BU.151.790.xx - Strategic Management – Instructor’s Name - Page 2 of 9

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Strategic Management
4 Credits
BU.151.790.xx
Class Day/ Time & Start/ End Date
Semester
Class location

Instructor

Full Name

Contact Information

Phone Number: (###) ###-####

E-mail Address:

Office Hours

Day/s Times

Required Text and Learning Materials:

1. Hill, C.W.L., and G. Jones, 2009, Essentials of Strategic Management, 3rd Edition, Cengage Business Higher Education, ISBN 9781111525194

2. Instructors collaborate with Reserves staff to make eligible readings available through the E-Reserves link in the Blackboard course site. Typically these readings become accessible at the start of the course.

1.  Jay Barney, 1995, Looking inside for competitive advantage? Academy of Management Executive, 9:4, 49-61

2.  Ron Adner and Daniel Levinthal, 2002, The emergence of emerging technology, California Management Review, 45:1, 50-66

3.  David B. Yoffie and Michael A. Cusumano, 1999, Judo Strategy: The Competitive Dynamics of Internet Time, Harvard Business Review, Jan-Feb, 71-81

4.  Kathleen Eisenhardt and Donald Sull, 2001, Strategy as Simple Rules, Harvard Business Review, Jan-Feb, 2-11

5.  David A. Soberman, 2003, The Role of Differentiation in Markets Driven by Advertising, California Management Review, 45(3), 1-17

6.  Michael Dell and Joan Magretta, 1998, The Power of Virtual Integration, Harvard Business Review, Mar-Apr, 73-84

7.  David Harding and Sam Rovit, 2004, Building Deals on Bedrock, Harvard Business Review, Sep-Oct, 1-8

8.  Clayton M. Christensen, Michael E. Raynor, and Matthew C. Verlinden, 2001, Skate to Where the Money Will Be, Harvard Business Review, Nov-Dec, 74-81

9.  Richard Normann and Rafael Ramirez, 1993, From Value Chain to Value Constellation, Harvard Business Review

10.  James Bamford, David Ernst, and David G. Fubini, 2004, Launching a World-Class Joint Venture, Harvard Business Review

11.  George Baker, 1992. “Beatrice: A Study in the Creation and Destruction of Value.” Journal of Finance 47: 1081-1119.

12.  Jay Dial and Kevin J. Murphy, “Incentives, Downsizing, and Value Creation at General Dynamics,” Journal of Financial Economics, Vol. 37(3) (March 1995): 261-314.

13.  Jean-Francois Hennart, 1993. "Explaining the 'Swollen Middle': Why Most Transactions are a Mix of Market and Hierarchy," Organization Science, vol. 4, no. 4, 529-547.


Blackboard Site

A Blackboard course site is set up for this course. Each student is expected to check the site throughout the semester as Blackboard will be the primary venue for outside classroom communications between the instructors and the students. Students can access the course site at https://blackboard.jhu.edu. Support for Blackboard is available at 1-866-669-6138.

Course Evaluation

As a research and learning community, the Carey Business School is committed to continuous improvement. The faculty strongly encourages students to provide complete and honest feedback for this course. Please take this activity seriously because we depend on your feedback to help us improve so you and your colleagues will benefit. Information on how to complete the evaluation will be provided towards the end of the course.

Disability Services

Johns Hopkins University and the Carey Business School are committed to making all academic programs, support services, and facilities accessible. To determine eligibility for accommodations, please contact the Carey Disability Services Office at time of admission and allow at least four weeks prior to the beginning of the first class meeting. Students should contact Rachel Pickett in the Disability Services office by phone at 410-234-9243, by fax at 443-529-1552, or email: .

Important Academic Policies and Services

·  Honor Code

·  Statement of Diversity and Inclusion

·  Student Success Center

·  Inclement Weather Policy

Students are strongly encouraged to consult the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Student Handbook and Academic Catalog and the School website http://carey.jhu.edu/students/student-resources/university-and-school-policies for detailed information regarding the above items.

Course Description

Students integrate and apply previous course work to strategic management problems. Analytic, integrative, and decision-making skills are developed through case discussions using team presentations.

Prerequisite(s): Completion of 46 Credits

Course Overview

This course examines business and corporate strategies and requires you to assume the role of a general manager. General Managers have to cope with tremendous complexity, uncertainty, and inadequate information. The focus throughout is on strategic management - the process of choosing and defining purposes and objectives, formulating and implementing a viable strategy, and monitoring strategic performance. The course is predicated on the thesis that the role of the policy course in the business school curriculum is to develop an ability to see the enterprise as a whole and to understand how and why the various functions of the business are interdependent and need to be coordinated. Hence, the thrust of the course is the organization in its totality - the environment in which it operates, and its internal administrative activities. The emphasis is on the kinds of problems and issues that affect the success of the entire organization. A serious attempt is made to elaborate on the general applicability of the strategy-policy disciplines to all sizes and types of organizations, although the major emphasis will focus on profit-oriented enterprises operating in a competitive environment. An important requirement of a general manager's job is the ability to think in a cross- functional and holistic manner. Very often, decisions that are optimal for an individual business unit or department are not in the best interests of the whole firm. Creativity and innovation are critical to achieve success; as to follow often-traveled strategic paths is unlikely to result in a superior performance. Creativity can be exercised in both analysis as well as implementation. The orientation is consistently pragmatic and managerial. By use of the case method and the consulting project, students are placed in managerial roles where they can apply the concept of strategy in characteristically management situations.

Student Learning Objectives for This Course

All Carey graduates are expected to demonstrate competence on four Learning Goals, operationalized in eight Learning Objectives. These learning goals and objectives are supported by the courses Carey offers. For a complete list of Carey learning goals and objectives, please refer to the website http://carey.jhu.edu/faculty-research/learning-at-carey/learning-assessment.

The learning objectives for this course are:

1.  Size up, quickly and accurately, complex and unstructured situations by identifying the core problems and issues.

2.  Analyze quantitative and descriptive data to identify strategies which are appropriate to each situation, evaluate alternatives, and recommend specific courses of action for creative solutions to problems/issues

3.  Link theory and practice, and develop understanding of when and how to use what "tools" in particular problem solving situations.

4.  Sharpen analytical skills acquired in functional areas.

5.  Learn about strategy concepts, synthesized and integrated, in a pragmatic context.

6.  Present recommendations in concise, framework driven, and convincing manner with the appropriate research and arguments.

Attendance Policy

Attendance and participation are part of your course grade. Participants are expected to attend all scheduled class sessions. Each class will include opportunities for teams to work together. Failure to attend class will result in an inability to achieve the objectives of the course. Excessive absence will result in loss of points for team participation. Full attendance and active participation are required for you to succeed in this course.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Individual contributions to learning:

Students are expected to have read the cases before attending class. Students are expected to take a proactive stance with respect to class contributions. While the instructor may sometimes use cold calling, students should not expect this to be sufficient for opportunities to make substantive contributions. Discussions are to be directed to the class rather than the instructor.

Students will be evaluated after each class on their contributions to discussions. Contributions are defined as: observations that advance the discussion or change the direction of the class discussion, insightful commentaries that raise learning points, probing questions that challenge the extant discussion and yield new directions, and analyses that clarify and amplify case facts. Class attendance is a pre-requisite for class contribution; therefore, students will earn a 0 on days they do not attend class. A minimal grade is assigned for attendance without active participation.

Class contribution will be graded 0-5 according to the following subjective criteria:

5 = able to answer or ask questions with good examples from the readings and makes several excellent points that reveals deep thought about the issue(s), and understanding of the readings and cases. Raises the level of discourse. This score is rare.

4 = raises a number of good points from the cases and readings, less inspired than a 5, but reveals a clear understanding of the material, with the ability to apply it.

3 = raises one or two good points, and shows a rudimentary grasp of the readings and cases. Essentially, attempts to draw some linkage with the concepts used in the class.

2 = makes one or two points but does not attempt to apply what is learned in the readings or lectures, i.e., superficial common sense-type answers to questions that required more insight.

1 = shows up for class but does not participate

0 = did not attend class

Individual case analysis:

You are required to submit a 5-page individual write-up on one of the cases. You may submit cases for practice but must decide which case you wish to have graded, before handing in the case. There are no resubmissions once a case has been graded. Please hand in before class meets on the day the case is discussed. Late submissions will not be graded or commented upon. The case write up should provide an analysis of the critical issues with recommendations. Summaries (no analyses or recommendations) will not earn a passing grade. Format should be a maximum of 5 pages, double-spaced, 12 point Time-Roman type, with 1” margins around.

Merely answering the questions will not be sufficient for a complete answer. Every case has one or several decision points. Identify the decision point(s), state the criteria you will use to make the decision(s), present a cogent analysis of the facts and state your position on the decision point(s). Do not introduce facts from outside of the cases as this will cause confusion in your analyses.

Strategy Consulting Project:

The most effective way to accomplish this course's objectives is through a consulting project for a live client. Class will be divided into study teams. The instructor will assign students to the teams and determine their size. Teams are expected to meet outside class hours to conduct research for the consulting project, write the report and discuss the case assignments for the following week.

The project is divided into 3 phases. In the first phase, teams are to present the business models of their client companies, a comparison of the client’s operating model with industry standard ratios, where appropriate, the value chain and where in the chain their clients add or destroy value.

In the second phase, teams are required to present their industry analyses. This contains the group's assessment of the current state and predictions about future developments in the industry that will have an impact on the company. This will include, but is not limited to the Porter’s 5-forces model, a competitor analysis, and an analysis of the market for the client’s products or services.

In the final phase, students are asked to make recommendations on the way forward on the client’s objectives for the business. The recommendations will include a risk analysis of the options, an implementation plan, and a financial model (where appropriate). The clients will be invited to this presentation. These presentations should be designed as briefings to the company’s CEO.

Teams are asked to agree to make a separate presentation to the client in case the client cannot attend the last meeting of the class or the client wishes more in-depth discussion that requires confidential information to be shared.

The final report should be formatted in the following way: 1” margins, double spaced, times-roman font, with appropriate citations for the use of data and analyses from secondary research. The contents of the report are as follows:

1. Executive summary2. Analysis of the current business model3. Analysis of the industry4. Recommendations5. Appendices

The consulting report is due on the last day of class.

Assessment Rubric for Case Analyses and Consulting Report

The scale is 1 to 5 (with 1 being poor):

Analysis (70%):

1. Does the paper contain analyses of the major issues?

2. Does the analysis properly incorporate the relevant tools?

3. Does the analysis show the relationships among important factors in the situation?

4. Are assumptions made in the analysis stated explicitly?

5. Does the analysis isolate the fundamental causes of problems in the case?

Recommended Actions (30%):

1. Are the criteria for selecting recommendations stated?

2. Is the plan of action integrated in a logical way and linked to the analysis?

3. Does the action plan recognize the importance of timing (short-term and long-term)?

4. Is the action plan specific and complete?

5. Is the action plan practical (i.e., something that can be done reasonably)?

A word about teaming

Recognize the dynamics of group interaction and accept the fact that they can lead to frustration and conflict. These situations are no different from what you will certainly encounter operating in any organizational environment. This course can be an excellent opportunity for experiential learning on managing group situations and acquiring some of the most critical managerial skills. Throughout your career, managing such situations by applying strong interpersonal skills, developing an ability to resolve conflict and working out compromises will determine if the next promotion will come to you or the person in the next cubicle.

Evaluation and Grading

Each component of the class requirement will be graded according to the following distribution:

Assignment / Weight
Attendance and class contributions to learning / 20%
Individual case analysis / 20%
Strategy Consulting Project (adjusted by a peer evaluation at the end of the semester) / 60%

All students are expected to view the Carey Business School Honor Code/Code of Conduct tutorial and submit their pledge online. Students who fail to complete and submit the pledge will have a registrar’s hold on their account. Please contact the student services office via email if you have any questions.