OCTOBER 2015

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October 2015Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday

4 5 6 7

11 12 13 14 1. Pretest Ch. 5 (group) 2. UNDERARMOUR CASE - report: gr. 1 - critique: gr. 5

18 19 20 21 1. GOOGLE CASE - report: gr. 3 - critique: gr. 7

25 26 27 28 1. Pretest Ch. 8 - report: gr. 5 - critique: gr. 1

2. HERMAN MILLER CASE

By groupIndividual

October 2015 Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3 8 FREECUT 9 10

15 16 17 1. Pretest Ch. 6 3. CHIPOTLE CASE - report: gr. 2 - critique: gr. 6

22 23 24 1. Pretest Ch. 7 2. NUCOR CASE - report: gr. 4 - critique gr: 8

29 30 31 1. Pretest Ch. 10 2. TATA MOTORS CASE - report: gr. 6 - critique: gr. 2

2. "Blue Ocean Strategy" reflection paper

NOVEMBER 2015

November 2015

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday

1 2 3 4 1. WALT DISNEY CASE - report: gr. 7 - critique: gr. 3

8 9 10 11 2. Roadmap for Cap. 2

15 16 17 18 NO CLASS: APEC

22 23 24 25 - reporters: gr. 4, 5, 6

29 30 Notes: 1. FINAL PAPER PRESENTATION: 45mins. max 2. CAPITALISM 2

1. Capitalism 2 Group Pic

1. FINAL PAPER REPORT

-competition TBA

By group

Individual

November 2015

Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

5 6 7 1. FROG'S LEAP CASE - report: gr. 8 critique: gr. 4

12 13 MAKE UP CLASS (tba14 1. Deadline: 2 case analysis 1. Pretest Ch. 9 2. FINAL PAPER REPORT - reporters: gr. 1, 2, 3

19 20 21

NO CLASS: APEC

26 LAST DAY! 27 28 1. FINAL PAPER REPORT - reporters: gr. 7 & 8

1. FINAL PAPER PRESENTATION: 45mins. max

UNDERARMOURreporters: gr. 1critics: gr. 5

a) How strong are the competitive forces confronting UA? Provide a 5 forces analysis to support your answer

b.) Does UA have any core competencies? If so, what are they?

c.) What are the key elements of UA's core strategy?

d.) Which one of the 5 generic competitive strategies most closely approximates the approach that UA employs?

e.) What 3-4 priority issues do Kevin Klank & top manangement need to address? What do you recommend they should do?

a) How strong are the competitive forces confronting UA? Provide a 5 forces analysis to support your answer

d.) Which one of the 5 generic competitive strategies most closely approximates the approach that UA employs?

e.) What 3-4 priority issues do Kevin Klank & top manangement need to address? What do you recommend they should do?

CHIPOTLEreporters: gr. 2critics: gr. 6

a.) Does Chipotle have any core competencies and, if so, what are they?

b) What are the primary and secondary components of Chipotle’s value chain?

c) What are the chief components of Chipotle’s strategy? Which one of the five generic competitive strategies most closely approximate the competitive approach that Chipotle is employing?

d) What does an analysis of the data in case Exhibit 1 reveal about Chipotle’s financial and operating performance?

e) What action recommendations would you make to Chipotle’s top executives to strengthen growth and profitability?

c) What are the chief components of Chipotle’s strategy? Which one of the five generic competitive strategiesmost closely approximate the competitive approach that Chipotle is employing?

d) What does an analysis of the data in case Exhibit 1 reveal about Chipotle’s financial and operating performance?

e) What action recommendations would you make to Chipotle’s top executives to strengthen growth and profitability?

GOOGLEreporters: gr. 3critics: gr. 7

a) What is your assessment of the overall industry attractiveness? Why so?

b) What forces are fast shaping the search industry?

c) Describe Google’s business model? What strategies has Google relied upon to build competitive advantage? Did the business model and strategy prove successful? How?

d) What are the company’s chief SWOT?

e) What recommendations would you make to Google’s top-management team to sustain its competitive advantage in the search industry? How should it best capitalize on its strategic initiatives in smartphones and other ventures?

c) Describe Google’s business model? What strategies has Google relied upon to build competitive advantage? Did the business model and strategy prove successful? How?

e) What recommendations would you make to Google’s top-management team to sustain its competitive advantage in the search industry? How should it best capitalize on its strategic initiatives in smartphones and other ventures?

NUCORreporters: gr. 4critics: gr. 8

steel products via recycling scrap steel in particular? Please do a five-forces analysis to support your answer.

Is there any reason to believe that Nucor has achieved a sustainable competitive advantage over many of its steel industry rivals? If so, what type of competitive advantage does Nucor enjoy?

great strategy execution, or great leadership?

a) What are the primary competitive forces impacting U.S. steel producers in general and the producers like Nucor that make new

b) What driving forces do you see at work in this industry? Are they likely to impact the industry’s competitive structure favorably or unfavorably?

c) How attractive are the prospects for future profitability of U.S. steelmakers? Should Nucor consider expanding in this type of industry environment? Why or why not?

d) What type of strategy has Nucor followed? Which of the five generic strategies discussed in Chapter 5 is Nucor employing?

e) What specific factors account for why Nucor has been so successful over the past several decades? Do these factors have more to do with great strategy,

steel products via recycling scrap steel in particular? Please do a five-forces analysis to support your answer.

Is there any reason to believe that Nucor has achieved a sustainable competitive advantage over many of its steel industry rivals?

a) What are the primary competitive forces impacting U.S. steel producers in general and the producers like Nucor that make new

b) What driving forces do you see at work in this industry? Are they likely to impact the industry’s competitive structure favorably or unfavorably?

c) How attractive are the prospects for future profitability of U.S. steelmakers? Should Nucor consider expanding in this type of industry environment? Why or why not?

d) What type of strategy has Nucor followed? Which of the five generic strategies discussed in Chapter 5 is Nucor employing?

e) What specific factors account for why Nucor has been so successful over the past several decades? Do these factors have more to do with great strategy,

HERMAN MILLERreporters: gr. 5critics: gr. 1

a) Describe Herman Miller’s strategy. Is there evidence it has produced a competitive advantage and good financial performance? Explain.

b) How you describe HMI’s financial situation? How does its performance compare to prior years? The competition?

c) Until 2003, HMI offered lifelong employment. How did this practice affect the company’s ability to staff the organization with managers and employees capable of executing the strategy? How did this practice build the organizational capabilities required for successful strategy execution?

d) Do non-monetary incentives facilitate strategy execution at HMI? Explain.e) Describe the culture at HMI. Would you characterize HMI’s culture as healthy and largely supportive of good strategy execution? Explain.

a) Describe Herman Miller’s strategy. Is there evidence it has produced a competitive advantage and good financial performance? Explain.

b) How you describe HMI’s financial situation? How does its performance compare to prior years? The competition?

c) Until 2003, HMI offered lifelong employment. How did this practice affect the company’s ability to staff the organization with managers and employees capable of executing the strategy? How did this practice build the organizational capabilities required for successful strategy execution?

e) Describe the culture at HMI. Would you characterize HMI’s culture as healthy and largely supportive of good strategy execution? Explain.

TATA MOTORSreporters: gr. 6critics: gr. 2

a) What are the key success factors for a successful firm in the global motor vehicle industry?

b) Would you describe Tata Motors international strategy as global, transnational, or multidomestic strategy? Why?

c) What are the driving forces in the global motor vehicle industry?

d) What is the financial condition of Tata Motors, given Exhibits 3 and 4?

e) What do you think are Tata Motors’ top issues and how do you recommend they address these?

a) What are the key success factors for a successful firm in the global motor vehicle industry?

b) Would you describe Tata Motors international strategy as global, transnational, or multidomestic strategy? Why?

e) What do you think are Tata Motors’ top issues and how do you recommend they address these?

WALT DISNEYreporters: gr. 7critics: gr. 3

What opportunities for skills transfer, cost sharing, and brand sharing do you see?

What is your assessment of the financial strength of Disney based on the 2010 and 2011 fiscal year financial data?

Your recommended actions must be supported with a convincing, analysis-based argument.

a) What is Walt Disney Company’s corporate strategy?

b) What is your assessment of the long-term attractiveness and competitive strength of Walt Disney Company’s different business units?

c) Does Walt Disney Company’s portfolio exhibit good strategy fit? What value chain match-ups do you see?

d) What is your assessment of Walt Disney Company’s financial and operating performance in fiscal year’s 2009-2011?

e) What actions do you recommend that Walt Disney Company’s management take to improve the company and shareholder value?

What opportunities for skills transfer, cost sharing, and brand sharing do you see?

What is your assessment of the financial strength of Disney based on the 2010 and 2011 fiscal year financial data?

Your recommended actions must be supported with a convincing, analysis-based argument.

b) What is your assessment of the long-term attractiveness and competitive strength of Walt Disney Company’s different business units?

c) Does Walt Disney Company’s portfolio exhibit good strategy fit? What value chain match-ups do you see?

d) What is your assessment of Walt Disney Company’s financial and operating performance in fiscal year’s 2009-2011?

e) What actions do you recommend that Walt Disney Company’s management take to improve the company and shareholder value?

FROG'S LEAPreporters: gr. 8critics: gr. 4

a) What’s going on at Frog’s Leap Winery? Have its efforts to become sustainable been thus far successful?

b) How would you go about measuring Frog’s Leap’s efforts to become sustainable?

c) Is Frog’s Leap a social responsible enterprise? How does it compare against peers?

d) Evaluate Frog’s Leap’s strategy. Use financial ratios and VRIO analysis to support your evaluation. What is working well and what could be improved?

e) What should Frog’s Leap do in the short term, mid-term, and long-term as it pursues sustainability?

a) What’s going on at Frog’s Leap Winery? Have its efforts to become sustainable been thus far successful?

d) Evaluate Frog’s Leap’s strategy. Use financial ratios and VRIO analysis to support your evaluation. What is working well and what could be improved?

e) What should Frog’s Leap do in the short term, mid-term, and long-term as it pursues sustainability?