE PRESENTATION
Group ____________
Date ____________
Please rate each question from 1-10, 10 being the best.
1. Presentation of relevant facts
______
2. Current mission, goals and strategies
______
3. Strategic Factors
______
4. Alternatives - advantages/disadvantages
______
5. Strength of recommendation
______
6. Implementation policies
______
7. Anticipated Questions
______
8. Organization/flow
______
9. Lively/interesting
______
10. Know what they are talking about
______
Overall, I would grade the team's presentation as:
C or lower ____ B-____ B____ B+____ A-____ A____
Comments
Content
Presentation
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BOARD MEMBERS REPORT
Develop a Presentation to debrief the Board
Market Analysis (included but not limited to the following)
Describe the market (beginning—end)
What happened?
How did it develop
Competitors
Strategy
Current Status
Who were you strongest competitors and why?
Company Analysis (included but not limited to the following)
Strategy
Which market segment you emphasized
How did your strategy develop, any changes
Analyze performance over the last 8 yrs. (this is probably the longest section)
Products
Market Segments
Capacity
Costs
Finance
Ratios
Strategy for the next four years.
What changes would you make?
Products
Market Segments
Capacity
Costs
Finance
Ratios
What we learned
About managing a company?
What we would do differently?
Group Process/Critical Incidents?
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