MBA 693R
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Winter 2009
Instructors:
Office:
Telephone:
Paul C. Godfrey
789 TNRB
422-4522, Home 583-3188
Mark H. Hansen
567 TNRB
422-4362, Home 765-0024
WELCOME TO THIS CLASS!
Course Mission
Our goal is to give you the tools and skills to effectively formulate strategy. After completing this
course you will have the tools and enough practice using them to allow you to formulate and
implement effective strategies, in both your business and personal lives.
Effective strategic management involves three specific skills. These skills are:

The ability to define and establish a strategic position that maximizes the firm’s value added
to customers.

The ability to leverage the firm’s skills, capabilities and businesses and create additional
value for shareholders and other stakeholders.

The ability to create alignment among the firm’s various internal elements to optimize
performance.
This course will focus primarily on the first two, positioning and leverage. You will have the
opportunity to learn, practice, and apply these skills throughout the course. Alignment is more
specifically addressed in the strategy implementation course.
Course Objectives
This course weaves together content cases, learning and evaluation projects, as well as our
interactions with each other in and outside of the classroom into a holistic learning environment
designed to accomplish these learning objectives:
1. To help you understand a basic set of cognitive tools for effective strategy formulation
and implementation. You should be able to describe the history and development of
each cognitive tool presented in the course, articulate the underlying theoretical drivers,
and recognize when the tool should be used.
2. To provide you with practice using these tools to analyze historical (e.g., traditional case
study) and current (e.g., WSJ, other) business issues related to the challenges of
strategic management.
3. To provide an opportunity for you to combine the analytical output of several of these
tools and synthesize a holistic view of a larger business problem through a personal
paper and an end of semester in-depth project.
4. To invite you to use these tools and skills to evaluate an appropriate course of action for
a specific (content area) business situation or issue. There will be a number of cases,
including the final project, where the opportunity for recommending and evaluating a
course of action will be emphasized.
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Course Format
The course uses a variety of methods (cases, discussions, lectures, and experiential exercises)
to help you understand and become familiar with the tools of strategy. The course requires that
you apply these skills in class discussions and exercises, as well as in a personal and a group
project.
We assume you are motivated and that you bring to the learning community valuable knowledge,
experience, and expectations. We also assume you have a desire to relate what we do in class
to your own career, and so we encourage direct and specific questions you may have about how
the topics of the course relate to your past jobs or internships, current job opportunities, and
future career goals. We expect that you will come to each class session on-time, prepared, and
ready to participate. Our role as the instructors is more to serve as expert guides rather than as
dispensers of information. We have worked to construct a meaningful, challenging, and thoughtprovoking set of readings, cases, and exercises designed to facilitate our joint learning. For the
duration of the course, the burden of learning now shifts to you—what you ultimately get out of
this course depends on what you put into it.
Because of the unique nature and mission of Brigham Young University, this course will attempt
to follow the mandates given by Brigham Young to “teach by the Spirit of God” and Spencer W.
Kimball to “bathe our teaching in the light and color of the Restored Gospel”. This too is a joint
responsibility, we must all work together to create an atmosphere where the Holy Ghost can be
present and be an active force to facilitate teaching, learning, and edification (c.f., D&C 50: 1422). We must all be willing to contribute to the class, to value the diversity in our opinions and
views, and to live lives of righteousness and integrity.
Evaluation Criteria
Grades for the course will be based on the following:
Class Participation
Personal Strategy Paper
Group Project
Group Peer Evaluation
Group Preparation Assignments
30 %
10%
35 %
15 %
10%
We reserve the right to adjust your grade one full mark (e.g., from an A- to a B+) up or down
based on our overall assessment of your performance in the course.
CLASS PARTICIPATION is the backbone of the course; if you don’t contribute there will be no
learning. As such, you need to attend each session and be committed, involved members to the
work of the course. If you miss a session, we expect a 1 page executive summary of your
analysis of the case or reading to be turned in (hard copy or email) at the beginning of the
following session. You can use the preparation questions found later in this syllabus as questions
to answer for your executive summary. Participation grades are based on: assessed level of
preparation and analysis as evidenced in discussions; logical rigor and evidentiary support of
positions; new insights that appear in your contributions; engaging others constructively and
courteously. The quantity of your contribution is less important than its quality.
The PERSONAL STRATEGY PAPER (Due 10 March) gives you the opportunity to deepen your
knowledge around strategy formulation. Our experience as consultants is that executives, who
are faced with daily challenges within their own firms, systematically under-study both existing
and emerging knowledge that may help them solve their problems. Such an underinvestment
often leads to ill-formed or outmoded strategies, ones that are not based on solid economic
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drivers, miss customer expectations or needs, appear at inopportune times, or invite quick
competitive response or imitation. Your first task is to choose one book from the strategic
management reading list at the end of this syllabus (also found in the course folder). You then
need to choose 1) an event or issue from your previous employment, or 2) a current business
event or issue and analyze that issue or event through the lens of the book you read. Your
previous work experience provides an excellent source of strategy issues and problems with
which you are familiar and which have relevance for you. A great source for business issues and
events relevant to strategy is the Wall Street Journal. Fortune, Business Week, Inc., Fast
Company or web-based sources may also have information that highlights key strategic choices
facing firms. You want to consult more than one source to gain a deeper and richer
understanding of the issue or event.
The deliverable for this project is a 3-4 page, single spaced (or 6-8 double spaced pages) paper.
In the paper you need to identify the reading you chose, show that you understand the concepts
outlined in the book, use 3-4 key concepts as a framework or lens to analyze the issue or event
showing how the concepts apply to the case and what the implications of this type of analysis
suggest. Finally, you need to offer an evaluation of the company’s response (if there was one), or
you need to suggest what that response should be: You need to provide recommendations for
action.
For the GROUP PROJECT (due in 2 installments as noted on the course schedule), your
group needs to choose a firm or business unit to study. You may choose a large national firm (it
is better to choose a business unit of such a firm), a local firm, a not-for-profit entity, or a
university, all referred to hereafter as “business.” If you choose a local firm you need to make
sure you will have access to all the data you will need to complete the project (e.g., the ability to
interview managers or employees to ascertain the internal strengths and structure of the
company). While large national companies have lots of data and issues, small or local
companies often have the advantage that your analysis and recommendations will be appreciated
and may be acted upon. Further, you may be able to significantly enhance your analysis with
“local research” (e.g., interviews with customers, suppliers, employees, site visits, etc.) if you
choose a local company.
Each group should carefully craft a problem or issue(s) statement that clearly explains the
problem or issue(s) faced by the business. This problem statement will provide context and
scope for the project. For example, you may choose to examine the strategic issues surrounding
an acquisition, the introduction of a new product line, expansion into a foreign market, etc.
The project will be done in 2 phases: an assessment of the operating environment the business
faces; and an analysis of the internal situation of the business and set of recommendations for
strategic change. Only the final deliverable will be graded in order to allow you to incorporate
feedback from the first phase into your final project. You will be expected to incorporate the
feedback into each ensuing phase of the project. Each phase is described below.
Environmental Assessment. (Due 19 February) Good strategies are developed with a sound
understanding of the external environment in which the business competes. Your group needs to
do a data-driven, in-depth analysis of the operating environment of the business, considering the
structure of the industry (the 5 forces as both a snapshot of current conditions and the trend of
industry development), demand, key cost drivers, and competitive conditions (using your microeconomic foundations), a description of major competitors (including their likely competitive
responses to changes in strategy by the business you are studying), profit pools available to
competitors, and the stage of the industry life cycle. Your group should pay attention to, and
note, new technological changes and forces that may impact the industry and important
environmental trends facing the business (e.g., government regulation, social forces,
demographics). This assessment should be summarized in a comprehensive description and
evaluation of the Opportunities and Threats facing your focal business.
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The deliverable for this phase is a written document that covers the areas noted above. This
analysis should be no longer than 4 single spaced pages (using 10-12 point font with 1” margins).
The most successful projects use a bulleted outline format that combines their assertions about
the nature of the industry with the facts and data that support those assertions. Footnotes should
be included at the bottom of each page and you should provide a list of sources you consulted at
the end of your paper. The source list and up to two appendices (such as figures, charts, or
competitor maps) you choose to include will not count against the four page limit.
Internal Analysis and Recommendations. (Due 02 April) This phase invites you to examine
the internal strategy of the business. Your group needs to research and show an understanding
of the history of the business, the development of its current strategy, and a description and
evaluation of the quality of management currently in place. You need to identify and critique the
current strategy of the business, and present a detailed evaluation of the resources and
capabilities it possesses. Your analysis should include a thorough look at the balance sheet and
income statements of the company to understand its financial strengths, weaknesses, resources,
and constraints and then you need to link the financial analysis with your larger assessment of
the firm’s strategic strengths and weaknesses. (NOTE: For some teams doing local, start-up, or
privately held businesses, you may be unable to gain access to detailed financial data). You also
need to consider the larger corporate strategy, if your business is a unit in a larger corporation. In
such cases, you should evaluate the fit between the business and the overall corporate strategy,
as well as the fit between the business and any alliances or cooperative ventures in which the
corporation is involved.
The focus of this stage is also on the recommendations you develop and the professionalism and
quality of your presentation. The deliverables for this phase are a final written report (containing
the external and internal analysis sections and your recommendations) and an in-class
presentation (usually a PowerPoint presentation). You should attach copies of the slides (we
prefer the 3 per page notes pages) at the end of your presentation. The complete written report
should be no longer than 12 pages (1 title page, 1 page executive summary, 4 pages on the
industry, 4 on the company, and 4 on the recommendations) and should be Board-level quality
(that means professionally bound, use of color, clear and professional layout of the text and any
graphics, and a thorough copy-editing of your document to check for any spelling or grammatical
errors).
The recommendations will be evaluated based on their viability and do-ability (can this be done?),
their coherence (do all the recommendations hang together?), and their perceived efficacy (will
they solve the problems or issues focused on?). Of course, to set the context for your
recommendations your presentation must also clearly, concisely, and compellingly help the
audience understand your environmental and internal analyses.
Your presentation should be professional in every respect, and you should produce Board-level
quality materials. Each group will have 20 minutes to present and then must generate 5 minutes
of meaningful Q & A. These time limits will be strictly enforced. Your presentation should be
practiced and polished; use data and anecdotes to illustrate key points, and should use color,
graphics, and language that create an engaging and “salable” presentation.
Peer Evaluation of Project. During the week of 11-15 March your group will meet with an
assigned partner group and evaluate each other’s project to this point. You should present to the
other team (either in PowerPoint or written form) your industry and internal analysis. You should
also present to them what recommendations you are currently considering for the company.
The feedback you give (and by implication what you receive) should follow the format of our own
(instructors’) feedback. You need to evaluate the clarity of the strategic analysis of the other
team’s industry and company, assess the strength of their evidence and logic, and provide
feedback on the linkage between their analysis and their proposed recommendations. Your
feedback should be constructive, and you need to be honest but fair in your assessment of their
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work. Remember, there is a certain Karma to feedback, if you give good feedback you will tend
to get good feedback in return. You will present your feedback to the other team, and receive
yours, during the meeting.
Your deliverable for this part of the project is to provide the other group with 1-2 single spaced
pages of feedback, highlighting 3-4 critical areas where you think they can improve. This should
be a summary of the feedback you gave them during the meeting. The written feedback should
be provided to both the instructor and the other group (via email) no later than 5 p.m. on 15
March. You will be evaluated based on the coherence, constructiveness, and relevance of the
feedback you give to the other team. The goal of this assignment is for you to learn how to give
and get good feedback, as well as to provide you with another set of eyes to look at your thinking.
During the week of 23-27 March each team will have an opportunity to meet with me to answer
questions, develop ideas, and receive feedback to help hone and refine your work.
GROUP PEER EVALUATIONS will be done on a small group level. Evaluations by small group
members are designed to monitor and detect both shirking and outstanding effort on the part of
group members. You will rate the effort of your group members quantitatively and have the
opportunity to provide richer feedback as well. In the quantitative rankings, you will be asked to
distribute a fixed number of points among your colleagues, based on their effort. Assuming that
there are six members in each group, you will be asked to assign a total of 100 points divided
between the other five members of your group, with the stipulation that you must differentiate
some in your ratings. In other words, all members cannot receive 20 points; someone must
receive at least 21 and someone else no more than 19. There are three small group assignments
due at various points in the semester as noted on the schedule, and you should consider
participation in preparing these assignments as you make your allocations.
There are GROUP PREPARATION ASSIGNMENTS due at various points in the semester as
noted on the schedule. These are: 1) an analysis of new entry in the Cola Wars case, 15
January, 2) Your output from the demand curve exercise on 20 January, 3) Assigned analysis
(PowerPoint slides and spreadsheet analysis) for the Airbus A3XX case, 26 February, 4)
Assigned analysis of recent business moves by Google, Inc. for the case discussion on 12 March,
and 5) Assigned evaluation of strategic moves by Newell Company for the discussion on 24
March. These assignments are designed to give you application practice using the strategy tools
and to make sure our class discussion time is used as wisely as possible. These assignments
will be graded as follows: High Quality, Adequate, Marginal, and Inadequate.
Turning in Deliverables
The major, graded assignments in the course must be submitted in hard copy on the assigned
date. Group preparation assignments, or your own personal write-ups for class absences, can be
submitted via email.
Accessing Course Materials
There will be several PowerPoint presentations given in class as well as the Strategy Reading list
for you to use during the semester. Each of these items can be accessed in the student course
file: https://marriottschool.byu.edu/teachDir/index.cfm?direc=%2FMBA%20580/Godfrey or
https://marriottschool.byu.edu/teachDir/index.cfm?direc=%2FMBA%20580/Hansen, respectively.
All materials can also be accessed via the Blackboard.
Academic policies
The Marriott School continues to adopt school wide policies dealing the various components of
student and faculty conduct. Such policies include statements on academic honesty, sexual
harassment, students with disabilities, promotion and tolerance of diversity, and the use of
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technology in the classroom. It is important for you to understand these policies as they form the
overall institutional architecture of this course. The policies can be accessed at
http://marriottschool.byu.edu/classroompolicies/index.cfm.
Required Texts
Course packet available at the BYU Bookstore
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PREPARATION QUESTIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS
Session 1: Introduction/ What is Strategy?
1. As you read the porter article jot down 3-4 key takeaways or key learning points for you.
2. Why can’t strategy be about operational effectiveness? Where does your university
training focus, on operational effectiveness or on strategy? Why?
Session 2: Creating Value: The Resource-Based View
1. Thinking back on your own experience, what general strategies do firms pursue to create
and sustain competitive advantage?
2. How can companies build a unique competitive advantage?
3. Think of 2-3 companies that have some unique form of competitive advantage and come
prepared to talk about these companies in class.
4. What is your source of personal competitive advantage? How unique is it?
Session 3: The Globalization of CEMEX
Individual Preparation Assignment: Using the data in Exhibits 4 and 5, choose 5-6
performance dimensions and compare Holderbank and CEMEX. Holderbank is both the
largest competitor and closest to CEMEX in terms of the importance of cement. Be sure to
compare the numbers in an apples to apples fashion (beware of the raw numbers because
Holderbank is substantially larger than CEMEX). Be prepared to share your analysis with the
class if called upon to do so.
1. Why is CEMEX valuable as a global, rather than a national, company?
Session 4: Cola Wars
1. Compare the economics of the concentrate business to the bottling business: Why is
the profitability so different?
2. What drives profitability in each segment of the market, concentrate production and
bottling?
Group Assignment: Create a spreadsheet that models the cost of entry for a new
concentrate producer seeking to build a 10% share in the soft drink segment of the U.S.
beverage market within 5 years. You may assume that the entrant can leverage existing
excess capacity to reach 10%. What is the Net Present Value (NPV) for your model? You
will turn in an electronic copy of the spreadsheet.
Session 5 & 6: Demand
1. What determines demand for a firm’s products/ services?
2. How sensitive is demand to changes in price, income, etc.?
3. How can managers work with/influence demand to create competitive advantages?
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Session 7: Harley Davidson: Preparing for the next century
1.
Historically, how did Harley Davidson manage to dominate the U. S. market?
2. What changed, externally and internally, that became problems for Harley in the 1970’s?
3. What were the major ingredients of Harley’s turnaround?
4. Is the “aging” of the target market a serious threat? A challenging opportunity?
Session 8: Group Research Day
Session 9: Suppliers and costs
1.
What drives costs for a business?
2.
How do (should) costs influence decision making?
3.
How can managers work with/ influence cost to create competitive advantages?
Session 10: Delta Airlines: The low cost carrier threat
1.
How do the Low Cost Carriers (LCC’s) make money and grow in a terrible industry
environment?
2.
If the LCC’s have been so effective, why have the legacy carriers fared so poorly in their
efforts to compete?
3.
What should Delta do?
Session 11 & 12: Market structure I & II
1. For the first day, there are no preparation questions.
2. For the second session, think back on the industries that we have studied. How would
you rate the barriers to entry? What competitive factors create and sustain these
barriers?
Session 13: No class: Group project phase I preparation
Phase I of the group project is due at noon today
Session 14: Game theory and competitive behavior
There are no preparation questions for today’s session. Come prepared to play games
Session 15: Airbus A3XX
To prepare for this session, each group needs to create a 5 minute PowerPoint presentation,
and accompanying spreadsheets, on their assigned position. Although each group may not
present, each position will be considered and discussed in class. The positions (and group
assignments) are:
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Airbus, Develop (Groups 1-2): You need to create the case that Airbus should develop the
A3XX. As you make your case, consider the following: What is the expected demand for the
product (you should create a rosy, average, and bleak scenario)? What is the break even
number of planes that Airbus needs to produce (break-even analysis requires a positive net
present value that allows each of the stakeholders to earn their cost of capital)? How
sensitive is the break even to cost overruns and/or time delays (what if costs exceed
estimates by 25-50% and launch is delayed 2-3 years)? What other considerations may
push Airbus to enter the market that cannot be captured using NPV or demand analysis?
How will your decision be impacted by Boeing’s choice?
Airbus, Abandon (Groups 3-4): You need to create the case that Airbus should abandon
the A3XX project. As you make your case, consider the following: What is the expected
demand for the product (you should create a rosy, average, and bleak scenario)? What is
the break even number of planes that Airbus needs to produce (break-even analysis requires
a positive net present value that allows each of the stakeholders to earn their cost of capital)?
How sensitive is the break even to cost overruns and/or time delays (what if costs exceed
estimates by 25-50% and launch is delayed 2-3 years)? What other considerations may
push Airbus to enter the market that cannot be captured using NPV or demand analysis?
How will these be affected by your decision to abandon the project? How will your decision
affect Boeing and your competitive rivalry?
Boeing, Do Nothing (Group 5): You need to create the case that Boeing’s best response is
to do nothing. As you make your case, consider the following: What is the expected demand
for the product (you should create a rosy, average, and bleak scenario)? How much does
your analysis of the demand weigh on your decision to not enter? What will you do with the
money instead? How do you see your decision affecting Airbus? Is doing nothing the least
or most risky option for Boeing? Why?
Boeing, Cut Price (Group 6-7): You need to create an argument for why simply cutting the
price of the 747-400 represents the best strategic response for Boeing. You need to consider
not only demand for the product (under rosy, average, and bleak scenarios), but also price
sensitivity and cyclicality (variability) of demand and how these may be manipulated by a
price cut. What are the advantages (disadvantages) or a price cut response? What impact
do you see your decision having on Airbus?
Boeing, Stretch the 747-400 (Group 8, 11): You need to create the case that Boeing’s best
response is to develop a “stretch version” of the 747-400. As you make your case, consider
the following: What is the expected demand for the product (you should create a rosy,
average, and bleak scenario)? What is the break even number of planes that Boeing needs
to produce (break-even analysis requires a positive net present value that allows each of the
stakeholders to earn their cost of capital)? How sensitive is the break even to cost overruns
and/or time delays (what if costs exceed estimates by 25-50% and launch is delayed 2-3
years)? What are the overall advantages and disadvantages of this option? Are there any
factors in this decision that cannot be captured with NPV analysis? How will your decision
affect Airbus and your competitive rivalry?
Boeing, Develop New Plane (Groups 9-10): You need to create the case that Boeing
should develop a direct response to the A3XX. As you make your case, consider the
following: What is the expected demand for the product (you should create a rosy, average,
and bleak scenario)? What is the break even number of planes that Boeing needs to
produce (break-even analysis requires a positive net present value that allows each of the
stakeholders to earn their cost of capital)? How sensitive is the break even to cost overruns
and/or time delays (what if costs exceed estimates by 25-50% and launch is delayed 2-3
years)? What other considerations may push Boeing to enter the market that cannot be
captured using NPV or demand analysis? How will your decision be impacted by Airbus’s
choice?
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You need to email your slides to the professor by 8:00 a.m. the morning of this
session, by 7:00 a.m. if you are in the 8:00 section.
Session 16: Intel Corporation 1968-2003
1. Within a single generation of chips, what factors drive costs for Intel and its competitors?
2. How does the introduction of new generations of products/ technologies affect costs?
How does the cost curve change?
3. How has Intel created, captured, and sustained economic value in the industry?
4. As 2009 rolls on, what do you see as the key challenges for Intel?
Session 17: No class session: Personal paper preparation day
Session 18: Information economics and innovation
1. How is an “information” economy different from an “industrial” economy?
2. How do the internet and other information technologies affect a firm’s search for
competitive advantage?
3. Why does the leader in one technological generation often fail to lead in the next
generation?
Session 19: Google, Inc.
1. What were the key factors behind Google’s early successes?
2. Is the search business a “winner-take-all” game? Why or why not?
Group Assignment: As a technology company, Google is continually updating its product
and service offerings. To prepare for this case, each group should spend some time (about
45-60 minutes) evaluating some of Google’s recent business moves. Groups 1-5 should
examine the Google-YouTube merger, while groups 6-10 should look into the alliance
between Google and T-Mobile, the G1 phone. What is the logic that drives these moves?
What are the potential upsides and downsides of each move? Do you think they will
succeed? Why or why not?
Sessions 20: Ciba-Geigy and the Newport investment proposal
1. Compare the jobs of Peter Schulze and Heini Lippuner. What unique challenges
does Lippuner face that Schulze does not?
2. Should Ciba invest in the Newport plant? At what level?
Session 21: Arauco (A): Forward integration or horizontal expansion
1. If you were Alejandro Perez, what are your options? What would you do?
2. What criteria should we use to make the decision?
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3. What is Arauco’s core competitive advantage? What factors create and sustain that
advantage?
Session 22: Newell Company: Corporate strategy
1. How does Newell add value to an acquisition? Does the source of value change
over time?
2. How does Newell add value to a retailer?
Group Assignment: Your job is to evaluate, either positively or negatively, the
acquisitions that Newell made at the end of the 1990’s. How doe these acquisitions fit
within both the stated strategy of Newell (exhibits 1 & 2), and their portfolio of
companies? Do these represent value added for Newell, or are they strategic
distractions. Your group needs to prepare a 5 minute summary presentation (probably 1
PowerPoint slide) that addresses the following issues:
Groups 1-2: What is the upside to the Calphalon acquisition? Your group needs to
clearly identify and analyze the growth (both revenue, profit, and segment) that Calphalon
could provide. What changes in Newell’s strategy does this necessitate? What new
opportunities are open?
Groups 3-5: What are the red flags with the Calphalon acquisition? Your group needs
to articulate and examine the potential pitfalls of this acquisition. Does this acquisition lie
outside Newell’s core competence?
Groups 6-7: What is the upside to the Rubbermaid acquisition? Your group needs to
clearly identify and analyze the growth (both revenue, profit, and segment) that
Rubbermaid could provide. What changes in Newell’s strategy does this necessitate?
What new opportunities are open?
Groups 8-10: What are the red flags with the Rubbermaid acquisition? Your group
needs to articulate and examine the potential pitfalls of this acquisition. Does this
acquisition lie outside Newell’s core competence? How can Newell justify the huge
(49%) premium it paid for the right to Rubbermaid?
Session 23: OSI Group
1. How does trust create a competitive advantage for both McDonalds and OSI? What
about OSI’s other alliance partners?
2. Should Lavin and McDonald be concerned about the entry in the vegetable business
by Husi? Why or why not?
3. Please list the 5 things you will take away from this course.
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DATA SOURCES FOR THE GROUP PROJECT
Industry-level data:

U. S. Census of Manufacturers (http://www.census.gov/econ/www/mancen.html)

Industry data on Hoovers.com (http://www.hoovers.com/free/)

Look at sources on the industry information page of the business management section of
the HBLL website. It provides a number of excellent sources.
(http://hbllmedia.lib.byu.edu/subs/subject.pl?s_id=78&sectionId=rgblob148)

Industry or trade associations (e.g., American Petroleum Institute, or Pharmaceutical
Research and Manufacturers of America); these can be found through a Google search.
Many industry associations have strategic plans or forecasts that you may be able to
access.

You can also look at business related academic articles on a site such as JSTOR or
ABI/Inform, available through the HBLL website.
Firm Level Data

10K and 10Q filings (available on Edgar data base-- http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml)

Annual Reports—especially the chairman’s letter

Articles in the popular press—fortune, business week, the Wall Street Journal (can be
accessed through the BYU library system, ABI/Inform, Lexus/ Nexus, EBSCO,

Analysts reports (many of these cost money but you can often find a free summary on the
internet)

Negative blogs or websites run by groups opposing the business or the company (for
example, Wal-Mart has watchwalmart.com, a website run by its opponents. Even though
this information has a bias and perspective, it is very useful.)

Business and Company Resource Center (Gale, Available through BYU Library)

Telephone interviews with Investor Relations offices at many companies yield good
information.

Interviews with suppliers, distributors, employees, or customers of the business. These
data will provide you with some very valuable methods of testing the veracity of what you
get from analysts, the company, and its opponents.
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STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT: A READING LIST (For individual paper)
Other books may be substituted with approval from the instructor
Strategy:
Andeson, Chris. 2006. The Long Tail: Why the future of business is selling less of more.
Hyperion books.
Brandenburg, A. and Nalebuff, B. 1996. Co-optetition. Currency Doubleday.
Christensen, C. M. 2000, 2003. The Innovator’s Dilemma. Harper Business
Christensen, C. M. and Raynor, M. E. 2003. The Innovator’s Solution. Harvard Business
School Press.
Collins, J. C. and Porras, J. I. 1994. Built to Last. Harper Business.
Gerber, M. 2007. E-myth mastery. HarperCollins.
Ghemawat, P. 1991. Commitment: The dynamics of strategy. Free Press.
Kaplan, R. S. and Norton, D. P. 1996. The Balanced Scorecard. Harvard Business School
Press.
Moore, G. A. 2000 or 2002. Living on the Fault Line. Harper Business.
Moore, G. A. 2005. Dealing with Darwin: How great companies innovate at every phase of
their evolution. Penguin books.
Porter, M. E. 1990. The Competitive Advantage of Nations. Free Press.
Tapscott, D. and Ticoll, D. 2003. The Naked Corporation. Free Press.
Tapscott, D. and Williams, A. D. 2008. Wikinomics: How mass collaboration changes
everything. Penguin books.
3/8/2016
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Course Schedule and Outline
Date
Topic
Reading / Assignment
06 Jan
1
Course Introduction
Article: What is Strategy?
08 Jan
2
Creating value: The Resource-Based View
Article: Competing on Resources
13 Jan
3
The RBV in Action
15 Jan
4
Industry Analysis
20 Jan
5
Demand Curves
Case: The Globalization of CEMEX
Article: How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy (2008)
Case: Cola Wars 2006/ Group Spreadsheet Due
Note: Microeconomics for Strategists p. 1-5
22 Jan
6
Demand and Buyer Power
Demand Exercise
27 Jan
7
Business Unit Competition: Differentiation
Case: Harley Davidson: Preparing for the Next Century
29 Jan
8
No Class
MBA Program Travel Day
03 Feb
9
Suppliers and Costs
Microeconomics for Strategies, 5-12
05 Feb
10
Business Unit Competition: Competing on Cost
Delta Airlines: The Low Cost Carrier Threat
10 Feb
11
Market Structure I
Microeconomics for Strategists, 13-17
12 Feb
12
Market Structure II
Strategies to Crack Well-Guarded Markets
17 Feb
---
Monday Instruction – No Class
19 Feb
13
No Class
Group Project Phase I Due 12:00 noon
24 Feb
14
Game Theory & Competitive Behavior
Note: Competitor Analysis: Anticipating Competitive Actions
26 Feb
15
Market Structure and Strategy
Case: Airbus A3XX/ Group Option Analysis Due
03 Mar
16
Business Unit Competition: Ricardian Rents
Case: Intel Corp 1986-2003/
05 Mar
17
No Class
Personal Paper Preparation Day
10 Mar
18
Innovation and Information
Article: Blue Ocean Strategy/ Individual Strategy Paper due
12 Mar
19
Changing the Basis of Competition
Case: Google/ Group Current Analysis Due
17 Mar
20
Corporate Strategy: Adding Value
19 Mar
21
Corporate Strategy: Vertical Integration/ Related Diversification
24 Mar
22
Corporate Strategy: Unrelated Diversification
26 Mar
23
Corporate Strategy: Alliances
Case: Ciba-Geigy and the Newport Investment Proposal
Case: Celulosa Arauco
Article: Growth Outside the Core
Case: Newell Company: Corporate Strategy
Group Evaluation Due
OSI Group
31 Mar
24
No Class
Project Preparation Day
02 Apr
25
Final Presentations
Group final project due
07 Apr
26
Final presentations
09 Apr
27
Final presentations
14 Apr
28
Final presentations
3/8/2016
Page 14 of 14