GBK 459-130 Business Strategy - Texas A&M University
Contents
1. assignments and activities as measured by exams cases simulation etc and by successfully completing all assignments and activities to the best of one s abilities at the present time Demonstrate PROFESSIONAL MATURITY at all times by accepting the circumstances under which one has chosen to attempt to complete this course and by accepting the evaluation of one s work by one s peers and or instructor without complaining or resorting to irrelevant appeals e g this could hurt my GPA I was really busy etc This is notwithstanding any exceptional situations in which a student is able to provide written documentation that a legitimate objective evaluation error has been made or in which normal evaluation policy should be set aside because of a documented emergency G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 Page 7 G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 Course Communication Guidelines Information Repository The course Blackboard page will contain a course schedule and list of all assignments web links to research and other information individual student exam and assignment grades secure for each student and other information useful to this course Each student should check this page every day for the first week of class and at least once per week after that to be sure you he or she is current with requirements for this course Late Submissions Resubmissions Except in documented emergencies e g unexpected military com2. The course centers on the theme that a company achieves sustained success if and only if its managers 1 have an astute timely strategic game plan for running the company and 2 implement and execute the plan with proficiency This course allows students to explore in depth how G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 Page 2 G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 and why a well conceived and well executed strategy nearly always enhances a company s long term performance This course also gives students the opportunity to integrate much of the knowledge they have gained in their business curriculum to date marketing accounting management finance and so on This is a big picture course The problems and issues surrounding the tasks of crafting and implementing strategy cover the whole spectrum of business and management Many variables and situational factors must be dealt with at once Weighing the pros and cons of one strategic option versus another entails a total enterprise perspective and good judgment about how all of the relevant factors combine to shape what actions need to be taken Strategy involves the careful consideration of current and past contextual and organizational factors as well as an imaginative and prospective consideration of what future alternatives are possible to realize As such this course requires students to be somewhat ambi brained In other words this course requires the use of both the logical an
3. an information centered society Librarians are available to work with students in the development of information literacy and are knowledgeable on many relevant matters including critical reasoning the ethical use of information and the appropriate use of secondary research techniques Librarian services may include but are not limited to the following exploring information resources such as library collections and services identifying sources such as subject databases and scholarly journals and executing effective search strategies Library Resources are outlined and accessed through the following web page hitp www tamuct edu library The TAMUCT librarians are available to assist distance learning students doing research via email and chat sessions consult the library link provided here or the library link on the course home page to access these services statement updated Fall 2014 XIII Syllabus Changes and Errors Your instructor reserves the right to make changes to the syllabus as needed You will be advised of any changes with ample notice via Blackboard Changes can arise from pedagogical necessity or simply from the discovery of an error in the syllabus document itself If you believe you have found an error e g a scheduling error or inconsistency in the syllabus or course Blackboard page please notify your instructor immediately XIV Tutoring Tutoring is available to all TAMUCT students both on campus and online Subje
4. honor in personal and scholarly conduct Any deviation from this expectation may result ina minimum of a failing grade for the assignment and potentially a failing grade for the course All academic dishonesty concerns will be reported to the university s Office of Student Conduct Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating on an examination or other academic work plagiarism and improper citation of sources using another student s work collusion and the abuse of resource materials When in doubt on collaboration citation or any issue please contact me before taking a course of action More information can be found at http www tamuct edu departments studentconduct academicintegrity php statement updated Summer 2014 X Disabilities Support and Access At Texas A amp M University Central Texas we value an inclusive learning environment where every student has an equal chance to succeed and has the right to an education that is barrier free The Office of Disability Support and Access is responsible for ensuring that students with a disability enjoy equal access to the University s programs services and activities Some aspects of this course or the way the course is taught may present barriers to learning due to a disability If you feel this is the case please contact Disability Support and Access at 254 501 5831 in Warrior Hall Ste 212 For more information please visit their website at www tamuct edu Disabi
5. G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 mom TEXAS A amp M mC i UNTYERSITY wy CENTRAL TEXAS G BK 459 130 Business Strategy online Fall 2014 25 Aug 12 Dec Syllabus Version 3 0 25 Aug 2014 l Instructor and Course Access Instructor Dr Brad Almond Campus Office Founders Hall 318G TAMUCT Office Phone 254 519 5443 Office Fax 254 501 5825 E mail address brad almond tamuct edu or through Blackboard messaging Department Marketing and Management Office Secretary Christine Garza Founders Hall 318 254 519 5437 cobainfo tamuct edu Office Hours Mondays and Wednesdays 1 4 pm appointments recommended Teaching Assistant Leticia Togba TA Contact Info e mail ltogba tamuct edu cell 254 630 0704 use sparingly Leticia may also be contacted through Blackboard email Mode of instruction and course access This course is an online course that utilizes TAMUCT s Blackboard Learn system for all course communications and administration including testing assignment submission and communications The course Blackboard page may be accessed at https tamuct blackboard com Students should log into Blackboard using your MyCT Username and password e Your Blackboard Username is your MyCT username xx123 or everything before the in your MyCT e mail address e Your Blackboard Password is your MyCT password Blackboard login instructions are also given on the right hand side of the page of the above URL To e
6. Students who complete all course requirements without receiving any negative peer feedback will typically receive full credit for participation and professionalism As part of the participation component of this class each student is required post a personal bio to the Discussions areas in Blackboard Instructions for the personal bio will be given in the Weekly Schedule area in Blackboard Further enhancements to your participation grade can be realized by other X factor means such as for example offering exemplary contributions in class or online or by posting interesting and relevant current news items to the discussions area to stimulate discussion Students who work in groups but fail to submit an end of semester peer evaluation will lose participation points The class participation and professionalism component is worth 10 of your final grade in this course This 10 will be broken down as follows e 2 personal bios e 6 professionalism and in class participation e 2 X factor Any decrement to this grade resulting from negative peer evaluation will be in addition to any decrement that is applied to the specific assignment from which the negative peer evaluation was derived e g case studies Business Strategy Game In this course each student will individually take part in a competitive computer based business simulation This component of the course will be administrated and monitored by your teaching assistant see contac
7. al company 2 1 2 Students will define and describe the components of the competitive environment and conduct an analysis of the competitive environment of a real industry 2 1 3 Students will define and describe the strategic groups framework and conduct a strategic groups analysis for a real industry 2 2 Students will define the components of internal environment analysis and conduct an internal analysis for a real company 2 2 1 Students will identify the components and distinctive features of the value chain analysis framework and conduct a value chain analysis of both a firm and an industry 2 2 2 Students will identify the components and distinctive features of the resource based view of the firm and conduct a resource analysis for a real firm 3 STRATEGIC FORMULATION Strategy Module 2 Students will identify the principles and processes of formulating strategy and will formulate a strategy for a real company 3 1 Students will identify the distinctive features of business level cost leadership differentiation focus and combination strategies and create a set of strategic alternatives for a real company based on these strategties Students will also implement one or more of these strategies as part of a course strategy simulation G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 Page 4 G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 3 2 3 3 Students will identify different varieties of corporate diversification and the relative ris
8. ale Your final grade in this course will be broken down according to the components described above and the weightings shown below and will be converted to an alpha numeric final grade according to the scale shown below Please note that letter grades are only assigned to final averages Assignments Antha oints 8 grade P Exams 3 10 each Case Analysis 3 parts 15 each Participation and professionalism Business strategy game Totals If your final average is at least but less than your grade is Eo es ee ae 7 o C k O o w D Oo o o o E e Grade Curves Although grade adjustments in my classes are rare reserve the right to adjust or not adjust course grades at my discretion Adjustments are considered only for final grades and not for individual assignments Please do not contact me to request an adjustment unless you believe I have made an evaluation error and have written documentation to support your argument Any discretionary adjustments on my part will be uniformly applied to all students in the course Notwithstanding the above please note that it is usual policy to round up individual final averages using 50 as a cutoff i e a 79 50 final average is a B but a 79 49 is a C G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 Page 12 G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 IX Academic Integrity Texas A amp M University Central Texas expects all students to maintain high standards of
9. alytic and the visual creative hemispheres of the brain Finally this is a WRITING INTESTIVE WI course WI courses are intended to foster the development of communication skills needed for effective participation in the business world Effective communication written verbal and nonverbal is a highly valued and marketable skill in any field Surveys have shown that the ability to communicate well is ranked by business executives as first among the personal factors necessary for promotion This course will focus on continuous improvement in written language Please note that although this course has an official writing intensive designation oral communication skills will also be emphasized and evaluated see details below V Intended Student Outcomes Learning Objectives GENERAL LEARNING OBJECTIVES By engaging in the specific course elements described below in section VII of this syllabus students will develop in each of the following general cognitive and practical skill areas A Analogical thinking Analogical thinking involves the application of terms and conceptual models to specific and especially new contexts B Analytical thinking Analytical thinking involves the careful consideration of data in an attempt to answer diagnostic type questions such as What is happening here How do these facts all relate to each other and What does it all mean Analytical thinking is the bedrock of decision making it is on
10. ctly applied and Use of Course Content utilized in the analysis such that it is clear to the reader that you fully 10 understand them Quality of Thought and High level thinking is evident as is an advanced level of analytic and diagnostic capability recommendations are compelling and perhaps 10 Insight surprising TOTAL POINTS 100 G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 Page 16
11. cts tutored include Accounting Finance Statistics Mathematics and Writing Tutors are available at the Tutoring Center in Warrior Hall Room 111 Visit www ct tamus edu AcademicSupport and click Tutoring Support for tutor schedules and contact info If you have questions need to schedule a tutoring session or if you re interested in becoming a tutor contact Academic Support Programs at 254 501 5830 or by emailing tutoring ct tamus edu Chat live with a tutor 24 7 for almost any subject on your computer Tutor com is an online tutoring platform that enables TAMU CT students to log in and receive FREE online tutoring and writing support This tool provides tutoring in Mathematics Writing Career Writing Chemistry Physics Biology Spanish Calculus and Statistics To access Tutor com log into your Blackboard account and click Online Tutoring statement updated Summer 2014 G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 Page 14 G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 XV Online Learning TAMUCT courses incorporate online learning in varying ways and to varying degrees This course while primarily lecture based also includes a significant online component including online examinations group collaborations strategy simulation and peer evaluation It is not possible to pass this course without successfully completing the online component G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 Page 15 G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 Appendix Wr
12. esponses back within 24 hours unless it is over the weekend or am out of town If you have not heard from me via email within this time limit or if you have an emergency you may send me a text at 254 339 3190 Please send texts sparingly and always include your name and the name of this course in your text since won t recognize your number Please note that you are not to contact me for technical support and that normally will NOT respond to texts directly Texts are only meant to gently alert me or remind me that you have an unanswered or urgent email that needs a response Specific Grade Components Your final grade in this course will be calculated based on a weighted average of your examinations case analyses the web based strategy simulation game and class participation Note that some of your assignment grades may include a peer evaluation component Exams None of these exams will be comprehensive All exams will be taken online within the Blackboard environment and will be graded as quickly as possible If the exam is fully multiple choice it will be graded automatically by Blackboard and grades will be available to students once the testing period ends If the exam includes short answer or G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 Page 8 G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 essay questions grades will not be posted until your professor manually grades these items usually within 1 2 days Each exam will count 10 of y
13. ired student cannot find a new group he or she will have to complete the balance of the case analysis alone with an automatic letter grade reduction on the assignment Please note that this is by nature a group assignment Thus individuals may NOT elect at the start of the semester to complete the case analysis on their own Furthermore if the same group member is dismissed from two different groups he or she will automatically fail the course regardless of his or her performance on other course components Note that being dismissed from a group only once does not guarantee a passing grade Please note that there is no minimum or maximum page limit for the case analyses individual parts However experience has shown that in the past most quality completed case study sections fall in the 8 15 page range but some are longer than this have posted a sample case study from a past semester on Blackboard for reference but please note that the nature and structure of this assignment has changed since this student work was done and thus this sample should NOT be used as a template will give guidance on typical page ranges for the individual case sections on Blackboard Your case analyses not trivial exercises and should not be treated as such Do not be tempted be these page totals to think that more information means higher grades There may be some historical correlation between case length and grade but this does not mean that simply making a case lo
14. itten Case Analysis Evaluation Rubric Your written case analyses will be evaluated using the rubric shown below The left column lists the categories of evaluation will be considering as read your cases The middle column describes each category of evaluation and may also list the sorts of items that fall within a particular evaluation category The right column lists the total possible points you can GAIN toward your total assignment grade from a particular evaluation category Read this paragraph closely Note that the assignment of point values to your work may be asymmetrical What mean by this is that the number of points you can LOSE by completely failing a particular category is greater than the total number of points you can GAIN by completely satisfying the requirements for that same category The reason for this is that these evaluation categories are not independent of each other some are foundational for other categories For example even though you can only gain 5 points for the use of high quality permissible sources using certain unapproved sources such as student essay websites can void your entire analysis and will hurt your grade accordingly Category of a Maximum l Description of Category Evaluation Points Punctuation Correct use of commas quotation marks periods semi colons etc 5 Spelling and Word Correct spelling of words correct usage of words g Usage Correct s
15. ks and benefits inherent in each Students will identify components of entrepreneurial strategy and competitive dynamics 4 STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION Strategy Module 3 Students will define the terms and principles of strategic implementation and will develop a strategic implementation plan for a real company 4 1 4 2 4 3 Students will identify types and principles of strategic controls and corporate governance and demonstrate these principles as part of a strategic implementation plan for a real company Students will identify types and distinctive features of different organization structure types Students will identify the qualities dimensions and paradoxes of innovation and the basic principles involved in managing it VI Course Materials Required Texts Dess Lumpkin Eisner and McNamara 2014 Strategic Management text and cases 7 Ed McGraw Hill Irwin New York The ISBN for this title 978 0 07 786252 7 Please note that the cover of this version of the text has a picture of three rocks on a gray background and that earlier editions of this textbook may NOT be used in this course Note students are not under any obligation to purchase their textbooks or other course materials from a university affiliated bookstore The above named textbook may also be available from an independent retailer including an online retailer or textbook rental service International versions of this text while having a lower prin
16. litySupport Any information you provide is private and confidential and will be treated as such statement updated Fall 2014 XI Drop Policy If you discover that you need to drop this class you must go to or contact the Records Office and ask for the necessary paperwork You may also access this information online at http www tamuct edu departments registrar droppolicy php Professors cannot drop students this is always the responsibility of the student The Records Office will give you a deadline by which the paperwork they give you must be completely filled out signed and returned to their office Once you have returned the completed and signed form s to the records office wait 24 hours before going into Warrior Web to confirm that you are no longer enrolled If after the 24 hours you find that you are still enrolled FOLLOW UP with the records office immediately You must continue to attend class until the procedure is complete to avoid any penalties for absence Should you miss the deadline or fail to follow the procedure you will receive an F in the course statement updated Fall 2014 G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 Page 13 G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 XII Library Services Just as computer literacy deals with general competency in the use of computers a necessary skill in a highly technological society like ours INFORMATION LITERACY focuses on research skills that prepare individuals to live and work in
17. ly after engaging in analytic thinking that one should begin to ask the questions is this good or bad and what should do C Integrative thinking Integrative thinking involves the application of multiple conceptual or disciplinary frameworks to a single problem or scenario D Imaginative and creative thinking Imaginative and creative thinking involves the identification articulation and realization of novel and hitherto unarticulated possibilities This sort of thinking may also include the three types of thinking described above G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 Page 3 G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 E Learning by reading Learning by reading is a cognitive skill involving the active mental acquisition storage organization and retrieval of thoughts and ideas that have been disseminated in a print medium F Written communication Written communication is a skill involving the coherent and compelling expression of typically one s own thoughts and ideas which are often derived or synthesized from the thoughts and ideas of others through written language G Spoken communication Spoken communication is a skill involving the coherent and compelling expression of one s own thoughts and ideas through spoken language H Collaboration Collaboration is the skill of cooperatively engaging in one or more of the above mental or practical tasks with one or more other people It involves a particular set of organi
18. ly exception here would be if Blackboard failed completely in which case would be notified and could re set the exam G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 Page 9 G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 The full details of each these assignments will be posted on Blackboard in the Assignments area For additional guidance please also see the supplemental files in the Case Analysis Files folder on Blackboard These files are important read them Note that groups have the option of firing underperforming group members who fail to communicate adequately with other group members who miss deadlines set by the group who commit some form of academic dishonesty plagiarism use of impermissible sources etc who have a flippant recalcitrant abusive or otherwise intolerable attitude toward other group members who fail to complete their work on time or with sufficient quality or some combination of these Groups seeking to dismiss a member must first contact the instructor with documentation email paper trails work samples details of phone conversations etc and a clear rationale for the dismissal If the instructor deems it beneficiary and in the best interest of the group to proceed with the dismissal the instructor not the group itself will notify the dismissed group member directly The dismissed group member will be permitted to look for a new group Other groups in class are NOT obligated to allow fired students to join If the f
19. mitments hospitalizations funerals late work will not be accepted after the due date posted on Blackboard Revised due dates will be created upon request from your instructor on a case by case basis and are not guaranteed A due date extension will not be permitted without official written documentation of the emergency in question no exceptions Documentation may be brought to class or scanned and emailed faxed using the instructor contact information on page 1 of this syllabus How to submit work Assignments will generally be submitted through Blackboard in the Assignments area by following the prompts given Please submit all written assignments in Word or PDF formats only Any documents send to you or post to Blackboard will be in PDF format The easiest way to convert a Word file to PDF is to Save As then under the Save as type menu select PDF If your word processor does not already contain a PDF converter most do a free PDF creator may be downloaded from the following URL http sourceforge net projects pdfcreator E mail Guidelines will do my best to check my Blackboard messages at least daily during the work week also regularly my TAMUCT e mail brad almond tamuct edu several times a day during the workweek and occasionally on weekends Note that cannot guarantee immediate replies to student e mails Please do not expect to have immediate and continual contact with me However in most cases will e mail r
20. municate health and safety emergency information quickly via email text message and social media All students are automatically enrolled in UNILERT through their myCT email account Connect at www TAMUCT edu UNILERT to change where you receive your alerts or to opt out By staying enrolled in UNILERT university officials can quickly pass on safety related information regardless of your location statement updated Fall 2014 Il Summary Course Description This is a writing intensive capstone course involving the integration of concepts and principles studied in accounting economics finance management marketing quantitative methods and other relevant business disciplines It includes aspects relating to both creative and technical problem solving business decision making It is designed to be taken by senior business majors during their last semester but may be taken earlier if the necessary prerequisites have already been completed see next section Ill Prerequisites Unless they have received permission from the appropriate department head or faculty member students must complete the following courses before taking this class ACC 204 FIN 301 G B 311 MGMT 301 and MKTG 314 IV Expanded Course Description GB 459 is a challenging capstone course that focuses on how firms formulate implement evaluate and present strategies through written case study analysis oral presentations and a computer based business simulation
21. nday suggest taking the exams as early as possible within this 4 day window This way if you do encounter a problem you have time to contact me or Blackboard technical support about it in time to do something about it before the exam window closes Ultimately YOU are responsible for accessing and utilizing the technology you are using to complete this course If you procrastinate you are only putting yourself at risk Please plan accordingly Case Analyses Students will work in groups on the case analyses Students will self select into groups in the designated sign up area in Blackboard during the first week of class The name of each group in the sign up area will indicate which company the group will be responsible for analyzing Each group will be responsible for preparing a series of case study analyses relating to this firm There will be three 3 parts to the case analysis component in this class each part will be completed in sequence according to the dates given in the schedule below The three parts of the case analysis are 1 Strategic profile situation analysis internal company analysis and SWOT analysis 2 Strategic alternatives and choice and implementation plan 3 Oral presentation Each part of the case analysis incorporates the work done in the previous parts Once a part is submitted will try to grade it and return it to you within 1 week so that your group can use my feedback to help you with the next section The on
22. nger without enhancing its quality will get you a better grade It won t Please also note that the case study is the capstone assignment in your capstone class As such it is meant to be integrative of all of the material in this course as well as concepts and analytic frameworks from your other core business courses finance accounting marketing etc In this respect it functions much like a comprehensive final exam for this course and for your undergraduate business degree The total case analyses portion of the class accounts for 45 of the final grade in this course Each of the 3 sections will count for 15 of the final grade A detailed outline of what each case analysis should include is given on the course Blackboard site have also included a detailed case study grade rubric which will use to evaluate your analyses in the Appendix of this syllabus As mentioned above have also posted several additional help files in the Case Analysis Files folder on Blackboard to guide your case study preparation As they contain information which you are required to incorporate into your analyses highly recommend that you use them G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 Page 10 G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 Class Participation Professionalism In general professionalism consists of compliance with the General Behavioral Objectives listed above on pages 7 of this syllabus This component of the course is yours to give away
23. nsure timely and reliable communication e g if have to be unavailable to the class temporarily recommend that you change your default email address in Blackboard to whatever email address you actually check on a regular basis To do this click on the triangle that appears to the right of your name in the upper right corner of the Blackboard screen At the bottom of the window that opens click Settings Click the link for Personal Information Click Edit Personal Information Change your email address under 1 Personal Information and click Submit G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 Page 1 G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 For this course you will need reliable and frequent access to a computer with Internet access If you do not have frequent and reliable access to a computer with Internet connection or if your computer skills opening modifying and saving files Web browsing etc are weak please consider taking the course in a face to face format or else dropping the course and re enrolling after you have received additional computing training sufficient for a fully online learning format I am unable to provide computer training in this course aside from that which is directly related to course objectives UNILERT Emergency Warning System for Texas A amp M University Central Texas UNILERT is an emergency notification service that gives Texas A amp M University Central Texas the ability to com
24. our final grade The length and formatting of each exam will be posted on Blackboard and your instructor reserves the right to change the format of an exam at his discretion to better meet pedagogical objectives Students will only be allowed a limited window of time to complete exams typically 90 120 minutes Therefore do not begin an exam unless you are sure you will have adequate time to complete it in one sitting without interruption Even though exams are administered online and you will have the use of your textbook to assist you you still need to study to prepare for the exams You will not have nearly enough time to look every answer up in the textbook as you go along IMPORTANT Although earlier versions of Blackboard allowed students to complete an exam as long as they began it before the due time in the new version of Blackboard am requiring that all exams be complete by the listed due time Furthermore will make no allowances for claims of ignorance i e I forgot we had an exam or of personal technical difficulties lost Web connection PC rebooted on its own virus etc where exams are concerned even if the claims are legitimate Consequently strongly recommend that you keep track of deadlines and NOT wait until the last minute to complete your exams If you do and something goes wrong with your computer you are simply out of luck You will have a 4 day window within which to complete your exams Thursday through Su
25. t For technological or computer issues especially those related to Blackboard students should contact Help Desk Central at any time 24 hours a day 7 days a week Email helpdesk tamu edu Phone 254 519 5466 Web Chat http hdc tamu edu When calling for support please let your support technician know you are a TAMUCT student For issues related to course content and requirements contact your instructor G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 Page 6 G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 VII You will also need access to Microsoft Word or another compatible word processing program such as OpenOffice Writer and a program that allows you to view PDFs Adobe offers a free PDF reader at http www adobe com products acrobat readstep html Most computers are already equipped with this application Course Requirements GENERAL BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES While engaged in the pursuit of each the General and Specific Course Learning Objectives listed in Section V above each student must Demonstrate PROFESSIONAL INITIATIVE at all times by taking responsibility for one s own performance in the course as well as for any opportunities one may be able to take to enhance the course for others This should be demonstrated vis vis course assignment details course deadlines and personal time management generally contributions to groupwork use of required course technology and the anticipation and competent management of con
26. t information on p 1 of this syllabus who will contact you during the first week of the semester with details and guidance Your teaching assistant will also be available throughout the semester to help you with anything related to the simulation Note that this portion of the course is administrated ENTIRELY by the teaching assistant so you should direct any and all questions to him or her The strategy simulation counts 15 of your final grade Your performance in the simulation will be determined in the following manner 10 of your final Glo Bus grade will be based on a Quiz covering the information from the User s Manual for the simulation The quiz is normally administered during the second or third week of the class see schedule below The remaining 90 of your Glo Bus grade is based on the actual performance of your firm when the simulation ends Firm performance is a function of your ongoing decision making within the simulated industry and competitive environment There are five factors that determine the performance of your firm within the simulation Each of these factors is weighted equally These factors are e earnings per share e return on equity e credit rating e image rating e stock price You will be able to track your performance on these metrics throughout the simulation within the Glo Bus environment G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 Page 11 G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 Vill Grade Computation and Sc
27. t quality and being more difficult to procure may be legally purchased by students in the U S for a fraction of the cost of the American version of the text It is also possible to RENT a textbook including e textbooks which are downloaded as PDFs www chegg com has a nice feature that allows students who have ordered paper copies of their texts either for purchase or for rent to read PDF versions of a text for up to 7 days while they wait for their paper copy to arrive by mail This is especially attractive for 8 week courses where it is not practicable to wait several days for a text to arrive Additional Required Materials All students are required to purchase a 1 semester user license for the Glo bus business strategy simulation Licenses must be purchased directly from the Glo bus website www glo bus com Prices change periodically but recent license fees have been about 45 per student Your course teaching assistant will contact you during the first week of the semester with the registration code you will need to purchase your license This code will ensure that you are enrolled in the correct section of Glo bus G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 Page 5 G BK 459 130 Business Strategy FA14 Required Technology Resources e For this course you will need reliable and frequent access to a computer and to the Internet If you do not have frequent and reliable access to a computer with Internet connection or if yo
28. tingencies relating to oneself and to others that may affect one s performance in the course e g job family other courses Demonstrate PROFESSIONAL COURTESY at all times by maintaining a professional tone in all communication with all persons involved with this course peers professor teaching assistant etc This includes any communication that may involve reporting interpersonal conflict engaging in discussions or disputes or giving responding to negative feedback Professional courtesy also includes a commitment to listening well and to engaging in meaningful dialogue where other parties are given ample opportunity to contribute to the discussion or assignment at hand without fear of disruption retribution or unwarranted criticism Finally it also includes common courtesies such as letting group members know in advance if you going to be unavailable for a scheduled meeting or if you are going to miss an agreed upon deadline due to an unforeseen disruption Demonstrate PROFESSIONAL INTEGRITY at all times by complying with all guidelines and restrictions regarding the completion of student work the use of external sources the general compliance with the TAMUCT academic integrity policy and the giving of specific accurate and timely peer performance evaluation Demonstrate a commitment to PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT at all times by reading comprehending integrating and applying all textbook and other reading materials to all course
29. ubject verb agreement no vague pronoun references use of Grammar f i 5 correct voice no run on sentences or comma splices etc Intelligibility and Overall comprehensibility of written English can the reader clearly Expressiveness understand what you are trying to say And do you say it well 10 Effective use of headers and transitions to guide the reader clear Organization logical flow of ideas that is consistent with the case assignment 10 outline Analysis is clearly based on data recommendations are clearly based on analysis recommendations are framed and supported by drawing 5 from multiple business disciplines management economics Integration marketing finance etc abstract and conclusion effectively 25 summarize the analysis the entire paper hangs together as a cohesive whole The analysis displays clear evidence of a high level of student effort multiple and varied sources have been consulted the analysis sounds Rigor credible and is consistent in quality with senior level university work 10 the compiled data are sufficiently voluminous and comprehensive to support the analysis and conclusions Use of Sources a high quality permissible sources have been consulted sources 5 ave been used appropriately and with sophistication All margins font style size headings citations bibliographic entries Formatting and any inserted graphics are correct as per the style guide in 5 Blackboard Course terms and frameworks have been corre
30. ur computer skills are weak you should drop this course and take it instead in a face to face format This course will use the TAMU CT Blackboard Learn learning management system for many class communications content distribution and assessments Login instructions for Blackboard are given on page 1 of this syllabus Blackboard supports the most common operating systems PC Windows 7 Windows XP Windows Vista Windows 2000 Mac MacOS 10 6 Snow Leopard Mac OS 10 5 Leopard Mac OS 10 4 Tiger Upon logging on to Blackboard Learn you will see a link to Blackboard Student Orientation under the My Courses tab Click on that link and study the materials in this orientation course This orientation course will help get students who are new to online education or to the Blackboard environment get up to speed quickly There is also a link to Blackboard Help from inside the course on the left hand menubar As needed the first week of the course may include activities and assignments that will help you get up to speed with navigation sending and receiving messages and discussion posts and submitting an assignment Your ability to function within the Blackboard system will facilitate your success in this course Technology issues are not an excuse for missing a course requirement make sure your computer is configured correctly and address issues well in advance of deadlines Blackboard Technical Suppor
31. zing coordinating and communicating skills that are not required when working alone SPECIFIC COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1 COURSE INTRODUCTION In this section of the course students will demonstrate their understanding of the overall design of the course the specific course components involved and the foundational terms upon which the course will build 1 1 Students will read the contents of this course syllabus 1 2 Students will navigate and correctly utilize the course Blackboard page 1 3 Students will identify the necessary elements for completing a case study analysis in this class in preparation for completing a case study in later course modules 1 4 Students will identify the terms and procedures from the Participant s Guide for the Glo bus strategy simulation in preparation for participation in the simulation 1 5 Students will define and describe the terms strategy and the strategic management process 1 6 Students will define and correctly utilize the vision mission and values framework 2 STRATEGIC ANALYSIS Strategy Module 1 Students will define the terms describe the frameworks and engage in the process of strategic analysis 2 1 Students will define the components of external environment analysis and conduct an external environment analysis for a real company 2 1 1 Students will define and describe the components of the general environment and conduct an analysis of the general environment of a re
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search