STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT (M-390) COURSE DESCRIPTION Peter M. Markulis, Ph.D.

INTRODUCTION

The Strategic Management course is a capstone course for management students. Capstone means that the course should be the last course the student takes since it draws upon the knowledge and concepts from previous courses which are used to help both analyze and plan for existing organizations. Strategic Management deals with the overall and long-term management of the organization. The course is designed to help the student integrate knowledge and concepts form other courses--particularly business courses, and to use that knowledge to help guide the organization in planning a successful future.

Prerequisites

MGMT311, MGMT331 & MGMT300 are required. It also is suggested that you have taken MGMT350 and MGMT355.

Course Leaning Objectives

In the Strategic Management course, students will learn about the process of strategy formulation, strategy implementation and strategy evaluation. Upon completion of the course, students should know:

  • strategic management is an emerging and rapidly developing discipline, and students should be knowledgeable about recent developments in the field;
  • students should be able to evaluate a firm from the perspective of top management;
  • students should be able to identify and evaluate an organization’s goals and objectives as well as weigh the pros and cons of alternative organizational strategies;
  • students should be able to identify the elements of the strategic management process in actual organization’s and evaluate their effectiveness;
  • students should be able to understand the elements of a business plan and be able to critique actual business plans;
  • in making judgments about an organization's long term survival and success, students will incorporate an ethical dimension as part of their analysis;

COURSE FORMAT

The course will be presented using three principal formats:

  1. lecture/discussions,
  2. case study discussions
  3. student case facilitations

CASE STUDIES & CASE PRESENTATIONS

Case studies represent the most commonly used method for applying strategic management concepts and techniques in different types and sizes of organizations. A strategic management case typically describes the external and internal environment facing a firm and presents sufficient information to develop, analyze and choose among alternative strategies. The case is an excellent way for the student to engage in the practice of management, while still remaining in the classroom.

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

During the semester, students, either individually or in teams, will be asked to do several case write-ups. The write-ups will focus on some topic or issue related to strategic management and generally will be case-based. Some write-ups will require students to do some company or industry research, while others will require students to read and critique scholarly articles in the field of strategic management. A third type of write-up is field based, requiring students to conduct surveys or interviews. A compete list of all the write-ups, due dates and number required will be handed out early in the semester.

CLASS DISCUSSION AND CLASS PARTICIPATION

Unlike many of the other courses the student has experienced, Strategic Management is a course oriented toward student involvement and discussion. Sitting "in" is not an acceptable modus operandi for the student. Hence, students are expected to be familiar with and prepared to discuss the reading material and cases and to critique the student case presentations vigorously throughout the semester. Students will be evaluated on their participation. Of course, if a student is not in attendance, no evaluation can be made! A spreadsheet will appear periodically outside of the professor’s office indicating your class participation score.

CEO INTERVIEW

Each team will be required to conduct a CEO interview. This interview will revolve around strategic issues. Criteria for conducting the interview is on the M390 outbox. Please note the due date.

ALL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

In evaluating the written assignments, at least 25% of the evaluation will reflect writing mechanics, i.e., spelling, grammar, style and clarity. Any form of plagiarism (if you do not know what plagiarism means--PLEASE ASK!) will make the student liable to receive academic as well as disciplinary penalties. Written assignments will be assessed a penalty of 2 points per day, including weekends. After 7 days, written assignments will NOT be accepted at all.

CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE

Please refrain from engaging in side conversations while the instructor or someone else has the floor. Please TURN-OFF cell phones before class begins. Please do not use your portable computer in the class unless permission is given by the instructor. If you miss a class, do not ask the instructor to tell you what you have missed. It will be your responsibility to obtain class notes, assignments, or handouts from one of your peers. Most handouts are available outside the instructor's office or on one of the shelves in the classroom itself. Also, please do not tell the instructor that you will be missing a class or classes.

Please honor the instructor's office hour schedule. Barging into the instructor's office or interrupting the instructor is unacceptable.

Emails. If you have an important issue, please email the instructor. However, superfluous emails will cost you points and the instructor will determine whether an email is superfluous or not!

REQUIRED TEXTS

(1) CAPSTONE. An on-line Business Simulation.

(2) HarvardBusinessSchool cases (one case binder per team)

(3) Additional readings are noted on the syllabus)

(4) Much of the class material will be on ERes

(5) (optional) STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT for Small & growing Firms by Markulis, Szczerbacki & Howard, Oasis Press/PSI Research, 1999.

EVALUATION & GRADING

Every aspect of the course is important and necessary. Therefore, neglect of ANY aspect of the course could result in a poor grade. Unlike many other courses the student has taken, a high value is placed on class participation. This is because the nature and content of the course dictate that students read the cases and related materials and be prepared to intelligently discuss them in class. Thus, it stands to reason that students not attending class cannot participate. Obviously, this form of nonparticipation will be reflected in the final grade.

The general policy for this course is that there will be NO make-up written assignments or exams. This policy is particularly addressed for those of you who will schedule interviews or other appointments during the time when an exam/presentation is scheduled. You will receive a “0" grade for missing a scheduled exams. If you are ill, you will need an official excuse and you will need to schedule an oral make-up exam with the instructor.

Generally, grades will be arrived at using the following criteria:

1. Three exams (inc. final)------50%

2. Team Case Facilitation------20%

3. Class participation------10%

  1. TEAM CEO Interview------10%

5. Unannounced Quizzes ------10%

EXAM ETIQUETTE

DO NOT leave the room during a test. Once the test begins, no one will be allowed to leave until they have completed the test. If you need to use the lavatory, please do so before starting the test. We generally do not post grades. It is your responsibility to keep track of your standing in the course, which is why we have taken great pains to outline the grading system above. Finally, please do not badger the professors by constantly asking them if they have graded the tests yet. We will grade tests, papers, etc., as soon as we can and get the results back to you.

ORAL EXAMS. Any student may choose to take oral exams in place of the 2 exams scheduled during the regular semester. Oral exams last about 20 minutes and can be scheduled during the week when the written exams are scheduled. Ask the instructor for the criteria used for grading the oral exams.

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