EMBA 682
BUSINESS POLICY AND THE GENERAL MANAGER’S ROLE
Winter 2009
Instructors:
Office:
Telephone:
Paul C. Godfrey
789 TNRB
422-4522, Home 583-3188
W. Burke Jackson
682 TNRB
422-2394, 375-1737
WELCOME TO THIS CLASS!
Course Mission
This course prepares you to be an effective general manager. General Management differs from
functional management in two key respects: 1) the general manager must guide and coordinate the
efforts of many different functional managers within the firm, and 2) the general manager has personal
responsibility for the financial performance of the entire enterprise.
Effective General Managers possess four distinct skills; they
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Integrate and align all the functional and organizational elements of the enterprise into a
strategic whole.
Initiate, guide, and conclude enterprise-level change designed to maintain alignment with the
strategic environment and objectives of the enterprise.
Possess a strong set of personal and business values that guide their decision-making, and
help them create a vision for others to follow.
Utilize sound business judgment.
By the end of this course, you will have a basic set of tools to help you
 Align organizational elements into a strategic whole
 Guide change projects to maintain alignment
 Clarify and understand your personal and business values.
We cannot teach business judgment, it is largely a function of personal insight and experience;
however, the cases we use in the course provide an excellent opportunity to look at a number of business
decisions. We will spend time in each case looking for examples of good (or poor) business judgment.
Our goal is to enhance your awareness of, and deepen your ability to see, good business judgment in
action.
Course Objectives
The Marriott School of Management recently outlined five program objectives for the MBA program. This
course weaves in each of these objectives in class content and cases, learning and evaluation projects,
and through our interactions with each other in and outside of the classroom. These objectives are:
1. Develop a better understanding of how faith and professional accomplishment are
complementary—we hope that all that we do will contribute to this objective. We have a number
of sessions where the interface of faith and professional practice will be apparent, and we
encourage you to work with us to help find complementarities between the two.
2. Develop a sense of ethical values that translate into the business community—one-third of the
course sessions deal with ethical challenges that involve middle and top managers. Each of
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these activities is designed to help you identify and clarify how your own ethical values apply to a
variety of business settings, including the challenges of ethical action in a global environment.
3. Contribute to a team-based work environment—the semester project and other group
assignments invite you to work effectively in groups.
4. Becoming proficient in the subject matter of strategy implementation—each class session and
activity is designed to help you learn and apply important tools that general managers can use to
forge alignment and lead their organizations. More generally, this course will emphasize three
higher order thinking skills. Each reading, case study, class discussion, or assignment is
designed to help you improve your skill in analysis (the ability to break a business problem,
situation, or issue into its component parts and understand the workings and causal structure of
each part), synthesis (the ability to put those component pieces back together into a new holistic
view of the problem, situation, or issue), and evaluation (the ability to consider all relevant factors
and elements of a decision, to prioritize decision components based on values [both business
and moral], and ability to make a decision and move forward).
5. Being able to participate actively and comfortably in a global environment—we have infused our
course with cases, situations, and dilemmas that face general managers as they operate in a
global environment. We will specifically consider how each tool or model needs to be adapted in
order to fit business, ethnic, religious, and national cultures around the world.
Course Format
The course uses a variety of methods (cases, discussions, lectures, videos, and experiential exercises) to
help you understand and become familiar with the tools of the general manager.
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 organization. We expect that you will come to each class session on-time,
prepared, and ready to participate. Our role as the instructors is much more to serve as expert guides
rather than as dispensers of information. We have worked to construct a meaningful, challenging, and
thought-provoking 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—you will get out of this course as much
as 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: 14-22). 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 Written Assignments
Group 7-S Analysis Project
35 %
20 %
45 %
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.
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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. We have 10 full nights of learning activities, two nights split between course work and projects,
and one night where you will be free to work on your projects. You are expected to attend all these
sessions. If you miss 1 night, we expect a 1 page executive summary of your analysis of the case or
reading to be turned in the following week. If you miss 2 classes we may lower your grade up to one full
mark; if you miss 3 sessions, you may not pass the class; because so much of our work goes on during
each session, it is imperative that you be in class in order to maximize your learning.
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 final participation grade will be a weighted combination of 1) your peers’
assessment of which class members contributed most to their overall learning, and 2) our assessment of
your participation.
The PERSONAL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS require you to think rigorously and write about two specific
cases. The first assignment, due 20 January at the beginning of class concerns the primary case for
the evening, the analyst’s dilemma. The case considers a situation where the horns of the analyst’s
dilemma involve a friend and the needs of her firm. You must make a decision and act. You need to
outline your decision in the case (did you choose her or your firm), and outline the reasoning and
motivation for your choices. While people may choose either option, be aware that the quality of reasons
you use to support your choice play the largest role in assessing your performance. The assignment may
be written as a 2-3 page (single spaced) traditional essay or as a letter to your friend Lori. You should
pay attention that you identify the nature of the moral dilemma, the core virtues in play, and the choices
those virtues imply. Be sure to clarify the consequences of your actions for you, for Lori, and others; be
sure to articulate the priority of different consequences in this case.
The second assignment occurs in the change management section of the course. On 24 February
(assignment due at the beginning of class) we will examine change challenge facing Gary Rodkin.
Gary takes over Pepsi Cola after substantial changes have been made, and it is clear that many of those
changes have not had positive effects. Rather than have you do a predetermined analysis, we invite you
to 1) draw out key learning points from the efforts of these two executives (tell us something that is
interesting, important, or intriguing), and 2) find an application for your learning in the work and projects
you are currently involved in.
The GROUP 7-S ANALYSIS PROJECT uses the 7 S model of organizational alignment as the basis of a
project designed to solve a business problem and improve organizational performance. While we do not
want to give you a strict set of rules for the projects—companies are different and we don’t want to see or
invite cookie cutter deliverables—we can outline some elements that excellent projects have used in the
past.
1. The best papers are strategy-based. The purpose of using the 7 S model is to help
organizations understand where they are so that they can move to where they ought to be. The
best projects focus on strategic change—they identify a change in the external environment that
requires organizational change, or they highlight internal problems that hinder performance by
keeping the organization from good alignment.
2. The best papers are grounded in theory. Excellent student work uses both 7 S models
discussed in class as well as models of organizational change, values, leadership, or strategy
used in other courses.
3. The best papers use data and empirical evidence to support their claims. The data often
come from interviews, surveys of employees or other key stakeholders, and archival data—such
as financial or operating data—where appropriate.
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4. The best papers are focused and actionable. Good recommendations are actionable; they are
not just general thrusts where the organization should look to change; they are relatively detailed
descriptions of the nature and sequence of specific change proposals.
The project is due in four phases, the first on 13 January, the second on 23 January, the third on 27
February or 06 March (depending on which night we meet with your group), and the fourth on 20 March.
Your group will receive on grade for the entire project, given at the end. We will try to provide you with
feedback throughout the project on your performance to date.
Company selection (due 13 January). Your group needs to have chosen a company or organization to
study, and communicate this to the professors. You need to create an initial yet clear statement of the
central problem that will be the focus of the 7 S analysis. As you will note above, the more your core
challenge incorporates the strategic direction or challenges of the firm, the better your project will be.
Past successful projects have included: Dealing with structural and cultural transitions following a merger
or acquisition; restructuring and establishing systems and skills to facilitate growth; creating new
alignment due to the entrance of a new competitor; creating a turnaround plan; dealing with click and
brick operations in an integrative fashion. A good statement of the problem will be no longer than 1 page
and will include answers to the journalists questions: What is the problem, How long has it been going
on, Where is the problem located, Who are the key actors, Why is this a core challenge or problem, When
does a solution need to be found. We will meet with each group on 13 January for about 10 minutes.
The purpose of this meeting is to make sure that the company selection and general problem definition
are adequate for the needs of the project.
Phase I—designing the project (due 03 February). The key first task for this phase is to get a clear
handle on the core problem. This is best done through an iterative process. Your group has already
identified a potential problem, or set of problems. What you need to do now is identify which of these
problems are critical for the organization. The best way to do this is to do two things: 1) look for “pain
points” in the organization, and work backwards from there. Look for performance problems, or another
identifiable source of pain in the organization, and begin to relate this pain to the elements of the 7 S
model; it is helpful to do some causal chain analysis by asking “why is this a problem” or “what causes
this problem” at least 5 times until you arrive at some fundamental answers. 2) interview key
stakeholders, from all levels of the organization and outside (if necessary). The goal of these interviews
is to deepen your understanding of both the problem and how it is being perceived and managed within
the organization.
The deliverable for this phase is a 2-3 page document that covers the business problem, as you currently
understand it, and the outline of your data collection strategy for corroborating, deepening, and extending
your understanding of the problem. You should have completed the initial interviews, and you need to
have a plan with names and dates attached to show us that you can complete the project. This
deliverable should be emailed to Paul Godfrey at Paul_Godfrey@byu.edu. Paul will meet with each team
the night of 03 February to review progress and provide feedback.
Phase II—data analysis, synthesis, and insight (due 03 March). For this phase you have two critical
tasks: complete your data collection and analysis, and begin an initial synthesis that your group can use
to generate a number of alternative courses of action.

Data analysis is the art of peering into the data to identify important elements and information.
This information may appear as trends, correlations, or other patterns, but the goal of the analysis
is to find these patterns and probe deeply until the root causes of the problem or issue have been
identified. Identifying root causes usually involves asking the “why” question 5 to 6 times for each
pattern identified.

Synthesis involves putting the analysis of each element into a cohesive, coherent, and
comprehensive picture of the situation. Synthesis involves the search for relationships among
elements and patterns, the prioritization of root causes, and juxtaposing elements to see if they
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fall into any sequential pattern. When a good synthesis is completed your group can begin to
generate alternative approaches to the issues you are addressing.
The deliverable for this phase could be a PowerPoint presentation that identifies and provides detail
about the key elements, creates a map or graphic of the relationship between the key elements, and may
have a laundry list of potential action steps. This deliverable should be viewed as a work in progress.
What is important is that you communicate your analysis, synthesis, and alternative-generation-work in a
level of detail that facilitates a good working discussion of where to go next. We will meet with each
group for 20-30 Minutes in order to provide you with feedback and help you develop recommendations.
Phase III—evaluation and final presentation (due 24 March). The focus of this stage is on the
recommendations you develop and the professionalism and quality of your presentation.
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The recommendations will be evaluated based on their viability and doability (can this be done?),
their coherence (do all the recommendations hang together?), their efficacy (will they solve the
problems or issues focused on?), and their consequences (how will performance improve? What
new problems will be created?). Of course, to set the context for your recommendations your
presentation must also clearly, concisely, and compellingly help the audience understand much of
your problem definition, project work, analysis, and synthesis work.
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Your presentation should be professional in every respect, and you should produce Board-level
quality materials. Not every group will present, but those that do will have 20 minutes to present
and then must generate 10 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.
The deliverable for this phase would be a bound hard copy of your presentation plus any documents
needed for an evaluator to fully understand your project. You may have appendices that include surveys,
interviewees and questions, data and analysis, or any other supporting materials that enhance your
presentation.
Grades for the group project will include a peer evaluation component. We will adjust group grades for
individuals in order to reflect excellent or poor performance.
Required Texts
Course readings packet.
Jim Collins, 2001. Good to great.
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Key Insight Questions for Readings and Cases:
Lincoln Electric
Piece rate systems were abandoned by most companies years ago. Why? Why does it seem to
be working at Lincoln? Is this an example of “empowerment”? Are they ahead or behind the
times in the 1970’s? 2000’s?
Expanded 7-S Note
Come prepared to discuss misalignments you have experienced in organizations with which you
are familiar.
Unilever’s Butter Beater
Why hasn’t Unilever been able to implement it’s agreed upon strategy? Which S’s are the
problems?
Analysts Dilemma
Preparation for this case is described earlier in the personal written assignments section.
Man’s Search for Meaning
Victor Frankl was born 26 March 1905 in Vienna Austria. After receiving his Medical Degree in
1930, Frankl began his career as a psychiatrist. He founded the “third Viennese school of
psychology”—Logotherapy, inspired largely by his life in the concentration camps. He survived 4
Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz. During his life he authored 32 books and
lectured at 209 universities on all five continents. Man’s Search for Meaning was voted as one of
the 10 most influential books in America today in a survey by the Library of Congress. The book
is now in its 73rd printing with over 9 Million copies sold worldwide.
Victor Frankl’s little book provides a powerful discourse on what it means to be virtuous under the
most extreme conditions of suffering, depravation, and inhumanity. Frankl’s account of his life in
a concentration camp is a gripping story in its own right, and a powerful essay on the nature of
virtue and the purpose of suffering. As you read the book, please consider the following
questions:
1. What, for Frankl, constitutes a virtuous life?
2. How does the horror of a concentration camp resemble (and not resemble) competitive, forprofit businesses?
Becton Dickinson
What challenges do BD managers face as they try to design a global policy around ethics and gift
giving? Should they focus on a global policy or policies adapted to each country environment?
What are the benefits and drawbacks of each approach?
The Competing Values Model
What does it mean for an organization, or an individual, to be successful? When do different
visions of success create conflicting demands on individuals and organizations?
Leading Change
Please come to this session prepared to talk about some change efforts that you have seen
succeed and fail in your career. What differentiates those that succeed from those that fail? What
unique challenges to middle managers face as they implement change?
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Gary Rodkin at Pepsi Cola North America
What are the key causes of the misalignment plaguing Pepsi and Gary Rodkin? What concrete
steps would you take to remedy the situation? What would you do first?
Leading Change at Simmons
Assess the organizational culture change program at Simmons and the role that the GGOL
program should play as they move forward. Should it be rolled out?
Mergers and Acquisitions
What impressed you about how General Electric integrates their acquisition targets? Where have
you seen successful (or unsuccessful) acquisitions? What characterized these?
For Ben & Jerry’s case: What should Couette do about B&J’s culture and values and their
integration with Unilever’s culture, the desire to expand internationally and to succeed financially?
Bringing it all together
What were Carly Fiorina’s strengths and weaknesses in running HP? What were Meg Whitman’s
at eBay? How would you compare the two leaders? Is it valid to compare them?
The General Manager’s Role
Peter Drucker advocates that effective managers build on their strengths. When is this good
counsel? Where does it falter? What do you intend for the second half of your life?
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Course Schedule
Date
Topic
Case or Reading/ Assignment
Information (HBS Cases unless noted)
06 Jan
Introduction/ Alignment
The Expanded 7S Perspective
Lincoln Electric
UVA OB-0659
376-028
13 Jan
International Alignment
Unilever’s Butter Beater
Project Review I
698-017
20 Jan
Conflicts of interest
The Analysts Dilemma
Analysts letter due, beginning of Class
394-056
27 Jan
Meaning and Purpose
Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning
ISBN 0-671-02337-3
03 Feb
No class- project work
Consulting with Professor Godfrey
10 Feb
Organizational Ethics
Creating an ethical climate
Becton Dickinson
17 Feb
Organizational Values
The competing values model
Good to Great I
24 Feb
Models of change
Kotter, leading change
Gary Rodkin at Pepsi-Cola North America (A)
Personal Write-up due
HBR 95204
403-080
03 Mar
Change and the soft square
Leading Change at Simmons (A, B, C, D cases in Packet )
Project Review II
406-046, 406-047, 408-062, 408-063
10 Mar
Application: Mergers and
Acquisitions
Making the Deal Real: How GE Integrates acquisitions
Ben & Jerry’s and Unilver
HBR 98101
UV0597
17 Mar
Bringing it all together
HP under Carly
Case: Meg Whitman at eBay, Inc. (A)
Good to Great II
HBS HKU418
401-024
24 Mar
Bringing it all together
Managing Oneself
Project Presentations
HBR 99204
Godfrey and Jackson, EMBA 682
Anand, Ashforth, & Joshi (AME)
399-055
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