The University of Auckland Business School

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTSDartmouth

MGT 659 Strategic Management

Course Outline On Line Spring 2010

Course Prescription

Strategic Management is the process and practice of managerial decision making and implementation that seeks to create and maintain competitive advantage. In essence it determines the long term performance of a business and as such is the role of the senior executive members to refine but the responsibility of all to roll out.

Included in the process iscomprehensive environmental scanning, strategy formulation (strategic planning), strategy implementation, and monitoring.

Students in this course will review how the strategic decision makers within an organisation first identify, define and analyse commercial problems and then develop practical and ethical solutions.

It provides a practical guide for, and an initial experience in, strategy formulation and strategic management.

Class time will be largely spent in lecture, discussion, case studies and experiential exercises. Students will learn from the theoretical literature, instructor, case studies, videos, research presentations, and from each other.The course materials explain and describe the different aspects, challenges, and stages of strategic management simply and clearly.

Goals of the Course

Toexamineandunderstand the nature and role of strategy, strategic managementand strategic leadership within an organization.

Learning Outcomes

1. To develop skills in strategic analysis, development and implementation.
2. To explore competing rationales relating to the nature and purpose of business.
3. To critically review the received wisdom on strategic management practice.
4. To review strategic decision-making practises in business.
5. To further develop the presentation skills required to effectively communicate strategic recommendations to important stakeholders.

Competencies

1The student will be introduced to:

a.Diagnostic tools for enhancing self-awareness of thinking styles.

b.The concepts of Strategy, Strategic Management and Strategic Leadership.

2.The student will understand:

a.Why and how business strategies are formulated and implemented.

b.The importance of Strategic Leadership to business success.

3.The student will be able to:

a.Undertake an industry analysis.

b.Generate, select and refine strategic options

c.Develop strategic plans.

d.Present written and oral business reports.

Content Schedule

Learning and Teaching

As a capstone course it is intended that teaching will integrate and draw on the core competencies of student’s previous study at the university.

The course will commence by introducing students to the framework in which strategy is developed. Students will then examine how strategy moves down into all the functions of business. This will be achieved classroom discussion, individual assignments, the co-managing of a simulation company and in class tests.

Teaching Staff:

Dr Garry Clayton - Course Coordinator

Office:CCB 101

Phone:508 999 8261

E-mail:

Office hours: by appointment

Course readings

Recommended text:

1.Well, D.L “Strategic Management for Senior Leaders: A handbook for Implementation”

added>

Mintzberg, H “Crafting Strategy” at:

Articles:

1.Nickols,F. “Strategy Definitions and Meanings”

2.Porter, M “What is Strategy?” Harvard Business Review Nov-Dec 1996

3.O'Shannassy, T. “Lessons from the Evolution of the Strategy Paradigm” RMIT Working Paper

4.Ghemawat,P “Competition and Business Strategy in Historical Perspective”, HBS Press, 1997

5.Industry Analysis the fundamentals

6.Kim, W.C. and Mauborgne, R. “BlueOcean Strategy” Harvard Business Review Oct 2004

7. Camillus,J. “Linking Strategic Vision and Managerial Action : A Framework and Techniques for Strategy Implementation” 2002

8. Christensen, C.M. and Donovan. T “The Process of Strategy Development and Implementation”

9.Cohen, K and Cyert, C. "Strategy; Formulation, Implementation and Evaluation" The Journal of Business vol 46 no 3 Jul 1973 pp 349 367

10. Goleman,D “What Makes a Leader” in Harvard Business Review Jan 2004

11.Kim, W.C., Mauborgne, R. (2003), "Tipping point leadership", Harvard Business Review, Vol. 81 No.4, pp.60-9

12.Schoemaker, P.J.H “Scenario Planning: A tool for Strategic Thinking”Sloan Management Review; Winter 1995

13.“Scenarios: An explorers guide”

14.Kaplan, R.S. and Norton, D.P. “Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System” Harvard Business Review Jan-Feb 1996

15.Kaplan, R.S. and Norton, D.P. “Building a Strategy-Focused Organization”

16.Keer, J.L. and Werther,W.B (2008) “TheNext Frontier in Corporate Governance: Engaging the Board in Strategy”

17.Ingley, C. and Wu,M. “The Board and Strategic Change: A Learning Organisation

Perspective” International Review of Business Research Papers

Vol.3 No.1. March 2007, Pp.125 -146

18Drucker, P.F. “What Makes and Effective Executive” Harvard Business Review Jun 2004

19.Hart, S.L. “Beyond Greening Strategies for a Sustainable World” Harvard Business Review Jan-Feb 1997

Case Studies:

1.Park, A. and Burrows, P. “What You Don't Know About Dell” in Businessweek 3 November 2003

2.Arndt,M. “Up from the Scrap Heap” in Businessweek 23 July 2003

3.Burrows, P. “Cisco's Comeback” in Businessweek 24 November 2003

4.Crockett,R.O. “Reinventing Motorola” in Businessweek 2 August 2004

5.Ante, S.E. “The New Blue”in Businessweek 17 March 2003

6.Edwards, C., Ihlwan,M. and Engardio,P. “The Samsung Way” in Businessweek 16 June 2003

Assessment

Students will be required to complete ten reading logs worth 10% of the final grade (1% each), Take part in the weekly on line discussion worth 10% , an individual assignment worth 25 % of the final grade; a group report worth 20% of the final grade; participate in developing a ten minute group presentation worth 10%based on the group report and take a take home test worth 25% of the final grade.

Reading logs:

For at least ten of the weekly readings you are required to post a “log” on line. While there is no format for the critically review the following questions will help guide you:

a.what is the objective of the author/s?

b.how does the author/s propose to achieve their objective?

c.what did the author/s actually do?

d.what do the author/s say they found out?

e.what do these key points mean to me?

f.what are the important cross references to other topics and readings in the course?

Assignments:

1. In what ways are management practises improved in an organzation when strategic thinking is one of its core competencies?due 8 March 2010
2. Co-write a business report that critically evaluates the strategic options for a designated SouthCoast enterprise. due 3 May 2010
3. Co-present on the strategic direction best suited for the enterprise reported on for assignment 2. due 3 May 2010

Test:

The testwill be a take home, essay style open book expected to take 2 hours.due10 May 2010

It will require students to demonstrate in integrated answers a mastery of the learning outcomes set.

Program and Course Advice

Students are required to critically examine the integrated practise of strategic management and strategic leadership within the United States business environment. It is expected that they will both know the practices of leading organizations and the significant contemporary business leaders of the United States.