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TROYUNIVERSITY
SYLLABUS
SORRELLCOLLEGE OF BUSINESS

MGT 4476
Strategic Management …Fall 2010

Instructor ……….…….Dr. James L. Hoyt

Office Hours: ………… Wednesday 9:AM to 4:PM

Office Location ………..116 McCartha

Telephone …………….. 334-670-3967 (Office), 334-670-3143 (Secretary), 334-670-3599 (FAX)

Email …………………..

Time of Class …………. Tuesday and Thursday … 2:30 PM to 3:45 PM …. GAB 303

SorrellCollege of Business Vision Statement

Sorrell College of Business will be the first choice for higher business education students in their quest to succeed in a dynamic and global economy. Sorrell College of Business will create the model for 21st century business education and community service.

SorrellCollege of Business Mission Statement

Through operations that span the State of Alabama, the United States, and the world, Sorrell College of Business equips our students with the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies to become organizational and community leaders who make a difference in the global village and global economy. Through this endeavor, we serve students, employers, faculty, and TroyUniversity at large as well as the local and global communities.

Description

Business Strategy answers the question: “Why are some companies successful while others are unsuccessful?” The answer to this question lies in the ability to apply the principles of business that were learned in the core classes of the business curriculum. Consequently, a well-founded understanding of the material covered in these classes is needed to determine the different ways in which a company achieves success in their marketplace.

Objectives

The purpose of this course is to develop an understanding of strategic management. Students will learn to apply business knowledge to formulate policies and make decisions for efficient and effective business operations. Upon completion of this course, the student should:

  1. understand what managers must do to make businesses succeed over the long term;
  2. be able to develop strategic issues and reason carefully about strategic options and alternatives;
  3. know how to conduct strategic analyses in a variety of industries and competitive situations;
  4. understand the competitive challenges of a global market environment;
  5. be able to develop a strategic plan and determine how it should be implemented;
  6. know how to synthesize the knowledge gained in other business courses; and

understand the strategic significance of principle-centered leadership.

Approved Texts

“Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization” Hitt, Ireland and, Hoskinson. Eighth Edition, 2005. (Additional notes will be emailed to the students as required), Cengage Publishers.

Supplements

As deemed appropriate.

Case Presentations, MFT and Comprehensive Exam

  1. Students will be divided into teams and will present a case of their choice, following the guidelines established in class for case analysis.
  2. The “Major Field Test” (MFT) will be administered during the semester.
  3. The “Comprehensive Exam” will be administered as the course final.

Grading Methods:Two Midterm Exams on the Chapters ……………….. 100 Points total

Exam #3 (Case Analysis) …………….………………………. 40 Points

MFT Exam …………………………………………………… 20 Points

Comprehensive Exam ………………………………………... 50 Points

Case Presentations …………………………………………… 40 Points

Grade Structure:

A90-100%

B80-89%

C70-79%

D60-69%

F0-59%

Blackboard: Exam grades will be posted on Blackboard and students are advised to check BB regularly for any announcements pertaining to the course.

Midterm Exam (Exams 1-3) Policy:

Make-up exams will be given only for documented, approved absences. See ATTENDANCE POLICY. Make up exams are administered only to students who have received approval from the instructor prior to the test date. The make-up exam must be taken before the exams are discussed in class. Make-ups are different from exams given in class. A grade of zero will be assigned for an exam missed due to an unexcused absence. Grades for all exams will be posted on Blackboard.

Course Content:

  • Mission Statement, Goals & Objectives, Strategy Defined
  • Strategy Formulation and Implementation
  • Internal and External Environments
  • Business and Corporate Level Strategy
  • The Dynamics of Competition
  • Organizational Structure and Governance Methods
  • Case Analysis

Midterm Exam and Final Exam Administration:

No electronic devices other than a simple calculator will be allowed during an exam. Cell phones and translators are not permitted. Students will be allowed to use one 8” x 11” “study guide” for each exam. This study guide will contain any information that the student feels will help him/her on the exam. The sheets must be typed or handwritten. Xerox copies, printer copies or photocopies of presentation material are not permitted. Violations of these rules will incur a penalty of up to 15 points deducted from the test grade.

Classroom Administration …. Students are expected to:

1.Attend all scheduled classes. Students who arrive at class after roll call may be counted absent

2.Be responsible for all instructions and assignments given in class as well as for the supporting textbook content.

3. Read the text. Read the textbook material before the lecture covering that material. This leads to a better understanding of the lecture (or lab) as well as the opportunity to ask questions about material(s) in the text that were perhaps unclear or not understood.

4. Hand in assignments on the assigned due date during roll call. See homework policy.

5.Neither hats nor sunglasses are to be worn in the classroom.

6.No food, tobacco products, nor drinks are allowed in the classroom.

7.Exams, except the final, will be temporarily returned and reviewed. If the student needs to spend more time reviewing or questioning the grading of the exam he/she may see the professor during office hours.

8.Students who continually engage in disruptive behavior (example: excessive talking) will receive one warning with no penalty. For each successive warning a penalty of one percentage point will be deducted from the students overall average.

General Support Services:

The computer labs in 215 Bibb Graves and 249 Bibb Graves are available for student use.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT:

TroyUniversity supports Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which insure that postsecondary students with disabilities have equal access to all academic programs, physical access to all buildings, facilities and events, and are not discriminated against on the basis of disability. Eligible students, with appropriate documentation, will be provided equal opportunity to demonstrate their academic skills and potential through the provision of academic adaptations and reasonable accommodations. Further information, including appropriate contact information, can be found at the link for TroyUniversity’s Office of Human Resources at

CELL PHONE AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES

Use of any electronic devise by students in the instructional environment is prohibited unless explicitly approved on a case-by-case basis by the instructor of record or by the Office of Disability Services in collaboration with the instructor. Cellular phones, pagers, and other communication devices may be used for emergencies, however, but sending or receiving non-emergency messages is forbidden by the University. Particularly, use of a communication device to violate the TroyUniversity “Standards of Conduct” will result in appropriate disciplinary action (See the Oracle.)

In order to receive emergency messages from the University or family members, the call receipt indicator on devices must be in the vibration mode or other unobtrusive mode of indication. Students receiving calls that they believe to be emergency calls must answer quietly without disturbing the teaching environment. If the call is an emergency, they must move unobtrusively and quietly from the instructional area and notify the instructor as soon as reasonably possible. Students who are expecting an emergency call should inform the instructor before the start of the instructional period.

Attendance Policy:

1.Class Roll: Class roll will be taken at the beginning of the class session. A student who arrives after her/his name is called may be marked absent.

2.Attendance is important. If a student misses a class, it is his/her responsibility to obtain all information and materials presented (including materials covered, handouts, skills learned, and homework assignments) during his/her absence.

3.Excused absences: Excused absences are defined in the following manner:

a. Professor was informed prior to the absence.

b. Professor determines that the absence is excused.

c. Absence is of the following type:

  • Participation in a documented official university function that does not permit the student’s class attendance (e.g., participation in athletic events, field trips, etc.)
  • Severe illness (this does not include scheduled medical appointments nor driving someone else to doctor), a hospital stay, or a doctor's excuse saying that it is impossible for student to attend class(es)
  • Death of immediate family member (grandparent, parent, sibling, or child)
  • Appearance in court
  • Personal situations that are approved by the professor in advance of the time the student is to be absent.

Incomplete Work Policy:

Any incomplete work at the end of the term will not be accepted unless the student can provide acceptable and clear documentation prior to grades being submitted to the Registrar.

Cheating Policy:If you are caught cheating, you will get a course grade of "F". See ORACLE: Student Handbook, 1998-1999" pp. 56-57. Plagiarism is the act of stealing and passing off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own or to commit literary theft: present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source (Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary). Plagiarism will cause a student to get a course grade of “F”. According to the ORACLE: Student Handbook, 1998-99, pp. 52, one definition of misconduct is: “Dishonesty, such as cheating, plagiarism...”. The ORACLE states on pp. 56 under the Academic Code sub-heading that: “A student is subject to disciplinary action:

Where the work affects or might affect a student’s grade, credit, or status in the university, a student represents to be his or her own any work which is not the product of his or her own study and efforts”. The penalty for such misconduct may be (pp. 56) “A student’s grade in the course or on the examination affected by the misconduct may be reduced to any extent, including a reduction to failure.” A student may be suspended from the university for a specific or an indefinite period. p. 56-57.

Class Schedule

Date Topic Chapter

Aug. 12 Introduction to the course

Aug 17Strategic Management and Competitiveness 1

Aug 19 The External Environment 2

Aug 24The Internal Environment 3

Aug 26Business Level Strategy4

Aug 31Competitive Rivalry and Competitive Dynamics5

Sept 2Corporate Level Strategy 6

Sept 7Acquisition and Restructuring 7

Sept 9Exam #1

Sept 14International Strategy 8

Sept 16Cooperative Strategy 9

Sept 21Corporate Governance 10

Sept 23Organizational Structure and Controls 11

Sept 28 MFT (Part 1)

Sept 30MFT (Part 2)

Oct 5Strategic Leadership12

Oct 7 Ratio Analysis

Oct 12Exam #2

Oct 14Preparing a Case Analysis

Oct 19Case: Robin Hood (handout),

Oct 21AMD Case

Oct 26Dell Case

Oct 28Case (TBD)

Nov 2, 4 Case (TBD)

Nov 9, 16, 18, 29Student Case Presentations

Dec 2Exam #3

Dec 7Review for Comprehensive Exam