BPS 6310 Spring 15

Course Syllabus
BPS 6310.0W1
The University of Texas at Dallas

Course Info | Tech Requirements | Access & Navigation | Communications | Resources
Assessments | Academic Calendar | Scholastic Honesty | Course Evaluation | UTD Policies

Course Information
Course
Course Number Section BPS 6310.0W1
Course Title
Strategic Management
Term and Dates
Spring 2015, 1/12/15‐4/27/15 Professor Contact Information
Professor
Marilyn Kaplan, PhD
Office Phone
972‐883‐2742
Email Address [e-mail] Office Location 11.105G About the Instructor
Dr. Kaplan also teaches Business Ethics and Strategic Management in the classroom. Her research interests include the effects of regulations on strategic decisions in industries such as the insurance industry. She is the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies in the School of Management, and a
Past President of the Western Academy of Legal Studies in Business.
Course Pre‐requisites, Co‐requisites, and/or Other Restrictions
ACCTM6201; ACCT6202; FIN6301; MKT6301; OB6301
Course Description
The strategic management course is a capstone class, integrating the knowledge you have gathered in your coursework including accounting, finance, marketing, MIS, and organizational behavior. We will be studying the creation of a strategic plan; analyzing the firm’s environment, structure, culture, and leadership through case analyses and a computer simulation.
Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Communicate a firm’s strategic vision by creating a clear and comprehensive mission statement.
Complete an analysis of the external environment of a firm.
Determine the resources and capabilities of a firm.
Integrate skills acquired in finance, accounting, marketing, and MIS courses to create a successful generic strategy.
5. Identify the strategic fit of the firm in its industry.
6. Explain the importance of culture and leadership on strategic implementation.
7. Determine ethical strategic alternatives.

Course Syllabus

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Required Textbooks and Materials
Required Texts


www.bsg-online.com for online textbook which includes the Business Strategy Game simulation registration fee. This is the only source for the text.

Course Policies
Make‐up exams
None
Extra Credit
None
Late Work
Not Accepted
Special Assignments
None
Class Participation
Students are required to login regularly to the online class site. The instructor will use the tracking feature in eLearning to monitor student activity. Students are also required to participate in all class activities such as discussion board, chat or conference sessions and group projects.
Virtual Classroom Citizenship
The same guidelines that apply to traditional classes should be observed in the virtual classroom environment. Please use proper netiquette when interacting with class members and the professor.
Policy on Server Unavailability or Other Technical Difficulties
The university is committed to providing a reliable online course system to all users. However, in the event of any unexpected server outage or any unusual technical difficulty which prevents students from completing a time sensitive assessment activity, the instructor will extend the time windows and provide an appropriate accommodation based on the situation. Students should immediately report any problems to the instructor and also contact the UTD eLearning Help Desk: http://www.utdallas.edu/elearninghelp, 1‐866‐588‐3192. The instructor and the UTD eLearning Help
Desk will work with the student to resolve any issues at the earliest possible time.
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Technical Requirements In addition to a confident level of computer and Internet literacy, certain minimum technical requirements must be met to enable a successful learning experience. Please review the important technical requirements on the Getting Started with eLearning webpage.
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Course Syllabus

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Course Access and Navigation This course was developed using a web course tool called eLearning. It is to be delivered entirely online.
Students will use their UTD NetID account to login at: http://elearning.utdallas.edu. Please see more details on course access and navigation information.
To get started with an eLearning course, please see the Getting Started with eLearning webpage.
UTD provides eLearning technical support 24 hours a day/7 days a week. The services include a toll free telephone number for immediate assistance (1‐866‐588‐3192), email request service, and an online chat service. Please use this link to access the UTD eLearning Support Center: http://www.utdallas.edu/elearninghelp. Top

Communications This eLearning course has built‐in communication tools which will be used for interaction and communication. Some external communication tools such as regular email and a web conferencing tool may also be used during the semester. For more details, please visit the eLearning Tutorials webpage for video demonstrations on numerous tools in eLearning.
Interaction with Instructor
The instructor will communicate with students mainly using the Announcements and Discussions tools.
Students may send personal concerns or questions to the instructor using the course email tool. The instructor will reply to student emails or Discussion board messages within 3 working days under normal circumstances. Top

Student Resources The following university resources are available to students:
UTD Distance Learning: http://www.utdallas.edu/elearning/students/cstudents.htm
McDermott Library:
Students will need a UTD‐ID number to access all of the library’s online electronic resources (reserves, journal articles, ebooks, interlibrary loan) from off campus. For UTD students living within those counties who are taking online courses, a Comet Card is required to check out materials at the
McDermott Library. For more information on library resources go to http://www.utdallas.edu/library/distance.html. Course Syllabus

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Student Assessments
Grading Information
Weights

Business Strategy Game

30 %

Individual Written Assignments

50 %

Journal

10 %

Discussion Board Postings

10 %

Total

100 %

Grading Scale Scaled Score
94 and up

Letter Equivalent
A

90‐93

A‐

87‐89

B+

84‐86

B

80‐83

B‐

77‐79

C+

70‐76

C

Below 70%

F

Grading Policy
Group grades are subject to peer evaluations.
Accessing Grades
Students can check their grades by clicking “My Grades” under Course Tools after the grade for each assessment task is released.

Course Syllabus

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Online Quizzes
At the end of each module you will see a quiz. You must score least 80% to open the next module. You must complete the quizzes before the module end date. This means that you can work ahead of schedule, but you cannot fall behind!
Assignments
Individual Written Assignments
Over the weeks of the course, you will complete 3 written assignments. You will write a 3‐5 page (text) paper that is assigned for the module– add pages for supporting tables, graphs, etc. You will be researching a firm or firms for each assignment. Again, this means utilizing the library databases not
Google! Assignments referencing Wikipedia will receive an automatic zero grade. Your paper will likely include diagrams and data in appendices. These papers will be graded on a scale of 1‐100. Note that the assignments have different weights. You must support your opinions with theory and facts. Papers that are mere opinion will receive failing grades! Please note that the deadline for uploading papers is strict ‐ late papers cannot be accepted! Also note that each assignment has a different weight!
Module 2: Financial Analysis/Value Chain/Competitive Advantage Analysis Paper – 20%
Part 1: The assignment begins with financial analysis of a focal firm to be identified by me.
 Complete year over year comparisons (most current year & prior year) for the focal firm PLUS their nearest competitor for: Income Statement, Balance Sheet, & Financial Ratios.
 Complete Common Size Income Statements & Balance Sheets for the focal firm AND their closest competitor for two years (be sure to explain the reasoning behind your choice of competitor).
 Find data through the UTD library – Mergent Database – (be sure to complete the library tutorial) ‐ these can all be downloaded into excel. Discuss the data in your financial tables.
Part 2: Complete a value chain analysis of the firm based on your financial analysis, that is, assign values from your common size statements and other research and compare to the closest competitor for each value chain activity.
Part 3: Identify and evaluate the firm’s competitive advantage based on your findings in parts 1 & 2.
Again, be certain that you have linked all 3 sections.
You should have at least 1 page of text for each of the three parts of the paper PLUS your financial tables. This assignment will help you with the Business Strategy Game assignment.
Module 3: 5 Forces Paper – 10%
I will provide an industry for you to perform a 5 forces analysis. Be sure to use the Business Insights:
Essentials database as your first research resource. Define the SIC code you are using in your discussion.
Be specific!

Course Syllabus

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Module 5: Problems & Recommendations Paper – 20%
I will provide a topic about a particular firm – you will identify the problems the firm is experiencing and provide your recommended solutions, using two of the tools from the course: 5 Forces, Value Chain,
BCG Matrix, etc. You may not use SWOT analysis. Be sure that your tool matches the type of problem that you have identified. In other words, if you use 5 forces, be sure that you are dealing with a competitive problem.
Private Journal – 10%
For each of Modules 1‐6 there will be a journal assignment topic. You will reference the assigned readings and any posted discussion questions. Your comments should include, but should not be limited to, your interpretation of the readings, application of the topic to your experiences, and relevant items in the current business press. Please do not post attachments. This journal should be free‐form, stream of consciousness, informal. I do not expect perfect grammar in the journal, but I do expect your own thoughts. You are required to complete 5 of the 6 journals. Please watch the deadlines!
Discussion Board Postings
In addition, there will be open discussion boards for the use of the entire class. There is a discussion board for each topic. Assume that this tool will take the place of in‐class discussions, but the discussions will be held over an extended time period. Feel free to comment on the contributions of your fellow students, and to start a new thread. Consider all of the topics throughout the semester and you will find that a newspaper story or event at work stimulates a contribution to the discussion – but you must post a minimum of once per module for 5 modules. Discussion boards will close at the end of each module.
Your postings must make a contribution – no ‘me too’ postings.
Group Project – Business Strategy Game
Game performance

5%

Mid‐Game Report

5%

Final Group Report

20%

The Business Strategy Game is an online simulation of the international athletic footwear industry. Each group will be a firm competing with the other groups’ firms in that industry.
Your decisions will include:









where to produce and sell whether or not to sell online whether to produce private label brands employee compensation shipping pricing marketing, including celebrity endorsements financing. Each group will choose a generic strategy for your firm based on your mission statement and proceed with your decisions. We will begin with practice rounds (that do not count toward your grade) and continue by restarting the game to complete 8 full rounds.

Course Syllabus

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The mid‐game report is to designed to take stock of where you are, knowing that you will still have time to take corrective action before the game ends.
You will name your generic strategy and the generic strategies of your competitors, in 3 pages or less.
Once the final results are in, each firm will prepare a report (to be approximately 3 double‐spaced, typed pages of text PLUS tables) that outlines actions taken throughout the 8 rounds of the simulation.
The report should include at a minimum:
1.
2.
3.
4.

What was your generic strategy?
A competitive analysis – what generic strategies did the competing firms follow?
A financial analysis of your firm including benchmarking (Like the JC Penney assignment)
Evaluation of the firm’s successes and failures. What decisions were correct? What should have been done differently?

Group Formation
I will use a group sign‐up sheet to form groups for group assignments or projects. Please try to work with people you already know! Maximum group size is 3 – I have had free rider problems with larger groups. By the way, that means you can work alone or as a pair – many students find this preferable, though the work load is heavier, you do not have to rely on students you do not know. A private discussion area will be set up on the discussion board for internal group communications. A group chat room can also be created for each group to use.
A web conference system is available for use. Teams can schedule a live web conference for team work. Please see the Web Conferencing page for instructions on making a reservation and other web conference information.
Assignment submission instructions
Locate the assignment in your eLearning course. You will submit your assignments in the required file format with a simple file name and a file extension. To submit your assignment, click the assignment name link and follow the on‐screen instructions to upload and submit your file(s). For additional information on how to submit assignments, view the Submitting An Assignment video tutorial.
Please Note: Each assignment link will be deactivated after the assignment due time. After your submission is graded, you may click each assignment’s “Graded” tab to check the results and feedback.
For any team project assignments, one group member will submit the assignment for the group and all group members will be able to view the results and feedback once it’s been graded.
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Course Syllabus

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Academic Calendar
Module
Title

Module 0
Start Here
1/12‐1/18

Module 1
Internal
Analysis

Units

1. Syllabus Lecture
2. BSG Lecture
3. Generic Strategies
Intro Lecture

1. Resources & Core
Capabilities Lecture

Book
Chapter

1 & 5

4

BSG
Assignment

Individual
Assignments

Journal &
Discussion
Postings

ALL DUE 8am

ALL DUE 8am

ALL DUE 8AM

BSG registration Complete Library
Tutorial

Group
Formation
complete 1/18

Syllabus quiz 1/20

Practice
Round 1: 1/21
Round 2: 1/25

Module 1 quiz 2/2

1/20‐2/1
Module 2
Competitive
Strategy

Journal 1 &
Module 1 discussion posting
2/2

1. Generic Strategies
Detail Lecture

5

Round 1: 2/9
Round 2: 2/16

2/2‐2/15

Financial
Analysis/Value
Chain/Competitive
Analysis Assignment
Due 2/9

Journal 2 &
Module 2 discussion posting
2/16

Module 2 quiz 2/16
Module 3
1. Stakeholder Lecture
External
2. External
Environment
Environment
Lecture
3.
5 Forces Lecture 2/16‐3/8
Module 4
Strategic Fit 3/9‐3/29

Module 5
Mission and
Vision

9 & 3

Round 3: 2/23
Round 4: 3/2

Module 3 quiz 3/9

Mid‐game
Report due 3/9

1. Industry Analysis
Lecture
2. Diversification
Lecture
3. Alternative
Strategies Lecture

8, 6 & 7

1. Mission & Vision
Lecture

2

Round 5: 3/23
Round 6: 3/30

Round 7: 4/6

3/9
5 Forces Analysis
Assignment Due
3/23

Journal 4 &
Module 4 discussion posting

Module 4 quiz 3/30

3/30

Module 5 quiz 4/13

Journal 5 &
Module 5 discussion posting

Round 8: 4/13

3/30‐4/12
Module 6
Execution

4/13
1. Structure & Culture
Lecture

10, 11 &
12

Final report
Due 4/27

4/13‐4/27

Course Syllabus

Journal 3 &
Module 3 discussion posting

Problems &
Recommendations
Paper Due 4/20

Journal 6 &
Module 6 discussion posting
4/27

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Scholastic Honesty The University has policies and discipline procedures regarding scholastic dishonesty. Detailed information is available on the UTD Judicial Affairs web page. All students are expected to maintain a high level of responsibility with respect to academic honesty. Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University. Since such dishonesty harms the individual, all students and the integrity of the University, policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced. All assignments are subject to checking using turnitin.com.
The penalty for instances of academic dishonesty will be a minimum of a grade of zero for the assignment. Top

Course Evaluation As required by UTD academic regulations, every student must complete an evaluation for each enrolled course at the end of the semester. A link to an online instructional assessment form will be emailed to you for your confidential use.
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University Policies The information contained in the following link constitutes the University’s policies and procedures segment of the course syllabus.
Please go to http://go.utdallas.edu/syllabus‐policies for these policies.
These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the professor.
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Course Syllabus

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