“plan your progress carefully; hour-by-hour, day-by-day ...€¦ · appraise a company’s...

Department of Management

“Developing tomorrow’s leaders today”

“Plan your progress carefully; hour-by-hour, day-by-day, month-by-month. Organized activity and maintained

enthusiasm are the wellsprings of your power” (P.J.Meyer)

Organizational Strategy

MANA 4322-001

Summer 2011

Instructor: Dr. Caterina Tantalo Email: [email protected]

Class Time: Mon & Wed 8:00 PM - 10:20 PM Room: COBA 256

Office Hours: by appointment

Text: - Organizational Strategy 4322 by Dess, Lumpkin, and Eisner ISBN 0390669209. This customized

version of the textbook is only available at the UT Arlington Bookstore.

- Foundation® Business Simulation (on line registration using Industry number: F43749 or F43750

at http://www.capsim.com). Booklet distributed in class.

Course Overview

The course represents an integrative learning experience that focuses on the role of top management in integrating

an organization's internal functional activities and external environmental forces. Emphasis is placed on defining

economic, technological, ethical, political, and social factors affecting an organization and their consideration in

setting goals, strategies, and operating policies.

Pre-requisites:

Students enrolled in Management 4322 must have senior classification in the College of Business Administration

and must have completed ACCT 2301 and ACCT 2302 and (ECON 2305 or ECON 2302) and (ECON 2306 or

ECON 2301) and (MANA 3311or MANA 3318 or MANA 3319 or MANA 3321) and (STAT 3321 or BUSA 3321

or STAT 3322 or BUSA 3322) and FINA 3313. All prerequisites are required (no exceptions).

mailto:[email protected]

Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders, and their qualities clearly determine their future!

2

Course Objectives

The course has multiple objectives which include the following:

1) Developing managerial skills by an integrated approach based on theoretical learning and practice

experience.

2) Making stronger the previous business skill and enhance new challenges toward a strategic managerial

orientation.

3) Learning the instruments and the methodologies which will support you in doing your future job.

4) Developing problem solving skills and general knowledge to help the corporation to face actual and future

challenges.

Student Learning Outcomes

After completing the course the student will be able to:

1. Analyze the internal and external environment of the corporations.

2. Recognize opportunity/threats and have the instruments to face them.

3. Develop/implement a company’s corporate level strategy and evaluate its appropriateness considering the

company’s competitive environment.

4. Analyze the social and ethical dimensions of corporate actions.

5. Appraise a company’s internal and external environment in both case studies and real life situations and be

able to discuss with class members and company managers, the opportunities and threats a company faces.

6. Apply knowledge gained in other core business management classes to propose problem solving strategies

for business case studies covered in class and real life situations.

Achieving the Objectives

Three kind of activities may support you in achieving the main course’s objectives:

I. Active participation rather than passive attendance. To effectively develop this task you need of: a)

reading and understanding lecture materials and cases; b) standing high enthusiasm and passion in

learning how effectively do your future job. This is your time to learn and practice. Now you have this

big opportunity and some mistakes are welcome. Tomorrow will be too late, because your mistakes may be

not tolerated from your boss/shareholders or, even worse, may represent the sources of some business

failures. Furthermore, just for clarification, remember: Simply coming to class will not earn a

satisfactory participation grade!

II. Do the best you can to be a successful management team. Students will work in groups to perform the

business simulation Foundation® and each group will have responsibility for one company. Students will

craft corporate- business-, and functional-level strategies The simulation will involve the following

assignments:


3

Company Performance. The company performance grade results will be assigned a group basis

according to the closing company stock price.

Annual Meeting. Near the end of the course, each group will conduct a “Shareholder Meeting”

presentation with the aim to present the corporate results to the rest of the class (i.e., the corporate

shareholders). This will be a 20 minute Power Point Presentation conducted as a Shareholder’s

Meeting, i.e., a formal presentation of the results of the past eight years of effort. The focus will be

on why the team achieved its level of success. Adding to this, a written “Annual Report” and a

“hard copy of the presentation” need to be submitted to the instructor on the day of the team

presentation. The minimum is 25 pages. Graphs and tables are fine if appropriately sized and

directly germane to the text. 12 pt New Time Roman single spaced. The team is addressing

shareholders at the annual meeting. You are the senior management team explaining how you’ve

added shareholder value. Basically, “here’s what we did with your money to generate a superior

return on your investment”. The Annual Report should present a round-by-round analytical

examination of the overall business environment leading to the decisions undertaken by the group.

Complete Comp-XM® exam. Each student manages a simulated business over the course of five

years. After each simulated year, the student takes a short exam with questions and answers

tailored to their situation.

Each student will prepare a written analytical “Executive Summary” of the company’s performance

during the Comp-XM® exercise. A hardcopy submission is required.

III. Do the best you can to be a successful student completing the mid-term & final examinations. They

will consist of multiple-choice and short-answer questions.

Grading

Each activity in which you will be participating will be combined to determine your final grade. Their weights are

as follows:

1. Class participation 10%

2. Simulation:

Company Performance 20%

Shareholder’s Meeting and Annual Report 10%

3. Comp-XM®

Balanced Scorecard 10%

Board Queries 5%

4. Comp-XM® Executive Summary 5%

5. Mid-term exam 20%

6. Final Exam 20%

Total 100%


4

Date Topics Covered Assignment

Week 1 1 June, 6th _ Mon Introduction to the course, Introduction to

Foundation® and Student Team formation

Introduction to Strategic management -

Specialized Bicycle Video

Chapter 1

Chapter 13

2 June, 8th _ Wed Analyzing the External Environment of the Firm

Panera Bread Company video.

Chapter 2

Week 2 3 June, 13th _ Mon Assessing the Internal Environment of the Firm -

The Value Chain video

Team meeting for practice decision 1

Chapter 3

Practice Decision 1 (due

by 11:00 PM)

4 June, 15th _ Wed Recognizing a Firm's Intellectual Assets: Moving

Beyond a Firm's Tangible Resources

Review Practice Round 1

Chapter 4

Practice Decision 2 (due

by 11:00 PM)

Week 3 5 June, 20th _ Mon Business-Level Strategy: Creating and Sustaining

Competitive Advantage - Whole Foods & Toy Wars

videos.

Review Practice Round 2

Chapter 5

6 June, 22th _ Wed Review for exam, Team meeting for Decision 1

Decision 1 (due by 11:00

PM)

Week 4 7 June, 27th _ Mon Exam I on Chapters 1-5

In class

8 June, 29th _ Wed Corporate Level Strategy: Creating Value

Through Diversification - Sears/Kmart & Jet Blue

videos

Team Decision 1: Review and discuss

Chapter 6


PM)

Week 5 9 July, 4th _ Mon No class Independence day

10 July, 6th _ Wed International Strategy: Creating Value in Global

Markets - Starbucks, Building Relationships With

Coffee Growers video


Chapter 7


PM)

Week 6 11 July, 11th _ Mon Entrepreneurial Strategy and Competitive

Dynamics - Dippin' Dots Ice Cream video


Chapter 8


PM)

12 July, 13th _ Wed Strategic Control and Corporate Governance –

Walmart Global Giant & Johnson & Johnson

videos

Chapter 9


PM)


5

Team Decision 4: Review and discuss Week 7 13 July, 18th _ Mon Creating Effective Organizational Designs - One

Smooth Stone video

Comp-XM begins


Chapter 10


PM)

Comp-XM begins (at 9:00AM)

14 July, 20th _ Wed Managing Innovation and Fostering Corporate

Entrepreneurship


Chapter 12


PM)

Week 8 15 July, 25th _ Mon Ethical leadership, The Container Store video,


Review for exam


PM)

July, 27th _ Wed Exam II on Chapters 6-12 In class August,1th _ Mon Shareholder Meetings

Power Point presentation / Annual Report document

August,3th _ Wed Shareholder Meetings

Power Point presentation / Annual Report document

Comp-XM ends

Comp XM Executive Summary Due

Comp-XM ends

Comp XM Executive

Summary Due

Note: This schedule can be modified by the instructor


6

Late work/grade policy

All assignments must be handed in by the scheduled due date to receive full consideration. Late assignments will not be accepted without

prior approval from the instructor. If a student feels that the grade they receive for the course is in error discuss the situation with the

instructor who will provide to explain the reasons of that grade.

Drop Policies

It is the student's responsibility to complete the course or withdraw from the course in accordance with University Regulations. Students

are strongly encouraged to verify their grade status before dropping a course after the first withdrawal date. A student who drops a course

after the first withdrawal date may receive an “F” in the course if the student is failing at the time the course is dropped. Final drop date is

July, 21th.

Student Support Services

The University supports a variety of student success programs to help you connect with the University and achieve academic success.

They include learning assistance, developmental education, advising and mentoring, admission and transition, and federally funded

programs. Students requiring assistance academically, personally, or socially should contact the Office of Student Success Programs at

817-272-6107 for more information and appropriate referrals.

Americans with Disabilities Act

The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation;

reference Public Law 92-112 - The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. With the passage of federal legislation entitled Americans with

Disabilities Act (ADA), pursuant to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, there is renewed focus on providing this population with the

same opportunities enjoyed by all citizens.

As a faculty member, I am required by law to provide "reasonable accommodations" to students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate

on the basis of that disability. Student responsibility primarily rests with informing faculty of their need for accommodation and in

providing authorized documentation through designated administrative channels. Information regarding specific diagnostic criteria and

policies for obtaining academic accommodations can be found at www.uta.edu/disability. Also, you may visit the Office for Students with

Disabilities in room 102 of University Hall or call them at (817) 272-3364.

Academic Integrity

It is the philosophy of The University of Texas at Arlington that academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and

will not be tolerated in any form. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University

regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the University. "Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not

limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to

another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit

such acts." (Regents’ Rules and Regulations, Series 50101, Section 2.2)

Communication Outside of Class: The University of Texas at Arlington has adopted the University email address as an official means of

communication with students. Students are responsible for checking their email regularly.

Electronic Devices in Class Policy: No cell phones, PDAs, or personal computers are allowed to be on or used during class without the

instructor’s permission.

COBA Policy on Bomb Threats

Section 22.07 of the Texas Criminal Law states that a Class A misdemeanor is punishable by (1) a fine not to exceed $4,000, (2) a jail

term of not more than one year, or (3) both such a fine and confinement. If anyone is tempted to call in a bomb threat, be aware that UTA

has the technology to trace phone calls. Every effort will be made to avoid cancellation of presentation/ tests caused by bomb threats to the

Business Building. Unannounced alternate sites will be available for these classes. If a student who has a class with a scheduled test or

presentation arrives and the building has been closed due to a bomb threat, the student should immediately check for the alternate class site

notice which will be posted on/near the main doors on the south side of the Business building. If the bomb threat is received while class is

in session, your instructor will ask you to leave the building and reconvene at another location. Students who provide information leading

to the successful prosecution of anyone making a bomb threat will receive one semester's free parking in the Maverick Garage across from

the Business Building. UTA's Crimestoppers may provide a reward to anyone providing information leading to an arrest. To make an

anonymous report, call 817-272-5245.


7

Teaching is a mission, not a task, I agree with you … …but having good students is what I need to accomplish my mission! Historically, the term ‘student’ referred to anyone learning something. However, the recent definition of a “student” is anyone who attends school, college, or university. Who is a good student? What are the qualities of a good student? Based on my personal experience and research, I list below the qualities of a good student:

(1) Attitude: Basically, a good student possesses the ability and willingness to learn new subjects even if they are not interesting.

(2) Academic skills: Acquiring academic skills is the most important quality of a good student. The ability to read comprehensively, to write effectively, to speak fluently, and to communicate clearly are the key areas in which a good student must be proficient. Having skills in all these areas will make a student shine in class.

(3) Ability: A good student has the ability to apply the results of his or her learning in a creative way and achieve goals.

(4) Perceptiveness: How well a student can interpret and perceive meanings from a conversation greatly determines the quality of a good student. A good student always perceives the right meaning from a conversation, but an average student often misunderstands the original thoughts of the speaker or writer and derives a wrong conclusion.

(5) Self-Discipline: Discipline in managing time is an important ability that every good student must possess. Delaying tasks, such as writing assignments, reading text books, etc, may negatively impact the ability of a student to achieve his or her goals.

(6) Understanding rather than memorizing concepts: Many surveys suggest students must understand concepts rather than just memorizing them. Memorized facts and theories will stay in students’ memories until they leave school, college, or university, but once out of school, the students will completely forget the core concepts that they learned. Therefore, it is essential that a good student understand the concepts.

…I will do the best I can, but I expect the same from you…and remember: Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders, and their qualities clearly determine their future!.

See you in few weeks…get ready to start!

“plan your progress carefully; hour-by-hour, day-by-day ...€¦ · appraise a company’s...

Documents