Calendar of Assignments
7/27/09 11:09 AM
BUSN 495 - Strategic Management
Fall 2009
Tentative Calendar of Assignments
Week
Month
Date
Activity
1. BECOME INTIMATE FRIENDS with Thompson and Stappenback's The Business
Strategy Game (BSG), 8th Online Edition. To accomplish this, please do the following:
a. View the BSG Power Point Introduction.
b. Read the directions regarding accessing the BSG demo site.
c. Log into the demo site. (Exit the Blackboard classroom before doing so.)
d. Print the Player's Manual.
e. Tour the Decisions and Reports Screens and take a look at the Help Pages
for each of the decision screens.
If you have any problems accessing the demo, PLEASE contact me via the classroom email
immediately with a time during which I can call you and walk you through it. Please provide
a phone number as well.
1
September
12-19
2. Read : Chapter 5, "The Five Generic Competitive Strategies" in the Thompson, Strickland,
and Gamble textbook. At this point you will need a basic understanding of the five generic
competitive strategies as they relate to how you choose to compete in the Business Strategy
Game. We will discuss these strategies relative to the BSG on the 19th. A more thorough
reading of this chapter is assigned in week 10.
3. Mandatory On-campus Orientation Session - Saturday, September 19th from 9am
until 5pm in Taylor Hall 201 on the McMinnville campus.
a. Introductions and photo opp!
b. Formation of teams (3 - 4 members)
c. Generic strategies discussion (Chapter 5)
d. BSG Discussion and Team Decision Making
1. Read: Chapter 1, "What Is Strategy and Why Is It Important?" and Chapter 2, "The
Management Process of Crafting and Executing Strategy." These two chapters will give you
an excellent overview of the entire strategic management process.
2. The Student Online Learning Center link in this week's Learning Module will take you to
McGraw-Hill's student site for our textbook. Once at the site, select the chapter you are
interested in (on the left-hand side). Then you can select a Power Point slide set which you
can use to review chapter material, select the Core Concepts to review their meanings, or
select the self-tests which you can use to gage your mastery of the individual chapter material
before taking any of the required quizzes.
2
September
20-27
3. Register for the BSG-Online. Use either the Prepaid Registration or the Credit Card
Registration procedure available in this week's Learning Module Table of Contents. Each of
these documents contains your team's registration code as well as instructions for registration.
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7/27/09 11:09 AM
*******At this point in time, you should no longer be accessing the BSG demo
site!!!*******
4. A SHORT sample EXAM is available in this week's Learning Module Table of Contents. It
provides a preview of the type of chapter exams that you can expect. Taking the sample exam
is purely optional and does not affect your grade.
5. EXAM # 1: Chapters 1-2
1. Read: Chapter 3, "Analyzing A Company's External Environment."
3
SeptemberOctober
28-04
2. The Student Online Learning Center link in this week's Learning Module will take you to
McGraw-Hill's student site for our textbook. Once at the site, select the chapter you are
interested in (on the left-hand side). Then you can select a Power Point slide set which you
can use to review chapter material, select the Core Concepts to review their meanings, or
select the self-tests which you can use to gage your mastery of the individual chapter material
before taking any of the required quizzes.
1. Read: "A Guide to Case Analysis" which can be found at McGraw-Hill's Student Online
Learning Center.
4
October
05-11
2. Examine the Example Memo Response based on Callaway Golf Company. The case itself
and example student written Memo Responses can be found at the "Memo Response
Example" link on our Homepage. The example is provided to give you guidance as to how to
present your remarks in both the discussion forums and the memo responses. This example
includes both external and internal analysis. At this point in time, it is suggested that you take
a look at the external analysis portion, which includes the key business and economic
characteristics, a 5-forces analysis, driving forces, and key success factors.
3. Thoroughly and thoughtfully read Casepdf, Copperfield's Books, keeping in mind that you
are focusing on the components of external analysis. This casepdf is located at the link in this
week's Learning Module Table of Contents.
4. Forum # 1: Casepdf: Copperfield's Books.
5. EXAM # 2: Chapter 3
1. Complete: BSG PERIOD 11 DECISIONS by 10/19.
2. The BSG simulation will actually run very shortly after 11:00pm, depending on the site's
activity. You will receive an email (at whatever email address you provided when you
registered) indicating that the results are ready. Whenever you access the BSG again, the first
thing that should be done is to print the following reports: Footwear Industry Report,
Competitive Analysis, and Company Reports. (The links to these reports can be found in
your BSG Corporate Lobby.) You will need to spend time analyzing these reports before
attempting to make decisions for period 12. (I suggest printing the reports because most
students find it more difficult to do the analysis using a 'screen view.'
5
October
12-18
3. Please, please, please contact me with questions.
4.. Read: Chapter 4, "Analyzing A company's Resources and Competitive Position."
5. The Student Online Learning Center link in this week's Learning Module will take you to
McGraw-Hill's student site for our textbook. Once at the site, select the chapter you are
interested in (on the left-hand side). Then you can select a Power Point slide set which you
can use to review chapter material, select the Core Concepts to review their meanings, or
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7/27/09 11:09 AM
select the self-tests which you can use to gage your mastery of the individual chapter material
before taking any of the required quizzes.
1. Reexamine the external analysis sections of the Example Memo Response and Case Forum
# 1 in preparation for the writing of Memo Response # 1.
6
October
19-25
2. Thoroughly and thoughtfully read Case 04: Competition in the Bottled Water Industry,
keeping in mind that you are focusing on the components of external analysis.
3. Submit: Case 04: Competition in the Bottled Water Industry. (Required Memo Response #
1). This MR focuses on External Analysis tools as presented in Chapter 3.
1. EXAM # 3: Chapter 4
7
OctoberNovember
26-01
2. Examine the Example Memo Response based on Callaway Golf Company. The case itself
and example student written Memo Responses can be found at the "Memo Response
Example" link on our Homepage. The example is provided to give you guidance as to how to
present your remarks in both the discussion forums and the memo responses. This example
includes both external and internal analysis. At this point in time, it is suggested that you take
a look at the internal analysis portion, which includes strategy identification, SWOT analysis,
financial analysis, issue identification, and strategic recommendations.
3. Thoroughly and thoughtfully read Casepdf, Copperfield's Books, keeping in mind that you
are focusing on the components of internal analysis. This casepdf is located at the link in this
week's Learning Module Table of Contents.
4. Forum # 2: Casepdf: Copperfield's Books.
1. Complete: BSG PERIOD 12 DECISIONS.
2. After period 12 results are available, print all of the simulation reports for period 12,
analyze them, and ask questions.
8
November
02-08
3. Submit the SIMULATION BUSINESS CONCEPT.
4. Online BSG Quiz # 1- This 45 minute quiz is accessed via the BSG Corporate Lobby.
Please logon to the BSG, click on the "Assignments" drop-down tab, and then click on "Quiz
1." You may use the Players Manual to assist you in completing the quiz.
1. Reexamine Example Memo Response and Case Forum # 2 in preparation for the writing of
Memo Response # 2. Again, examine the internal analysis portion, which includes strategy
identification, SWOT analysis, financial analysis, issue identification, and strategic
recommendations.
9
November
09-15
2. Thoroughly and thoughtfully read Case 07: Panera Bread Company, keeping in mind that
you are focusing on the components of internal analysis.
3.Submit: Case 07: Panera Bread Company. (Required Memo Response # 2). This MR
focuses on Internal Analysis tools as presented in Chapter 4.
1. Complete: BSG PERIOD 13 DECISIONS.
2. After period 13 results are available, print all of the simulation reports for period 13,
analyze them, and ask questions.
3. Reread: Chapter 5, " The Five Generic Competitive Strategies."
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4. Read: Chapter 7, "Competing in Foreign Markets."
10
November
16-22
5. The Student Online Learning Center link in this week's Learning Module will take you to
McGraw-Hill's student site for our textbook. Once at the site, select the chapter you are
interested in (on the left-hand side). Then you can select a Power Point slide set which you
can use to review chapter material, select the Core Concepts to review their meanings, or
select the self-tests which you can use to gage your mastery of the individual chapter material
before taking any of the required quizzes.
6. EXAM # 4: Chapters 5 & 7
11
November
23-29
1. Thoroughly and thoughtfully read the Case 17: Toyota's Strategy and Initiatives in Europe.
The Memo Response you will be preparing has questions related to chapters 3, 4, 5, and 7 in
the Thompson et al text. Hence, be sure that you have studied both 5 and 7 by now, despite
the fact that the chapter exam is not until next week.
2. Submit: Case 17: Toyota's Strategy and Initiatives in Europe (Required Memo Response #
3). This MR relies on your understanding of chapters 3, 4, 5, and 7.
1. Online BSG Quiz # 2 - This 90 minute quiz is accessed via the BSG Corporate Lobby.
Please logon to the BSG, click on the "Assignments" drop-down tab, and then click on "Quiz
2." Please go to Quiz 2 in advance of the time that you are going to take it, as you should
follow the directions in terms of what you should print and have available for reference when
you actually take the exam.
12
NovemberDecember
30-06
2. Complete: BSG PERIOD 14 DECISIONS.
3. After period 14 results are available, print all of the simulation reports for period 14,
analyze them, and ask questions.
4. Complete the BSG Three-Year Plan (Years 14-16).
5. Forum # 3: Case 15: Electronic Arts in 2007.
1. Submit: Case 15: Electronic Arts (OPTIONAL Memo Response # 4).
13
December
07-13
2. Complete: BSG PERIOD 15 DECISIONS.
3. After period 15 results are available, print all of the simulation reports for period 15,
analyze them, and ask questions.
14
December
14-16
1 . Complete: BSG PERIOD 16 DECISIONS.
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