STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS POLICY

BA 469 – Sections 001 / 002 – BEXL 415

Fall 2009 TR, 0800-0950 / 1000-1150

Instructor

John L Morris, Bexel Hall 427, Office Phone: 541-737-4102

E-mail: john.morris@bus.oregonstate.edu

Office hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30AM to 8:00AM and by appointment.

Text

Essentials of Strategic Management: The Quest for Competitive Advantage.  John E. Gamble and Arthur A. Thompson, Jr. (ISBN: 978-0-07-353030-7) Publisher website: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0073530301/student_view0/index.html

Course description (4 credit hours)

Strategic Management & Business Policy is a capstone course for business students and is generally taken near or after completion of courses in all functional areas. This course concentrates on strategy and policy formulation and implementation at the top management level where major decisions are made. Case studies are used to provide the basis for an integrative experience.

This is a writing intensive course (WIC). Information about WIC and services available to students is at http://wic.oregonstate.edu/survivalguide.

Mandatory Prerequisites: (BA 340 or BA 340H or BA 360), (BA 352 or BA 352H), BA 357, BA 390 and Senior-standing.

Measurable Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students should have the ability to:

1. Know, understand and apply the strategic management process to analyze and improve organizational performance. 
2. Conduct and draw conclusions from external analyses of an organization's environment.
3. Conduct and draw conclusions from internal analyses of an organization's capabilities.
4. Formulate realistic strategies and develop implementation plans to execute those strategies.

Class procedures

Class will utilize lecture, class participation, research, independent and group work. Class lectures will relate to chapter reading assignments but will not attempt to cover all the material in the text. Because this course is Senior-level, it makes heavy use of cases and is designed to generate discussion of problems that you may face in real business settings.

Statement regarding students with disabilities

"Accommodations are collaborative efforts between students, faculty and Disability Access Services (DAS). Students with accommodations approved through DAS are responsible for contacting the faculty member in charge of the course prior to or during the first week of the term to discuss accommodations. Students who believe they are eligible for accommodations but who have not yet obtained approval through DAS should contact DAS immediately at 737-4098."

Student conduct and expectations

Cheating and other academic misconduct will not be tolerated. Violations will be subject to disciplinary actions as specified by the Oregon State University Academic Regulations. (http://oregonstate.edu/admin/stucon/achon.htm) Class members are expected to treat each other with courtesy and respect. My desired outcome is that you leave this class with knowledge of how to formulate and implement an innovative company strategy. Behaviors that signify you are committed to excellence include:

1. Attending class regularly (and arriving on time!)

2. Being prepared for daily case analyses and reading assignments.

3. Not talking in class while someone is presenting.

4. Participating in class with active listening, questions or comments.

5. Talking with the instructor anytime an issue discussed in class is unclear.

Student expectations of the instructor

In order for this course to be a personal success for you, it is necessary you receive certain commitments from me to receive maximum benefit. Just as I have challenged you to pursue academic excellence in this course, I will do the same. I commit to the following:

1. Listen to your comments.

2. Keep you informed about the direction of the course including any changes to the course calendar.

3. Be prepared for each class period including starting and dismissing class on time.

4. Be open to your ideas, opinions and questions.

5. Be available to discuss any problems or questions through, email, office hours or appointments with you.

6. Return out-of-class assignments and tests so that you have feedback in a timely manner.

7. Provide an opportunity for learning based on a real life business environment.

Evaluation and grading

Students will perform both individual and group work. This course satisfies the WIC requirement for business majors; as such you will have numerous opportunities to demonstrate your knowledge of business strategy through both un-graded and graded writing exercises.

Description of Key Assignments

1. Class Participation (individual) – REVISED 8 October 2009

It is difficult to participate in class if you are not present, however, concerns over communicable disease is an important concern. Students are evaluated on relevant comments in class discussion throughout the entire term. If English is not your first language please see me to discuss how you can demonstrate your participation in a different manner. If you have been sick, do not come to class until you are fever-free for 24-hours without medication. Notify the instructor of your situation by email.

2. Exam Question and Answer (individual)

You will write one Exam Q&A covering the material in each chapter and submit it in Blackboard (Bb). This is an all-or-none grade; you are not graded on the quality of the question. I will select some of these questions for inclusion in the final exam. Depending on the format used, Exam Q&A’s are 50-100 words each. I encourage you to submit questions throughout the term as part of your preparation for daily participation – all 9 Exam Q&A’s must be in Bb by 5PM on Friday, 20^th November.

3. Consulting Job Application (individual)

In this assignment you are applying for a job as a marketing consultant with a fictitious consulting firm made up of fellow classmates. You will provide a persuasive story of 500 words explaining why the consulting firm should hire you, due in Bb on Friday, 9^th October.

4. Case Study 1, Local Business Strategy (individual)

Strategy is all around us. You will research from at least four sources (e.g., interviews, internet, journals, books, studies, newspapers, etc.) and write a 1000 word case study about a local business, agency or organization. Identify at least five strategic issues facing the organization. This assignment requires one initial draft (due in Class #7) and will be reviewed by a peer before it is due at the beginning of class #9 on 27^th October.

5. Case Study 1, Peer Review (individual)

Providing thoughtful and informative input to a colleague is a significant part of any manager’s career. While you are reviewing a peer’s Local Business Strategy, someone will review yours. You may revise your own paper based on the input of your classmate, but it is not required. The Case Study Review will be about 200 words (one hand-written notebook page) given to your colleague in class #8 on 22^nd October.

6. Case Study 2, Request for Proposal (individual)

Businesses run on contracts. Modern organizations use a process called “Request for Proposal” (RFP) to hire contractors (consultants) who can meet the awarding company’s objectives within a defined timeframe for a defined amount of money. The RFP and resulting contract set the tone for how the two parties will work together and define how the consultant is compensated. Although RFPs can be hundreds of pages long, in this class yours will be 1000 words and is due in Bb on Friday, 6^th November.

7. Case Study 3, Paper and Competition (individual and group)

Your team will complete a paper in response to a RFP of 1000 words per team member. In a presentation to the class – serving in the role of representatives for the requesting company – you will compete against another team to win a contract. Presentations will last 20 minutes with an additional 10 minutes for questions and use appropriate audio/visual aids. I will grade the paper and the winning team will receive a partial grade improvement. That is, a C- becomes a C or a C+ becomes a B-. The losing team will not suffer a penalty; they will simply receive the score I award. I will make up teams. All team members receive the same grade. The paper is due in Bb by the beginning of class #16 on 19^th November.

8. Case Study 3, Award Justifications (individual)

During the presentations for Case Study 3 in which you do not compete, you will be an evaluator. You will ask questions as if you were planning to hire the consultant and cast a vote for the winner. Since there are three pairs of teams competing, each student will make and justify two award votes. You will write a 400 word justification for each vote (800 words total). Award justifications are due in Bb on Friday, 4^th December.

9. Open Book Exam (individual)

The exam covers the content of the textbook, case studies and lectures and is open book and open note. For assistance, a Study Guide of terms and concepts is posted in Bb. In addition, the Exam Q&A’s for each chapter will be visible for all students on Bb as well.

The exam will consist of multiple-choice, short answer and essay questions. Since there is only one exam and it covers the entire textbook in a standard length class period, I encourage you to be well prepared so you can work quickly. No make-up exams are offered. If you must take the exam in advance, please contact me as early as possible but no later than class #15 on 17^th November.

Your grade consists of the following components:

1. Class Participation*	5%
2. Exam Q&A’s	5%
3. Consulting Job Application	5%
4. Case Study 1, Local Business/Organization Strategy	10%
5. Case Study 1, Peer Review	5%
6. Case Study 2, Request for Proposal	10%
7. Case Study 3, Paper and Competition*	25%
8. Case Study 3, Award Justifications (2)	10%
9. Open Book Exam	25%

* Participation and Case Study 3 Paper grades modified on 8 October 2009 by 5% due to change in Participation criteria.

Late: Grades are reduced one letter grade for every 24 hours submitted late. Please talk to me if you have any problems understanding the material or completing the assignments and examinations.

Make-up Work: In most cases, make-up is not possible. In no case is make-up allowed after the deadline for an assignment. Make-up generally requires work beyond that assigned on the regular schedule.

Writing limits: If an assignment is designated as “500 words” it must be within +/-12% or 440 to 560 words. You should consider your target between +/-10% or 450 to 550. The extra 2% is margin of error between our word counts. Bibliography is never included in word counts and should follow the Modern Language Association (MLA) standards.

How I Grade:

F = Fails to meet minimum expectations of assignment (or course)

D = Poor Work – missing important elements or lacks understanding of content

C = Average Work – meets all elements of the assignment and demonstrates understanding of the topic

B = Very Good Work – meets all elements of the assignment, demonstrates understanding of the topic and provides something extra

A = Exceptional & Outstanding Work – you have truly wowed me!

Final Grade Scoring: the + and – designations are used and I round up or down as follows:

70-72 = C-

73-77 = C

78-79 = C+

Example 1: a final grade of 72.4 for this class will receive a C- for the term.

Example 2: a final grade of 72.5 for this class will receive a C for the term.

Example 3: a final grade of 79.5 for this class will receive a B- for the term.

Negative Participation Rule: I reserve the right to lower the final grade of any student whom I feel has had a detrimental, distracting, or negative effect on the classroom learning environment over the course of the term up to one letter grade.

Final Comments

I may change the course schedule during the term. However, these changes will be done in consultation with the class and will be announced well in advance. I will also support this communication with an announcement through Bb. Students not attending class on the date changes are made to the schedule have the responsibility for obtaining the information regarding the changes. If an assignment or exam is missed due to a changed date, then the excuse of not being in class will not be accepted, and a grade of zero will be given.

BA 469 – Strategic Management and Business Policy

Fall 2009 Course Calendar

Class	Dates	Chpt	Concepts / Activities	Due
1	Tue 29-Sep	1	Course Introduction; Strategy and the Quest for Competitive Advantage
2	Thu 1-Oct	2	Leadership and the Strategic Management Process	Teaming Survey (not graded) due in Bb by 5PM Friday, 2-Oct
3	Tue 6-Oct	3	Competitive Strategy and Advantage in the Marketplace
4	Thu 8-Oct	4	Industry and Competitive Analysis	Consulting Job Application due in Bb by 5PM Friday, 9-Oct
5	Tue 13-Oct		Case Study Focus: Costco, p 215
6	Thu 15-Oct	5	Analyzing a Company’s Competitive Strength and Cost Structure
7	Tue 20-Oct		Case Study Focus: Panera Bread, p286	Case Study 1: Local Business Strategy draft due in class
8	Thu 22-Oct	6	Superior Execution—Another Path to Competitive Advantage	Peer Review of Case Study 1 due in class, return to author
9	Tue 27-Oct		Case Study Focus: Abercrombie & Fitch, p 404	Case Study 1 final version due in Bb beginning of class
10	Thu 29-Oct	7	Ethics, Social Responsibility, and Environmental Sustainability
11	Tue 3-Nov		Case Study Focus: Monitoring Foreign Suppliers, p 422	Team Roles and Strategy (not graded) due in class
12	Thu 5-Nov	8	Strategies for Competing in International Markets	Case Study 2: RFP due in Bb by 5PM on Friday, 6-Nov
13	Tue 10-Nov		Case Study Focus: Manpower Australia, p 387
14	Thu 12-Nov	9	Strategies for Multi-Business Corporations
15	Tue 17-Nov		Case Study Focus: Spectrum Brands, p 437	Exam Q&A due in Bb by 5PM Friday, 20-Nov
16	Thu 19-Nov		Case Competition #1	Case Study 3 paper due in Bb by beginning of class
17	Tue 24-Nov		Case Competition #2
18	Thu 26-Nov		No Class
19	Tue 1-Dec		Case Competition #3
20	Thu 3-Dec		Review Case Competition Exam Preparation	Award Justification due in Bb by 5PM on Friday, 4-Dec
21	Tue 8-Dec		Final Exam – Section 002 (1000-1150 class) – 2PM
22	Thu 10-Dec		Final Exam – Section 001 (0800-0950 class) – noon

Special Events:

Wednesday 30^th September 5:30pm-8:30pm	LaSells Stewart Center 5:30pm-6:30pm – Giustina Gallery Convocation 7:00pm-8:30pm – Austin Auditorium Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Larry Miller, president of the Portland Trail Blazers and former president of Nike’s Brand Jordan, will discuss leadership principles at convocation and through an interview format wants to share “How to Turn Around an Organization”.
Tuesday 6th October 6:00pm-7:30pm	The Enterprise Challenge Networking Night Austin Enterprise Program This is the kick-off event to the 2010 Enterprise Challenge with a purse of $17,500. Pizza and soda served. RSVP in advance to RSVPAEP@bus.oregonstate.edu. This is the first of a weekly series that runs through 19^th January.
Friday 16^th October 12:00pm-3:00pm	Creating Career Confidence – Memorial Union College of Business and Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity Participants will improve and practice their networking skills, interact with an Alumni panel to discuss vital employment issues and watch a Business Wear Runway Show displaying attire appropriate to various business situations. RSVP and learn more at http://www.bus.oregonstate.edu/services/c3.htm.
Monday 19^th October 7:00pm-8:30pm	The Power of Information – LaSells Stuart Center, Austin Auditorium Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Don Robert, COB grad and CEO of Experian, will travel from London to discuss the commercial and social power of Experian's business model. Experian is global and one of the three dominant credit reporting agencies in the US.
Tuesday 10^th November 6:00pm-7:30pm	AEP Idea Challenge – Kelley Engineering 1003 Austin Enterprise Program This is an opportunity to pitch a business idea (or watch a pitch) to a panel of experts. More information from mary.mckillop@bus.oregonstate.edu.
Thursday 12^th November 12:00pm-1:20pm	Dreams on Paper – LaSells Stewart Center, Construction & Engineering Hall Austin Enterprise Program, Entrepreneur in Residence Series Pati Palmer will speak about how one woman turned her fashion dreams into a multi-million dollar international business. Pati established the Palmer/Pletsch International School of Sewing in Portland, is an author of 10 books and editor/publisher of 23 books and 15 DVDs. She is an inventor and entrepreneur. More information from mary.mckillop@bus.oregonstate.edu.