STUDENT COURSE GUIDE
BUS 669
Business Strategy
Business policy and strategies are designed by the
students to address changes in the business
environment and the need for companies to adapt in
pursuit of company success in the marketplace. Some
key areas of study are the principles of leadership
succession and organization growth and development.
Organizational structure and strategy are important
focal points for leadership in the context of global
dynamics and cultural and political differences as in the
global competitive landscape.
OUR MISSION ...................................................................................................................................................................3
COURSE OVERVIEW ...........................................................................................................................................................3
MBA PROGRAM OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................... 3
COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES............................................................................................................................. 3
LEARNING RESOURCES ........................................................................................................................................ 4
COURSE POLICIES ..............................................................................................................................................................4
TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS .............................................................................................................................. 4
WRITING STANDARDS AND RESOURCES .................................................................................................................. 4
CLASS PARTICIPATION AND LATE POLICY ................................................................................................................. 5
ACADEMIC RECYCLING POLICY .............................................................................................................................. 6
COURSE COMMUNICATION .................................................................................................................................. 6
INSTRUCTOR QUESTIONS AND GRADING ................................................................................................................. 6
COURSE AND UNIVERSITY EVALUATION .................................................................................................................. 6
STUDENT ASSESSMENT ...................................................................................................................................................6
DISCUSSION FORUMS ....................................................................................................................................... 7
WEEKLY QUIZZES .............................................................................................................................................. 7
INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT .................................................................................................................................... 7
FINAL EXAM ..................................................................................................................................................... 7
COURSE GRADING ........................................................................................................................................... 7
ASSIGNMENTS .................................................................................................................................................................9
WEEK ONE – MASTERING STRATEGY: ART AND SCIENCE ............................................................................................. 9
WEEK TWO – LEADING STRATEGICALLY .................................................................................................................. 9
WEEK THREE – EVALUATING THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT ....................................................................................... 10
WEEK FOUR – MANAGING FIRM RESOURCES .......................................................................................................... 11
WEEK F I V E –SELECTING AND SUPPORTING BUSINESS-LEVEL STRATEGIES: COMPETITIVE AND COOPERATIVE MOVES ................. 12
WEEK SIX – COMPETING IN INTERNATIONAL MARKETS AND SELECTING CORPORATE-LEVEL STRATEGIES ................................. 12
WEEK SEVEN – EXECUTIVE STRATEGY THROUGH ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN .................................................................... 13
WEEK E I G H T – LEADING ETHICALLY: CORPORATE GOVERNANCE, ETHICS, AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ................................ 14
COURSE MAP ................................................................................................................................................................ 15
2
Our Mission
Executive Academy of Scottsdale is committed to providing high-quality distance learning graduate business
education to a diverse group of learners in a flexible, affordable, and student-centered academic environment.
Our programs empower students to achieve career advancement and personal enrichment, and become
expert global leaders committed to the application of sound business practices in corporate governance,
entrepreneurship, and service to the community.
Course Overview
MBA Program Objectives
Students who successfully complete the Master of Business Administration degree program will be able to:

Critical Thinking: solve managerial problems using critical thinking skills and quantitative analysis;

Ethical Reasoning: evaluate the moral and ethical principles practiced in the organizational setting;

Team Development: analyze the use of managerial and leadership skills to develop productive teams;

Decision Making and Execution: research business information to support the decision making process
and execute decisions;

Effective Communication: assess internal and external communication practices used in business; and

Global Thinking: analyze business opportunities and challenges from a global perspective.
Course Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Learn what business strategic management is and why it is valuable to consider different definitions of
strategy.

Understand how an organization and its environment affect each other.

Define the four characteristics of resources that lead to sustained competitive advantage as articulated
by the resource-based theory of a firm.

Understand and know the limits of the four primary generic strategies and the two dimensions that are
critical to defining business-level strategy.

Understand the potential benefits and risks when competing in international markets.

Distinguish between vertical and horizontal linkages and know what function each fulfills in an
organizational structure.

Demonstrate how ethical organizations practice governance, ethics, and social responsibility.
3
Learning Resources
Required Text
Ketchen, D. & Short, J. (n.d.) Mastering Strategic Management, v. 1.0 AAP. Retrieved from
www.flatworldknowledge.com.
Course Policies
Student rights and responsibilities and detailed EAS academic information and policies can be found in
the EAS University Catalog. The catalog can be accessed, electronically, through EAS web-site
www.eascottsdale.org. Specific student responsibilities, policies, requirements, and standards applicable
to online coursework are provided below. All university policies apply to students taking this course.
Technology Requirements
Competencies
Students must have the following competencies:
 Ability to access course and program material on the Internet;
 Ability to correspond with University staff, faculty, and students through email and the Internet.
System Requirements
The following system configuration and software are recommended:
Platforms: Mac OS X 10.2 or higher or Windows XP or higher;
Hardware: 256 Mb RAM, CD-ROM, and 1 Gb free disk space;
Productivity Software: Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel 2003 or higher; Adobe Reader 8.0 or
higher;
Web Browser: Firefox 3.0 or higher, Internet Explorer 8.0 or higher, Safari 4.0 or higher, or Chrome;
Networking: 56k dialup modem, DSL, or Cable modem;
Email: Outlook, Outlook Express, Mac Mail, Eudora, Entourage, or Yahoo/Hotmail/Gmail.






The following are recommended for optimal performance
Productivity Software: Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel 2007 or higher;
Networking: Broadband Internet connection (DSL, cable, or other).


Writing Standards and Resources
General Guidelines
The following writing standards apply to assignments as part of this course.


All individual and group papers must be submitted in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or
Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format.
All papers must be formatted according to APA Guidelines listed below. Cited sources must be given
appropriate credit through inclusion in a reference list at the end of the paper, as well as an
appropriately formatted in-text citation must be used.
4

Paper size guidelines are provided so that students can appropriately focus their writing within a
specified scope. Students should consider these guidelines as approximations, although a significant
deviation on either side of the guideline may be subject to grade penalties.
APA Guidelines
EAS has adopted the use of APA (American Psychological Association) guidelines for use in written
assignments, including papers and discussion posts. These guidelines govern document formatting,
organization, style, and citations. The use of APA guidelines for discussion posts is limited to the
development of in-text citations and reference lists. A more informal writing style is otherwise acceptable
for discussion posts.
Below are some sources of additional information about APA style, which are publicly available information.
1. APA Style website from the American Psychological Association
http://www.apastyle.org/learn/faqs/index.aspx
2. The OWL (Online Writing Lab) from Purdue University
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/
3. The BibMe website to automatically generate APA citations for paper bibliographies.
www.bibme.com
Plagiarism
EAS takes academic honesty very seriously. Students are expected to always submit original work, and
outside sources should be appropriately credited whenever used. Works that require citation include, but are
not limited to, hard copy or electronic publications (copyrighted or not), communication (verbal or
otherwise) originating from identifiable sources. Academic dishonesty occurs when: students use words or
ideas that are not their original work in assignments, citations are not included for all used outside sources,
work is recycled from another course taken by the same student (unless agreed with the instructor in
advance), documents, such as transcripts or diplomas are forged, etc. (EAS University Catalog, 2012)
Faculty members are trained and encouraged to try and prevent plagiarism in their classes. Some steps in
that direction are for a faculty member to make it very clear, through announcements or assignment
instructions, what constitutes plagiarism (as well as the potential consequences), and how assignments
and citations should be formatted. Both students and faculty members are encouraged to check
assignments through a plagiarism checking software. Instances of plagiarism are addressed immediately.
(EAS University Catalog, 2012)
Academic Research
Academic research and papers must meet quality standards recognized by the academic community.
Research should include Primary (original) or Secondary credible sources written by experts in the
area of study. Peer-reviewed journal articles are required in major course written assignments.
Educational websites such as Wikipedia, Investopedia or others are not accepted for academic
research and referencing in course assignments.
Class Participation and Late Policy
Students are expected to participate and actively contribute to class assignments (including discussions),
demonstrating knowledge of the concepts and theories studied, and the ability to apply that knowledge when
analyzing current events, assigned case studies, or real business questions from their own organizations and
communities. Assignments should be completed timely and within the posted deadlines. Limited extensions of
5
time may only be granted for unexpected business, health, or personal emergencies, whenever those are
communicated in advance of missing a due date. All late submissions, otherwise, will result in a late penalty of
10% per day that the assignment is late. In the rare occurrence of a technical issue preventing students from
submitting assignments on time, the late penalty will not be applied, provided the technical issue is universitywide and outside of the control of individual students.
Academic Recycling Policy
Re-using of papers submitted for other courses, is generally, not acceptable. Partial recycling may be allowed,
provided that the student receives permission from the faculty member, given the individual circumstances
for each assignment. Using coursework from a previous class, partially or in its entirety, without explicit
prior approval of the faculty member may result in a failing grade for the assignment.
Course Communication
Our MBA programs place a high importance on effective written communication. We encourage you to visit
the classroom daily, and to participate in classroom discussions a minimum of 3 days per week. Students are
expected to contribute a minimum of 8 substantive posts per week in order to earn participation credit.
Faculty and students will use the in-course messaging system to exchange private communications related to
the course. For questions that concern the majority of the students in the class, it is best to post the question
in the respective forums assigned for process questions in the virtual classroom.
Instructor Questions and Grading
Questions posted in the course classroom and sent via the course messaging system or email will be
answered within 48 hours. Personal information and questions related to grading must be handled via
private communications in order to protect students’ privacy rights. Discussion board grades and. Individual
and Written Assignment grades will be posted within 5 calendar days after the end of each week, i.e. by end
of day on Friday after the week they are due.
Course and University Evaluation
Students may be asked to submit a course evaluation at the end of their course. Your feedback is very
important to your university and faculty members. Your feedback will allow us to improve the quality of our
programs and ensure successful and productive student experience for future cohorts.
Student Assessment
Students have a number of opportunities to demonstrate learning through the measures of evaluation
provided below. Please, use the table below to identify the days of the week as referenced in this
section. Please, note that each week starts with Monday and ends with Sunday.
Day 1
Monday
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
6
Discussion Forums
Each Week there will be discussion activities, which require critical thinking and responses that are
based in theory, readings, current events, and personal experiences. All discussions pertaining to the
topics of a particular week must take place within that week. Students should plan to begin
participating in discussions early in the week, so as to allow a substantive discussion and exchange
of ideas to take place within the week.
Weekly Quizzes
Every week, there will be quizzes offered in the online classroom, which consist of multiple-choice
problems. Quizzes are meant for practicing of the concepts and theories studied in class. Quizzes can be
taken multiple times and are scored automatically.
Individual Assignment
Students are required to complete one written individual assignment during Week 4.
Final Exam
There is a final exam, which is administered in the virtual classroom and is open for students throughout
Week 8. The final exam may include a variety of question types, including definitions, calculation
problems, or analysis from all topics covered throughout the term.
Course Grading
MBA Program Grading Philosophy
Students should note that the average grade for EAS is a grade of “B”. Students, whose performance is
solid and meets expectations consistently, can expect to earn this grade. Our university is very focused on
ensuring that classes are not grade inflated and as such, grades of “A” are only provided for those
assignments and activities for which a student goes beyond expectations. Please, note that per university
policy, grades less than B are not meeting standards of graduate school competency and students whose
cumulative GPA falls below B are subject to being placed on Academic Probation or Dismissal, as detailed in
the University Catalog .
Course Grading Rubric
The following grading rubric will be used in evaluating student work in discussions and written
assignments.
Above Expectations
(A range)
Critical
Student uses relevant,
Thinking/Originality professional or personal
experience in a unique and
insightful manner that adds
substantially to the
knowledge on the topic.
Content/Subject
Student thoroughly
Knowledge.
addresses all elements of
the question and
demonstrates an advanced
knowledge of the theory
7
Meet Expectations
(B range)
Student uses relevant,
professional or personal
experience.
Below Expectations
(C-F range)
Student poorly applies
relevant, professional or
personal experience to
the topic.
Student addresses most
of the elements of the
discussion question, and
demonstrates a basic
knowledge of the theory
Student fails to address
a majority of the
elements in the
discussion question, and
does not demonstrate
behind the question
behind it.
Frequency of
Participation for
Discussions
Student responds in a
substantive manner to
Discussion Questions or
colleagues’ responses at
least 8 times during the
respective week as counted
in all discussion forums
together.
Student responds in a
substantive manner to
Discussion Questions or
colleagues’ responses at
least 5 times during the
respective week as
counted in all discussion
forums together.
Organization and
Mechanics
Writing contains very few,
if any, minor errors related
to grammar, spelling,
sentence structure or
clarity. Student properly
cites resources, if applicable
Writing contains errors
related to grammar,
spelling, sentence
structure or clarity, but
the errors do not impact
understanding of the
content. Student cites
resources, if applicable.
Course Grading Breakdown
Please note that there are no D grades or plus or minus signs.
Letter Grade
Percent
A
B
C
F
90-100
80-89
70-79
69 and below
Grading Percent Breakdown
Discussion Forums
Individual Quizzes
Individual Assignment
Final Exam
Total:
36%
24%
20%
20%
100 %
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basic knowledge of the
topic.
Student responds nonsubstantively to
Discussion Questions or
colleagues’ responses
and/or responds less
than 5 times during the
respective week as
counted in all discussion
forums together.
Writing contains errors
related to grammar,
spelling, sentence
structure, and citations,
and the errors impact
the clarity of the post.
Assignments
WEEK ONE - MASTERING STRATEGY: ART AND SCIENCE
Objectives




Learn what strategic management is.
Understand the key questions addressed by strategic management
Understand why it is valuable to consider different definitions of strategy
Learn what is meant by each of the 5 Ps of strategy.
Assignments Overview
Assignment
Due Date
Format
Post your Introduction
Day 1 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
General Readings Discussion
Day 3 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
Test Your Understanding Quiz Day 7
Quiz
Readings
Ketchen, D. & Short, J. (n.d.) Mastering Strategic Management, v. 1.0 AAP. Retrieved from
www.flatworldknowledge.com. (Chapter 1)
Discussion Forums
Participate in the following Discussion Forums:
1. Due by Day 1. Post your Introduction on the discussion forum titled, "Introduction." Briefly introduce
yourself to your cohort and faculty member. Discuss your expectations of what you may learn in this
course and how it will be useful in your career and personal life. Greet and respond to your fellow
students’ postings.
2. Initial Post Due by Day 3. General Readings Discussion. Read the assigned textbook chapter and
respond to two (2) of the posted discussion questions. Use your personal experience or work
examples, to clarify or illustrate the concepts. Respond to some of your colleagues’ posts. All
responses must be completed by Day 7.
WEEK TWO – LEADING STRATEGICALLY
Objectives


Define vision and mission and distinguish between them.
Know what the acronym SMART represents and be able to write a SMART goal.
9
Assignments Overview
Assignment
General Readings Discussion
Test Your Understanding
Quiz
Current Events Discussion
Due Date
Format
Day 3 (1st post)
Day 7
Discussion Forum
Day 5
Discussion Forum
Quiz
Readings
Ketchen, D. & Short, J. (n.d.) Mastering Strategic Management, v. 1.0 AAP. Retrieved from
www.flatworldknowledge.com. (Chapter 2)
Discussion Forum
Participate in the following Discussion Forum:
1. Initial Post Due by Day 3. General Readings Discussion. Read the assigned textbook chapter and
respond to two (2) of the posted discussion questions. Use your personal experience or work
examples, to clarify or illustrate the concepts. Respond to some of your colleagues’ posts. All
responses must be completed by Day 7.
2. Current Events Post Due by Day 5. Do a search for an article that pertains to one of the
business strategic concepts and principles discussed in this week’s reading materials. Post a
brief summation of the article. Be sure to respond to some of your colleagues’ posts. All
responses must be completed by end of Sunday.
WEEK THREE – EVALUATING THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT
Objectives



Define the environment in the context of business.
Understand how an organization and its environment affect each other.
Learn the difference between the general environment and the industry.
Assignments Overview
Assignment
General Readings Discussion
Due Date
Format
Day 3 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
Test Your Understanding Quiz Day 7
Quiz
Current Events Discussion
Discussion Forum
Day 5
Readings
Ketchen, D. & Short, J. (n.d.) Mastering Strategic Management, v. 1.0 AAP. Retrieved from
10
www.flatworldknowledge.com. (Chapter 3)
Discussion Forum
Participate in the following Discussion Forum:
1. Initial Post Due by Day 3. General Readings Discussion. Read the assigned textbook chapter and
respond to two (2) of the posted discussion questions. Use your personal experience or work
examples, to clarify or illustrate the concepts. Respond to some of your colleagues’ posts. All
responses must be completed by Day 7.
2. Current Events Post Due by Day 5. Do a search for an article that pertains to one of the
business strategic concepts and principles discussed in this week’s reading materials. Post a
brief summation of the article. Be sure to respond to some of your colleagues’ posts. All
responses must be completed by end of Sunday.
WEEK FOUR – MANAGING FIRM RESOURCES
Objectives




Define the four characteristics of resources that lead to sustained competitive advantage as articulated
by the resource-based theory of a firm.
Understand the difference between resources and capabilities.
Be able to explain the difference between tangible and intangible resources.
Know the elements of the marketing mix.
Assignments Overview
Assignme
nt
General Readings Discussion
Due Date
Format
Day 3 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
Test Your Understanding Quiz Day 7
Quiz
Written Paper Assignment
Individual Written
Assignment
Day 7
Readings
Ketchen, D. & Short, J. (n.d.) Mastering Strategic Management, v. 1.0 AAP. Retrieved from
www.flatworldknowledge.com. (Chapter 4)
Discussion Forum
Participate in the following Discussion Forum:
1. Initial Post Due by Day 3. General Readings Discussion. Read the assigned textbook chapter and
respond to two (2) of the posted discussion questions. Use your personal experience or work
examples, to clarify or illustrate the concepts. Respond to some of your colleagues’ posts. All
responses must be completed by Day 7.
11
Written Assignment
Write a paper of 1500-2000 words detailing the business strategy of an organization of your choice. Gather some
information about the company through research. Provide a brief history of the company, introduce their
products, discuss their strategy regarding corporate structure, main competitors, pricing, manufacturing or sales,
and profitability. Please, use APA guidelines to format your paper. A title page is required, as well as a reference
page including all sources used in the research.
WEEK FIVE – SELECTING AND SUPPORTING THE BUSINESS LEVEL
STRATEGY: COMPETITIVE AND COOPERATIVE MOVES
Objectives





Understand the four primary generic strategies
Know the two dimensions that are critical to defining business-level strategy.
Know the limits of generic strategies.
Understand the advantages and disadvantages of being a first mover.
Know how disruptive innovations can change industries.
Assignments Overview
Assignment
Due Date
Format
General Readings Discussion
Day 3 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
Current Events Discussion
Day 5
Discussion Forum
Test Your Understanding
Quiz
Day 7
Quiz
Readings
Ketchen, D. & Short, J. (n.d.) Mastering Strategic Management, v. 1.0 AAP. Retrieved from
www.flatworldknowledge.com. (Chapters 5-6)
Discussion Forum
Participate in the following Discussion Forum:
1. Initial Post Due by Day 3. General Readings Discussion. Read the assigned textbook chapters
and respond to two (2) of the posted discussion questions. Use your personal experience or work
examples, to clarify or illustrate the concepts. Respond to some of your colleagues’ posts. All
responses must be completed by Day 7.
2. Current Events Post Due by Day 5. Do a search for an article that pertains to one of the
business strategic concepts and principles discussed in this week’s reading materials. Post a
brief summation of the article. Be sure to respond to some of your colleagues’ posts. All
responses must be completed by end of Sunday.
WEEK SIX – COMPETING IN INTERNATIONAL MARKETS AND
12
SELECTING CORPORATE-LEVEL STRATEGIES
Objectives



Understand the potential benefits and risks of competing in international markets.
Name and understand the three concentration strategies.
Be able to explain horizontal integration and why it often fails.
Assignments Overview
Assignment
Due Date
Format
General Readings Discussion
Day 3 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
Current Events Discussion
Day 5
Discussion Forum
Test Your Understanding Quiz
Day 7
Quiz
Readings
Ketchen, D. & Short, J. (n.d.) Mastering Strategic Management, v. 1.0 AAP. Retrieved from
www.flatworldknowledge.com. (Chapters 7-8)
Discussion Forum
Participate in the following Discussion Forum:
1. Initial Post Due by Day 3. General Readings Discussion. Read the assigned textbook chapters and
respond to two (2) of the posted discussion questions. Use your personal experience or work
examples, to clarify or illustrate the concepts. Respond to some of your colleagues’ posts. All
responses must be completed by Day 7.
2. Current Events Post Due by Day 5. Do a search for an article that pertains to one of the
business strategic concepts and principles discussed in this week’s reading materials. Post a
brief summation of the article. Be sure to respond to some of your colleagues’ posts. All
responses must be completed by end of Sunday.
WEEK SEVEN – EXECUTING STRATEGY THROUGH ORGANIZATIONAL
DESIGN
Objectives


Understand what division of labor is and why it is beneficial.
Distinguish between vertical and horizontal linkages and know what functions each fulfills in an
organizational structure.
Assignments Overview
Assignment
Due Date
13
Format
General Readings Discussion
Day 3 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
Current Events Discussion
Day 5
Discussion Forum
Test Your Understanding Quiz
Day 7
Quiz
Readings
Ketchen, D. & Short, J. (n.d.) Mastering Strategic Management, v. 1.0 AAP. Retrieved from
www.flatworldknowledge.com. (Chapter 9)
Discussion Forum
Participate in the following Discussion Forum:
1.
Initial Post Due by Day 3. General Readings Discussion. Read the assigned textbook chapter
and respond to two (2) of the posted discussion questions. Use your personal experience or
work examples, to clarify or illustrate the concepts. Respond to some of your colleagues’ posts.
All responses must be completed by Day 7.
2. Current Events Post Due by Day 5. Do a search for an article that pertains to one of the
business strategic concepts and principles discussed in this week’s reading materials. Post a
brief summation of the article. Be sure to respond to some of your colleagues’ posts. All
responses must be completed by end of Sunday.
WEEK EIGHT – LEADING AN ETHICAL ORGANIZATION: CORPORATE
GOVERNANCE, CORPORATE ETHICS, AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Objectives



Understand the key roles played by a Board of Directors.
Know how CEO pay and perks impact the landscape of corporate governance.
Explain different terms associated with corporate takeovers.
Assignments Overview
Assignment
Due Date
Format
General Readings Discussion
Day 3 (1st post)
Discussion Forum
Test Your Understanding Quiz
Day 7
Quiz
Final Exam
Day 7
Individual Assignment
Readings
Ketchen, D. & Short, J. (n.d.) Mastering Strategic Management, v. 1.0 AAP. Retrieved from
www.flatworldknowledge.com. (Chapter 10)
Discussion Forum
14
Participate in the following Discussion Forum:
Initial Post Due by Day 3. General Readings Discussion. Read the assigned textbook chapter and
respond to two (2) of the posted discussion questions. Use your personal experience or work
examples, to clarify or illustrate the concepts. Respond to some of your colleagues’ posts. All
responses must be completed by Day 7.
Final Exam
Individual Assignment Due by Day 7. FINAL EXAM
The exam will consist entirely of short-answer questions. Be sure that you understand the concepts and
analysis presented in the textbook and course lecture notes. Your exam will be posted in our virtual
classroom at the start of Week 8 and can be completed at any time during week 8. The exam will be open book
and must be completed without assistance.
Course Map
The course map illustrates the careful design of the course through which each learning objective is
supported by one or more specific learning activities in order to create integrity and pedagogical depth
in the learning experience.
LEARNING OUTCOME
Learn what business strategic management is
and why it is valuable to consider different
definitions of strategy.
Understand how an organization and its
environment affect each other.
WEEK
1-10



Discussion Forums
Written Assignment
Final Exam
1-3






Discussion Forums
Written Assignment
Final Exam
Discussion Forums
Written Assignment
Final Exam
5-6



Discussion Forums
Written Assignment
Final Exam
7






Discussion Forums
Written Assignment
Final Exam
Discussion Forums
Written Assignment
Final Exam



Discussion Forums
Written Assignment
Final Exam
4
Define the four characteristics of resources that
lead to sustained competitive advantage as
articulated by the resource-based theory of a
firm
Understand and know the limits of the four
primary generic strategies and the two
dimensions that are critical to defining
business-level strategy.
Understand the potential benefits and risks
when competing in international markets.
Distinguish between vertical and horizontal
linkages and know what function each fulfills in
an organizational structure.
ASSIGNMENT
8-9
10
Demonstrate how ethical
organizations practice governance,
ethics, and social responsibility.
15
MBA Program Objectives
Course Learning
Objectives
Learn what business strategic
management is and why it is
valuable to consider different
definitions of strategy.
Understand how an
organization and its
environment affect each other.
Define the four characteristics
of resources that lead to
sustained competitive
advantage as articulated by
the resource-based theory of a
firm
Team
Critical
Ethical
DevelopThinking Reasoning
ment
V
Demonstrate how ethical
organizations practice
governance, ethics, and social
responsibility.
Global
Thinking
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
16
Effective
Communication
V
V
Understand and know the limits
of the four primary generic
strategies and the two
V
dimensions that are critical to
defining business-level strategy.
Understand the potential benefits
and risks when competing in
V
international markets.
Distinguish between vertical and
horizontal linkages and know
what function each fulfills in an
organizational structure.
Decision
Making
and
Execution
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V