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The University of Toledo College of Business and Innovation

Course Syllabus Spring 2013

BUAD 6900-002: Strategic Management Capstone T Th 5:45-7:00 PM Stranahan Hall 0107


Instructor: Office: Office Hours: Office Phone: Email: Dr. Stephen Callaway Stranahan Hall #2046 Tuesday 2-5pm, Wednesday 1-4pm, and by appointment 530-4789 Stephen.Callaway@UToledo.edu

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Concepts in Strategic Management and Business Policy: Toward Global Sustainability, 13ed. 2012, Wheelen & Hunger. (ISBN10: 0132153351) Students can also purchase the e-book directly through coursesmart.com. Visit the website @ www.coursesmart.com enter the author, title or isbn of the book and purchase with a credit card. Or, rent at the bookstore. Register Capsim and Comp-XM codes provided COURSE OVERVIEW & LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
The goals of this course are to: (1) To understand and appreciate the role of the general manager (i.e., the executive responsible for the firm as a whole); (2) Understand and appreciate the difficulty of integrating (coordinating) functional decisions (research, marketing, production, human resources, and finance) into an effective overall business strategy; (3) Learn basic strategic management concepts (i.e., strategic fit between environment, resources, and goals and strategies; mission and vision; the strategic planning process; situational analysis; industry driving forces and five forces, SWOT analysis, etc.) and gain some experience in applying these concepts in the simulation experience.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Strategic Management Capstone The center of attention is the total enterprise-the industry and competitive environment in which it operates, its long-term direction and strategy, its resources and competitive capabilities, and its prospects for success. Unlike other business courses that concentrate narrowly on a particular function or piece of the businessaccounting, finance, marketing, production, human resources, or information systems, strategic management is a big picture course. It cuts across the whole spectrum of business and management.

Strategy may be defined as the art and science of formulating and implementing visions and plans to achieve specific goals. As a successful manager and business leader you will be required to make intelligent decisions as you help to create and execute your organization's strategic plans. The course involves a competitive business simulation game. You will be part of a management team responsible for the success of a 100 million-dollar firm in an industry with five other competitors. Your team will face many challenges! Can you organize into an effective executive team? Can you formulate a shared mission and vision for your firm? Can your team understand and use relevant information and make smart decisions? Can you anticipate changes, avoid treats, and exploit opportunities? Can you win the simulation game? Your teams 100 million-dollar firm will be managed by entering critical business decisions into an interactive computer simulation. You may be frustrated at first because you are overwhelmed temporarily by all the different things you need to learn about the sensor business, how the simulation operates, and how to coordinate across functional areas. This frustration is normal. It indicates you are struggling with the transition from a single functional view of a business to a more complex and multifunctional view of the total enterprise and its competitive environment. This is the courses learning objective. This frustration goes away as your team begins the practice rounds. Over a period of six rounds (equivalent to 6 years), you will discover the strategic imperative of cross-functional coordination between Research and Development, Marketing, Production, Human Resources, and Finance. You will quickly learn the value of strategic planning and execution as your team's competitive position is determined by the set of decisions taken in each round. This is as close to the real world as you can get! The course has been deliberately designed to push you to do your best under pressure and to be very real-world in terms of what you learn and what you can take with you of practical value as you launch your business career. It builds upon and enables you to apply what you have learned in marketing, operations, finance, accounting, and management. In a very real sense, the entire course is your final exam for your business school experience e.g., becoming a licensed practitioner of business. This simulation is also great fun if everyone does their share! COURSE REQUIREMENTS: A professional (and civil) attitude is expected for this course. You should treat this course, its requirements, etc., as you would your professional career. This means arriving to each class on

time, well prepared to discuss that days topic. Respect toward each of your classmates is expected. Cell phones should be turned off in class. Essential to this course is teamwork. The CAPSIM Project requires effective teamwork with every member contributing to the project. An unreliable member who does not contribute to the team effort jeopardizes the whole teams ability to develop a satisfactory project; as an unacceptable final project will result in all team members failing the course. As a result, free riding on a team will not be tolerated. First, if any member does not contribute to any team projects, and makes no effort to communicate with members and resolve, simply give no credit to the individual for that particular project. For example, all team members will confidentially evaluate the contribution of all other members for the in-class projects, the competition rounds, and the final presentations. Second, in a severe situation in which a member is shirking for successive weeks, it is critical to address the situation immediately; arrange a conference for the team with the instructor to discuss the problem. That member will be placed on probation; if the situation is not improved, that member will be fired from the team and will fail the course. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. The College has enacted a Code of Student Academic Conduct which sets forth specific types of academic misconduct. If there is any evidence of any of these types of academic misconduct in this course, charges will be filed against the student or students involved. Students should be familiar with both the Code of Student Academic Conduct and the Student Academic Grievance Procedure available at the College of Business Administration website. EVALUATION AND GRADING: Individual Participation and Contribution 50 Exams (2 at 100 points each) 200 Capsim Actual Competition Team 25 Final Presentation Team 25 Individual COMP-XM: Business Competency Final Exam 100 Total 400 Grade Scale Points: A (370-400); A- (360-369); B+ (350-359); B (330-349); B- (320-329); C+ (310-319); C (290-309); C- (280-289); D+ (270-279); D (250-269); D- (240-249); F (0-239) Individual Participation and Contribution indicates your contribution to the classroom experience, and is worth 50 points. Note that simply showing up for class is not sufficient for this course, but being well-prepared and contributing to the classroom experience. That is, points will be allocated not only on the basis of attendance, but on the quantity and quality of classroom participation. Note that while attendance is a key part, make-up assignments are allowed if absence is excused and if assignment is arranged with professor and completed immediately (the very next class). Note that the team member peer evaluation will also affect this score. Finally, part of this score (15 points) reflects your performance on Capsim Phase I. This phase simply indicates registration, the introductory lesson, the rehearsal tutorial (including the quiz), and the situation analysis. Completing the process on time (see deadlines on schedule), your performance on the tutorial simulation, your performance on the quiz, and completion of the

situation analysis, will determine your score for Phase I. Contribution to Phase II (individual in class assignments related to practice rounds) also counts toward this score. Exams. There will be two exams over the course of the semester, each worth 100 points, plus a final worth 100 points. Exams will cover both content knowledge and critical thinking skills. As such, exams will reflect multiple choice, listing and short answer, and essays. Essays may comprise brief in-class questions as well as longer take home essays. Make-ups are allowed, but will comprise pure essay that will be graded with a critical eye. Make-ups must be arranged with professor immediately (the very next class), and any delay will be discounted (minimum 10% per class). Moreover, non-excused absences will be discounted substantially (e.g., minimum 50%). Finally, the individual COMP-XM, done online, is your final exam, and is worth 100 points. Capsim Actual Competition - Team. This phase comprises the results of the actual Competition Rounds. For Phase III, team members are assigned to a functional area. Your performance on the Analyst Report (which tallies up to 1000 points per round) at the end of the competition will indicate your score out of 25. Your score will be curved. Scores will be immediately revealed to teams on the next class after the final round has been completed. (Note that individual scores may vary somewhat from the final team score depending upon the peer evaluations.) Final Presentation - Team. This phase comprises the Stockholders Final Debrief presentation, where participants defend decisions as the executive management team to the Board of Directors and Stockholders (the professor and your classmates). The presentation should last 15 minutes. Professional attire is expected. Your score out of 25 points will reflect your ability to present why you chose the strategies you did, what the outcomes were, why, and what you learned, as well as the quality of your executive presentation. Also discuss any strategy changes made during the competition rounds. Further instructions and grading criteria will be discussed in class and posted at Blackboard.

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE: T Jan 8 Th Jan 10 T Jan 15 Th Jan 17 Introduction, Discuss Capsim Project Review Ch. 1 Introduction Homework: Start Capsim Phase I individual tutorial (due 10pm: registration) Capsim Video (preparation for Capsim Phase I); team preferences Review Ch. 2; 3 Governance & Ethics (due 10pm: introductory lesson (& quiz) and rehearsal tutorial including tutorial quiz) Discuss Intel case Review Ch. 4 External Analysis Capsim Phase I all due today; (due 10 pm: Situation analysis) Complete Practice Round 1 Phase II (due 10:00pm) (first Phase II assignment in class individual product responsibility) Review Ch. 5 Internal Analysis, work on Intel case Discuss & Work on Forecast and Customer Survey (revising products) Complete Practice Round 2 (10pm) Exam 1 (Ch. 1-5) Review Ch. 11 (11.1, 11.2, 11.4, 11.5, 11.6), 12.3 Performance Assessment Examine Analysts Report, Balanced Scorecard, Courier, & Financial Statements Discuss & Work on revising products, buying / selling capacity (& automation) Complete Practice Round 3 (10pm) Review Ch. 6 Business Strategy, work on Intel case Deliver Intel case final presentation - team Invent a new product step 1 (named & ordered); Complete Practice Round 4 (10pm) Invent a new product step 2 (product released); Drop a product Complete Practice Round 5 (10pm) Review Ch. 8, 10 Functional Strategies

T Jan 22 Th Jan 24 T Jan 29 Th Jan 31 T Feb 5 Th Feb 7 T Feb 12 Th Feb 14 T Feb 19 Th Feb 21 T Feb 26 Th Feb 28 T Mar 12

Th Mar 14 T Mar 19 Th Mar 21 T Mar 26 Th Mar 28 T Apr 2 Th Apr 4 T Apr 9 Th Apr 11 T Apr 16 Th Apr 18 T Apr 23 Th Apr 25

Exam 2 (Ch. 6, 8, 10, 11, 12.3 plus Capsim material) Begin Phase III, Actual Capsim Competition Round 1 (due 10pm) Review Results, Actual Capsim Competition Round 2 (due 10pm) Review Results, Actual Capsim Competition Round 3 (due 10pm) Review Results, Actual Capsim Competition Round 4 (due 10pm) Review Results, Actual Capsim Competition Round 5 (due 10pm) Review Results, Actual Capsim Competition Round 6 (due 10pm) Discuss Capsim Competition results; requirements for Presentations Capsim Presentations (Stockholders Final Debrief) Phase IV Capsim Presentations (Stockholders Final Debrief) Capsim Presentations Capsim Presentations Capsim Presentations

Final Exam Week Complete COMP-XM Finals. Due Friday AM.

Peer evaluation How would you evaluate the contribution of each of your team members on the in-class team projects, preliminary presentations, and/or the final analysis? (Each team member should complete this evaluation for each of the presentations / papers and turn in the day that it is due.) Your assessment is confidential. You have a total of $100,000 (or 120K) to divide among your team members, including yourself, as compensation for their contribution to the assignment. Extra Bonus and Pay (more than 20K) Contribution to project has been very insightful and important, and member has taken leadership of the direction of this stage of the project. Average Compensation (20K) Contribution to this stage of the project has been insightful and important. Reduced Pay (less than 20K) Has attempted to make a contribution, but has come up with few particularly valuable ideas for the team. Zero Compensation Has not even attempted to be a team player and contribute to project. Evaluators name _____________________ Peer member name ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ Comments: Compensation ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

GETTING STARTED CHECKLIST

Register for the simulation 1. Go to www.capsim.com, click the Register button 2. Click the Create New Account button on the right hand side. 3. Read the welcome message, if you agree to the terms, you can click the I agree with the
terms of Usage radio button 4. Click the Continue with initial registration for this course button to move onto the next page. 5. Enter the simulation ID number you have been assigned and click the Enter Industry ID button. 6. Enter all the required fields. 7. At the next page, choose the Enter Prepurchased Registration numbers button. The next page will enter the unique registration number provided to you by your professor. Each student must have his/her own paid account. Please contact Support if you have any problems.

Homework - This is over 6-8 hours of work so please do not wait until the last minute to
complete. Do not be concerned about being an expert right away; there is a lot of information to take in. This is just to start your training. You will get more proficient as you progress through the simulation.

1. Log into you Capsim account from the main homepage, www.capsim.com
2. Click on the Capstone logo

3. On the left menu, click on the Getting Started left menu option 4. To the right of the left menu, go through the following tabs:
a. View Introductory Lesson Click play button to start the video. There is a quiz at the end that you must also take. The video is about 15 minutes long. Take the small quiz. This is an orientation to your new job. 30 minutes b. The Guide there is an electronic version of the Student Guide. Instructions on where to find the guide is noted on this tab. Please skim through the chapters so that you can familiarize yourself with where things are in this guide. Use this as a reference guide as you go through the simulation. 90 minutes c. Complete the Rehearsal Tutorial - Read and follow the instructions for the Rehearsal Tutorial. You must complete all items of the Rehearsal Tutorial. Take the quiz. This is all done at your own pace. 4 hours d. Complete the Situation Analysis Refer to the Team Member Guide.

Support for the Simulation


Please contact Capsim Management Simulations Inc. if you have any problems with the simulation, technical or business related. Send your questions by clicking the Help and MSI Support link from the left menu of your www.capsim.com account. Or send an email directly to support@capsim.com. Please allow 12 hour response time. You can also speak to a live person during office hours (below are USA, Central Time Zones): Monday-Thursday 8:00 am to 11:00 pm Friday 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Sunday 3:00 pm to 11:00 pm

The toll-free number is 877-477-8787 (USA and Canada only). The Capsim Capstone support group helps with specific questions but you must do the work. Support will not provide you with help on what decisions to make.

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