Syllabus
SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
BSM 495: Business Strategy Spring – 2015 Course dates: April 20 to June 28, 2015 5 Credits Effective: Summer 2014/2015
Access to the Internet is required. All written assignments must be in Microsoft-Word-compatible formats. See the library’s APA Style Guide tutorial for a list of resources that can help you use APA style.
FACULTY Faculty Name: Pantelis Voniatis Contact Information:
[email protected] [email protected]
COURSE DESCRIPTION This is a capstone course that provides the student an opportunity to integrate discrete skills gained from prior coursework in general business, accounting, marketing, management, business law, communications, operations, human relations, and information systems. Students address business finance, growth and management issues, and problems, viewing them from multiple perspectives.
COURSE RESOURCES Required and recommended resources to complete coursework and assignments are available from the Course Document Lookup.
Required Course Resources Capsim Management Simulations, Inc. Capstone Foundation business simulation student guide with PKG Capsim Business Simulation. Retrieved from http://www.capsim.com/ Capsim Management Simulations, Inc. COMP-XM Exam.. Retrieved from http://www.capsim.com/ Thompson, A. A., Strickland, A. J., & Gamble, J. E. (2005). Crafting and executing strategy, the quest for competitive advantage: Concepts and cases (14th ed.). Boston: Irwin/McGraw Hill, Thompson. Whitaker, A. (2010). Research and APA style guide. Bratislava, Slovakia: City University of Seattle. Available online at http://www.vsm.sk/en/students/academic-support/
BLACKBOARD Blackboard is a MUST component of this course and will be used for, announcements, posting of your answers to weekly discussion questions, grades and source material. You must visit, review it, and use it regularly.
Recommended Resources Books: Charles W. L. Hill, Gareth R. Jones, (2013) Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach (10th ed.), South-Western, Cengage Learning Johnson, G., Scholes, K., & Whittington, R.. (2008). Exploring corporate strategy with MyStrategyLab: Text and cases (8th ed.). Harlow, Essex: Pearson Education Limited.
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Fleisher, C. S. (2007). Business and competitive analysis: Effective application of new and classic methods. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Financial Times Press. E-books: Books24x7 Grundy, T. (2003). Gurus on business strategy. London : Thorogood Publishing. Hass, K. B. (2008). The business analyst as strategist: Translating business strategies into valuable solutions. Vienna, VA: Management Concepts. Lawson, R. A., Hatch, T., & Desroches, D. (2008). Scorecard best practices: Design, implementation, and evaluation. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley. Periodicals: Academy of Management Journal Business Strategy Review Harvard Business Review Journal of Business Strategy Strategic Management Journal Strategy + Business Strategy & Leadership Online Databases: Business & Management e-book collection Business Source Complete Encyclopedia of American Industries and Business Plan Handbooks Global Market Information Mint Global Standard and Poor’s NetAdvantage Library Catalog: North America Websites: Booz & Company (2008). strategy+business. Retrieved from http://www.strategy-business.com Entrepreneur.com (2008). Retrieved from http://www.entrepreneur.com INFORMS (2008). Retrieved from http://www.informs.org BSM 495
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Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness (2008). Retrieved from http://www.isc.hbs.edu Multimedia: Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP) (2008). Entrepreneurship Corner (ECorner). Retrieved from http://edcorner.stanford.edu Search Engines: www.accoona.com www.baidu.com www.google.com www.quintura.com www.spock.com
CITYU LEARNING GOALS This course supports the following City University learning goals:
Professional competency and professional identity Strong communication and interpersonal skills Critical thinking and information literacy Diverse and global perspectives
COURSE OUTCOMES In this course, learners: Demonstrate proficiency in primary and secondary business activities. Propose strategies to succeed in global business and recommend improvements that align with the company's goals and culture. Access and evaluate relevant information to guide business decisions. Deliver powerful presentations and effective business writing for diverse audiences. Contribute to a successful team by incorporating leadership, conflict resolution, and collaboration skills.
CORE CONCEPTS, KNOWLEDGE, AND SKILLS
Ability to conduct business through independent reasoning, creativity, and analytical processes Ability to lead and work individually within a cross-cultural team environment Able to identify and manage ethical issues and multicultural diversity issues Apply principles of group and individual dynamics through effective membership in a team Contribute effectively to group discussions and decision making processes Demonstrate the ability to collect and analyze information and data in order to formulate analytically sound decisions and understand their likely consequences
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Demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate and formulate appropriate strategies for addressing complex business situations Demonstrate the awareness and ability to act with sensitivity regarding global, multicultural, and diversity dimensions of business Develop effective written and oral communications for varied audiences Formulate a well defined and relevant strategic plan and then execute that plan within the timeframe of the business model Identify and analyze key elements that comprise business problems and opportunities Integrate knowledge across business disciplines to formulate defensible strategic business decisions Select and apply appropriate discipline frameworks to address business problems and opportunities Select and apply appropriate problem-solving techniques to business problems The ability to organize and function as effective team unit Understand and apply financial performance, financial frameworks, and information sources relevant to business decisions Understand how personal value systems, interests, aptitudes, skills, and goals are linked to the development of professional career goals Understand the "cause and effect" relationships in the specific business environment in which they are operating using dependent and independent variables
OVERVIEW OF COURSE GRADING The grades earned for the course will be derived using City University of Seattle’s decimal grading system, based on the following: Overview of Required Assignments
% of Final Grade
CAPSIM Foundation Business Simulation Rounds 1-5
30%
International Case Analysis
20%
CAPISM Team Decision-Making Report
15%
CAPSIM Comp-XM Exam
15%
Instructor Determined Assignments, Participation and Discussion
10%
Teaming part 1: Charter Teaming part 2: Peer evaluation
5% 5%
TOTAL
100%
SPECIFICS OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS The instructor will provide grading rubrics that will provide more detail as to how this assignment will be graded.
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CAPSIM Foundation Business Simulation Rounds 1-5 Capsim Foundation Business Simulation: This assignment requires your participation in Foundation Business Simulation - a strategic management simulation - as a company team. Students work as a team there will be other student and computer-generated teams that your team will be competing against in the sensor industry. Foundation simulations offer students the opportunity to come as close as possible to managing a real company and thereby develop an understanding of the challenges encountered when managing a business. The simulation provides students with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in running a business as a member of a senior management team. Management teams are required to evaluate situations and make decisions, evaluate outcomes, and compete with other management teams for resources, opportunities, and markets. Your team will have the opportunity to set corporate strategies, and apply strategic concepts and techniques within a practical decision-making framework. In this way you have the opportunity to see how a firm's production, marketing, R&D and financial operations interact and observe the impact of key decisions on business performance within a competitive market. Team members assume the role of the top management team of one of the companies in the industry. Over the five-year time-frame of the simulation, your team will encounter a range of strategic issues that will allow you to integrate your knowledge of accounting, finance, marketing, operations, and strategic management. Complete details of the simulation are included in the Team Member Guide available online at www.capsim.com. Your grade for Capstone will be based on: (1), your team's performance in the simulation based on the Balanced Scorecard, (2), how well the team met the performance objectives set by the team, and (3), completion of the 5 simulation rounds. The team will earn one grade. Components Completion of assigned rounds Team performance compared to team objectives CAPSIM Analyst team score compared to class result Classic 10 scores compared to peer teams (world-wide) TOTAL
% of Grade 40% 45% 10% 5%
100%
International Case Analysis The purpose of a case analysis assignment is to provide students with an opportunity to apply concepts from class to real-world situations. Your instructor will assign an international case. The case analysis should be brief and concise, no more than four to ten pages, double spaced, plus a title page and a reference page. Please be sure to incorporate theories or concepts from class or other readings and reference them appropriately. Components % of Grade Appropriate analysis, evaluation, synthesis for the specific industry 20% identified: There was complete data on which to base a thorough analysis. Key change drivers underlying the issues were identified. Synthesis, analysis, and evaluations were clearly presented and supported in a literate and effective manner. Conclusions and recommendations are congruent with strategic 20% analysis: Specific recommendations and/or plans of action provided. Specific data or facts were referred to when necessary to BSM 495
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support the analysis and conclusions. Recommendations and conclusions were presented and supported in a literate and effective manner. Proper organization, professional writing, and logical flow of analysis. APA formatting. Logically organized, key points, key arguments, and important criteria for evaluating the business logic easily identified. Key points were supported with a well thought out rationale based on applying specific concepts or analytical frameworks to the data provided in the case. Proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, 3rd person objective view, professional writing, and syntax. Clear explanation of key strategic issues: The problems, scope, and seriousness was clearly identified in the discussions. There was a well focused diagnosis of strategic issues and key problems that demonstrated a good grasp of the company’s present situation and strategic issues. Effective Executive Summary. Did not waste space summarizing information already found in the case. Valid arguments; analysis of financial performance with relevant supportive detail: Logically organized, key points, key arguments, and important criteria for evaluating business strategies were easily identified. Critical issues and key problems that supported the Case Analysis were identified and clearly analyzed and supported. TOTAL
20%
20%
20%
100%
CAPISM Team Decision-Making Report As a team competition, Foundation teams operate a company and compete head-to-head with other student teams and against five computer-generated companies. Foundation companies operate in two market segments: "Low Tech" and "High tech." Students begin the simulation with one product, but can develop a portfolio of up to five products. Each simulated year teams will make decisions in Research and Development, Marketing, Finance, Human Resources, Production and Total Quality Management. Students are required to select the benchmarks that will measure success. They choose from two or more measures including Return on Equity (ROE), Return on Investment (ROI), Market Capitalization, Market Share (in Dollars), Cumulative Profit, Return on Assets (ROA), Asset Turnover, and Stock Price. The teams simulate the challenges faced by real life executive leadership teams in defining problems and making decisions. Effective team performance is often critical to business success and bottom line results. The program involves practicing high level executive decision-making as a member of a management leadership team. As a team member, you will have the opportunity to rationally evaluate errors of judgment and make corrections. Your team will prepare a report that summarizes the company’s management decisions made during each of the 5 competition rounds. The team should indicate how their decisions supported their strategic objectives. They should analyze performance results from years 1 - 5 and evaluate the competitive strategy’s progress in regard to achieving forecasted results. There is no specific format requirement for this report. Components Goals Analysis and adjustment Integration of course concepts Recommendations BSM 495
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Style and Mechanics TOTAL
20%
100%
CAPSIM Comp-XM Exam The CAPSIM Comp-XM exam is an assessment tool designed to allow students to demonstrate how well they understand business. Comp-XM assesses each student’s understanding of business. Students individually operate a Foundation business simulation company - then the "board of directors" asks the student a series of questions about their company’s results. Grading is assessed in two ways: 1.) The first is how well a student operated the simulated company; a balanced scorecard is used to assess performance. 2.) The second is how well a student did on a series of questions given by the “board of directors” about the company’s results. It takes about five to six hours to complete the exam. The Comp-XM Exam will be made available in Session 7 of the course. Students will be able to access the Comp-XM Web site to download the student guide and review the introductory tutorials and practice sessions for the exam. The Comp-XM exam consists of four Foundation Simulation rounds and a series of questions posed by the Board of Directors after each round. It takes approximately one hour to complete each round. The final phase of the exam is a series of questions posed by the Board of Directors concerning the final results your company achieved in the Simulation. It takes approximately one hour to complete the Board’s final review. The Final Exam portion of Comp-XM Exam will be made available at the beginning of Session ten and close at the end of the course in Session ten. Components Results of exam TOTAL
% of Grade 100%
100%
Instructor Determined Assignments, Participation and Discussion You will be expected to participate fully in each class. This will include taking an active part in class discussions and other activities, asking questions, and submitting ideas. This area will be measured by both the quantity and quality of questions and discussion that you bring to the class. Demonstrating familiarity with the reading assignments, asking questions from previous class material and/or challenging points from the reading and/or lecture are examples that indicate class contribution. Contribution is also measured by your timely completion of reading assignments, in-class exercises, and homework (your instructor may assign exercises from your textbook). You cannot earn attendance participation points for in-class activities if you are absent. Your instructor will also look at your attendance, attitude, respect shown to fellow students, and classroom behavior when assessing your participation. In-class and Online classes are required to use online Discussion Board (Blackboard – Bb). Participation through discussion is an integral part of this course, although it is typically less formal than other assignments submitted throughout the course. Participation is active engagement in discussions with enhancing points, new ideas, constructive disagreement, real-world examples, personal insight, expanded resource material, and collaborative sharing. Instructors will determine the type of questions. The instructor will provide instructions for in-class and online participation and discussions. BSM 495
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Grading Criteria for Constructive Participation Components
% of Grade
Demonstration of timely preparation Relevance and depth of comments in Discussion Board and in class. Demonstrated familiarity with course content Demonstrated respect to instructor and fellow students TOTAL
20% 30% 30% 20%
100%
Teaming part 1: Charter You will work in a team to manage a company in the CAPSIM business simulation. With your teammates, you will first create a team charter that delineates the duties of each member of the team. (At the end of the course you will also submit a Peer Evaluation on the members of your team and also evaluate your individual performance as a team member.) You will use the Team Charter template provided by your instructor to submit this assignments. Components Team Charter Style and Mechanics TOTAL
% of Grade 80% 20%
100%
Teaming part 2: Peer evaluation You will work in a team to manage a company in the CAPSIM business simulation. With your teammates, you will create a Team Charter that delineates the duties of each member of the team. You will then evaluate the functioning of the team and contributions of each member via a Peer Evaluation. You will submit a Peer Evaluation on the members of your team and also evaluate your individual performance as a team member. You will rank team members on participation, presentation, and contribution to the learning experience. Included in the Peer Evaluation will be your reflection on your teaming experience, assessing your contributions, teaming style, and conflict resolution skills. All grades and comments will be kept strictly confidential. The evaluation should be typed and contain detailed information about the team member’s contributions. You should take this requirement seriously and give thought to the final rankings because identical grades on team assignments are not a given outcome. You will use the Peer Evaluation template provided by your instructor to submit these assignments. Components Style and Mechanics Input from teammates Individual evaluation Evaluation of other members TOTAL
% of Grade 10% 20% 30% 40%
100%
COURSE POLICIES This document provides an overview of the course foundation elements, assignments, schedules, and activities. For information about general, City University of Seattle policies, please see the City
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University of Seattle catalog. If you have additional questions about the course, please contact your instructor. Late Assignments Students are expected to meet submission requirements for assignments in a timely manner. Evaluation includes an assessment of timeliness. Late assignments jeopardize your learning, and may also penalize your classmates as most assignments will not be returned to students until all students have submitted their work. Late submission of assignments will be penalized 10% (10 points) of the grade per late day. Your instructor will provide additional details. Quizzes, exams, and comprehensive assessments must be taken at the scheduled times. Any absences or late submissions must be approved before the scheduled assessment date, by your instructor. Not completing a quiz, exam, or comprehensive assessment in a timely manner will result in a grade of zero unless a student has been preapproved by the instructor to complete the assessment at an alternative time. Participation Whether in class, online, or in a mixed mode setting, students will be graded on their participation in class discussions; their ability to present, explain, or defend alternative viewpoints; and the degree to which they have mastered the concepts and principles inherent in the study of Strategic Management. Written work will be assessed not only on relevance to the subject presented, but also on adherence to good written form and professional presentation. Students are expected to be actively engaged in a discussion or other activities. Active engagement means contributing substantive, thoughtful and reflective responses. Professional Writing Assignments require error-free writing that uses standard English conventions and logical flow of organization to address topics clearly, completely, and concisely. CityU requires the use of APA style.
UNIVERSITY POLICIES You are responsible for understanding and adhering to all of City University of Seattle’s academic policies. The most current versions of these policies can be found in the University Catalog that is linked from the CityU Web site. Scholastic Honesty Scholastic honesty in students requires the pursuit of scholarly activity that is free from fraud, deception and unauthorized collaboration with other individuals. You are responsible for understanding CityU’s policy on scholastic honesty and adhering to its standards in meeting all course requirements. A complete copy of this policy can be found in the University Catalog in the section titled Scholastic Honesty under Student Rights & Responsibilities. In addition to providing your work to the instructor for grading, you must also submit an electronic copy for the City University of Seattle archives (unless the work is specifically exempted by the instructor). You will not receive a grade for particular work until and unless you submit this electronic copy. The procedure for submitting work to the archives is to upload it via the website www.cutn.sk/Upload.
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Files should include the cover page of the work with the student name, instructor name, course name and number, and date. File names should indicate the type of assignment, such as “researchpaper.doc”, “casestudy.doc” or “thesis.doc” (student name should not be a part of the file name because the system adds it). Attendance Students taking courses in any format at the University are expected to be diligent in their studies and to attend class regularly. Regular class attendance is important in achieving learning outcomes in the course and may be a valid consideration in determining the final grade. For classes where a physical presence is required, a student has attended if s/he is present at any time during the class session. For online classes, a student has attended if s/he has posted or submitted an assignment. A complete copy of this policy can be found in the University Catalog in the section titled Attendance Policy for Mixed Mode, Online and Correspondence Courses.
SUPPORT SERVICES Disability Resources If you are a student with a disability and you require an accommodation, please contact the Disability Resource Office as soon as possible. For additional information, please see the section in the University Catalog titled Students with Special Needs under Student Rights & Responsibilities. Library Services CityU librarians are available to help you find the resources and information you need to succeed in this course. Contact a CityU librarian through the Ask a Librarian service, or access library resources and services online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
BSM495 COURSE SCHEDULE – SPRING 2015 The schedule for course activities and assignments is below. If you find you are unable to complete the assignments as scheduled, contact your instructor. Your instructor may elect to adjust the outline to meet the unique needs of the class.
Session
TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS
READINGS
Course overview, assignments, including Capsim Foundation Business Simulation.
Course Syllabus/Schedule and assignments
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Week One
Chapter 1: What Is Strategy and Why Is It Important?
Thompson, Chapter 1
Apr. 20 26
DUE: Student Introductory Assignment (SIA) DUE: Discussion question/topic posting & responses
CAPSIM Foundation Student Guide
Chapter 2: Leading the Process of Crafting and Executing Strategy
Thompson, Chapter 2
Week Two Apr. 27 – May 03
Week Three May 04 10
CAPSIM Teams DUE: Company Team Charter DUE: Discussion question/topic posting & responses Chapter 3: Evaluating a Company’s External Environment Chapter 4: Evaluating a Company’s Resources and Competitive Position Instructions on International Case Study DUE: Individual Practice of Capsim – complete: Online Situation Analysis Introductory Lesson Quiz Rehearsal Rounds DUE: Discussion question/topic posting & responses
Week Four May 11-17
Chapter 5: The Five Generic Competitive Strategies: Which One to Employ? Chapter 6: Supplementing the Chosen Strategy: Other Important Business Strategy Choices DUE: CAPSIM Team Practice Round completed DUE: Foundation Round 1 Decisions to be Submitted
CAPSIM Foundation Review
Thompson, Chapters 3 & 4 Capsim Foundation:
Online Situation Analysis Introductory Lesson Quiz Rehearsal Rounds
Thompson, Chapters 5 & 6
DUE: Discussion question/topic posting & responses Week Five
Chapter 7: Strategies for Competing in Foreign Markets
May 18 24
DUE: Foundation Round 2 Decisions to be Submitted
Week Six May 25 31
Thompson, Chapter 7
DUE: Discussion question/topic posting & responses Chapter 8: Tailoring Strategy to Fit Specific Industry and Company Situations Chapter 9: Diversification: Strategies for Managing a Group of Businesses DUE: Foundation Round 3 Decisions to be Submitted DUE: Discussion question/topic posting & responses
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Thompson, Chapters 8 & 9
Chapter 10: Strategy, Ethics, and Social Responsibility
Thompson, Chapter 10
Week Seven
Examples of Comp-XM questions will be given, to help prepare students for the Board Queries used in the actual exam.
Jun 01 - 07
DUE: Foundation Round 4 Decisions to be Submitted
Comp-XM Student Guide (start reviewing introductory tutorials and practice sessions for the exam).
DUE: Discussion question/topic posting & responses
Week Eight Jun 08 - 14
Chapter 11: Building an Organization Capable of Good Strategy Execution Chapter 12: Managing Internal Operations: Actions That Promote Good Strategy Execution DUE: International Case Analysis to be Submitted
Thompson, Chaptrs 11& 12 Comp-XM Student Guide (start review introductory tutorials and practice sessions for the exam).
DUE: Foundation Round 5 Decisions to be Submitted DUE: Discussion question/topic posting & responses
Week Nine Jun 15 21
Chapter 13: Corporate Culture and Leadership: Keys to Good Strategy Execution Capsim Foundation and balanced scorecard discussion on key points Instructor Feedback on International Case DUE: CAPSIM Team Decision-Making Report DUE: Capsim Peer Evaluation
Thompson, Chapter 13 Comp-XM Student Guide (review introductory tutorials and practice sessions for the exam).
DUE: Discussion question/topic posting & responses
Week Ten Jun 22 - 28
Comp-XM Exam Week NOTE: In Comp-XM, teams are not utilized, as it is an individual exam. DUE: Comp-XM Exam DUE: Discussion question/topic posting & responses
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Review Comp-XM materials
