SYLLABUS

Strategic Management and Decision-Making

1

 

 

 

Term:                                     Spring 2006; January 9, 2006 – April 20, 2006

 

Course Number:                BUS 489

 

Instructor:                            Daniel Lowery, Ph.D.

 

Office:                                    Room 513

 

Office Phone:                     (219) 473-4271

 

E-mail:                                   dlowery@ccsj.edu

 

Home Phone:                      (219) 922-8325

 

Office Hours:                       Monday and Thursday 2:30 – 4:30, Tuesday 6:00 – 7:00, or by Appointment

 

Instructor Background:    Education:      B.S., Valparaiso University

                                                                            M.S.B.A., Indiana University Northwest

                                                                           Ph.D., University of Illinois at Chicago

 

                                                 Professional:    Executive Director, Northwest Indiana Quality of Life Council

                                       Assistant Professor and Consultant, Indiana University Northwest

                                                                           Various Management Positions, Social Security Administration

 

Course Time:               Monday and Thursday 12:10 – 1:40

 

Course Description:          An organized and integrated approach to strategic management and policy development is presented in this course.  Decision-making techniques and tools are introduced and applied.  A broad range of management challenges are presented for study and resolution.

 

Prerequisites:              This course must be taken in the student’s last semester.

 

Learning Outcomes/

Competencies:                  Students in this course will:

 

§      Develop the capacity to think strategically about a company or organization and its competitive environment;

§      Understand the nature of risk and uncertainty;

§      Acquire the ability to assess various organizational and competitive capacities;

§      Develop skills pertaining to strategic analysis involving a number of industries, including international markets and e-commerce;

§      Acquire experience in crafting business strategies, assessing competitive challenges, conducting contingency analyses, and making decisions pertaining to strategic alternatives;

§         Understand and appreciate the importance of various management tasks associated with the implementation and execution of company and organizational strategies;

§         Understand and appreciate the need the coordinated business strategies and the nature of teamwork in strategic decision-making;

§         Integrate and apply knowledge acquired in prior courses in the business curriculum; and

§         Develop a commitment to ethical behavior and management practices that are socially responsible.

 

Textbooks:                   Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage: 14th

                                                 Edition, Thompson & Strickland, McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2006

 

Learning Strategies:         Directed question and answer sessions, case discussions, and student

                                                 assignments will be employed throughout the semester.

     

Assessment:                      Assigned Analyses Based on Text                                 35% of grade

                                                 Formal Case Analyses                                                      35% of grade

                                                 Quizzes Pertaining to Assigned Chapters in Text       20% of grade

                                                 Class Participation                                                             10% of grade

                                                 

Class Policy for

Assignments:              Quizzes are designed primarily to help students integrate concepts introduced 

                                                 in the first 13 chapters of the text.  Quizzes may not be made up; however, the

                                                 two lowest scores will be dropped.

 

                                                 Assigned analyses based on the text and formal case analyses must be

                                                 developed in formats provided by the instructor.  They must be completed on

                                                 an individual basis.  Case analyses must be turned in on time in order to

                                                 receive full credit.

     

 Grading Scale:                    A:          92 – 100                                                C:           72 – 77

                                                  A-:         90 – 91                                  C-:          70 – 71

                                                  B+:        88 – 89                                  D+:         68 – 69

                                                  B:          82 – 87                                  D:           62 – 67

                                                  B-:         80 – 81                                  D-:          60 – 61

                                                  C+:        78 – 79                                  F:           59 and below

 

Class Policy on

Attendance:                 Because this course is designed around group discussions pertaining to

                                                 key questions and specific cases, attendance is critical.  At the same  

                                                 time, emergencies do occur.  Students are expected not to miss more than 

                                                 two classes under any circumstances.  Additionally, given the importance of

                                                 case analyses to the course, students who miss discussions pertaining to

                                                 assigned cases will be expected to develop written analyses to additional

                                                 cases assigned by the instructor.  

 

 

Class Policy on

Electronic Devices:           All cell phones, beeper, pagers, etc. should be turned off and stored out of  

                                                 sight during class. 

     

Course Outline:

                                                                                               

Monday, January 9, 2006                  Course Preview

 

Thursday, January 12, 2006             Chapters 1 and 2

 

Monday, January 16, 2006                                Chapter 3             

 

Thursday, January 19, 2006             Chapter 3 Continued

 

Monday, January 23, 2006                                Chapter 4

 

Thursday, January 26, 2006             Chapter 4 Continued

 

Monday, January 30, 2006                                Chapter 5

 

Thursday, February 2, 2006             Chapter 5 Continued

 

Monday, February 6, 2006                                Case 1, Competition in the Bottled Water Industry

 

Thursday, February 9, 2006             No Class

 

Monday, February 13, 2006              Chapter 6

                                                               

Thursday, February 16, 2006           Chapter 6 Continued

 

Monday, February 20, 2006              Chapter 7

 

Thursday, February 23, 2006           Chapter 7 Continued

 

Monday, February 27, 2006              Case 2, Andrea Jung and Avon Products in 2003: Accelerating the Transformation

 

Thursday, March 2, 2006                   Chapter 8

 

Monday, March 6, 2006                     Chapter 8 Continued

 

Thursday, March 9, 2006                   Chapter 9

 

Monday, March 13, 2006                   Chapter 9 Continued

 

Thursday, March 16, 2006                                Case 3, Unilever’s Path to Growth Strategy: Is It Working?

 

Monday, March 20, 2006                   Chapter 10

 

Thursday, March 23, 2006                                Chapter 10 Continued

 

Monday, March 27, 2006                   Chapter 11

 

Thursday, March 30, 2006                                Chapter 12

 

Monday, April 3, 2006                        Chapter 12 Continued

 

Thursday, April 6, 2006                      Case 4, K-Mart: Striving for a Comeback

 

Monday, April 10, 2006                      Chapter 13

 

Thursday, April 13, 2006                   Case 5, Southwest Airlines: Culture, Values, and Operating Policies

 

Monday, April 20, 2006                      All Assignments Due

 

 

Center for Academic Excellence:

 

Tutoring assistance is free to all students of Calumet College of St. Joseph.  Call the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), to make an appointment at 473-4287.  The Center has experienced and well-trained tutors in most subject areas to help students who are struggling in a course or who are doing well and would like to do better.  Regular weekly tutoring sessions are likely to improve your grade.

 

Statement of Plagiarism:

 

If an instructor or other Calumet College of St. Joseph personnel find that a student has plagiarized or been involved in another form of academic dishonesty, the instructor or other personnel may elect to bring the matter up for judicial review.  The maximum penalty for any form of academic dishonesty is dismissal from the College.  The procedures for judicial review are listed under the section of CCSJ handbook that addresses student grievances.

 

Please note:

 

Calumet College of St. Joseph subscribes to Turnitin.com and all papers can and may be submitted for checks on plagiarism from the Internet/Electronic sources/Databases.

 

Citation Guidelines:

 

Calumet College of St. Joseph adheres to citation guidelines as prescribed by the particular discipline (i.e., MLA, APA, and Chicago Manual of Style or Turabian.).   All of these guidelines are available in the Calumet College of St. Joseph library or bookstore.  These texts outline how to cite references from a variety of sources, including electronic media.

 

Withdrawal from Classes Policy:

 

After the last day for class changes has passed (see College calendar), students may withdraw from a course in which they are registered with permission from the faculty member conducting the course.  A written request detailing the reason(s) for the withdrawal must be filed with the Registrar.  The Registrar must receive written request for withdrawal by the last day of classes prior to the final examination dates specified in the catalogue.  Written requests may be mailed to the Registrar or faxed to the College fax number 219-473-4259.  Students are to make note of the refund schedule when withdrawing from courses. The request is forwarded to the faculty member, who makes the final determination to accept or deny the request.  If the request is honored, the student will receive notification of official withdrawal; if denied, the notification will indicate why the withdrawal is disallowed.

 

 

An official withdrawal is recorded as a "W" grade on the student's transcript.  Dropping a course without written permission automatically incurs an "F" grade for the course (see Refund Schedule).

 

School Closing Information:

 

                Internet:                                                 http://www.ccsj.edu

               

http://www.EmergencyClosings.com

Facility: Calumet College of St. Joseph

Phone: 219.473.4770

 

Radio:                                    WAKE – 1500 AM

WGN  - 720 AM

WIJE – 105.5 FM

WLS – 890 AM

WZVN – 107.1 FM

WBBM NEWS RADIO 78

 

            TV Channels:                  2, 5, 7, 9, 32