University of West Florida

College of Business Administration

CAPSTONE BUSINESS COURSE

MAN 4720 – Policy Analysis and Formulation

Syllabus – Spring 2015

Sections #67 & 68

Course Website at http://uwf.edu/ssnyder/man4720/

Instructor / Dr. Stephen "LT" Snyder **
Office / BLDG 76, Room 317
Phone / leave message at 474-2315
E-mail Address /
Web Pages / Class: http://www.uwf.edu/ssnyder/man4720/
Simulation: http://www.capsim.com
Office Hours / Office Hours: Tue/Thurs – 12:00-2:00, Wed 3:00-5:30
Office door will be closed due to noise reasons... just knock and I'll answer. Other times by appointment
Required texts / Crafting & Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage, Concepts and Cases, 19th Ed, by Thompson, Peteraf, Gamble and Strickland, 2011, ISBN: 9780078029509
NOTE: You need the hardbound copy of the book and MUST have this edition. Prior editions have different theory in chapter material and different cases. The paperback version does NOT include the cases that we will study.
CAPSTONE – Team Member Guide, http://capsim.com/ - The game book will be passed out in class - students must then register online once they have read the game manual. EVERY student must register for the game. Registration costs @ $50. The online tutorial for registration is at:
http://capsim.com/lessons_and_quizzes/capsim_participant_registration.cfm
Recommended texts / Any intro and managerial text on Accounting/Finance
** I do not write letters of recommendation for students. Should you need a letter of reference, I can detail the contents of the course and what grade you received.

Course Description:

MAN 4720 is designed to be a challenging, interesting, and informative capstone course for UWF business majors. The course presents the theory and practice of top level, organization-wide administration, which is known generally as strategic management and policy. The course also integrates business subjects previously studied, bringing together courses in management, marketing, finance, accounting, production operations, international business, management science, economics and ethics. The entire course is designed to present the integrative nature of the sub-field of strategic management. However, the course is more than just an integration of coursework from other disciplines. The sub-field of management possesses its own rich base of theoretical contributions.

The study of strategic management and integration of previous subjects is accomplished through text presentation, case analyses, and operation of a computerized business simulation. The course is designed in 3 modules. Module 1 will present the theory of strategic management. Module 2 will include cases which illustrate how the theory of strategic management is practiced. Module 3 will consist of a simulation of strategy in which you will run a fictitious company. The modules will overlap (see schedule outline), but each area is designed to give you a step-by-step approach to strategy in a crawl-walk-run pace. First, in the theory module you will be presented with techniques and theories of business strategy in small, mid-size and large enterprises. Next, in the case phase, you will study how companies won and lost in their attempts to compete in the marketplace. Third, in the simulation phase, you will run a simulated company against computer-run companies.

This course emphasizes that an organization, whether profit making, charitable, government or other will "do better" in serving its constituents if its managers develop an astute game plan and execute it with proficiency. The objective is to learn how to improve the probability of success, measured in terms of longevity, in complex organizations. We will improve the probability of success by studying the actions of organizations and applying theory to guide our analysis.

The simulation used in this course will be used to tie terms and concepts to what you will be reading in the book, and witnessed through case studies. The objective for you is to soak up as much as the course requires to enhance your ability of either finding a job or enhancing your current position. Not everyone will reach the CEO ranks. But everyone can apply the concepts of strategic management in their daily lives and in any level of management they assume.

This course will require a lot of time and work. It will require a lot of group meetings (this is reality in the world of work!). However, do not let time requirements intimidate you. I hope you will find this course to be as valuable as it has been to your predecessors. I sincerely believe the workout will be well worth it in terms of the learning you can take out into the real world. You will be competitive with the graduates of other universities when you complete this course, or we will have failed our responsibilities.

The standards for performance in this class have been set by peer institutions around the country. Being competitive is necessary to make you successful graduates of this class and this degree program. If you have identified weaknesses in your functional backgrounds, such as finance or accounting, you will need to brush up. We will use everything you learned previously in your business studies. My goal is to give you the competitive tools and tell you how to use them. The rest is up to you.

Learning Objectives/Outcomes:

General Objectives for MAN 4720 include:

1. Students will be capable of thinking strategically: locally, nationally and internationally about a company, its business position, how it can gain a sustainable competitive advantage, and the perils of not gaining such advantage.

2. Students will be able to relate examples of quality leadership in small, medium, and large sized organizations, tying in topics of ethical principles, personal and company values and social responsibility.

3. Students will be able to integrate previous functional area coursework so that they can understand and apply the systems view of organizations (the big picture).

4. Students will improve their abilities and confidence in communication skills - Oral and written communication skills are required throughout the course.

5. Students will display their abilities in reasoning about strategic options, crafting a business strategy and implementing and changing a chosen strategy in a international simulated environment.

6. Students will refine their capabilities to work on teams. Because no organizational person can prosper "on his/her own." This course will allow practice (or development) of interpersonal small group skills which are critical to an individual's organizational success.

7. Students will refine their analytical and computer related skills - Much numerical analysis (number crunching) will be required in the course. Both case analysis and the simulation require the ability to analyze financial statements and conduct analysis and decision making.

8. Students will be able to tie in current events in the business environment to show that the theories expounded in class relate to today's organizations.

Specific Objectives/Learning Outcomes for MAN 4720 include:

1.  Given a balance sheet and income statement, calculate & interpret appropriate ratios summarizing organizational profitability, liquidity, growth potential, and overall prospects.

  1. Describe complexities in a changing external environment affecting industry performance relationships; identify and use models to analyze the external environment (five forces model, dominant economic characteristics, drivers of change, strategic group map, and key success factors)
  2. Perform organizational resource and competitive position analysis using models like SWOT analysis, value chain analysis, competitive strength analysis, and identifying strategic issues.
  3. Define basic competitive strategy options such as low-cost, broad differentiation, best-cost, focused differentiation and focused low-cost; discern strategy options within varied scenarios, explain complimentary strategic options available: merger, alliances, integration, outsourcing, and offensive/defensive moves.
  4. Define the 10 components of strategy execution and apply them when analyzing organizational scenarios
  5. Apply strategic management models to analyze external and internal environments and to implement strategic action for a Total Management Simulation (CAPSIM)
  6. Be able to articulate the meaning of strategic concepts (including financial analysis) in a one-on-one setting with the instructor.

Use of Class Time

Activity / Approximate Class Time
1 / Lectures by instructor/quizzes / 35%
2 / Practicing the task of managerial analysis and decision making via use of case studies - (students do most of the talking) / 35%
3 / Practicing the task of managing via use of management simulation. / 20%
4 / Exams on text/lecture material - 2 exams / 10%
Total = 100%

Course Grading

Company Performance: Simulation Results and Strategic Planning (AND PEER EVALUATIONS) (team) / 100 points
Individual Pop Chapter Quizzes (individual) / 50 points
Individual Strategic Case Assignment (MOAC) / 50 points
Team Case Assignment Questions / 50 points
Exams on lecture/text materials: Two tests (50 points Test 1, 50 points Test 2) / 100 points
Exit Interview (individual) / 50 points
Total / 400 Points

Scoring

A / 93-100%
A- / 90-92%
B+ / 87-89%
B / 83-86%
B- / 80-82%
C+ / 77-79%
C / 73-76%
C- / 70-72%

* NOTE: You must achieve a 73.0% or better grade on your individual work to pass this class.

Grade Form (highest 5 quizzes)

Quizzes: / Chapter # / Grade/10
Capsim Manual Quiz / _____
Chapter Quiz #1 / ____ / _____
Chapter Quiz #2 / ____ / ____
Chapter Quiz #3 / ____ / ____
Chapter Quiz #4 / ____ / ____
Chapter Quiz #5 / ____ / ____
Quiz Raw Score ___ (Drop Lowest Score)

Grade Sheet

Quiz Raw Score / ____
Team Case Score / ____
Test #1 Score / ____
Test #2 Score / ____
Exit Interview / ____
Individual Case (MOAC) / ____
Capstone Game Grade / ____
Total Points / ____/400

Expectations for Academic Conduct/Plagiarism Policy


I expect all students enrolled in this course to accept the responsibility of reading, understanding, and meeting all course requirements and policies as set forth in this syllabus and other accompanying documents. You are expected to inform me immediately of any personal circumstances that may require special consideration in meeting course requirements or adhering to course policies. I expect all students to abide by the University's "Expectations for Academic Conduct" as published in the UWF Student Handbook. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary actions as specified in the Handbook.


As members of the University of West Florida, we commit ourselves to honesty. As we strive for excellence in performance, integrity--personal and institutional--is our most precious asset. Honesty in our academic work is vital, and we will not knowingly act in ways which erode that integrity. Accordingly, we pledge not to cheat, nor to tolerate cheating, nor to plagiarize the work of others. We pledge to share community resources in ways that are responsible and that comply with established policies of fairness. Cooperation and competition are means to high achievement and are encouraged. Indeed, cooperation is expected unless our directive is to individual performance. We will compete constructively and professionally for the purpose of stimulating high performance standards. Finally, we accept adherence to this set of expectations for academic conduct as a condition of membership in the UWF academic community.

I take ACTIVE steps to combat plagiarism and cheating, including monitoring behaviors during quizzes and exams for cheating and using third-party database comparisons to check for plagiarism. All calculators, PDAs and cell phones must be turned off and stored out of sight during in-class tests and quizzes. I also frequent online “repositories” of answers to cases. Use your own work on all assignments, and do NOT use the answers of others (online or otherwise). Failure to do so will result in punitive actions in line with the Student Handbook.

Use of Electronics in the classroom

All cell phones must be turned OFF and placed out of sight during class. This implies NO TEXTING/SURFING/IMing/Social Networking during class. If you need to keep your cell phone on to receive an important call, contact the professor at the start of class. Additionally, students may not videotape, audiotape, or take pictures with their phones during class. Laptops/Notepads may only be used to take notes if you are registered with SDRC and require them due to a disability.


Special Assistance

Students with special needs who require specific examination-related or other course-related accommodations should contact Barbara Fitzpatrick, Director of Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) http://uwf.edu/sdrc/, Bldg 21/Rm 130 (850) 474-2387. SDRC will provide the student with a letter for the instructor that will specify any recommended accommodations.

Components of Course

Capstone Game

As part of the requirements of the class, you will participate in Capstone, a simulated strategy competition, with a team of classmates. Team size is 4-5 people per team (no exceptions) The game will be conducted online, as outlined in the game manual. A short intro to the game will be given in class. Go to www.capsim.com to get started once you have read the manual. The toll-free line for all questions is 1-877-477-8787. Each student team will compete against 5 other "computer" teams. Student teams will not compete head to head. Each student team will face the same level of challenge from the computer teams. You must have internet access to participate.

Chapter Quizzes

Approximately 1/2 of class meetings will begin with a quiz. Each quiz will be worth 10 points. Quizzes CANNOT be made up or taken early. Therefore, while I will not take attendance or mark you absent, missing the first minutes of class could cause you to miss 10-15% of the class grade.

Group Case Preparation and In-Class Participation

Case Prep – (7 points possible for each case) - Your team is expected to write up 6 case assignments (your lowest score will be dropped). The questions for these assignments are given in the schedule of activities. Guidelines for case write-ups is as follows:

  1. These assignments are to be type-written and done in a team environment.
  2. Each team will present one of the cases (in a powerpoint presentation).
  3. Case questions may be turned in early, but not late.
  4. Cases are due at the START of class. Cases turned in after class starts are NOT accepted.
  5. I do NOT accept email attachments.
  6. Hard copies must be turned in at the start of class on the day cases are to be discussed.
  7. All cases must be DOUBLE-SPACED.
  8. When conducting case analysis, stay within the time frame of the case.
  9. Do NOT use outside information. ONLY use the case to answer your questions
  10. To allow me to follow your analysis, restate each question and then give your answer.

Points will be taken off for grammatical/formatting errors as follows: