Gb699Corporate Strategy Syllabus

Professor Name John J. HamptonEmail

Phone 201 761-6390Office Location:School of Business

Office Hours Tuesday-Wednesday 1:00-4:00 by appointment

Description

This course examines strategic decision making in the areas of management, marketing, and finance. It links strategic planning with performance in a framework for decision making. Miscellaneous topics link strategic linking with key concepts such as seeking the big picture, collaborating for better decisions, and differences in wartime and peacetime environments. International perspectives are incorporated throughout the course.

Outcomes

Students can expect the following outcomes in this course:

  • They will improve written communications.
  • They will have a better understanding of ethical responsibilities of the profession.
  • They will recognize problems and apply strategic analysis.
  • They will reason analytically and make data-driven decisions.

Course materials

  • Textbook. Corporate Strategies, (2015).
  • Study Guide. This is it. It is also the syllabus.Copies can be downloaded from . Click the Study Guides button.

Hybrid Format

  • Term. February 24 to May 12, Room G09, McDermott Hall.
  • Meetings. Sixtotal sessions with dates to be announced in class.
  • First meeting: February 24 or 25
  • Tentative Dates:
  • Class #1: February 24 or 25.
  • Class #2: March 3 or 4.
  • Class #3: March 10 or 11.
  • Class #4: March 17 or 18.
  • Class #5: March 24 or 25.
  • Class #6: April
  • Note: This course is not available in a total online format.

Grading

The grade is based upon two submissions.

  • Part 1 Exercises. 70 percent of the grade.
  • Part 2 Individual or Team Project. 30 percent of the grade.

Due Dates for Assignments

  • Part 1. March 31 (Tuesday)
  • Part 2. April 28 (Tuesday)

Exercises

They are printed at the end of this syllabus.

Topics

Chapter 1. Strategic Planning.

Chapter 2. Strategies and Performance.

Chapter 3. Strategic Decision Making.

Chapter 4. Framework for Strategies.

Chapter 5. Seek the Big Picture.

Chapter 6. Collaborate for Better Decisions.

Chapter 7. Wartime and Peacetime Strategies.

Requirements for Completing the Exercises

  • Complete all exercises with at least 50% of them using the engaged format described below.
  • Show you understand the point of the exercise.
  • Add a little something to it.
  • Choose either the basic or engaged format for each exercise.

Basic Format Example

Question: What are examples of a speculative risk not named in the book?

Basic Format AnswerA speculative risk exists when we have the possibility of a loss along with the chance to make a profit. Examples are betting on horse races, buying stocks and bonds, and real estate investment. This differs from a pure risk where only a loss is possible.

Engaged Format Answer

A speculative risk exists when we have the possibility of a loss along with the chance to make a profit. Examples are betting on horse races, buying stocks and bonds, and real estate investment. This differs from a pure risk where only a loss is possible.

Since we know that pure risk is a risk in which loss is the only possible outcome, there is no beneficial result. Pure risk is related to events that arebeyond the risk-taker's control and, therefore, a person cannot consciouslytake on pure risk.

An example is the possibility that a person's house will be destroyed due to a natural disaster. In this example, it is unlikely that there would be any potential benefit to this risk.

There are products that can be purchased to mitigate pure risk. For example, flood insurance can be used to protect homeowners from the risk that their homes will be destroyed by an overflowing river.Other examples of pure risk events include premature death, identity theft, and career-ending disabilities.

Submitting the Exercises

Carefully follow these submission guidelines to avoid delays that affect grading.

  • Copy the exercises from the Study Guide to a separate MS Word file for part 1.
  • Repeat the process to a different MS Word file for part 2
  • Save each file with the name <Your last name> Course # Part#
  • Answer each question in order.
  • Do not repeat the wording of the question in your answer.
  • Send a single MS Word document for each part as an attachment to anemail to .Do not use BlackBoard for submissions.

Confirmation

The instructor will confirm receipt of the exercises and projectwithin four days. If no confirmation is received, query the instructor.

Downloading the Textbook

The textbook is available for download at The steps are:

  • Click Purchase Books.
  • ClickBook Title and then Add to cart
  • Proceed to Checkout. Or proceed to checkout with PayPal.
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  • I want to use a new billing address. Enter information. Bill to this address.
  • Continue. To receive a 25% student discount, enter discount codeSPU25.
  • Proceed to Payment. Enter information. Pay for order.
  • Find your order. Click Download files. Then sign out on top.
  • Having Trouble? Email

Plagiarism and Cheating

Saint Peters considers plagiarism to be an unacceptable practice under any circumstances. To promote and protect academic integrity, the University's policy against plagiarism must be unconditionally respected. Students found to be committing acts of plagiarism will face academic sanctions to be determined by the professor as well as the administration. Plagiarism includes:

  • Submitting the work of other parties as your own.
  • Downloading information from the Internet without identifying the link.

Course Project

Pick one of the following countries and create a PowerPoint presentation on the business, economic, and cultural, aspects of doing business in the country. For an example of such a project, check the button at hamptonjohn.comwith the Gb699 number and sample project.

  • Argentina.
  • Norway.
  • Tunisia.

You have complete freedom to create an interesting presentation. This includes the use of graphics and clever components. The project will be graded as follows:

  • Start. In the first few slides, identify an interesting and compelling story.
  • Goal. To identify and explain a strategy that a company should follow to successfully do business in the selected country.
  • Content. The story should be told in an interesting format that engages the viewer.
  • Conclusion. The story is closed with an interesting and logical wrap-up.
  • Length. Projects are likely to range from 14 to 30 slides.

Submitting the Project

  • Create a separate PowerPoint document.
  • Identify yourself or members on the first slide.
  • Save it as <Your team or last name>, Gb699, Country Name
  • Submit by email.

Exercises 1. Strategic Decision-making.

1-1.What is the difference between a strategy and a tactic?

1-2.According to Peter Drucker, the only purpose of a business is to create a customer. Do you agree with that position? Explain your reasoning.

1-3.Strategically, which is better? Should a company seek out a market, determine its needs, and meet them? Or should it create a product, manufacture it, and attempt to sell it in existing markets? Explain your reasoning.

1-4. With respect to the story of Marissa Mayer, do you agree that she was making a wise strategic decision by hiring Henrique de Castro at such a high cost? Explain your reasoning.

Exercises 2. Strategies and Performance.

2-1. Parents and students who pay taxes or tuition for education have a right to demand performance in the classroom. What do you expect from a teacher and do you usually find teachers meet your expectations? Why or why not?

2-2. With respect to 100% to 25% percent being qualified, what is your preferred level for hiring a key member of your work team? Explain your reasoning.

2-3. If you had complete freedom to offer any salary level when hiring a member of your team, would you offer a salary below market, at market, above market, or well above market? Explain your reasoning.

2-4. Some people believe most performance appraisal systems work quite well. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.

2-5. With respect to the story about performance at a bank,” do you agree with the recommendation? Explain your reasoning.

2-5. With respect to the story about WordPerfect, what should the supervisor have done? Explain your reasoning.

Exercises 3. Strategic Decision Making.

3-1. Some people believe Canadian Ultramar lacked financial controls as shown by the team leader power to spend so much money without approval. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.

3-2. The best way to approach a strategic decision is to begin with sequential reasoning and support it with intuition. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.

3-3. Gladwell describes false memories where people claim to remember a situation or event that never happened. Have you ever seen such a situation? If yes, describe it. If no, do you think it might ever happen?

3-4. When it comes to business strategies, most people are able to overcome biases they otherwise feel when thinking about family, friends, and enemies. Business is business. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.

3-5. MBA programs have traditionally taught sequential reasoning as the best approach to making major decisions. This is usually true. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.

3-6. Of the different strategies in the Russian chicken story, which one was the most clever? Explain your reasoning.

Exercises 4.Framework for Strategic Planning.

4-1. Improved economics are a global phenomenon. Is this good or bad for global corporations? Explain your reasoning.

4-2. Zakaria claims the political view of the world since 2000 is failure with respect to 9/11, Iran and North Korea, Russia, Venezuela, Hezbollah, and Gaza. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.

4-3. Zakaria argues that the West lagged the East centuries ago. Do you think we are returning to such a situation? Explain your reasoning and cite a source that supports you or disagrees with you.

4-4. What are some major problems a company would face while developing business strategies in a Second World country? Be specific.

4-5. Khanna claims that the world’s most compelling ideology is not freedom, democracy, authority, religion, or philosophy. Instead, the goal is simply to be successful. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.

Chapter 5. Seek the Big Picture.

5-1. Ask someone whether he or she would be interested in climbing Mount Everest. Who did you ask? What did the person say? Do you think the person has the big picture? Explain your reasoning.

5-2 . Peter Drucker asked three questions about what is, what will be, and what should be if we have a strategy. How can organizations use these questions to understand the big picture? Use an example to explain your answer.

5-3. Bill Gates and Microsoft illustrated the big picture when they pursued the acquisition of Intuit. Do you agree that the acquisition should have been stopped by the federal government? Explain your reasoning.

5-4. The textbook argues that the big picture for customers of IBM occurred when they realized, “Nobody ever got fired by choosing IBM.” Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.

5-5. Mr. Lee was successful manufacturing sneakers but some people think he did not have the big picture at all. Instead, he was just lucky that the fax was invented at a moment in time. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.

5-6. What risks were been taken by Cook County Hospital when it allowed Dr. Brendan Reilly to use his new method to diagnose heart attacks? Be specific.

5-7. It terms of the big picture, do you think Blockbuster was just stupid ignoring changing market conditions? Explain your reasoning.

5-8. Some people think a company the size of BP Oil is simply too big to see the big picture. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.

5-9. Fraud is a criminal offense. Since the accounting rules allowed Lehman to hide its toxic assets, the company did not commit fraud. Do you agree?Explain your reasoning.

Exercises 6. Collaborate for Better Decisions.

6-1. Some people think Apple has created several tipping points. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.

6-2. Some people argue that Ghosn’s role at Nissan was simply a matter of good management and collaboration had little to do with the turnaround of the company. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.

6-3. The story of Goldcorp shows how people working together are smarter than people who are trained to work in a specific field. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.

6-4. The MBA students who discovered the Airbus A380 problem with airports illustrate swarming but were they right. How is the A380 doing today with its plane that does not fit in all airports? Use Internet references to support your answer.

6-5. Jet Blue got it wrong. U.S. Airways got it right. Which airline is doing better today? Use Internet references to support your answer.

6-6. The textbook argues for collaboration in an interview for a new position. Are any of the suggestions useful to you in the event you interview in the near future? Be specific.

6-7. Let us be fair. Robert Shiller did not do his job prior to the 2008 financial crisis and should return his 2013 Nobel Prize. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.

Exercises 7. Wartime and Peacetime Strategies.

7-1. What is an example of a situation you handled that shows that you are either a wartime or peacetime leader? Be specific.

7-2. With respect to your current or former boss, is the person a wartime or peacetime leader?Explain your reasoning.

7-3. Identify a person such as a spouse, partner, or close friend. Identify the person as wartime or peacetime. How do you interact with the person to keep you on good terms or avoid bad situations? Be specific.

7-4. Tell three people about the dilemma posed by the story of Hill A. Ask them what strategy they would recommend. Did they all agree? Explain what they said.

7-5. The truth is the truth. Thus, intellectual quotient always trumps emotional quotient when making strategic decisions. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.

7-6. If Lou Presutti III was the speaker at a local event, would you be interested in listening to what he has to say? Why or why not?

7-7. Of all the features of 5-star decision making, which one is the most useful to remember when making strategic decisions? Explain your reasoning.

Exercises 8. Violence in International Business

8-1. How many “wars” are currently happening in the world? Cite a website identifying the source of your number. How comfortable are you with the definition of a war in your example?

8-2. Ajmal Kasab was a member of a terrorist group that killed 173 people in Mumbai in 2008. Why did he become a member of the group?

8-3. What two forms of kidnapping were common in Lima, Peru, in 2009?

8-4. Could the lesson of the Indonesian rebels and Aceh Explorer be applied to other violent situations? Explain your answer.

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