Global Business Policies Spring 2012

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TEMPLE UNIVERSITY

THE FOX SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT

BA 4196: GLOBAL BUSINESS POLICIES SYLLABUS

Spring 2012

Instructor:Dr. Hopkins

(Dr. H)

Email: [email protected] Cell: 215-356-7971Office is Alter 534

Office/hours: Thirty minutes before class until the beginning of

class; Alter 534, LC Faculty Lab, and TUCC 525.

Course pre-

requisites

This course is restricted to graduating seniors in their

final semester. All lower and upper division corerequirements must be successfully completed before

registering for BA 4196.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Welcome to the capstone course of the undergraduate curriculum. The Business Policies course

culminates your learning experience before graduation. The objective of this course is to

introduce you to the role of the ³strategic manager,´ someone (like a CEO) who is concernedwith the problems of and/or responsible for the overall long-term well-being of the organization.

OBJECTIVES

Provide you with the critical thinking skills necessary to function as a strategic manager

or to perform the tasks comprising the strategic management process ± this is the

primary objective of the course

Integrate and apply the knowledge accumulated in various functional areas, such asmarketing, human resource management, operations, accounting and finance

Prepare you for management careers by providing in-class opportunities for you to

enhance your ability to communicate orally and in written formats, to lead and to work with others in realistic work settings

Expose you to the ethical and societal issues raised in operating an enterprise

To provide you with experience in dealing with real strategic decision issues facingmanagers in all types of organizations: business and not-for-profit; large and small; and

domestic and multinational, primarily through the use of the case method.



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DESIRED OUTCOMES

By the end of the semester, you should be able answer the following questions concerning anyfirm:

1. Based on the facts presented in a case and independent research, assess how well is the

firm doing over time and relative to its peers.

2. Describe the firm¶s strategy.

3. Based on the analysis of the firm and its industry, is the strategy ap propriate? Explain

the answer in detail.

4. Recommend changes to the strategy to enhance, maintain or turnaround the performance

of the firm

5. Based on the analysis of the firm¶s organization structure, culture, systems and

processes, examine in detail the way the strategy is implemented.

Also, students must be able to:

y Prepare clear and concise written business reports with appropriate content, substanceand documentation;

y Deliver polished multi-media business presentations to executives in a professionalmanner;

y Articulate, discuss and defend your ideas and proposals in a professional manner; and

y Develop teamwork , leadership and diversity skills through group projects and classdiscussions.

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIAL

y Critical Thinking for Business Students (available at the bookstore)

y BA4196 Global Business Policies Course Pack (available thru Temple Press,

http://www.temple.edu/tempress/foxreader.html ) Detailed instructions on how to purchase can be found on community website.

y Any other readings assigned by your instructor will be posted at the Blackboard of thesection you are enrolled in.

Suggested Readings:

y It is strongly recommended that you read and subscribe to at least one business publication. The Wall Street Journal or New York Times is recommended. Being able tocite information from these publications that are related to a case being discussed in class

will assist you in getting a high class participation grade.



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Analysis Techniques we will emphasize during the semester:

1. 5 Forces analysis2. Financial Analysis

3. SWOT

4.

Experience/PLC/Tech-S/Greiner curves5. Competitor analysis (rags, mapping, etc)6. PEST

7. Generic strategies8. Value chain

9. BCG matrix/GE matrix/Ansoff Matrix10. Scenarios

11. McKinsey 7-S Framework 12. Tregoe-Kepner Analysis

13. VR IO Analysis

Concepts we will emphasize:

1. Critical thinking-questioning conclusions, weighing evidence, comparing alternatives.2. Strategy-sets the overall, long-term direction of an organization.

3. Business strategy-how a particular firm competes in a particular industry.4. Corporate strategy-what businesses a firm is to be in and determines how they relate to

each other.5. Competitive advantage- a firm resource that is valuable and rare.

6. Strategy implementation-the details of how to execute a strategy.7. Strategy formulation-selection of strategy that fits external/internal situation.

8. Strategic logic-things that need to be true for a strategy to succeed.

9.

Competitive position-strength of firm¶s position compared to rivals (most direct measureis market share)10. Fit-refers to fit between strategy and external, internal, and implementation in strategy

model.Information on most of these can be found at either netmba.com or quickmba.com or

Blackboard Community site or elsewhere on the Internet.

Grade distribution:100-94 = A

93-90 = A-89-87 = B+

86-83 = B82-80 = B-

79-77 = C+76-73 = C

72-70 = C-69-67 = D+

66-63 = D 63-60= D-



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GRADING

Please note that students need a C- in this course in order to graduate. There is a deadline for

course withdrawal to which the Dean¶s Office strictly adheres. Absolutely, no "makeup" work

will be permitted.It is unfair to classmates who meet their responsibilities on time. There is noextra credit.

A student¶s grade in the course will be based on performance on several assignments. Theapproximate weight for each is given in below.

1. Class attendance, participation and attitude [20 points; 10 points for quizzes and 10

points for discussion]. Class attendance, class preparation, and class participation areessential. You will be called on in class occasionally to assure that everyone is given an

opportunity to participate. Come prepared to discuss your assignments.

Your instructor will begin grading class participation from about the fourth week. Theinstructor will keep track of your participation on an index card by reviewing your

participation after every class meeting. It is your responsibility to check periodically

with your instructor on how you are conducting yourself with regard to class

participation.

Reading the popular business press, specifically the WSJ, FT, or NYT is encouraged andcan help your class participation grade if it helps you contribute something relevant to the

issues and cases at hand. ³Not wanting´ or ³not liking´ to participate during class is a deliberate choice that you make, being fully aware of its effect on your grade. Also,

you will not get class participation points for just being present in class.

There may be a quiz given at the beginning of class or after the break (for once a week classes) on the reading assignment (lowest quiz score will be dropped). Quiz questions

will be selected from a standard pool of questions (see Quiz Appendix). If you are lateand miss the taking of attendance by the instructor it is your responsibility to check and

make sure you were marked present.

Starting with 20 class participation points several events will cause a student to lose

points including: being absent (2-3 points), being late or leaving early (1 pt), being

unprepared when called on or being unable to respond in a reasonable amount of

time (2-3 pts), disrupting class (2-3 pts), texting in class (2 pts), poor quiz score on

one quiz (2 pts),

not paying attention in class (2),

etc.

Of course points can be gained by contributing particularly insightful comments andanalysis. If you want to know how you are doing on class participation ASK to see your

index card.

Attendance is very important in this class. The difference between passing and failing for some students is attendance. If you are absent and can document a good reason for your



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absence (required work, health problem, etc) your absence may be excused if you bringthe documentation to the instructor within one week of the absence. EXCESSIVE

ABSENCES CAN RESULT I N A LOSS OF MORE THAN 20 POI NTS.

2. One memo on a case [20 points]. Each of you, individually, is required to write a memo

analyzing a case. The memo is due on the date the case is due for discussion in class.

The page limit (not including the cover page and exhibits) for this submission is eight

pages using Times New Roman 12 point font. Shorter is better as long as nothingimportant is left out. Please use single spaces between lines and double spaces between

paragraphs. Your paper will be evaluated generally for writing competence (i.e., format[must follow instructions], English Usage, logical structure, spelling, professional look

[neat, nicely spaced, no hand written parts, use of proper software for figures and tables,nicely printed on clean paper, absence of unnecessary information, proper focus on the

reader¶s level of knowledge and interest, references to reader and company that areappropriate, etc.]. Your instructor may downgrade your memo due to ineffective writing

skill.If that is the case, once your paper is graded and returned, you will have theopportunity to rewrite it for a better grade. The grade on the rewritten memo will be

averaged with the first version.

LATE MEMOS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

This rewrite must be completed within ONE week. The instructor can require you to haveyour written assignments evaluated by a Writing Center consultant before and/or after

you submit your work.

This is an individual assignment and not a team assignment.

A Word data file copy of all individual memos must be submitted on Blackboard. Pleasesee Temple University¶s plagiarism policies that apply to the submission. You may be

given additional instructions in this regard.

Also, read memo instructions in Appendix 1 attached to this syllabus.

3. Two case presentations by teams of 3-4 students [25 points]. Teams of 3-4 studentswill be formed by the instructor with the objective of achieving diversity among team

members.

Each team will analyze two cases (on different dates) and present the analyses in class presentations on the days when the cases are scheduled for discussion. It is important to

note that it is assumed that these presentations are to be given to the case company¶s

top management, not to a college class. Each presentation should be 20 minutes,

followed by a question and answer period, with the class playing the role of thecompany¶s top management. No written reports are required of the teams making the

presentations but a copy of your slides must be handed in 48 hours prior to the presentation. Each group will provide the instructor a hardcopy of slides.



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4. Quiz on financial analysis and conceptual material (10 points). Details on this will be

given in class.

5. Assignment and event participation on Mural Arts Case (5 points). This will be

explained in class.

6. Final examination [20 points]. There will be a final exam for the course and details on

the examination will follow in due course. It will be case based.

This final exam case report structurally should be similar to that of the other memos. The body of this report should be 12-15 double spaced typewritten pages (all exhibits

included). The instructor will provide additional instructions on the final exam. No lateMemos will be accepted.

Calculating your grade in the class: Turn individual assignment grades into numbers and

multiply by points. Example, so far you have earned an A on an assignment worth 30 points, a B- on an assignment worth 10 points, and a B- on an assignment worth 15

points.

A 100 X 30 = 3,000B- 80 X 10 = 800 5,000 divided by 55 = 90.9 = A-

B- 80 X 15 = 1,20055 5,000

This course will have two Blackboard sites. One is for your section and another,

BA4196 Community, is for all students in all sections. The BA4196 site is at the bottom of

your screen in the space devoted to ³My Organization.´

Early course grades given by the instructor prior to the official posting of the grades on

Owlnet are not possible.



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Appendix 1-Memos Guidelines

1. Heading information (TO, FROM, RE, DATE; Draft #1 or #2; Section #)

2. Executive Summary of 2 sentencesa. State final recommendation

b. Diagram/Table of analyses/implications/options

3.

Statement of Problem and explaining why it is important. Must be stated as ONE problem only not a list of problems. If you end up with a list figure out how toconsolidate it into one problem. Problem must be STRATEGIC rather than operational.

4. Analysis: review and explain analyses that are attached to the back of memo inappendices. Most commonly used analyses include: SWOT*, financial analysis,** 5

force model, VR IO model, PLC, technology-s curve, value chain, key success factors(KSF), PEST model, competitor analysis, strategic map, portfolio matrices, among

others. Choice of analyses should fit the nature of the problem. There should be aminimum of five analyses. After each analysis create a box and label it ³strategic

implication´ (SI). In the box write a short statement giving the strategic implication of the analysis. This should include the central conclusion of the analysis; what it means for

the firm¶s strategy, and why you believe this implication is derived from the analysis.This statement must be very specific. It cannot be something general such as: ³This

SWOT analysis shows the company to have many strengths.´ See example below for thelevel of detail required.

STRATEGIC IMPLICATION

Conclusion: The above analysis shows the most powerful industry force to be thesuppliers.

New Strategy: This suggests that our company should counteract this by verticallyintegrating backwards.

Why: Will allow firm to counteract power of suppliers by eliminating any need for their

products.

When analyzing the case through group discussion and individual analysis, be sure

to wait until all analysis have been put in writing before deciding on a

recommendation. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. If you don¶t do this what may

happened is the your group or individuals decide on a recommendation and then

All analyses end up agreeing with this recommendation. A key to critical thinking is

that a decision or opinion is put on ³hold´ until all data and all analysis are in.

5. State 3 mutually exclusive Options (they should be mutually exclusive). Make clear which analysis suggests option.

6.

Present Pros/Cons of each alternatives (at least 3) ; use T ledger (see below);Give enough detail to make clear what the option is.

7. Recommendation: Select one option and explain why it is better than others.8. Give Implementation details (cost, source of funds, required steps, timeline, assign

responsibility to particular managers, state if any of the following will need to bechanged: organizational structure, reward system, leadership, organizational culture, and

evaluation/control. Are there any concerns regarding organizational politics?



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Please use headings and subheadings (see bold type above). Also to the extent possible aidreadability by using bullet points, bold type of important points, underlining, etc. Please proof-

read and use spell-check function. Max of 7 pages. Everything else being equal, shorter is better as long as nothing important is left out. Internal consistency between problem, analyses, strategic

implications, and options is very important.

*required of every analysis**required of every analysis if financials are available

ALL MEMOS SHOULD BE PROOF READ. IT IS BEST TO HAVE SOMEONE ELSEOTHER THAN THE WR ITER DO THIS. IF THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE THE WR ITER

SHOULD READ THE MEMO OUT LOUD.

EXCEPT FOR #1 ABOVE, THIS IS ALSO THE FORMAT FOR THEPRESENTATIONS.

Option #1: Expand core business into Japan using same strategy as in

Europe.This means following a cost-leadership strategy as in Europe but

given the differences in distribution in Japan establishing ties withlocal wholesalers. Start in major cities then later expand to rural areas.

Pros Cons

_________________________________________________________ 1. Improve sales growth | 1. Very high cost

2. Possible economies of scope | 2. Have no international experience3. Respond to Japanese firms here | 3. Take focus off domestic markets

Exhibits should be labeled Exhibit 1,

Exhibit 2,

etc.



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Quiz Appendix; Appendix 2

Numbers to know: Industry growth rate, number of competitors, firm market share, firmdebt in %, firm growth rate, firm profitability over most recent 5 years (of course if it¶s not

given in the case your off the hook.)

Questions to know:

1. What is the problem?

2. How is the firm performing?3. How attractive is the industry?

4. How strong is the firm¶s competitive position?5. What is the firm¶s current strategy?

6. What is the firm¶s financial condition?7. What are the KSFs (key success factors) for the industry?

8. Is the macro-environment important? Why?

9.

What stage of the Product Life Cycle Curve (PLC) is the industry in?10. What are the firm¶s options?11. How do different businesses/segments compare?

12. What is the firm¶s organizational structure?13. Describe the firm¶s value chain.

14. How are the main competitors different from each other?



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Appendix 3- BA4196 Presentations

y Two case presentations by groups of 4-5 students. Groups of 4-5 students will beformed by the instructor at about week 4 with the objective of achieving diversityamong team members in disciplines, race, gender, and ethnicity, as might be expected

in the workplace. Each group will analyze two cases (on different dates) and presentthe analyses in class presentations on the days when the cases are scheduled for

discussion.

y It is important to note that it is assumed that these presentations are to be made

before the case company¶s top management, not to a college class. Each

presentation will be approximately 20 minutes, followed by a question and answer period, with the class playing the role of the company¶s management. Audience

members will be graded on the extent to which they ask frequent and insightfulquestions. No written analyses are required of the teams making the presentation but a

copy of the slides should be given to the instructor no later than 48 hours before the presentation via email. Your presentation date and case will be determined by your

group number and the syllabus.y Knowledge of what grade your group earned and possible points for improvement can

be learned by sending an email to the instructor requesting same. Also, please notethat your grade on the presentations will, in part, depend on the evaluation of your

contribution by other members of your group.

y Good teamwork is essential if your group is to perform effectively. Since it isinevitable that sooner or later you will have to participate in a group project while on

the job, this is a great opportunity to practice your interpersonal skills before theconsequences of your actions can affect you professionally. You may also use your

group in analyzing cases due for class analysis and discussion. Case analysis isdifficult to perform effectively if you work in total isolation. Hence, you are

encouraged to start working together with your team as a ³study group. In preparingyour presentation you should expect to hold at least 3 group meetings including a

dress rehearsal prior to the day of the presentation.

y The group should make the assumption that it is a strategic analysis team that has been

assembled by the case company¶s top management to confront the situation presented inthe case. When you¶ve completed you strategic assessment, you will present your results

to the company¶s top management (in effect, the class listening to your presentation is thecompany top management. Think of the ³case´ as material/data given to you by the top

management to kick off your assignment.

y Students therefore should assume that the audience is thoroughly familiar with the case in

question and the specific data presented in the case (remember, it is the companymanagement that provided you with the case material). As such, do not simply rehash

case material; only cite or repeat such material in support of an argument or position.



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y Interpret the facts according to the theoretical frameworks covered in class, and take a position on whether the company's actions will lead to positive results or not; vague

generalizations that no one would disagree with are worthless [in other words, do notcome out strongly in favor of "motherhood"]. You have been exposed to a series of

strategic analysis tools and techniques. Use these in your analysis.

y Recommendations need to be definitive rather than wishy-washy (e.g., a badrecommendation would be they should do some research or they should hire a

consultant). Recommendations should be detailed with information about implementation(time table, cost, milestones, specific steps, who will take responsibility for various tasks,

any process/system/structure that needs changing).

Even if the firm is performing well and there is general agreement with management's

strategy, you must evaluate this in relation to alternative courses of action (there always

are alternatives, some of which likely are being followed by the company¶s competitors).

y There are few business strategies that do not present some risks or obstacles for

management. Remember, this presentation (or report) is going to the organization's

top management, not to the course instructor.

y Students may do outside research on the case but within the time frame of the case (notlater than the date where the case stops). Instructors will provide additional guidance on

the sources and approaches that might be used in data collection.

y Specifically, instructors will be looking at the following factors in evaluating both the presentations and written assignments:

Critical thinking;

Depth and soundness of the analysis, including financial analysis;

Proper grammar, sentence structure and overall usage of the English

language;

Conciseness and clarity; and

Creativity and originality

Professional use of visual aids

y Every member of the group must take part in the presentation. Presenters are required touse visual aids [i.e., Power Point or a similar package] for the in-class presentations.

y The class, acting as a company executive committee, will question the group immediatelyafter the presentation.



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y The presenting group's ability to respond to questions is an important part of the presentation experience. It provides students with an opportunity to develop skills in

"thinking-on-your-feet," to defend ideas and to articulate one¶s position

extemporaneously -- skills necessary in any management situation! The rest of the class,therefore, must come prepared to question critically the presenting groups.

You may organize your presentation as follows:

1. Introduce members of group and the reason you are presenting.

2. Present an executive summary including the analyses you will present, and whatyour final recommendation will be.

3. Define the one central strategic problem and explain why it is important4. Present analyses (at least 5) that are appropriate for the problem.

5.

Present the strategic implications of each analysis6. Overall conclusion

7. Present three detailed options and give their advantages and disadvantages.8. Recommend one option and explain why it the best.

9. Give implementation details

The maximum number of slides is 12-14. Don¶t using anything smaller than 48 pointfont. Be careful not to put too much information on financial slides. Please do not use

notes. Dress should be business professional. Do not read the slides; do not look at

slides for more than a second or two. You should be looking at your audience. The

slides should just include the most important points and the speaker should fill in the

details. Options (setting an overall direction) should be strategic rather than operational.Don¶t present any options that are ³non-starters.´ Don¶t miss any obvious options. Try tomake the options mutually exclusive. Speakers should present using a tone which

emphasizes key points, is not in a monotone, and communicates energy and enthusiasm.Please use hand and body movements to help express key points. Members of the group

who are not speaking should stay quiet, keep their eyes on the speaker, and stand upstraight without leaning on anything. Questions should be answered by a different group

member each time. Answers should be as short as possible.

It is suggested that your group rehearse your present and use video to record and view itwhile thinking of how to improve.

Please avoid using slang, saying ³you know´, ³you guys, over using the word ³like´, or saying ³ummm.´ If you need a moment to organize your thoughts don¶t fill the space by

saying any of the preceding just take a moment without speaking. Please use the first person rather (our company) than the third person when referring to the company or its

management.



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After your present you can email the instructor to get your grade. In some cases if a particular student does a worse job than the rest of his/her group they may be given a

lower grade than the rest of the group. If a particular group member is not doing their fair share they can be kicked out of the group. Group members will be given an opportunity

to rate the other members of their group so that this can be evaluated by the instructor for

consideration of giving a lower grade to that member.

Consult the presentation evaluation sheet on Blackboard to learning how the presentation

is graded any make a copy for the instructor to use.

Items which will reduce your grade:

Insufficient analysis Your identification of THE problem is actually a list of multiple problems.

Strategic implication is not given after each analysis. Not behaving in a professional manner (e.g., laughing while presenting).

Slides that are hard to read.

Analysis not performed correctly (e.g, using Porter¶s 5 forces to analyze a firm rather

than the industry as a whole). Presenting analyses that are not relevant to the problem.

Weak transitions (good transition-I will hand the presentation over to Mary who will present our SWOT analysis).

Lack of teamwork (e.g., I don¶t agree with the other members of my group) Recommendation that doesn¶t address the problem or is not strategic.

Important alternatives that are not discussed. Alternatives that are not vetted thoroughly.

Presentation where the pieces don¶t fit as a cohesive whole.

Talking too softly.



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Appendix 4; Critical Thinking Questions

Apply the following critical thinking questions to any case analysis, discussion, class presentation, or statements made by instructor or other students (Asking the Right Questions: A

Guide to Critical Thinking, 8th

Edition, Neil Browne and Stuart Keely, 2007).

a. What is the problem/issue/topic and what is the recommendation/conclusion?(Sometimes the author does not clearly state what these are)

b. What are the reasons that support the recommendation or conclusion?c. What are the unstated assumptions?

d. Are there any fallacies in reasoning? What are they?e. How good is the evidence? What is the best evidence given?

f. What data/reasons would be required to support the given conclusion/recommendation?g. Are there rival causes? Is there a root cause? Are there contributing factors?

h. What significant information is omitted?i. What other reasonable conclusions/recommendations are possible beyond that given by

the author/presenter?

Global Business Policies Spring 2012

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