Appendix D – MBA Course MGMT 510:Communication for Managers Business Communication Program MBA Program Assessment Overview Business Communication program currently oversees assessment measures for both undergraduate and graduate student communication skills. Serving the entire undergraduate population of Business Majors, as well as masters students in the MBA, MIS, and Finance departments, our assessment measures are calibrated to measure both pre and post assessment of student written and oral communication skills. Graduate (MBA) Assessments The Business Communication program administers both a pre and post assessment for oral and written communication skills. Additionally, the program provides baseline assessment for both team and leadership skills, archiving this information for students and disseminating to the Field Project course (second semester) to track student progress throughout their first year in the MBA program. Written Communication: However, success in the course requires students to possess a foundation of strong communication based skills: critical thinking, written and verbal communication, as well as the fundamentals of small group communication. With a low student-teacher ratio, for many students this is one of the most intensive feedback loops they experience during their experience at Eller. Student writing is assessed with both a pre and post assessment measure to determine skill mastery. The assessment measures are established to evaluate and provide feedback on professional business writing: critical thinking, the use of logic and reasoning, structural coherence, information design, and grammatical proficiency. For both pre and post assessment, a professional external grader is hired to evaluate student ability to: 1) Provide evidence of critical thinking (Correctly identify audience, purpose and task. Correctly frame problem and provide solution/recommendation. ) 2) Respond with the correct set of data in the form of evidence logically presented and persuasively utilized. 3) utilize the appropriate strategic structural approach (persuasive or informational) and provide logical coherence within the document (idea development.) 4) Demonstrate basic information design principles (utilize the correct formats and conventions found in document design.) 5) Use language effectively (minimal error disruption or mechanical interference.)* *See rubric on the last page of this appendix Assessment process: Pre-Assessment: As all students enter into their professional communication course MGMT 510 http://assessment.arizona.edu/eller/graduate_school_of_management/grad are given writing pre-assessment that provides students with a writing task and provides the students with 75 minutes to generate a document in response to the task. This assignment is calibrated with faculty and is selected from one of the identified learning outcomes for the course (strategic approach (direct or indirect) and format (business letter, email, short report.) The task identified for the pre-assessment is then mirrored in the post assessment. Students are given the same testing environment and requirements they face at the semester’s conclusion. Additionally, the same grader is used for inter-rater reliability. The assessment benchmarks skill sets of students entering into the cohort and are referenced again as students conclude the course to determine student improvement and overall course efficacy. Individual Assessment: All students are required to complete five individually authored business writing tasks during the course that utilize the following strategic approach: o Direct Informational o Indirect or Direct Persuasive o Direct or Indirect Bad News o Recommendation Report Additionally, all students must demonstrate proficiency in the following business formats o Email o Internal Stakeholder and External Stakeholder Documentation o Business Report o Executive Summaries Each type of strategic approach and form is scored and assessed by faculty, providing students with feedback and opportunities for revision. Post Assessment: At the conclusion of the semester, students are provided with the same type of task as defined in the pre-assessment. Students are given identical testing environment (in class, timed at 75 minutes, and a similar prompt.) The same external grader (for inter-rater reliability) is engaged to provide final assessment. At this point, the student results are put into three categories: o Exceeds Expectations: Student has met and surpassed the rubric at over 90% o Meets Expectations: Student tests into a marginal zone (80%-89%) signaling concern in one or more areas of the rubric. o Does Not Meet Expectations: Student has signaled a critical failure in one or more categories of the rubric, testing in at below 79% and is advised to seek further writing instruction. Findings consistently indicate that with the combination of pre and post assessment measures, combined with a rigorous series of individual assessments throughout the course provide students with substantial improvement in their ability to generate written document. Trends Over Time: Longitudinal data (from Fall 09 - Fall 12) indicates the student population enters into their MBA http://assessment.arizona.edu/eller/graduate_school_of_management/grad experience with a substantial need for instruction, practice, and feedback in their professional writing skills. Across years it is also noted that students consistently improve in their ability to demonstrate proficiency, in many instances, exceed the expectations of their audience in development of professional documentation. Fall 09 Pre Assessment: Fall 09 Post Assessment: ‘ The class of 09 entered with a substantial amount of students testing into the does not meet (DNM) category. Additionally, 54% tested in to the “meets expectations” category, and only 28% with a high end pass (exceeds.) By the semester conclusion, only 4% of student remained in the Does Not Meet category. An improvement of 21% of students moved up into the “exceeds” category, leaving the “meets expectation” at 46%. Fall 10 Pre Assessment: Fall 10 Post Assessment: Students entering into the Fall 10 cohort indicated a drop in their entry level writing skills with 38% of them testing in as not meeting expectations, and the remaining 62% of students indicated they were meeting expectations, but barely. By the conclusion of the course, 29% of the students move up into the meets expectations category. Additionally, 21% of the students move up into the Exceeds expectations category. 8% remain in does not meet expectations; a total improvement of over 92% is recorded for this student population. http://assessment.arizona.edu/eller/graduate_school_of_management/grad Fall 11 Pre Assessment: Fall 11 Post Assessment: The student population entering in Fall 11 indicated substantial need to develop their professional writing skills with 49% indicating deficiency. By the conclusion of the course, the DNM category has dwindled down to 3%, indicating a46% of the students managed to develop their skill sets to a passing (Meets Expectations) status. Additionally, 53% of students progress into the Exceeds Expectations category, which was not evident in the pre-assessment, for a total of a 99% improvement in student skill acquisition. Fall 12 Pre Assessment: Fall 12 Post Assessment: Oral Communication: All students matriculating through MGMT 510 are measured for their ability to identify an audience and deliver a message in both individual and team formations. All students are evaluated on the rubric for the following http://assessment.arizona.edu/eller/graduate_school_of_management/grad measures: critical thinking - the ability to understand the audience, target the message, and build a suitable frame for the issue (problem identification, solution, recommendations, implementation) Relevant data - the ability to identify data that is relevant to the problem/solution, speak to the relevance of the information (quality of analysis and synthesis) and drive relevant findings/recommendations. Structural coherence - the ability to present idea development logically and with coherence. The ability to transition smoothly from one speaker to the next and have a cohesive message unfold. Image management -The ability to convey professionalism in both interpersonal skills, as well as other branding mechanisms: visual cohesion of team, of slides, of handouts. Error interference - No verbal distracters. Individual Assessment: Each student receives both instruction and assessment on their individual speaking abilities via a branding presentation on the first day of class. All students are filmed in all presentations, and films are posted for review and to guide review sessions with instructional team. Additional presentations that provide input for individual measures include: Board of Directors Presentation Executive Briefing Crisis Communication Simulation Analyst Presentation External Validation: Throughout the semester, external panelists attend student events to provide feedback and score student performance based on the presentation rubric. Students are evaluated in both interactive team presentations, one-on-one driving meetings and presenting data, facing a challenging hostile media, and finally, speaking to the entire faculty for a review of course knowledge (Capstone) via the analyst presentation. Finalists of this assignment (the top three teams) then present to a corporate sponsor to determine overall levels of performance in their ability to state a problem, recommend solutions, and implementation. Individual Measures: Students are provided with several opportunities to have their individual speaking skills assessed. These events are designed and driven so students can engage one on one with either a panel or a single audience (in the format of driving a meeting. Results indicate student improvement over their involvement with the course. Below are sample measures from students in the Fall 11 cohort as they progress through the various speaking evaluation checkpoints. http://assessment.arizona.edu/eller/graduate_school_of_management/grad Fall 11 Individual Benchmark: Assessment) Fall 11 Executive Briefing (Individual Students entering into the course indicate 46% of students did not meet the criteria for effective speaking on one or more categories of the rubric. By the next measure of individual ability, this has improved substantially, with 42% of the students moving up and out of the DNM category. Additionally, 54% of students enter into the “Exceeds” category, indicating a full range of ability to demonstrate proficiency in an individual presentation. Team Presentations: Measure One: In this Board of Directors presentation, the first formal team presentation in the course, students present to an external group of panelists role-playing board members. The students must identify key issues their selected companies face, prioritize issues, present solutions, and provide an overview for company performance. This is the first time students encounter an audience who interacts with them while presenting, setting a benchmark for how effective students can manage a message, handle digressions, and keep presenting critical data, tailored to the audience in the moment. Measure Two: At the semester’s conclusion, the Analyst Presentation (a capstone project) is reviewed by the entire MBA Core faculty to measure student ability to demonstrate core class concepts. We use this as an end measure since the students present about the same company as selected for the BOD presentations, and are now able to provide a more rigorous set of analytics to build an analyst presentation. External panelists, faculty and a corporate sponsor provide students with feedback on their ability to perform. Below is a sampling of these measures for Fall 11. http://assessment.arizona.edu/eller/graduate_school_of_management/grad Fall 11: Board of Directors Presentation Review Fall 11: Final Analyst Presentation Faculty Every student team is evaluated by teams of anchored external panelists, including representatives of the sponsoring company, to provide students with collective feedback on the student’s ability to demonstrate proficiency and relevancy of their team oral communication abilities. For this sampling of students, it is noted that students entered into the cohort with 14% of the students not meeting expectations; 58% meeting expectations; and 27% of the class demonstrating strong performance. However, by the course conclusion student performance improves by a significant measure, eliminating the “Does Not Meet” category, and increasing the “Exceeds” category by 37% Team and Leadership Skills: The MGMT 510 course provides emphasis on student ability to work intensively in teams and discover their leadership potential. Check points for student feedback are provided for the student at the mid-point of the course by fellow team members, and concluded at the end of the course via a 360 performance review conducted by the student team and the instructional team. The metrics used for evaluation are as follows: Student identifies and understands the ultimate objective of the task at hand. Student is adept at organizing and delegating responsibilities equitably. Student encourages the input of team members and is receptive of outside ideas. Student offers praise for quality work. Student offers help to struggling team members. Student holds team members accountable for poor quality work or lack of effort. http://assessment.arizona.edu/eller/graduate_school_of_management/grad Student offers constructive criticism when necessary, but is not condescending Student understands that accomplishing the stated objective is more important than individual success Student is punctual and prepared for team meetings Student demonstrates the ability to inspire and instruct less motivated individuals to enhance performance Student creates an environment of cohesiveness among team members Student is willing to sacrifice time to develop the skills of team members in need of such attention Student is aware of own communication style and is able to mitigate conflict on the team Student is flexible to the variations in other individual's schedules and responsibilities outside of the project. Student shows strong leadership capabilities and effectively manages the team to achieve the project goals and objectives. Student holds other students accountable for assigned tasks. Students are surveyed and meet in small groups at mid-term to discuss team progress, process, and dynamics. At the conclusion of the semester, students are again surveyed and provided with final remarks and scores to indicate their overall process. These same measures and analytics are followed through in the subsequent semester with the Consulting Projects, as students join new teams, find new leaders, and face new challenges. Sample Results Include: Fall 10 Fall 11 Over time, our results indicate students tend to gain experience in working with teams. Further longitudinal data (from the consulting project course) would reveal forward progress. This data indicates students tend to exit the course with reasonable team skills (mean of 44%) and with a clearly defined sense of those who are leaders (mean of 24%). http://assessment.arizona.edu/eller/graduate_school_of_management/grad Rubric for the Communication for Managers Course: Specific Learning Objectives and Assurances Embedded in MGMT 510 The following learning objectives are measured in the class through by both faculty review and external panelists (industry experts.) Each objective is embedded within one or more assignments or assessments. Syllabus attached. Writing Measures Speaking Measures Team Skills and Leadership Skills Measures Demonstrates the ability to identify a problem and the information needed to develop a solution, develop alternative solutions, recommend the best solution, and evaluate the efficacy of the solution after it has been implemented. Demonstrates the ability to identify a problem and the information needed to develop a solution, develop alternative solutions, recommend the best solution, and evaluate the efficacy of the solution after it has been implemented. Provides and receives feedback, ideas, and instruction in a professional manner. Explores innovative alternatives during the problem solving process. Demonstrates the ability to articulate both sides of an argument, evaluate the quality of arguments and evidence, and construct and defend the position taken. Organizes tasks and delegates responsibility to complete collaborative projects in a timely manner. Expresses written information appropriate for a given audience with conciseness and clarity. Demonstrates the ability to prepare and deliver a professional presentation on a business topic. Explains the role and impact of each team member (including self) on the collaborative project. Effectively utilizes data in written and oral presentations to communicate ideas. Demonstrate proficiency in written and oral business communications Demonstrates active listening. Effectively utilizes data in written and oral presentations to communicate ideas. Effectively works with a diverse, crossfunctional team towards a common goal. Demonstrate leadership and interpersonal skills Demonstrate proficiency in written and oral business communications Capacity to adapt and innovate to solve problems, to cope with unforeseen events, and to manage in unpredictable environments http://assessment.arizona.edu/eller/graduate_school_of_management/grad Appendix E – Field Study Projects MBA Consulting Project SCOPE DEVELOPMENT This document provides a guideline for developing the students’ scope of work. Focusing the scope is the most important step in launching your team’s efforts, because a clear scope helps ensure a solid deliverable. The information you provide below will be captured in a formal proposal created by the team within the first two weeks of the semester. Your information also assists the Eller staff with the team formation process, as a student team is hand selected for your unique project. Scopes can be developed using bullet points and/or brief paragraphs, and please take as much space as you need. Organization Overview: Organization Name: Project Sponsor Name: Industry: Primary Location(s): Primary Products/Services: Current Situation: (Please provide a brief description of the untapped opportunity or business need the project will address. Please do not include any information about how the Eller Student Team (Team) can address the problem.) Project Goals/Opportunities: (Please detail the overall goals and opportunities for the Team) Scope of Work: (Please provide specific scope items you expect the Team to execute.) Project Deliverables (Please list the specific content you expect to receive from the Team in the final deliverable.) http://assessment.arizona.edu/eller/graduate_school_of_management/grad Appendix F - Intel Competition: Analyst Presentation CRITERIA RATING (5= highest) Structural Coherence: Clear Frame statement (BLOT) Coherent Idea Development (Evident Transition) Clear Conclusion Content: Does the team identify the critical issues and discuss them in sufficient detail? Not necessarily in that order… Current Status of Company o o Overall Score: 1 2 3 4 5 Snapshot Articulation of company strategy Current Issues/Mitigation/Strategy o Industry/Company Recent Corporate Initiatives o o 1 2 3 4 5 New product introductions New market entry Competitive Positioning o o Identifies competitors States market share, size and growth data Company Financial Snapshot Deep understanding of company direction/projected performance Visual Design: Impact (Selected correct visual, augments presentation) Design (Complex and compelling visual strategy) Professionalism (Promotes company image) 1 2 3 4 5 Team Delivery: Cohesion and unification in group delivery Professional and polished delivery Clear, coherent and decisive delivery style Q & A: Recognizes different types of questions and responds accordingly Advances the issues introduced in presentation Team Synergy intact Succinct Answers Evaluator’s Comments: 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Total Score http://assessment.arizona.edu/eller/graduate_school_of_management/grad Ranking based on those you judged: Appendix G – BNAD 520E: Project Management the Wedding Case The Wedding Case - Individual BNAD 520-E * 70 Points Possible * Case Study Instructions: Read the entire case study before beginning. You may be tempted to perform tasks that you anticipate as a result of the narrative, however resist that urge. Remember that good planning starts with a good, high-level framework. Organize the overall structure of your plan by creating the WBS first, before you begin to create a schedule in MS Project. http://assessment.arizona.edu/eller/graduate_school_of_management/grad Four Deliverables – 60 minutes 1. Prepare a Requirements Matrix (no more than three). Use the format example in the Kloppenborg text/class charts. 2. Create a Project Scope Statement that includes project deliverables and project boundaries (see Slide 96 of Class 1 Lecture Materials). 3. Prepare a WBS in MS PowerPoint for a wedding. Use a graphic chart format (as opposed to an indentured list). Create only the first two levels of the WBS. 4. Pick one Level 2 category, and create a detailed plan for it down to the activity level. For example, if the team chose “Attire” as the main category, then I would expect to see deliverables for the tuxedos, the wedding dress, and the bridesmaid’s dresses in addition to all of the activities involved in acquiring them for the ceremony. Presentation – 50 minutes Choose one person to brief for five minutes. This person is exempt from presenting during the final presentation (third day of class). I will choose one of the deliverables above for your team to present. Post the deliverables requested to Blackboard. MS PowerPoint should be used for items 1 – 3. Use MS Project for item 4. Important Information: Do not plan the honeymoon – that is outside the scope of this project. The MS Project schedule should conform to good planning mechanics: o All tasks but one have a predecessor o All tasks but one have a successor o Minimal constraints – dates for tasks should be determined by their logic o No links at the summary task level o No tasks greater than 40d o No tasks less than 5d unless they are milestones o Do not mix time units in the schedule (e.g., one task is 3d, another is 4h, and a third is 6s). Pick a unit of time and stick with it o If an activity spends the project’s resources, it is included in the schedule http://assessment.arizona.edu/eller/graduate_school_of_management/grad There will be instances in this exercise when you will have to deviate from good planning practices such as to type in a date. Remember to minimize those occurrences. If you believe there is a reason to deviate from established scheduling standards, write a brief explanation in the Notes field associated with the task (s) where the deviation occurs. Estimate a reasonable time frame for each activity. For example, do not allocate one day to research and pick out flowers for the ceremony and then have them received the very next day. This will not be considered a “reasonable time frame” for the activity. Mitchell proposed to Erin on May 1, 2012. The criteria for evaluation are as follows: • Completeness of Requirements Matrix. Set of three should have a requirement for cost, scope, and schedule. • Project Scope Statement is complete with all required sections per lecture/text (i.e., project deliverables including acceptance criteria, project boundaries including what is in/out of scope, and a project work statement). • The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) for the wedding is comprehensive (e.g., does not omit something important like the attire) and conforms to standards of detail as per lecture materials/textbook. • Due to time constraints in class for this assignment, their schedule deliverable in MS Project should include all major elements identified in the WBS, but with detail for only one section. Points awarded for adherence to good planning practices as defined during lecture (e.g., minimized orphan tasks, no links at the summary level, and no tasks with durations greater than 40 days). Extra points awarded if they generate a good critical path given constraints above. • Quality of presentation. Needs to address the most important aspects of the deliverable I choose for them to present. At a minimum, should cover: 1) deliverable overview (e.g., what is a WBS and why do we use it?) 2) Process used to create deliverable 3) team's deliverable (e.g., here is how the team structured the WBS). http://assessment.arizona.edu/eller/graduate_school_of_management/grad Appendix H – EMBA Capstone Project (from the course syllabus) EMBA Module 11 Strategic Innovation Instructor: Professor Ken Smith Email: ksmith@eller.arizona.edu Tel: 520 621-2633 Course Description Innovation is a process designed to transform knowledge or ideas into commercial success. The result could be a new company, a new product, a new market or a new process. This course will examine the innovation process including the development of the business case necessary for achieving success in the market. Students in teams will apply the learning from this module to plan a product or service introduction from their assigned company. Course Objectives Understand why innovation has become the major driver of growth in the global economy Understand what companies have to do to be successful in driving growth through innovation Understand how you can be a leader in your organization in contributing to successful growth through innovation Develop experience in implementing the innovation process within your group portfolio company Learning Outcomes The learning objectives for the course are as follows: Understand the historical context in which growth through innovation is a major individual, organizational and national priority Understand innovation as the transformation of ideas into commercial success http://assessment.arizona.edu/eller/graduate_school_of_management/grad Understand the dimensions of business model innovation and technology innovation Understand incremental, radical and disruptive innovations Understand the role of technology brokers in accelerating innovation Understand issues in managing the innovation process and creating a culture of innovation Understand the approaches to commercializing products Understand the new roles and responsibilities that are required for success in an innovation organization Understand the challenges that must be addressed in the innovation process Understand how to approach creativity and collaboration and the dimensions of the new concept development model Textbook and Reading Section removed Assignments and Deliverables Section removed Course Requirements and Grading Grading will be based on five different aspects of your performance: class participation (10%), case write-ups (15%), written exam (30%), interim report assignment (15%) and final written report and presentation of integrated group project (30%). Class Participation Section removed Case Write-Ups Section removed Written Examination Section removed Integrated Group Project The purpose of the Integrated Group Project is to give you an opportunity to apply the key concepts learned in the course to a real-world company. You will perform a strategic analysis of the company, develop a new product or service innovation, and develop a customer value proposition and go-to-market strategy for the innovation. This exercise will culminate in a final presentation to a team of judges, including Eller faculty and external executives. http://assessment.arizona.edu/eller/graduate_school_of_management/grad Each team will be assigned one company for in-depth study. You have been provided a list of companies (see Appendix 2 for the List of Companies), grouped in columns by industry. These companies have been chosen as a representative sample of successful public companies. On Day 1, each team should submit a list of 3 companies, in order of preference, making sure that no more than one company is chosen from any single column representing an industry group. I will then assign a company to each group with a goal of having a wide cross section of companies and industries. Your team’s assignment is to implement all of the steps in the innovation value chain for a product or service innovation for your company. Written Interim Report Assignment A written report of about 10-15 pages will be due on Day 2, describing your implementation of the ideation and project selection steps in the innovation value chain. Each group has to brainstorm using watering holes technique and come up with a large number (i.e. 20 or more) of innovative ideas that cover not just product or service innovation, but also business model innovation. These ideas would ideally comprise a good mix of incremental and radical innovation. The team then has to winnow down these ideas to five for further development. Initial filters for winnowing may include alignment with corporate strategy, feasibility of technology and markets, core competencies and core rigidities of the organization, and so on. You need to spend some time developing these selection criteria, which can be company and industry specific. Please refer to the lecture slides on opportunity recognition, value criteria and the buyer experience cycle. You need to apply the NABC framework to the best five ideas from the list. Finally, you need to select one of these ideas that you will develop further into a complete business plan. Your team report will be a 10-15 page Word document describing your brainstorming process, the initial ideas, what selection criteria you applied (and why), and the NABC framework for 5 ideas. Describe why you are pursuing the concept with the greatest potential. Feel free to use graphics and tables within the document to make a compelling report. Appendices are welcome. Final written report and presentation Your final presentation and report will be due on our last session. Each team will have time for presentation followed by questions from the faculty and corporate leader judges. Your presentation should include: http://assessment.arizona.edu/eller/graduate_school_of_management/grad Strategic competitive positioning of your company Innovation project summarizing the material in your written report on the business plan for your innovation and showing how you worked through the steps in the innovation value chain. Customer value proposition and go-to-market strategy for your innovation project. A convincing business case with financial analysis and ROI to support your project. Class Behavior and Course Norms Sections removed Appendix 2 List of Companies Technology Finance Distribution HP Google Yahoo Dell Microsoft Apple Nokia Cisco Sony eBay 3M Citigroup Bank of America Goldman Sachs Chase Merrill Lynch Charles Schwab Wells Fargo American Express MasterCard Wal-Mart Target Costco Home Depot Lowes Walgreen Best Buy Starbucks McDonald's Whole Foods FedEx Facebook IBM P&G PepsiCo Coca-Cola Nestle L'Oreal Anheuser-Busch Kellogg Unilever Nike Mattel Infrastructure Alcoa Exxon Mobil Caterpillar DuPont Siemens Deere Dow Chemicals Schlumberger UPS Toys R Us Transportation Healthcare Toyota BMW FedEx UPS Honda Southwest Airlines Jet Blue Boeing US Airways Consumer goods Johnson and Johnson Pfizer Merck Novartis United Healthcare Genentech Medtronic HCA Entertainment Services Disney Time Warner News Corp CBS AT&T Verizon Accenture Iron Mountain Sprint Note: For clarity and completeness: where applicable, “Section removed” was added, highlighting was also added to indicate the grade-weighting for the capstone project. http://assessment.arizona.edu/eller/graduate_school_of_management/grad