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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "MGT 498"
COURSE NAME: "Strategic Management"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2017
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Silvia Pulino
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: TTH 3:00 PM 4:15 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisites: Senior Standing and completion of all other Business core courses
OFFICE HOURS: Wednesdays 9.30am to 3.00pm or by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Focuses on the role and responsibilities of the Chief Executive Officer, which call for leadership, integration across functional areas, organizational development, and strategy formulation and implementation.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
Foundation Concepts. Understanding Industry Structure. Creating Competitive Advantage. Dynamic Competition. The Corporate Dimension – Growth by Acquisition, International Strategy, Strategic Alliances, Corporate Governance. Entrepreneurial Strategy. Vision, Mission and Leadership.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students who complete the course successfully should be able to:

 1. Analyze the key competitive forces of an industry

 2. Assess the overall attractiveness of an industry from the perspective of both the existing participants and potential new entrants

 3. Identify key areas that require a strategic response

 4. Assess the skills and capabilities of a firm, including the qualities of its leadership

 5. Evaluate a company’s strategic health

 6. Formulate a sustainable generic strategy

 In addition, the course introduces or reinforces many transferable skills, including:

 -          Oral presentation

 -          Team work

 -          Project management

 -          Business writing

TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberComments
Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and CompetitorsMichael E. PorterMacmillan PublishingISBN 0-02-925360-8  
Understanding Michael PorterJoan MagrettaHarvard Business Review PressISBN 978-1-4221-6059-6Library call numberHD41.P6776 2012 
Competitive Advantage of NationsMichael E. Portern/aISBN: 9780029253618   

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Class participationThe class participation grade will reflect preparation, attendance and quality and frequency of participation. Class preparation will require students to read all the assigned material and to explore the guiding questions provided in Moodle. Class participation will help students understand the material better and build confidence in public speaking. In each class, I will ask a student to make a brief presentation of the material s/he prepared, but all students are encouraged to participate in almost every class at least once and if possible more than once, actively engaging in the debate. The instructor may also indicate university open lectures that are relevant to the course; students are expected to attend such lectures (unless there is a scheduling clash with another course) as part of their class participation activities. Participation to these activities will enhance the class participation grade. Assignments and deadlines will be posted on Moodle. Students are required to sign up and keep up to date with all Moodle postings for the course. 10%
Group Project (paper)Students will organize themselves into groups and conduct an in-depth analysis of a real company, providing a description of the company’s strategy and achievements and an assessment of how suitable the current strategy is to meet future challenges. Students are required to submit a written paper (15-20 pages plus Bibliography and Attachments) and to make a brief (15 minutes) presentation of their findings. Specific Guidelines for the report will be provided on Moodle.30%
Group Project (Presentation)Students will present their work in lieu of a final exam. Presentations will be graded on the basis of style, delivery, research, content and visual aids. While the grade for the presentation is individual, it will inevitably be enhanced by strong team work in the preparation of the report and the presentation visuals. Specific Guidelines for the presentation will be posted on Moodle.20%
Term paperStudents will submit a term paper (7-10 pages plus Bibliography and Attachments) that will test their understanding and mastery of industry analysis. Guidelines for the Term Paper will be provided on Moodle.35%
Elevator Pitch Competition An Elevator Pitch is a quick way of putting across the fundamental elements of a project, a business idea, a social cause or even one's professional qualifications and capturing the other person's attention to prompt him/her to action. The JCU Elevator Pitch Competition is intended as a vehicle to encourage students to develop this specific skill and test it in a competitive environment. ALL students are expected to participate. A panel of three JCU professors will evaluate and judge the pitches. The pitches will be evaluated on the basis of: • Substance: clarity and persuasiveness of the argument presented • Delivery: attention to tone, volume, pronunciation and pace • Non-verbal communication, including attire and background • Timing: pitches will be cut off after 60 seconds 5%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the cours
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Students are expected to come to class and to arrive on time.

Absences: students are allowed up to 3 absences during the semester.

Tardiness: students arriving more than 5 minutes late for class will be marked as absence (though they may stay and follow the lesson).

Persistent absence or tardiness usually precludes satisfactory performance in the course, and will result in a lower class participation grade. In any case, students are responsible for all material covered by the syllabus and/or discussed in class, whether or not they are actually present.

ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE

 NOTE: This table is merely indicative. The definitive schedule is the one on MOODLE.

 

 

Class

 

Date

Topic

Material / Preparation

PART I – STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT INPUTS

1

 

 

Introduction: Class Roadmap. Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness

The strategic management process. The competitive landscape. Models of above-average returns. Vision and mission. Stakeholders. Strategic leadership.

Temporary group selection

2

 

 

Focus on Creating Value

What is Strategy? (H)[1]

 

Additional reading: Building your company’s vision (E)

3

 

 

The External Environment

External Environment. PEST analysis. Identifying Strategy.

 

In-class PEST analysis

CS[2], Introduction, pp. xiii-xx

Environmental Analysis (M)[3]

What is Your Strategy? (H)

 

 

4

 

 

Industry Analysis and Competitive Analysis  

The Five Forces that Shape Competitive Strategy (E)[4]

Temporary group selection

Strategy Identification due

5

 

 

Focus on Five-Force Analysis

How to prepare a case

The Five Forces in the Passenger Airline Industry (M)

6

 

 

The Chinese Fireworks Industry (case)

The Chinese Fireworks Industry (H)

How to Read, Discuss and Write Persuasively about Cases

Group Memorandum due

 

7

 

 

The Internal Environment

Resources, Capabilities, Building Core Competencies. Value Chain Analysis

Capabilities Analysis (M)

Competing on Capabilities (E)

 

8

 

 

Focus on Core Competencies

Starbucks case discussion

Evaluation of Core Competencies (M)

{Starbucks HBS case}

 

9

 

 

Focus on the Value Chain

Discussion of the value chain applied to sectors of JCU

Value Chain Framework and Support System for Higher Education (M)

STRATEGIC ACTIONS: STRATEGY FORMULATION

10

 

 

Business level strategy

Competitive Strategies: Cost Leadership / Differentiation / Integration. Positioning

Generic Competitive Strategies (CS, ch. 2)

Strategy Maps (M)

11

 

 

Focus on Strategic Components

IKEA case discussion

IKEA (H)

12

 

 

Focus on changing nature of the five forces of competition

Blockbuster – Netflix – Comcast (M)

Term Paper Due

13

 

 

Competitive Rivalry and Competitive Dynamics

Creating Competitive Advantage (H)

14

 

 

Focus on the complexity of competitive dynamics on a global scale or in a global context

The Candy Industry (M)

15

 

 

Corporate-level Strategy

Diversification. Vertical integration

Vertical integration in beef production (M)

Diversification Matrices (M)

16

 

 

Acquisition and Restructuring Strategies

Vertical, Related and Cross-Border Acquisitions. Problems in achieving acquisition success.

From Competitive Advantage to Corporate Strategy (E)

 

 

17

 

 

International Strategy

Multi-domestic, Global and Transnational Strategies

Determinants of National Advantage, Porter (E)

 

 

18

 

 

Guest Speaker: Luigi Orlandini, Canossa Events

 

19

 

 

National Advantage

Focus on Porter’s “national advantage diamond”

National Champions (M)

20

 

 

Students work on group project

Group Project – First Draft Due

 

21

 

 

Cooperative Strategy

Business, Corporate, International and Network Cooperative Strategies

Airborne Express (case)

Exercise TBA

Airborne Express (H)

Deadline to resubmit Term Paper

22

 

 

THE ELEVATOR PITCH COMPETITION – WORKSHOP

 

PART VI – SPECIAL TOPICS IN STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

23

 

 

Managing Networked Businesses

 

 

 

24

 

 

Google Inc. case discussion

Google Inc. (H)

25

 

 

Guest Speaker: Filippo Chincozzi, Moovenda

 

 

26

 

 

Group Project

Group Project – Second Draft Due

 

27

 

 

Corporate Governance

Fogdog (case)

Fogdog (H)

28

 

 

Strategic Leadership

CEO as Strategist (E)

Group Project – Final Draft Due Presentation Slides Due

exam

 

TBD

FINAL PRESENTATIONS

 

[2] (CS) Competitive Strategy, Michael E. Porter, on Reserve in Library

[3] (M) Available in Moodle

[4] (E) Available online through EBSCO