BUS400 - Management Decisions and Policy (Business Capstone)
Summer 2011
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INSTRUCTOR |
Dr. Mark Meckler |
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OFFICE
HRS. |
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CLASSROOM |
Franz 206 |
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MONDAY |
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TELEPHONE |
503/943-7467 |
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TUESDAY |
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
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TELEPHONE |
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WEDNESDAY |
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FAX |
503/943-8041 |
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THURSDAY |
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
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EMAIL |
meckler@up.edu |
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FRIDAY |
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OFFICE NO. |
Franz 407 |
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TIME |
T, TH 12:40 – 4:10 PM |
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Or
by Appointment
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Course Prerequisite: Completion of core requirements and senior standing
Course
Description: The capstone course for all undergraduate students in the School of
Business Administration. The course is designed to integrate the business
curriculum by learning theory and applying it to current events and the
business environment in order to practice managerial decision-making at various
levels of the organization.
Learning Goals
Addressed in this Course:
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Communication
Competencies - |
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X X |
Quantitative Competencies – Students are required to complete extensive quantitative analysis of
business situations throughout the course. |
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X |
Analytic and Decision Making Competencies – A term project and a series of rigorous
case studies allow for theoretical analysis of business situations and
events. The term project involves
writing a business plan and implementation strategy for an existing
business. Students analyze an existing
industry and firm, decide upon a new strategy for the firm and create a
strategic business plan for the firm. |
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International Business Competencies - |
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Ethics and Social Responsibility Competencies - |
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Leadership, Team and Interpersonal Competencies – |
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X |
Business Knowledge Competencies – The coursework integrates material from all
areas of business studies. Students use their knowledge to write a strategic
business plan for an existing firm of their choice. |
Course Objectives:
This course involves
business strategy, which is concerned with answering two key questions: “What businesses should a firm participate
in?” and “How should a firm compete
and optimize performance?” With that in mind, we first analyze the external
environment and the firm’s unique features, then consider measurement tools,
and finally investigate interrelationships between firms within
industries. The culmination of the
course is a comprehensive, well-reasoned strategic plan for an existing business.
This is a capstone
course, which brings together ideas and skills from a variety of functional
areas (such as accounting, decision sciences, finance, marketing, and
management) into a coherent whole. This
integration will underscore how the functional elements of a business are interrelated
and equally important.
By the end of this
course, you will be able to:
·
Assess
an industry to determine its attractiveness
·
Evaluate
a business using specific analytical techniques and frameworks
·
Understand
how to compare and choose among strategic alternatives
Texts:
·
Barney, Jay and Hesterly,
William S.2010. Strategic Management and
Competitive Advantage, 3/E Prentice Hall ISBN-10: 0136094589,
ISBN-13: 9780136094586. You can
also use the 2nd edition.
- Cases will either be distributed in class, published in the text
book, or available for purchase online.
Assignments,
Evaluation, and Grading
Please pay attention to the due dates and times. All assignments are to be submitted at the beginning of class. Assignments will lose one full letter grade for each 48 hours (or portion thereof) that the assignment is late. This means if the assignment is due at 12:00 pm on Tuesday and you turn it in between 12:00 pm Tuesday and 12:00 pm Thursday, an “A” paper becomes a “B” paper.
I expect you to raise any questions about grades on exams or assignments during regularly scheduled office hours (or by making an appointment) within one week of receiving the grade. Grades will not be changed after more than one week has passed from the posting date. There will be no “extra credit” assignments offered or accepted.
There are five
components of evaluation in this course, with 60% of your grade individually
determined (participation, exams, assignments) and 40% of your grade determined
by group performance (business plan).
The breakdown of the evaluation is as follows:
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Class participation |
10% |
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Case Analyses |
20% |
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Exam 1 |
10% |
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Exam 2 – Financial Analysis |
10% |
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Business Plan |
Situation Analysis 15% |
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Strategy and Budget 15% |
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Presentation 10% |
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Final |
10% |
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100% |
Class Participation
(10%):
Class participation
is a function of preparation, skills, attitude, and a willingness to share
one’s ideas with the class. Frequent and
ongoing evaluation will be made in this area, and credit will be given for
progress over the term. Note:
If you do not complete your Peer Evaluation form (as directed in class) you
will lose 5% of your participation grade.
Peer Evaluation forms must be completed after the business plan is
turned in and submitted before the date of the final exam.
Attendance
Due to the participatory nature of this course, class attendance is
essential. You may miss two classes (one
in a summer course), no questions asked and without penalty. All further absences will reduce your
participation grade.
Comments
in Class
Simply attending class is necessary but not sufficient. This course has a large case component and
thus requires more of students than a conventional, lecture-based course. Not only should students be familiar with the
fundamental concepts presented in the accompanying text for each class, but
even more importantly, they should also be intimately familiar with the details
of the case. You should identify the
critical problems presented in the case, calculate and assimilate appropriate
financial figures, generate and evaluate alternate courses of action, and be
able to select and defend your choice.
This course prepares you for a managerial career, in which you will do
these same tasks, albeit in significantly more detail. Please bring all case materials, including
notes, calculations, and/or outlines you’ve generated during your preparation,
to class.
Major Assignments:
1. Exam 1 (10%): On
Tuesday, June 7, we will have an
in-class midterm exam. This will cover
all materials covered through that date. Exams
will not be returned to students, but are available for review during office
hours.
2. Exam
2 – Financial Analysis (10%):
On Tuesday, June 14, we will have an
in-class exam to test your knowledge of financial calculations and analysis.
Exams will not be returned to students, but are available for review during
office hours.
3. Case Studies (20%) You will prepare a
position paper for each case study assigned during the term. Position papers are written assignments
consisting of an analysis of the current case in the context of the readings
from this course. The position paper should be two (maximum) single-spaced
pages. The position paper should have a
strategic analysis and a clearly stated set of strategic priorities linked to
your analysis, with supporting facts for every claim. If the professor provides
specific discussion questions, then answering those questions should be the
focus of your position paper. These papers are due via email to the professor
by 11 AM the day that the case is scheduled for discussion in class.
3. Business Plan (40%): The centerpiece of the course is a comprehensive,
well-reasoned strategic plan for an
existing business. You will learn that successful businesses are
determined by the nature of the industry in which the business competes,
its position within the industry, its interactions with rivals, and the way it
is organized and managed. See the
business plan handout for more details on this group project.
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Key Due Dates for Business Plan Components |
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Situation Analysis |
Due Thursday, June 2 |
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Strategy and Budget |
Due Tuesday, June 21 |
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Final Presentation |
Last day of class |
4. Final Exam (10%): An
in-class final exam will cover the final chapters of the textbook, as shown on
the detailed course schedule. Exams will
not be returned to students, but are available for review during office hours.
Grading Scale
The maximum grade point average for this course is
3.33. The target breakdown of final grades will be as follows:
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Grade |
Approximate Percentage of
Students |
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A-range |
20% |
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B-range |
65% |
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C+ or lower |
15% |
The purpose of this grading scheme is to allow those
students who put in superior effort (and achieve superior results) to receive a
distinguishing grade while simultaneously attempting to eliminate incentives
for slacking.
Honors Pledge
All academic work done at the University of Portland must be in full
compliance with the University’s Code of Academic Integrity as described in the
Student Handbook. The Pamplin School requires all students to include the
following pledge and student signature(s) on all work (papers, exams, etc.)
submitted to the professor during the course of the semester (please
place it on the front page of all submissions). If you are turning in a group
paper, it is incumbent upon all members of the group to sign the pledge. This
means every individual in the group is responsible for the integrity of the
group’s assignment. Any paper turned in without the pledge and the
appropriate signature(s) will be returned immediately to the student(s).
It will be left to the professor’s discretion on whether or not to assess a
penalty for late submission.
Honors Pledge:
University
and School of Business Policy on Cheating:
“Because of the University’s commitment to
academic integrity, cheating on course work or on examinations will result in
penalties that may include a grade of “F” for the specific exam or course work
or a grade of “F” for the course. Any
incident of cheating will be reported to the dean of the college in which the
course is offered and to the dean of the college or school in which the student
is currently enrolled” (University of
Portland Bulletin). Students in the School of Business
Administration who are turned in for an initial case of cheating will be put on
probation. A second cheating incident
will lead to dismissal from the School of Business. Note: Plagiarism is considered to be a form of
cheating. It consists of taking the
ideas, writings, etc. from another and passing them off as one’s own (Webster’s New World Dictionary).
Students with Disabilities:
If you have a disability and require an accommodation to fully participate in this class, contact the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSWD), located in the University Health Center (503-943-7134) as soon as possible.
If you have an OSWD Accommodation Plan, you should make an appointment to meet with me to discuss your accommodations. Also, you should meet with me if you wish to discuss emergency medical information or special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated.
Please
find a detailed course schedule on the following pages
Detailed Class
Schedule
Subject to change – changes will be announced in
class and on Moodle.
SMT = Strategic Management Theory; CWS = Class Web Site; Case = Case Study
Date Topic Reading
Assignments
1. May 17 Introduction
to Strategy
Michael Porter on Regional
Competitiveness http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5I_cnpP99U
Richard Rumelt
on Strategy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43kZDnyDXOc
Strategy for Sustainability
Overview of the Course
2. May 19 Strategy and Performance SMT Chapter 1, Chapter 2 (thru pg 47)
Industry Analysis –
External
Environment Case “In the Garden. M. Meckler (2009). In Strategic Management and
Business Policy 12th Edition, Wheelen and
Hunger, eds. USA, Pearson Higher Education
Determine
Group Members and
Email Professor by end of the week
3. May 24 Industry Analysis SMT Chapter 2: (pp 47-63)
Six Strategic Forces
Term
Project Introduction
Group work –
Situation analysis
of
your industry
4. May 26 CWS
Sahlman
“How to Write a Great Business Plan”
Bloomberg
System Introduction
CWS Project Guidelines
Company
Determination Due
(by end of class meeting) Case Tootsie
Roll
5. May 31 Internal
Analysis - SMT Chapter 3
Resources,
Distinctive
Competencies,
and Competitive
Advantage. The VRIO Framework
Group work – Situation Analysis
6. June 2 Competitive Strategies – SMT Chapter 5
Differentiation, Cost Leadership,
Focus
Competitive
Analysis – Industry SMT Chapter 6
Life Cycles, Strategic Groups &
Competitor Responses
Situation Analysis Due Case
Study: Your Focus Industry and Your Term
Project Company
6. June 7 Exam 1 Exam 1 Covers SMT Chapters 1 – 6
Strategic
Controls and Metrics I: Accounting &
Financial Statements CWS Harrison
Ch. 13 “Financial Statement Analysis”
CWS Bowhill, 2008
Ch 19 “Budgetary Control…”
Activity: Financial Ratio Analysis In-Class
Workshop
and regression analysis
7. June 9 Strategic
Controls and Metrics II: Case The Case of the
Unidentified Industries
Accounting
& Financial Statements
Exam 2 Review –
Financial Analysis
8. June 14 Exam
2 – Financial and Control Analysis No
readings … Study for exam
Group work – Strategy and Budget
9. June 16 Corporate Strategy – Video CNBC Innovation Panel
Sustainability
and Social Responsibility:
Facts, Dreams, and
Future Directions
Corporate
Strategy – SMT Chapter 10
Diversification,
Integration,
& Acquisitions
Group work –
Strategy and Budget Case Zipcar, Refining the
Business Model
10. June 21 Corporate
Strategy
Global Strategy and SMT Chapter 8 and 11
Implementation
Budget
and Strategy Due CWS Videos from Moot Corp
Business
Plan Competition
12. June 23 In-Class
Final Exam Exam covers SMT Chapters 8,10,
11
Final
Presentations
Please note
that this syllabus is subject to change.
All changes will be announced in class.