Gb699 Corporate Strategies
Course Syllabus
Professor Name John J. Hampton Email
Phone 201 761-6390 Office Location: School of Business
Office Hours Wednesday 1:00-4:00 or by appointment
Description
This course examines strategic decision making in the areas of management, marketing, and finance. It links strategic planning with performance in a framework for decision making. It correlates planning and leadership in a framework for strategic thinking. It encourages a pursuit of the big picture as the key to success in strategic planning. International perspectives are incorporated throughout.
Outcomes
Students can expect the following outcomes in this course:
· They will improve written communications.
· They will have a better understanding of ethical responsibilities of the profession.
· They will recognize problems and apply strategic analysis.
· They will reason analytically and make data-driven decisions.
Course materials
· Textbook. Business Strategies and Performance, www.princetonbooks.com (2017).
· Study Guide. This is it. It is also the syllabus. Copies can be downloaded from http://www.jackhampton.com. Click the Study Guides button.
Downloading the Textbook
The textbook is available for download at www.princetonbooks.com. The steps are:
· Click Book Title and then Add to cart
· Proceed to Checkout. Or proceed to checkout with PayPal.
· I’m a new customer. Fill in details. Click Bill to this address.
· To receive a 25% student discount, enter discount code SPU30
· Proceed to Payment. Enter information. Pay for order.
· Find your order. Click Download files. Then sign out on top.
· Having Trouble? Email
Hybrid Format
· Term. September to November, 2017.
· Meetings. Six total sessions with dates to be announced in class.
· First meeting on September 5
· Remaining Dates: To be announced in class, chosen from Sept 5, 12, 19, 26, and Oct 3, 10, and 17.
· Note: This course is not available in a total online format.
Grading
The grade is based upon.
· Submission 1. Exercises. 50 percent of the grade.
· Submission 2. Individual or Team Project. 25 percent of the grade.
· Attendance or Makeup Assignment 25 percent of the grade.
Due Dates for Assignments
· Part 1. Sept 29 (Tuesday)
· Part 2. Oct 24 (Tuesday)
Submission 1. Exercises
They are printed at the end of this syllabus. They cover:
Chapter 1. How our Beliefs Determine our Decision-Making.
Chapter 2. Understanding the Modern Global Business Environment.
Chapter 3. How Emerging Powers Are Redefining Global Competition.
Chapter 4. The Big Picture.
Chapter 5. How Do We Find the Big Picture?
Chapter 6. How Do We Connect the Dots Between the Big Picture and Everything Else?
Submission 2. Course Project
Explained below.
Submission 3. Make up Exercises
Chapter 16. Ascribed and Achieved Status
Exercises #1. To be completed if one class session is missed.
Exercises #2. To be completed if a second class session is missed.
Include these exercises in your 2nd submission.
Requirements for Completing the Exercises
· Complete all exercises with at least 50% of them using the engaged format described below.
· Answer each question in your own words after reading the applicable text or finding appropriate Internet material.
· Show you understand the point of the exercise. Add a little something to it.
· Choose either the basic or engaged format for each exercise.
Basic Format Example
Question: What are examples of a speculative risk not named in the book?
Basic Format Answer A speculative risk exists when we have the possibility of a loss along with the chance to make a profit. Examples are betting on horse races, buying stocks and bonds, and real estate investment. This differs from a pure risk where only a loss is possible.
Engaged Format Answer
A speculative risk exists when we have the possibility of a loss along with the chance to make a profit. Examples are betting on horse races, buying stocks and bonds, and real estate investment. This differs from a pure risk where only a loss is possible.
Since we know that pure risk is a risk in which loss is the only possible outcome, there is no beneficial result. Pure risk is related to events that are beyond the risk-taker's control and, therefore, a person cannot consciously take on pure risk.
An example is the possibility that a person's house will be destroyed due to a natural disaster. In this example, it is unlikely that there would be any potential benefit to this risk.
There are products that can be purchased to mitigate pure risk. For example, flood insurance can be used to protect homeowners from the risk that their homes will be destroyed by an overflowing river. Other examples of pure risk events include premature death, identity theft, and career-ending disabilities.
Course Project
Create a PowerPoint presentation explaining whether U.S. government actions since January 20, 2017 have created a tipping point in career planning for MBA/MS candidates.
You have complete freedom to create an interesting presentation. This includes the use of graphics and clever components. The project will be graded as follows:
· Introduction. Explanation of tipping point in terms of the a few people with a sticky message changing a context to create an explosive change.
· Law of the Few. Do we have them? If yes, who are they?
· Sticky Message. Does it exist? If yes, what is it?
· Context. Has career planning changed? If what, how?
· Tipping Point. Do we have one? If yes, what is it?
· Length. Projects are likely to range from 14 to 30 slides.
Submitting the Project
· Create a separate PowerPoint document.
· Identify yourself or members on the first slide.
· Save it as <Your team or last name>, Gb699, TP Project
· Submit by email.
Submitting the Exercises
Carefully follow these submission guidelines to avoid delays that affect grading.
· Copy the exercises from the Study Guide to a separate MS Word file.
· Save each file with the name Your last name, first name, Course #, Part#
· Answer each question in order.
· Send a single MS Word document for each part as an attachment to an email to . Do not use BlackBoard for submissions.
Confirmation
The instructor will confirm receipt of the exercises and project within four days. If no confirmation is received, query the instructor.
Plagiarism and Cheating
To promote and protect academic integrity, the University's policy against plagiarism must be unconditionally respected. Students found to be committing acts of plagiarism will face academic sanctions to be determined by the professor as well as the administration. Plagiarism includes submitting the work of other parties as your own and downloading information from the Internet without identifying the link.
Exercises 1. How our Beliefs Determine our Decision-Making.
1-1. The beliefs of Americans with respect to the 2003 invasion of Iraqi reflects facts, emotions, assumptions, opinions, or bias. Which of these do you think is the most important factor shaping whether a person supports the invasion? Explain your reasoning.
1-2. We know that people use emotions when making decisions. What is the best use of emotions? The worst use?
1-3. Our beliefs change as we gain new information. Most people believe that it is no longer safe to use credit cards because hackers steal the numbers using the Internet. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.
1-4. Identify one explosive change in the world that affected business in the past 12 months. What is the likely impact on future business activities?
Exercises 2. Understanding the Modern Global Business Environment.
2-1. Improved economics are a global phenomenon. Is this good or bad for global corporations? Explain your reasoning.
2-2. Zakaria claims the political view of the world since 2000 is failure with respect to 9/11, Iran and North Korea, Russia, Venezuela, Hezbollah, and Gaza. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.
2-3. Zakaria does not believe that the Islamic threat is a great challenge to western nations. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.
2-4. In the development of the global economy, transportation, banking, and labor played key roles since the 15th century. Which area was the most important? Explain your reasoning.
2-5. The United States is proud that it won the Second World War. Can this belief prove to be a problem in the post-American world? Why or why not?
2-6. Prior to 2005, the United States and a few Western allies planned and implemented action while the rest of the world watched. Zakaria says this changed by 2008. Do the 2011 and 2012 developments in the Middle East and North Africa support or refute Zakaria? Explain your reasoning.
2-7. Zakaria argues that the West lagged the East centuries ago. Do you think we are returning to such a situation? Explain your reasoning and cite a source that supports you or disagrees with you.
2-8. Zakaria continues to write. In 2011 he updated his views originally expressed in The Post-American World? What did he say?
Exercises 3. How Emerging Powers Are Redefining Global Competition.
3-1. In his book, Khanna redefines the term Second World. What is the difference between the old and new definition?
3-2. Khanna proposed that the 21st century's emerging geopolitical marketplace would be dominated by the United States, Europe, and China. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.
3-3. What are some major problems a company would face while doing business in a Second World country? Be specific.
3-4. Of Japan, Russia, and India, which country will have the most economic growth in the next 10 years? Explain your reasoning.
3-5. Do you think Egypt can work out the problems between the Moslem Brotherhood and the military? Explain your reasoning.
3-6. Khanna identifies the Middle East and North Africa as places with the resources to join the Second World. In your view are these regions likely to become Second World areas? Explain your reasoning.
3-7. Khanna claims that the world’s most compelling ideology is not freedom, democracy, authority, religion, or philosophy. Instead, the goal is simply to be successful. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.
Exercises 4. Seek the Big Picture.
4-1. Ask someone whether he or she would be interested in climbing Mount Everest. Who did you ask? What did the person say? Do you think the person has the big picture? Explain your reasoning.
4-2. Peter Drucker asked three questions about what is, what will be, and what should be if we have a strategy. How can organizations use these questions to understand the big picture? Use an example to explain your answer.
4-3. Bill Gates and Microsoft illustrated the big picture when they pursued the acquisition of Intuit. Do you agree that the acquisition should have been stopped by the federal government? Explain your reasoning.
4-4. Why does the story of Fresh and Frozen Foods show the failure to identify the Big Picture? Be specific.
4-5. The textbook argues that the big picture for customers of IBM occurred when they realized, “Nobody ever got fired by choosing IBM.” Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.
4-6. What risks were taken by Cook County Hospital when it allowed Dr. Brendan Reilly to use his new method to diagnose heart attacks? Be specific.
4-7. In terms of the big picture, do you think Blockbuster was just stupid ignoring changing market conditions? Explain your reasoning.
4-8. Some people think a company the size of BP Oil is simply too big to see the big picture. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.
4-9. Fraud is a criminal offense. Since the accounting rules allowed Lehman to hide its toxic assets, the company did not commit fraud. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.
Exercises 5. How Do We Find the Big Picture?
5-1. Gladwell has an answer for the question, “Are leaders born or made?” Do you agree with his answer? Explain your reasoning.
5-2. Jet Blue got it wrong. U.S. Airways got it right. Which airline is doing better today? Use Internet references to support your answer.
5-3. Philip Zimbardo created an experiment to show the power of context. Identify an actual environment that was highly negative. The setting can personal or can be taken from television, a book, or another source. Describe how people reacted. Be specific.
5-4. What is the most exciting new strategy at Apple today? Do you think it will be successful? Explain your reasoning.
5-5. What is the most exciting new strategy at Amazon today? Do you think it will be successful? Explain your reasoning.
5-6. With respect to the story of Rollins College, did the faculty leaders or President fail to use any of the components of decision making used by the Navy SEALS? Explain your reasoning.
Exercises 6. How Do We Connect the Dots Between the Big Picture and Everything Else?
6-1. Have you ever had a tipping point in your life? If yes, describe it. If not, describe a situation where a big change happened in your life or thinking. Were the law of the few, stickiness, and weak connections parts of the situation you described? Be specific.
6-2. A fire in a church in Charleston, S.C. in 2015 produced a tipping point for the display of the Confederate Flag. Describe what happened. Who were the few? What was the sticky message? Who were the weak connections? Be specific.
6-3. A speech by a Georgia Mayor affected the announced closing of Sweet Briar College in 2015. Did it create a tipping point? Explain your reasoning.
6-4. Southern New Hampshire University created a tipping point by changing the context of its admissions, customer relations, technology, facilities, and attitude. Which of these would have to be changed for Rollins College to create a similar tipping point? Be specific.
Exercises for Makeup
Chapter 16. Ascribed and Achieved Status
First Missed Class Session
M1-1. According to the definition of authenticity, some people believe that Donald Trump is more authentic than Hillary Clinton. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.
M1-2. With respect to the two characteristics of versatility, some people believe that Donald Trump is more authentic than Hillary Clinton. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.
M1-3. Of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, which one has more achieved status? Explain your reasoning.
M1-4. For each of the following, does the person have more of an ascribed or achieved status? Explain your reasoning.
· Female manager in a Moslem culture.
· Founder of a successful bank.
· Elder in a Chinese family.
· U.S. Corporate vice president who is son of the CEO.
· Barack Obama.
Second Missed Class Session
M2-1. Apply the concept of ascribed or achieved status to yourself and your organization. Which:
· Describe your position in the organization. Apply the concept.
· Describe the majority of positions in the organization. Apply the concept.
M2-2. Which status is most common in for the business elite in the following geographic areas?