SULEMAN DAWOOD SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
MBA PROGRAMME
CLASS OF 2016
AUDITORIUM A-203
SEMESTER III 2015-16 (SIIIA)
Assignments for the week of September 07 to September 11, 2015
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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 07
0830 - 1130
(Double Session)
NEGOTIATION SKILLS
GHUFRAN AHMAD
Topic: Integrative Negotiation
Learning Objectives:
1.
2.
How to create and claim value in negotiation
Understand the difference between interest-based and positionbased negotiation strategies and how to use suitable strategies in
appropriate contexts
Exercise: To be provided in class.
Read: Win-Win Negotiation: Expanding the Pie (Pgs. 24)
1130 - 1230
Break
1230 - 1400
MANAGEMENT OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
SAMIR AHMED
Topic: Financial Regulation
Learning Objective: To understand the need for and the significance of
Financial Regulation. The changing landscape post 2007-08 financial
crisis
Case: The Great Recession 2007-2010: Causes and Consequences
(Pgs. 11)
Assignment:
1.
Evaluate the role of unethical decisions in causing the financial
crisis. Do you agree with Jeffrey Immelts’s comments that “the
richest people made the most mistakes with the least
accountability”? Can ethics be enhanced through regulations?
1
2.
Should financial institutions be prevented from becoming too big
to fail? What criteria should be followed in making such
judgments?
3.
What should be done about capital requirements?
4.
Should consumer decisions regarding loans be regulated?
5.
Should bankers’ pay be regulated?
6.
Design an optimal and feasible plan of regulatory reform and new
legislation?
Read: The Principles of Regulation (Pgs. 22)
1400 - 1500
Lunch break
1500 - 1630
SUPPLY CHAIN AND RETAIL MANAGEMENT
M NAIMAN JALIL
Topic: Introduction
Case: Procurement at Betapharm Corp. (A) (Pgs. 9)
Read: Purchasing Must Become Supply Management (Pgs. 12)
1630 - 1715
Break
1715 - 1845
SALES FORCE MANAGEMENT
M LUQMAN AWAN
Topic: Selling and Sales Force Management Fundamentals
Learning Objectives:
1.
2.
Sales Strategy Framework
Sale Management
Case: Telenor Pakistan Selling Mobile Accounts (Pgs. 24)
Assignment:
1.
What are the differences between Over the Counter (OTC) &
Mobile Accounts (MA)? Why MA’s are important for TP in
changing business environment?
2.
Elaborate current Sales approach of Telenor Pakistan, what is
changing in environment?
2
3.
Why Territory sales supervisors are not successful in selling
Mobile Accounts specifically? Will you label them as hunters or
farmers?
4.
How important is the role of Retailers in TP Go to market strategy,
what are different approaches TP is using to retain them. Why
retailers are not successful in selling Mobile accounts?
5.
Why and how TP launched MASO’s?
6.
Discuss pros and cons of proposed options for MASO’s future.
Read: The Ultimately Accountable Job: Leading Today’s Sales
Organisation (Pgs. 9)
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 08
0830 - 1000
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AND MARKET RESEARCH
FARRAH ARIF
Topic: Segmentation and Positioning II
Learning Objectives: Understand the use of conjoint analysis for how
marketers create value by identifying valued customers and developing
value propositions
Read:
1.
2.
Rediscovering Market Segmentation (Pgs. 13)
A Note on Conjoint Analysis (Collect from Dr Farrah’s
Administrative Assistant between 3:00 to 4:00 pm on September 4,
2015)
1000 - 1030
Tea break
1030 - 1200
OPERATIONS STRATEGY
HASSAN RAUF
Topic: Linking Operations Strategy with Business Strategy and other
Functional Areas
Learning Objective:
1.
2.
We will explore how operations strategy is linked with other
functional areas
We will explore how various functional strategies are aligned with
business strategy through the use of balanced scorecard
3
Case: Volkswagen do Brasil: Driving Strategy with the Balanced
Scorecard (Pgs. 24)
Assignment:
1.
What challenges does Thomas Schmall face upon becoming CEO
of Volkswagen do Brasil (VWB)?
2.
Describe VWB’s new strategy?
3.
How does the strategy map (Exhibit 4) and Balanced Scorecard
(Exhibit 5) help Schmall and Senn implement the new strategy?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the scorecard and its
implementation?
4.
How can Schmall and his team use the scorecard to deal with the
challenges faced by the company in January 2009?
Read: Strategy Maps (Pgs. 35)
1200 - 1230
Break
1230 - 1400
ORGANISATIONAL POWER AND POLITICS
MOHSIN BASHIR
Topics:
1.
2.
Understanding Organisational Environment and its Impact on
Organisational Politics
Understanding The Role of Organisational Culture as a Source of
Power
Learning Objective: Understanding resource dependency, difference
between tangible and symbolic resources, and the role of organizational
environment in politics
Read:
1.
2.
Pfeffer Ch. 5 (Pgs. 28)
Pfeffer Ch. 15 (Pgs. 20)
Assignment:
1.
What is the difference between resources and symbols?
2.
How does resource dependency result in a power differential
between people in an organisation?
4
1400 - 1500
Lunch break
1500 - 1630
INVESTMENTS
FAZAL JAWAD SEYYED
Topic: Equity Market Indexes and Asset Management Companies
(Mutual Funds)
Learning Objective:
1.
2.
Understand the various security market indexes - their uses and
construction methodologies
Understand and evaluate the benefits of investing through
collective investment schemes
Case: Excel Fund Management: Euroland Equity Fund (Pgs. 19)
Assignment:
1.
Which benchmark is most appropriate to measure the performance
of the Excel Euroland Equity Fund?
2.
Comment on the pros and cons of active versus passive investing
for the fund.
3.
Comment on the appropriateness of hedging currency movements.
What would be the impact of 5% devaluation of the euro versus the
Canadian dollar based on hedging with futures?
4.
What factors should Asdhir consider when selecting a fund
manager?
5.
From the marketing perspective, describe the key success factors
for launching the fund. How much money under management will
be required to break even?
6.
What recommendation would you make to Asdhir regarding the
potential launch of the fund?
Read: RB Chapters 5 and 24
1630 - 1715
Break
1715 - 1845
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
KHALID MIRZA
Topic: Governance Failure (I)
5
Learning Objective: To appreciate how governance failures can be
precipitated by fault lines in related party transactions, accounting and
internal controls
Read:
1.
2.
The Fall of Enron (Pgs. 22)
What Happened at Enron? (Pgs. 22)
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 09
0830 - 1000
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
KHALID MIRZA
Topic: Governance Failure (II)
Learning Objective: To clearly comprehend how the corporate
leadership’s ethical infirmities can debilitate the corporate by sliding down
to illicit activities, including collusion in financial fraud
Read: Procomp Informatic: Stepping on Ethical Landmines in Asia
(Pgs. 16)
1000 - 1230
Break
1230 - 1400
MANAGEMENT OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
SAMIR AHMED
Topic: Global Commercial Banking
Learning Objective: To understand the structure and role of banks
globally
Case: Building a Wholesale Banking Capability (Pgs. 24)
Assignment:
1.
Given its powerful global commercial banking franchise, why does
HSBC want to become a major force in global wholesale and
investment banking as well?
2.
What are the main risks to HSBC shareholders in creating a global
investment banking business?
3.
Why has HSBC failed in its initiative so far despite a global
banking platform that is second to none?
6
4.
With respect to its investment banking ambitions, what do you
suggest HSBC should do next?
Read: Note on the Banking Industry (Pgs. 16)
1400 - 1500
Lunch break
1500 - 1630
SUPPLY CHAIN AND RETAIL MANAGEMENT
M NAIMAN JALIL
Topic: Introduction
Case: MTL: Has The Time Come to Say Goodbye to MF? (Pgs. 25)
Read: Building Deep Supplier Relationships (Pgs. 12)
1630 - 1715
Break
1715 - 1845
SALES FORCE MANAGEMENT
M LUQMAN AWAN
Topic: Sales Design Consideration
Learning Objectives:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Typical day in life of Sales manager
Challenges involve in the role of Sales manager
Territory & quota design
Size of the sales force
Case: NetApp: The Day to Day of a District Manager (Pgs. 24)
Assignment:
1.
As Jim, which representatives in your district would you retain,
and which would you fire if you had to decide in February of
2002? Why?
2.
In Q1 / 03, Jim’s district was expected to yield in a 30% annual
growth, with the same or less resources. As Jim, what would be
your next steps in negotiating with your RD and with your
representatives? Be prepared to describe a specific 3-point action
plan, and to role-play.
3.
In Jim’s place, what would you have done about a contributor you
considered to be “marginal” such as John Parker? Would you try to
reallocate quota/regions to best use him or terminate him and risk
not finding another rep to replace him?
7
4.
What would you have done about Eric van Stone? Please explain.
5.
As Jim, what would you do, if anything, to improve your
relationship with your RD Alice Minnelli? Please explain.
6.
As Jim, given his busy schedule and high pressure to perform in
fiscal year 2003, how would you allocate the hours in your average
day among the many possible activities that could consume your
time (recruiting, supporting reps, monitoring sales, going on sales
calls, managing upward and lateral relationships, etc.)?
Read:
1.
2.
Sales Learning Curve (Pgs. 12)
Deployment, Focus, and Measuring Effectiveness (Pgs. 6)
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
0830 - 1000
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR AND MARKET RESEARCH
FARRAH ARIF
Topic: Segmentation and Positioning with Conjoint Analysis
Learning Objective: Demonstrate the use of conjoint analysis for how
marketers create value by identifying valued customers and developing
value propositions
Quiz2: based on the reading
Note: Research Idea Submission
a. Group Members
b. Problem Statement
c. Client info, if any
Case: Haroon’s – The Gift Shop (Will be distributed after the Tuesday,
September 8, 2015 session)
Assignment:
1.
Reproduce the Exhibits given in the case.
2.
Should Haroon focus on a particular segment? Why? Why not?
3.
What should Haroon’s management do to improve its existing
assortments and increase profitability?
Read: A Note on Conjoint Analysis (Review)
1000 - 1030
Tea break
8
1030 - 1200
OPERATIONS STRATEGY
HASSAN RAUF
Topic: Vertical Integration and Outsourcing
Learning Objective: The sessions will be focused on developing an
understanding the conditions under which an organisation should decide to
vertically integrate as opposed to outsource
Case: Strategic Outsourcing at Bharti Airtel Ltd. (Pgs. 21)
Assignment:
1.
What must Bharti do well to succeed in the Indian mobile phone
market? What are Bharti's core competencies?
2.
Do you think Bharti should enter the outsourcing agreements
outlined by Gupta? What do you see as advantages and
disadvantages of such agreements? How do the different
outsourcing agreements work towards building these core
competencies?
3.
If you were Bharti, what major concerns would you have about
entering an outsourcing agreement with IBM? With Ericsson,
Nokia, or Siemens?
4.
How would you structure the agreements to address your concerns
and capture any advantages you have identified? What governance
mechanisms would you design for the agreements?
5.
Assume the role of IBM or Nokia. What major concerns would
you have about entering an agreement with Bharti? How would
you structure the agreement and the governance mechanisms?
Read:
1.
2.
When and When Not to Vertically Integrate (Pgs. 15)
Strategic Outsourcing (Pgs. 15)
1200 - 1230
Break
1230 - 1400
ORGANISATIONAL POWER AND POLITICS
MOHSIN BASHIR
Topic: Applying Resource Dependency to Organisational Politics
Learning Objective: Understanding resource dependency, difference
between tangible and symbolic resources, and the role of organisational
environment in politics
9
Case: Gary Loveman and Harrah’s Entertainment (Pgs. 19)
Assignment:
1.
What were Gary Loveman’s sources of power?
2.
Do you see any significant similarities or differences between Gary
Loveman’s and Zia Yusuf's strategies?
Read: Pfeffer Ch 6 (Pgs. 15)
1400 - 1500
Lunch break
1500 - 1630
INVESTMENTS
FAZAL JAWAD SEYYED
Topic: Asset Allocation for Institutional Investors
Learning Objectives: Evaluate the asset allocation decisions of
individuals and institutional investors
Case: Harvard Management Company (2010) (Pgs. 23)
Assignment:
1.
What is an appropriate risk profile for an endowment? What are
typical outside constraints on Endowments?
2.
How does compensation of fund managers affect the portfolio
strategy? What are your suggestions regarding compensation of
managers of the Harvard Endowment Fund?
3.
What is the difference between a strategic versus a tactical
allocation? How frequently should each be adjusted? Comment on
a long-term performance target allocation like 60/40.
4.
What are the advantages and drawbacks of using an optimised in
asset allocation decisions? What type of constraints should be used
to include or exclude or limit allocation to an asset class?
5.
What is the risk-return profile and merits of some of the long-short
strategies?
Read: RB Chapter 2
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
0830 - 1845
MBA PROJECT
HASSAN RAUF
Work on MBA Project
10