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TEMPLE UNIVERSITY THE FOX SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT BA 4196: GLOBAL BUSINESS POLICIES SYLLABUS Spring 2012

Instructor: Dr. Hopkins (Dr. H) Office/hours: Email: dhopkins@temple.edu Cell: 215-356-7971 Office is Alter 534

Thirty minutes before class until the beginning of class; Alter 534, LC Faculty Lab, and TUCC 525.

Course prerequisites

This course is restricted to graduating seniors in their final semester. All lower and upper division core requirements must be successfully completed before registering for BA 4196.

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Welcome to the capstone course of the undergraduate curriculum. The Business Policies course culminates your learning experience before graduation. The objective of this course is to introduce you to the role of the strategic manager, someone (like a CEO) who is concerned with the problems of and/or responsible for the overall long-term well-being of the organization. OBJECTIVES

Provide you with the critical thinking skills necessary to function as a strategic manager or to perform the tasks comprising the strategic management process this is the primary objective of the course Integrate and apply the knowledge accumulated in various functional areas, such as marketing, human resource management, operations, accounting and finance Prepare you for management careers by providing in-class opportunities for you to enhance your ability to communicate orally and in written formats, to lead and to work with others in realistic work settings Expose you to the ethical and societal issues raised in operating an enterprise To provide you with experience in dealing with real strategic decision issues facing managers in all types of organizations: business and not-for-profit; large and small; and domestic and multinational, primarily through the use of the case method.

DESIRED OUTCOMES By the end of the semester, you should be able answer the following questions concerning any firm: 1. Based on the facts presented in a case and independent research, assess how well is the firm doing over time and relative to its peers. 2. Describe the firms strategy. 3. Based on the analysis of the firm and its industry, is the strategy appropriate? Explain the answer in detail. 4. Recommend changes to the strategy to enhance, maintain or turnaround the performance of the firm 5. Based on the analysis of the firms organization structure, culture, systems and processes, examine in detail the way the strategy is implemented. Also, students must be able to: y y y y Prepare clear and concise written business reports with appropriate content, substance and documentation; Deliver polished multi-media business presentations to executives in a professional manner; Articulate, discuss and defend your ideas and proposals in a professional manner; and Develop teamwork, leadership and diversity skills through group projects and class discussions.

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIAL y y Critical Thinking for Business Students (available at the bookstore) BA4196 Global Business Policies Course Pack (available thru Temple Press, http://www.temple.edu/tempress/foxreader.html) Detailed instructions on how to purchase can be found on community website. Any other readings assigned by your instructor will be posted at the Blackboard of the section you are enrolled in.

Suggested Readings: y It is strongly recommended that you read and subscribe to at least one business publication. The Wall Street Journal or New York Times is recommended. Being able to cite information from these publications that are related to a case being discussed in class will assist you in getting a high class participation grade.

Analysis Techniques we will emphasize during the semester: 1. 5 Forces analysis 2. Financial Analysis 3. SWOT 4. Experience/PLC/Tech-S/Greiner curves 5. Competitor analysis (rags, mapping, etc) 6. PEST 7. Generic strategies 8. Value chain 9. BCG matrix/GE matrix/Ansoff Matrix 10. Scenarios 11. McKinsey 7-S Framework 12. Tregoe-Kepner Analysis 13. VRIO Analysis Concepts we will emphasize: Critical thinking-questioning conclusions, weighing evidence, comparing alternatives. Strategy-sets the overall, long-term direction of an organization. Business strategy-how a particular firm competes in a particular industry. Corporate strategy-what businesses a firm is to be in and determines how they relate to each other. 5. Competitive advantage- a firm resource that is valuable and rare. 6. Strategy implementation-the details of how to execute a strategy. 7. Strategy formulation-selection of strategy that fits external/internal situation. 8. Strategic logic-things that need to be true for a strategy to succeed. 9. Competitive position-strength of firms position compared to rivals (most direct measure is market share) 10. Fit-refers to fit between strategy and external, internal, and implementation in strategy model. Information on most of these can be found at either netmba.com or quickmba.com or Blackboard Community site or elsewhere on the Internet. Grade distribution: 100-94 = A 93-90 = A89-87 = B+ 86-83 = B 82-80 = B79-77 = C+ 76-73 = C 72-70 = C69-67 = D+ 66-63 = D 63-60= D3 1. 2. 3. 4.

GRADING Please note that students need a C- in this course in order to graduate. There is a deadline for course withdrawal to which the Deans Office strictly adheres. Absolutely, no "makeup" work will be permitted. It is unfair to classmates who meet their responsibilities on time. There is no extra credit. A students grade in the course will be based on performance on several assignments. The approximate weight for each is given in below. 1. Class attendance, participation and attitude [20 points; 10 points for quizzes and 10 points for discussion]. Class attendance, class preparation, and class participation are essential. You will be called on in class occasionally to assure that everyone is given an opportunity to participate. Come prepared to discuss your assignments. Your instructor will begin grading class participation from about the fourth week. The instructor will keep track of your participation on an index card by reviewing your participation after every class meeting. It is your responsibility to check periodically with your instructor on how you are conducting yourself with regard to class participation. Reading the popular business press, specifically the WSJ, FT, or NYT is encouraged and can help your class participation grade if it helps you contribute something relevant to the issues and cases at hand. Not wanting or not liking to participate during class is a deliberate choice that you make, being fully aware of its effect on your grade. Also, you will not get class participation points for just being present in class. There may be a quiz given at the beginning of class or after the break (for once a week classes) on the reading assignment (lowest quiz score will be dropped). Quiz questions will be selected from a standard pool of questions (see Quiz Appendix). If you are late and miss the taking of attendance by the instructor it is your responsibility to check and make sure you were marked present. Starting with 20 class participation points several events will cause a student to lose points including: being absent (2-3 points), being late or leaving early (1 pt), being unprepared when called on or being unable to respond in a reasonable amount of time (2-3 pts), disrupting class (2-3 pts), texting in class (2 pts), poor quiz score on one quiz (2 pts), not paying attention in class (2), etc. Of course points can be gained by contributing particularly insightful comments and analysis. If you want to know how you are doing on class participation ASK to see your index card. Attendance is very important in this class. The difference between passing and failing for some students is attendance. If you are absent and can document a good reason for your 4

absence (required work, health problem, etc) your absence may be excused if you bring the documentation to the instructor within one week of the absence. EXCESSIVE ABSENCES CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF MORE THAN 20 POINTS. 2. One memo on a case [20 points]. Each of you, individually, is required to write a memo analyzing a case. The memo is due on the date the case is due for discussion in class. The page limit (not including the cover page and exhibits) for this submission is eight pages using Times New Roman 12 point font. Shorter is better as long as nothing important is left out. Please use single spaces between lines and double spaces between paragraphs. Your paper will be evaluated generally for writing competence (i.e., format [must follow instructions], English Usage, logical structure, spelling, professional look [neat, nicely spaced, no hand written parts, use of proper software for figures and tables, nicely printed on clean paper, absence of unnecessary information, proper focus on the readers level of knowledge and interest, references to reader and company that are appropriate, etc.]. Your instructor may downgrade your memo due to ineffective writing skill. If that is the case, once your paper is graded and returned, you will have the opportunity to rewrite it for a better grade. The grade on the rewritten memo will be averaged with the first version. LATE MEMOS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. This rewrite must be completed within ONE week. The instructor can require you to have your written assignments evaluated by a Writing Center consultant before and/or after you submit your work. This is an individual assignment and not a team assignment. A Word data file copy of all individual memos must be submitted on Blackboard. Please see Temple Universitys plagiarism policies that apply to the submission. You may be given additional instructions in this regard. Also, read memo instructions in Appendix 1 attached to this syllabus. 3. Two case presentations by teams of 3-4 students [25 points]. Teams of 3-4 students will be formed by the instructor with the objective of achieving diversity among team members. Each team will analyze two cases (on different dates) and present the analyses in class presentations on the days when the cases are scheduled for discussion. It is important to note that it is assumed that these presentations are to be given to the case companys top management, not to a college class. Each presentation should be 20 minutes, followed by a question and answer period, with the class playing the role of the companys top management. No written reports are required of the teams making the presentations but a copy of your slides must be handed in 48 hours prior to the presentation. Each group will provide the instructor a hardcopy of slides. 5

4. Quiz on financial analysis and conceptual material (10 points). Details on this will be given in class. 5. Assignment and event participation on Mural Arts Case (5 points). This will be explained in class. 6. Final examination [20 points]. There will be a final exam for the course and details on the examination will follow in due course. It will be case based. This final exam case report structurally should be similar to that of the other memos. The body of this report should be 12-15 double spaced typewritten pages (all exhibits included). The instructor will provide additional instructions on the final exam. No late Memos will be accepted. Calculating your grade in the class: Turn individual assignment grades into numbers and multiply by points. Example, so far you have earned an A on an assignment worth 30 points, a B- on an assignment worth 10 points, and a B- on an assignment worth 15 points. A BB100 X 30 = 3,000 80 X 10 = 800 80 X 15 = 1,200 55 5,000

5,000 divided by 55 = 90.9 = A-

This course will have two Blackboard sites. One is for your section and another, BA4196 Community, is for all students in all sections. The BA4196 site is at the bottom of your screen in the space devoted to My Organization. Early course grades given by the instructor prior to the official posting of the grades on Owlnet are not possible.

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Appendix 1-Memos Guidelines Heading information (TO, FROM, RE, DATE; Draft #1 or #2; Section #) Executive Summary of 2 sentences a. State final recommendation b. Diagram/Table of analyses/implications/options Statement of Problem and explaining why it is important. Must be stated as ONE problem only not a list of problems. If you end up with a list figure out how to consolidate it into one problem. Problem must be STRATEGIC rather than operational. Analysis: review and explain analyses that are attached to the back of memo in appendices. Most commonly used analyses include: SWOT*, financial analysis,** 5 force model, VRIO model, PLC, technology-s curve, value chain, key success factors (KSF), PEST model, competitor analysis, strategic map, portfolio matrices, among others. Choice of analyses should fit the nature of the problem. There should be a minimum of five analyses. After each analysis create a box and label it strategic implication (SI). In the box write a short statement giving the strategic implication of the analysis. This should include the central conclusion of the analysis; what it means for the firms strategy, and why you believe this implication is derived from the analysis. This statement must be very specific. It cannot be something general such as: This SWOT analysis shows the company to have many strengths. See example below for the level of detail required.

STRATEGIC IMPLICATION Conclusion: The above analysis shows the most powerful industry force to be the suppliers. New Strategy: This suggests that our company should counteract this by vertically integrating backwards. Why: Will allow firm to counteract power of suppliers by eliminating any need for their products. When analyzing the case through group discussion and individual analysis, be sure to wait until all analysis have been put in writing before deciding on a recommendation. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. If you dont do this what may happened is the your group or individuals decide on a recommendation and then All analyses end up agreeing with this recommendation. A key to critical thinking is that a decision or opinion is put on hold until all data and all analysis are in. 5. State 3 mutually exclusive Options (they should be mutually exclusive). Make clear which analysis suggests option. 6. Present Pros/Cons of each alternatives (at least 3) ; use T ledger (see below); Give enough detail to make clear what the option is. 7. Recommendation: Select one option and explain why it is better than others. 8. Give Implementation details (cost, source of funds, required steps, timeline, assign responsibility to particular managers, state if any of the following will need to be changed: organizational structure, reward system, leadership, organizational culture, and evaluation/control. Are there any concerns regarding organizational politics?

Please use headings and subheadings (see bold type above). Also to the extent possible aid readability by using bullet points, bold type of important points, underlining, etc. Please proofread and use spell-check function. Max of 7 pages. Everything else being equal, shorter is better as long as nothing important is left out. Internal consistency between problem, analyses, strategic implications, and options is very important. *required of every analysis **required of every analysis if financials are available ALL MEMOS SHOULD BE PROOF READ. IT IS BEST TO HAVE SOMEONE ELSE OTHER THAN THE WRITER DO THIS. IF THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE THE WRITER SHOULD READ THE MEMO OUT LOUD. EXCEPT FOR #1 ABOVE, THIS IS ALSO THE FORMAT FOR THE PRESENTATIONS. Option #1: Expand core business into Japan using same strategy as in Europe. This means following a cost-leadership strategy as in Europe but given the differences in distribution in Japan establishing ties with local wholesalers. Start in major cities then later expand to rural areas. Pros Cons _________________________________________________________ 1. Improve sales growth | 1. Very high cost 2. Possible economies of scope | 2. Have no international experience 3. Respond to Japanese firms here | 3. Take focus off domestic markets Exhibits should be labeled Exhibit 1, Exhibit 2, etc.

Quiz Appendix; Appendix 2 Numbers to know: Industry growth rate, number of competitors, firm market share, firm debt in %, firm growth rate, firm profitability over most recent 5 years (of course if its not given in the case your off the hook.) Questions to know: 1. What is the problem? 2. How is the firm performing? 3. How attractive is the industry? 4. How strong is the firms competitive position? 5. What is the firms current strategy? 6. What is the firms financial condition? 7. What are the KSFs (key success factors) for the industry? 8. Is the macro-environment important? Why? 9. What stage of the Product Life Cycle Curve (PLC) is the industry in? 10. What are the firms options? 11. How do different businesses/segments compare? 12. What is the firms organizational structure? 13. Describe the firms value chain. 14. How are the main competitors different from each other?

Appendix 3- BA4196 Presentations y Two case presentations by groups of 4-5 students. Groups of 4-5 students will be formed by the instructor at about week 4 with the objective of achieving diversity among team members in disciplines, race, gender, and ethnicity, as might be expected in the workplace. Each group will analyze two cases (on different dates) and present the analyses in class presentations on the days when the cases are scheduled for discussion. It is important to note that it is assumed that these presentations are to be made before the case companys top management, not to a college class. Each presentation will be approximately 20 minutes, followed by a question and answer period, with the class playing the role of the companys management. Audience members will be graded on the extent to which they ask frequent and insightful questions. No written analyses are required of the teams making the presentation but a copy of the slides should be given to the instructor no later than 48 hours before the presentation via email. Your presentation date and case will be determined by your group number and the syllabus. Knowledge of what grade your group earned and possible points for improvement can be learned by sending an email to the instructor requesting same. Also, please note that your grade on the presentations will, in part, depend on the evaluation of your contribution by other members of your group. Good teamwork is essential if your group is to perform effectively. Since it is inevitable that sooner or later you will have to participate in a group project while on the job, this is a great opportunity to practice your interpersonal skills before the consequences of your actions can affect you professionally. You may also use your group in analyzing cases due for class analysis and discussion. Case analysis is difficult to perform effectively if you work in total isolation. Hence, you are encouraged to start working together with your team as a study group. In preparing your presentation you should expect to hold at least 3 group meetings including a dress rehearsal prior to the day of the presentation.

The group should make the assumption that it is a strategic analysis team that has been assembled by the case companys top management to confront the situation presented in the case. When youve completed you strategic assessment, you will present your results to the companys top management (in effect, the class listening to your presentation is the company top management. Think of the case as material/data given to you by the top management to kick off your assignment.

Students therefore should assume that the audience is thoroughly familiar with the case in question and the specific data presented in the case (remember, it is the company management that provided you with the case material). As such, do not simply rehash case material; only cite or repeat such material in support of an argument or position.

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Interpret the facts according to the theoretical frameworks covered in class, and take a position on whether the company's actions will lead to positive results or not; vague generalizations that no one would disagree with are worthless [in other words, do not come out strongly in favor of "motherhood"]. You have been exposed to a series of strategic analysis tools and techniques. Use these in your analysis.

Recommendations need to be definitive rather than wishy-washy (e.g., a bad recommendation would be they should do some research or they should hire a consultant). Recommendations should be detailed with information about implementation (time table, cost, milestones, specific steps, who will take responsibility for various tasks, any process/system/structure that needs changing).

 Even if the firm is performing well and there is general agreement with management's strategy, you must evaluate this in relation to alternative courses of action (there always are alternatives, some of which likely are being followed by the companys competitors).
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There are few business strategies that do not present some risks or obstacles for management. Remember, this presentation (or report) is going to the organization's top management, not to the course instructor. Students may do outside research on the case but within the time frame of the case (not later than the date where the case stops). Instructors will provide additional guidance on the sources and approaches that might be used in data collection. Specifically, instructors will be looking at the following factors in evaluating both the presentations and written assignments: Critical thinking; Depth and soundness of the analysis, including financial analysis; Proper grammar, sentence structure and overall usage of the English language; Conciseness and clarity; and Creativity and originality Professional use of visual aids

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Every member of the group must take part in the presentation. Presenters are required to use visual aids [i.e., Power Point or a similar package] for the in-class presentations. The class, acting as a company executive committee, will question the group immediately after the presentation.

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The presenting group's ability to respond to questions is an important part of the presentation experience. It provides students with an opportunity to develop skills in "thinking-on-your-feet," to defend ideas and to articulate ones position extemporaneously -- skills necessary in any management situation! The rest of the class, therefore, must come prepared to question critically the presenting groups.

You may organize your presentation as follows: 1. Introduce members of group and the reason you are presenting. 2. Present an executive summary including the analyses you will present, and what your final recommendation will be. 3. Define the one central strategic problem and explain why it is important 4. Present analyses (at least 5) that are appropriate for the problem. 5. Present the strategic implications of each analysis 6. Overall conclusion 7. Present three detailed options and give their advantages and disadvantages. 8. Recommend one option and explain why it the best. 9. Give implementation details  The maximum number of slides is 12-14. Dont using anything smaller than 48 point font. Be careful not to put too much information on financial slides. Please do not use notes. Dress should be business professional. Do not read the slides; do not look at slides for more than a second or two. You should be looking at your audience. The slides should just include the most important points and the speaker should fill in the details. Options (setting an overall direction) should be strategic rather than operational. Dont present any options that are non-starters. Dont miss any obvious options. Try to make the options mutually exclusive. Speakers should present using a tone which emphasizes key points, is not in a monotone, and communicates energy and enthusiasm. Please use hand and body movements to help express key points. Members of the group who are not speaking should stay quiet, keep their eyes on the speaker, and stand up straight without leaning on anything. Questions should be answered by a different group member each time. Answers should be as short as possible.  It is suggested that your group rehearse your present and use video to record and view it while thinking of how to improve.  Please avoid using slang, saying you know, you guys, over using the word like, or saying ummm. If you need a moment to organize your thoughts dont fill the space by saying any of the preceding just take a moment without speaking. Please use the first person rather (our company) than the third person when referring to the company or its management.

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 After your present you can email the instructor to get your grade. In some cases if a particular student does a worse job than the rest of his/her group they may be given a lower grade than the rest of the group. If a particular group member is not doing their fair share they can be kicked out of the group. Group members will be given an opportunity to rate the other members of their group so that this can be evaluated by the instructor for consideration of giving a lower grade to that member.  Consult the presentation evaluation sheet on Blackboard to learning how the presentation is graded any make a copy for the instructor to use. Items which will reduce your grade:               Insufficient analysis Your identification of THE problem is actually a list of multiple problems. Strategic implication is not given after each analysis. Not behaving in a professional manner (e.g., laughing while presenting). Slides that are hard to read. Analysis not performed correctly (e.g, using Porters 5 forces to analyze a firm rather than the industry as a whole). Presenting analyses that are not relevant to the problem. Weak transitions (good transition-I will hand the presentation over to Mary who will present our SWOT analysis). Lack of teamwork (e.g., I dont agree with the other members of my group) Recommendation that doesnt address the problem or is not strategic. Important alternatives that are not discussed. Alternatives that are not vetted thoroughly. Presentation where the pieces dont fit as a cohesive whole. Talking too softly.

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Appendix 4; Critical Thinking Questions Apply the following critical thinking questions to any case analysis, discussion, class presentation, or statements made by instructor or other students (Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking, 8th Edition, Neil Browne and Stuart Keely, 2007). a. What is the problem/issue/topic and what is the recommendation/conclusion? (Sometimes the author does not clearly state what these are) b. What are the reasons that support the recommendation or conclusion? c. What are the unstated assumptions? d. Are there any fallacies in reasoning? What are they? e. How good is the evidence? What is the best evidence given? f. What data/reasons would be required to support the given conclusion/recommendation? g. Are there rival causes? Is there a root cause? Are there contributing factors? h. What significant information is omitted? i. What other reasonable conclusions/recommendations are possible beyond that given by the author/presenter?

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