Argosy University COURSE SYLLABUS BUS499 Business Policy and Strategic Solutions
Faculty Information Faculty Name: Dr. Roberto Castaneda, CPA Campus: Chicago Contact Information: [email protected] (W) 312-498-2028 (F) 312-945-3168 Office Hours: 8AM to 8PM Mon thru Sat Short Faculty Bio: Roberto Castaneda received his graduate degree (DBA) in Accounting from Argosy University/Schaumburg; (MM/MBA) in Marketing and Finance from Northwestern University, and his undergraduate degree in Accounting and Marketing from DePaul University. He is also a Certified Public Accountant. Dr. Castaneda has worked in senior finance positions at American Express, PepsiCo and McDonald’s Corporation in a number of international countries.
Course description: This integrative course is the culmination of the Bachelor Science in Business Administration Degree Completion program and focuses on analyzing a company’s current strategy, performance, and results. Students investigate the external environment, industry dynamics, and competitive forces in a strategic business plan. Attention is given to special issues, topics, and challenges faced by those making corporate strategy. This course must be taken in the students’ final semester.
Course Pre-requisites: None
Required Textbook:
Dess, Lumpkin, & Taylor. 2008. Strategic Management: Text and Cases (4th edition). McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 9780073404981
Course length: 7.5 Weeks
Contact Hours: 45 Hours
Credit Value: 3.0
Program Outcomes:
1. Communication 1.1 Communicate business concepts effectively, both written and orally appropriate to the audience 2. Team 2.1 Define the attributes of an effective team member and leader and the characteristics of an effective team in reaching specific business goals
Page 1 3. Cognitive 3.1 Problem Solving – Given a business problem, select and defend a business solution chosen from specific alternatives 3.2 Information Literacy – Given a business research question, access information from a variety of sources, select appropriate sources to respond to a business question 4. Analysis/Application 4.1 Integration – Describe the interrelationship of the functional business areas of statistics, accounting, operations, finance, marketing, and strategy 5. Ethics/Diversity 5.1 Diversity – Identify the issues and challenges related to diversity in current business organizations 5.2 Ethics – Identify the issues and challenges related to ethics in current business organizations
Course Objectives:
1. Strategic Management Process: Work individually and in teams to gather information and apply the tools and process of strategic management to create sustainable competitive advantage for a firm (Program Outcome(s): 1, 3.1, & 4) 1.1. Understand the three key phases of strategic management. 1.2. Determine the relationship between/among mission, vision, goals, and strategy. 1.3. Articulate and identify when to use the appropriate analytical tools during the strategy analysis phase of strategic management. 1.4. Articulate and identify when to use the appropriate analytical tools during the strategy formulation phase of strategic management. 1.5. Articulate and identify when to use the appropriate analytical tools during the strategy implementation phase of strategic management. 1.6. Apply ethical reasoning and ethical principles throughout strategic management process. 2. External Environment Analysis: Work individually and in teams to gather information and conduct an analysis of a firm’s external environment for use in its strategy formulation. (Program Outcome(s): 4) 2.1. Understand and apply environmental scanning to understand the dynamic forces that impact companies in the industry. 2.2. Apply the Five Forces Model of Competition to the Industry and how the concept of the value-net has modified this analysis. 2.3. Apply the concept of strategic group mapping to further clarify competition within an industry. 2.4. Apply ethical reasoning and ethical principles in gathering competitive intelligence in this phase of the strategic management process. 3. Company Situation Analysis: Work individually and in teams to gather information to assess the effectiveness of firm’s current strategy and current situation using a variety of analytical tools. (Program Outcome(s): 4, & 5.2) 3.1. Determine the effectiveness of current strategy by identifying its key elements and how the firm is performing vis a vis key performance indicators and its competition. 3.2. Identify significant trends or patterns in the firm’s financials that impact strategy. 3.3. Conduct a SWOT analysis to summarize findings from company situation analysis (internal) and external environment. 3.4. Interpret SWOT analysis and expand on it by reviewing resources, capabilities and fit with current strategy. 3.5. Identify firm and industry strategic issues and determine their implications and impact. 3.6. Apply ethical reasoning and ethical principles throughout strategic management process. 4. Strategy Formulation: Business Unit and Corporate Level Strategy: Work individually and in teams to gather information to formulate strategic options available to a firm at the business unit level. (Program Outcome(s): 1, 2, 3.1, & 5.2) 4.1. Describe the distinction between business unit level strategy and corporate level strategy. 4.2. Identify the generic strategies in use in various corporations.
Page 2 4.3. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of each generic strategy and how each addresses the five forces of competition in a particular industry 4.4. Articulate how and when a firm can combine the generic strategies of overall cost leadership and differentiation, 4.5. Recognize when a turn-around strategy is needed. 4.6. Determine how corporate level strategies create value. 4.7. Identify how firms create value through diversification (related or unrelated). 4.8. Develop a set of reasonable strategic alternatives and recommend the best course of action for the corporation to pursue; defend with logic and analysis. 4.9. Apply ethical reasoning and ethical principles throughout strategic management process. 5. Entering International Markets and Leveraging the Internet: Work individually and in teams to gather information to determine when international expansion is a viable diversification strategy and how to enter new global markets. Know when and how to apply e-business strategies to grow a business (Program Outcome(s): 4) 5.1. Identify the variety of strategies that can be used by firms to enter global markets. 5.2. Apply global market entry approach to an individual firm. 5.3. Determine how an e-business strategy can improve competitive position. 5.4. Leverage Internet and e-business capabilities. 5.5. Determine how to create value in global markets. 5.6. Apply ethical reasoning and ethical principles throughout strategic management process. 6. Corporate Governance, Leadership, and Ethics: Work individually and in teams to gather information to identify the characteristics needed to create an ethical culture and a learning organization. (Program Outcome(s): 2, 4, & 5.2 ) 6.1. Understand the role leaders play in creating an ethical culture. 6.2. Apply the concept of learning organization to the firm to demonstrate how knowledge can be a source of competitive advantage. 6.3. Understand the role a leader’s emotional intelligence plays in an organization. 6.4. Describe how corporate responsibility may affect a firm’s performance. 6.5. Apply ethical reasoning and ethical principles throughout strategic management process. 7. Problem Solving: Work individually and in teams to gather information to identify problems and develop a plan for implementing solutions to those problems. (Program Outcome(s): 3.1, & 4) 7.1. Develop a business strategic plan which integrates the information and analysis gathered in weeks 1-7 culminating in a Business Plan document (See Attached Business Plan Template).
Assignment Table
Module Module Topics Readings Assignments 1 Key Concepts of Strategic Dess, Lumpkin, & Exercises 1, 2 and 3 Management Taylor o What is Strategic Chapter 1 Management o Key Features of Strategic Download and review Management the latest Annual Report from the Strategic Management Process Carnival Cruise o Strategy Analysis Corporation Web site: o Strategy Formulation http://www.carnivalco rp.com o Strategy Implementation Review the Word Stakeholder Management document:
Page 3 Strategic Direction o Vision o Mission Strategic Business o Goals Plan.doc
2 External Environment of the Firm Dess, Lumpkin, & Exercises 3 and 4 o What is External Taylor Environment Chapter 2 o Environmental Scanning o Environmental Monitoring Research the o Environmental Forecasting stakeholders in the external environment Competitive Environment of the cruise industry and investigate their o Porter’s Five Forces Model claims or concerns. o Value Net Analysis This research will Dynamics of Competition o influence your environmental analysis Strategic Challenges and Issues and stakeholder audit. facing the Industry Be prepared to use your findings in the following assignments: http://www.bized.ac.u k/current/argument/arg 21.htm www.cruisejunkie.co m www.boatingchannel.c om (Article from the Boston Globe on “Cruise Ships Getting Bigger, Causing Passenger and Port Trouble.”) www.oceana.org
3 Internal Environment Dess, Lumpkin, & Experiential exercise 1 SWOT Analysis Taylor Value Chain Analysis Chapter 3 o Primary Activities o Secondary Activities Review Carnival Resource-Based Analysis Corporation’s (CCL’s) financials from the o Internal Analysis annual report. Hint: o External Analysis Return to the site to Achieving Sustainable o review the Investor Competitive Advantage relations data available Financial Ratio Analysis in download form. It o Ratio Analysis might help you save o Balanced Scorecard time.
Find three recent
Page 4 articles in popular business magazines — online or printed — about CCL. Ensure that the articles focus on CCL’s business operations, marketing, human resource practices, environmental stance, and future direction. Some resources you can utilize to start looking for information include:
Business Week: http://www.businessw eek.com The Economist: http://www.economist. com The Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/ public/us
Read the article from Harvard Business Review to understand the Balanced Scorecard approach to evaluating firm performance.
4 Cost Leadership Strategy Dess, Lumpkin, & Exercises 1, 2 and 3 o What is Cost Leadership Taylor o How Cost Leadership Chapter 5 Leads to Sustainable Advantage Read the summary of o Advantages and The Experience Disadvantages Economy: Work is Theatre and Every Differentiation Strategy Business a Stage by B. o What is Differentiation Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore o How Differentiation Leads Harvard Business to Sustainable Advantage School Press, Boston, o Advantages and Mass., 1999 ISBN 0- Disadvantages 87584-819-2, or
Focus Strategy Visit o What is Focus http://www.bizsum.co o How Focus Leads to m/articles/art_the- Sustainable Advantage
Page 5 o Advantages and experience- Disadvantages economy.php to read more about the book. Combining Cost Leadership, Differentiation, and Focus
Industry and Firm Life-Cycle o Strategic Implications in Each Stage
5 Introduction to Diversification Dess, Lumpkin, & Experiential Exercise Taylor Related Diversification Chapter 6 o Economies of Scope o Revenue Enhancement o Market Power
Unrelated Diversification o Financial Synergy o Parenting
Methods of Achieving Diversification o Mergers and Acquisitions o Strategic Alliances and Joint Ventures o Internal Development
Corporate Ethics in Value Creation
6 Introduction to the Global Economy Dess, Lumpkin, & Exercises 1, 2 and 3 o Factors Affecting An Taylor Economy Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Motivations and Risks o Motivations for Expansion Caux Round Table o Risks in Expansion Principles for Business at Competitive Advantage in Global www.cauxroundtable. Markets org
Entry Strategies for Global Expansion
The Internet as a Means to Going Global o How the Internet Adds Value o Internet Business Models o Competitive Strategies
Leveraging E-Business Capabilities
Page 6 7 Corporate Leadership Dess, Lumpkin, & o Direction Setting Taylor o Organizational Design Chapter 9 o Organizational Culture Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Leadership Traits Harvard Business Building an Ethical Organization Review article, “The Parable of the Sadhu” Building a Learning Organization
8 Business Plan Guidelines Dess, Lumpkin, & Experiential Exercise o What is a Business Plan Taylor o Purpose of a Business Plan Review Chapter 9: o Sections of a Business Plan Strategic Control o Compiling Data in a Business Plan Review the HBR o Presenting a Business Plan article by Kaplan and Norton, The Balanced Scorecard.
Visit the site http://www.themanage r.org/Knowledgebase/ Strategy/Implementati on.htm and read the following three additional articles on strategy implementation:
1. A Strategic Look At Strategy Execution Top executives are skilled at developing strategy, but setting plans in motion is where they fail, says Lawrence Hrebiniak, Professor at the Wharton School, in this Optimize Q&A.
2. Communicating Your Strategy The forgotten fundamentals of strategic implementation by Jake Laban, MBA and Jack C. Green, Ph.D.
Page 7 3. Operational Alignment: Bridging the Gap between Strategy and Execution by Jonathan D. Becher
COURSE INFORMATION Summer II 2009 June 30 – August 20 Course Credit Hours: 3 Meeting Day: Thursday
In Class Meetings Session DATES TIMES Session 1 7-02 6 PM to 10PM Session 2 7-09 6 PM to 10PM Session 3 7-16 6 PM to 10PM Session 4 7-23 6 PM to 10PM Session 5 7-30 6 PM to 10PM Session 6 8-06 6 PM to 10PM Session 7 8-13 6 PM to 10PM Session 8 4-20 6 PM to 10PM
Grading Criteria
Grading Scale Grading requirements A 100 – 93 Attendance/participation 25% A- 92 – 90 Weekly Assignments 20% B+ 89 – 88 Final paper 35% B 87 – 83 Optional 10% Optional 10% B- 82 – 80 100% C+ 79 – 78 C 77 – 73 C- 72 – 70 D+ 69 – 68 D 67 – 63 D- 62 – 60 Page 8 F 59 and below Library All resources in Argosy University’s online collection are available through the Internet. The campus librarian will provide students with links, user IDs, and passwords.
Library Resources: Argosy University’s core online collection features nearly 21,000 full-text journals and 23,000 electronic books and other content covering all academic subject areas including Business & Economics, Career & General Education, Computers, Engineering & Applied Science, Humanities, Science, Medicine & Allied Health, and Social & Behavior Sciences. Many titles are directly accessible through the Online Public Access Catalog at http://library.argosy.edu. Detailed descriptions of online resources are located at http://library.argosy.edu/libweb/resources/
In addition to online resources, Argosy University’s onsite collections contain a wealth of subject-specific research materials searchable in the Online Public Access Catalog. Catalog searching is easily limited to individual campus collections. Alternatively, students can search combined collections of all Argosy University Libraries. Students are encouraged to seek research and reference assistance from campus librarians.
Information Literacy: Argosy University’s Information Literacy Tutorial was developed to teach students fundamental and transferable research skills. The tutorial consists of five modules where students learn to select sources appropriate for academic-level research, search periodical indexes and search engines, and evaluate and cite information. In the tutorial, students study concepts and practice them through interactions. At the conclusion of each module, they can test their comprehension and receive immediate feedback. Each module takes less than 20 minutes to complete. Please view the tutorial at http://library.argosy.edu/infolit/
Academic Policies
Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: In an effort to foster a spirit of honesty and integrity during the learning process, Argosy University requires that the submission of all course assignments represent the original work produced by that student. All sources must be documented through normal scholarly references/citations and all work must be submitted using the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition (2001). Washington DC: American Psychological Association (APA) format. Please refer to Appendix A in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition for thesis and paper format. Students are encouraged to purchase this manual (required in some courses) and become familiar with its content as well as consult the Argosy University catalog for further information regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism.
Scholarly writing: The faculty at Argosy University is dedicated to providing a learning environment that supports scholarly and ethical writing, free from academic dishonesty and plagiarism. This includes the proper and appropriate referencing of all sources. You
Page 9 may be asked to submit your course assignments through “Turnitin,” (www.turnitin.com), an online resource established to help educators develop writing/research skills and detect potential cases of academic dishonesty. Turnitin compares submitted papers to billions of pages of content and provides a comparison report to your instructor. This comparison detects papers that share common information and duplicative language.
Americans with Disabilities Act Policy
It is the policy of Argosy University to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If a student with disabilities needs accommodations, the student must notify the Director of Student Services. Procedures for documenting student disability and the development of reasonable accommodations will be provided to the student upon request.
Students will be notified by the Director of Student Services when each request for accommodation is approved or denied in writing via a designated form. To receive accommodation in class, it is the student’s responsibility to present the form (at his or her discretion) to the instructor. In an effort to protect student privacy, the Department of Student Services will not discuss the accommodation needs of any student with instructors. Faculty may not make accommodations for individuals who have not been approved in this manner.
The Argosy University Statement Regarding Diversity
The Argosy University provides equitable access through its services and programs to students of any social, geographic and cultural background, regardless of gender, and strives to prepare all candidates to work with and provide services to diverse populations. Argosy demonstrates its commitment to diversity through the development and support of a diverse educational community.
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