UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS COURSE OUTLINE

School of Management Spring 2008

BA 4305-501: STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

Instructor: Kenny Oh

Class Time and Location

Time: 5:30 PM – 6:45 PM, Mondays and Wednesdays

Location: SOM 2.722

Instructor’s Office Hours and Contact Numbers

Office Location: SOM 4.411

Office Hours: Wednesday 11:00 ~ 12:30 PM, or by appointment
Phone: 972-883-4469
E-mail: Please, use WebCT
WebCT: Please check regularly for lecture outlines and updates

Writing Tutor

TBA
E-mail:
Phone:
Office hour:
Place:

Textbooks
Strategic Management: Text & Cases, 4th edition.
Publisher: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2008
Authors: Gregory G. Dess, G. T. Lumpkin, & Alan B. Eisner

Simulation
Group Simulation: Capsim’s FOUNDATION simulation tool from www.capsim.com.
Individual Simulation: Capsim’s COMP-XM simulation tool from www.capsim.com
Publisher: Smith, D.C.
Register and pay on the website http://www.capsim.com
Registration is required for a passing grade in this class
Please, note that to participate in this simulation exercise you will need to register at the above web-
site. When you register, you will need to purchase a registration number. With questions regarding
the simulation exercise please call the following toll free number during working hours: 877-477-
8787

Course co-requisite and prerequisites

Co-requisite: BA 4371
Prerequisites: BA 3341, BA 3351, BA 3352, BA 3361 and BA 3365

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Course Objectives

This is a capstone course aiming to integrate what students have learned in other classes,
including finance, accounting, operations, MIS, marketing, and organizational behavior and use
this knowledge to study the strategic management of the firm as well as the responsibilities of a
general manager.

The complexity of today’s business environment demands that top managers have the necessary
skills to diagnose operational and strategic problems that they face. This course introduces
concepts and analytical techniques for understanding business environments and firm resources,
and for formulating and implementing strategies to compete successfully.
Special attention is paid to the fact that nowadays many firms have overseas operations and
sensitivity to cultural and institutional differences is essential for managing these operations.

The approach of the class is practical and problem oriented. The major part of the course will
involve applying concepts and analytic frameworks to the strategic issues that real- world
companies face. These issues are presented in case studies and in the form of several rounds of
simulation exercise. For the class to work well – and for you to benefit from it – attendance and
preparation for each class meeting is essential.

Learning Goals

By the end of the course, students should be able to

1. complete an external and internal analysis of a firm.

2. identify the strategic problems of a firm.
3. develop solutions to a firm’s strategic issues.
4. integrate skills acquired in finance, accounting, marketing, and MIS courses to create a
successful firm strategy.
5. write technical essays with appropriate organization and style.
6. gather, interpret and incorporate source materials in their writings with respect to the
context of strategic management.
7. write effective arguments directed toward a business audience.

Course Requirements

This course requires extensive readings, active discussions, and diligent attention to the exercises. In
addition to class time, each student will be expected to spend an average of 4-5 hours a week on this
course.

• If a student cannot commit this amount of time and effort on this course, he or she must realize
that it may be very difficult to earn a good grade.

• Failure to fully prepare for class is also a detriment to one’s fellow students. It is the student’s
responsibility to thoroughly read the syllabus, fully understand all the requirements, and keep
track of all the important dates in order to succeed.

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 Writing requirement
The university has mandated a requirement of 15 double-spaced pages of writing for each
individual student. The writing tutor will evaluate each paper on grammar, punctuation and writing
style. (Refer to detailed criteria of grading in terms of three rubrics in Appendix 1.) The writing
tutor will assess each written assignment, provide detailed feedback and determine whether
revisions are required. Any assignments receiving grades of 6 or below must be rewritten and will
be assessed again. Rewritten papers must be submitted no later than one week after the graded
papers are distributed by the instructor. Because of this requirement, please submit 2 copies of all
written assignments.
(Each student is required to submit three case analyses and each case analysis should be five
double-spaced pages long.)

Course Grades

Grade will be determined as follows:

· Individual Exams: 40%
· Individual written case assignments: 25%
· Capstone group simulation: 20%
· Individual Comp-XM: 10%
· Class Participation: 5%

Grading Policy and Course & Instructor Policies: All assignments are due at the beginning of class,
before the lecture, on the due date. No exceptions, please. Plan accordingly. Please staple each
assignment in the upper left corner—no covers, please.

Please note that to avoid free-riding, the group grade will only be assigned to individual team
members who did a fair share of work in the simulation exercise. The contribution of the team
members to the group effort will be evaluated by each team member within the team. Based on the
group peer reviews, students who are consistently evaluated by other team members as not
contributing to the team’s effort will receive a lesser grade than those who contributed fairly.

Note that I will not re-assign individuals to a different group after the initial assignment has been
made. It is the group’s responsibility to work together, just as you would have to in a real top
management team environment. Students desiring guidance on working with group members are
welcome to ask me for advice and to utilize the peer review system.

Final Grade: Per the university’s guideline for grade distribution, the final grade of a
student will be based on the relative standing of his/her total credit points accumulated
from all the requirements as compared with the rest of the class. In compliance with
university confidentiality policy, no grade information will be transmitted via phone or
e-mail.

Grading scale: Your grade in this course is determined as follows:

98 ~ 97 ~ 93 ~ 89 ~ 86 ~ 83 ~ 79 ~ 76 ~ 73 ~ 69 ~ 66 ~ 63 ~ Below
100 94 90 87 84 80 77 74 70 67 64 60 60
A+ A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- F

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 Exams (20% + 20%): There will be two non-cumulative exams throughout the whole semester.
They will serve to evaluate how well the student has mastered the knowledge to apply the basic theories
and concepts learned during each stage of the course. Although exams are non-cumulative, the course
material builds and integrates on previous topics, thus certain questions may be answered from many
angles and drawing on many areas of the course. The first exam is 20% and the final exam is worth 20%.
You are responsible for all the material covered in the class including class discussions. Exams
will be a mix of multiple choice, short answers, and short essays. Detailed information will be given in
prior classes to the exams. Students should bring Scantron sheets (Form No. 882-E) and pencils for the
exams. NO MAKE-UP EXAMS will be given.
If a student has a dispute with the grading, he or she can request in writing that the portion of the
exam be reevaluated with the supporting evidence clearly stated.

Individual Case Analysis (25%): Each student is required to submit any three case analyses out
of thirteen (listed in the schedule part of the syllabus). You need to pick each case of 3 cases in the three
slots evenly (the 1st slot: Case 1 ~ 5, the 2nd slot: Case 6 ~ 9, and the 3rd slot: Case 10 ~ 13). Each case
study should be five double-spaced pages long excluding the references and appendices and follow the
general format of a case analysis (For instance, please include brief introduction, analysis and problem
identification, alternatives and solutions, and recommendation. Please focus on problem identification and
alternative strategies and don’t reiterate the case. Do not forget to include references. You do not need a
cover page. Please submit two hard copies for each case study. One is for the instructor, the other for the
writing tutor. I will grade your report for content and the tutor will grade it for grammar, punctuation and
writing style. You need to get a passing grade from both of us in order to pass this course. The tutor will
grade your report from 1-10 and any assignments receiving 6 or less will be rewritten.
The individual case analyses are due at the beginning of class on the day the case is discussed at the class.
Late cases are not accepted. Please consult the Appendix 1 for details on this assignment.

Individual case analysis should be a comprehensive analysis of the facts of the case and
application of concepts learned in the lecture and textbook. You should go beyond the material in the
book and incorporate current information into your report. A typical group case discussion should
address the following questions:

a. What are the problems (main challenge) facing the company in the case? Analyze and articulate
critical issues
b. What should the company do about these problems? Provide alternatives or solutions
c. What could be a best recommendation? Consider tentative risks/costs and benefits

Each analysis will be graded according to the case evaluation criteria shown in the case evaluation sheet
(Refer to Appendix 1.).
Group Simulation (20%): The "implementation" part of the course involves your participation
in Capsim’s Foundation® , a strategic management simulation. This simulation provides you with the
opportunity to gain hands-on experience in running a business as a member of a senior management team.
Management teams are required to evaluate situations and make decisions, evaluate outcomes, and
compete with other management teams for resources, opportunities, and markets. Each team will have the
opportunity to set corporate strategies, and apply strategic concepts and techniques within a practical
decision-making framework. In this way, you will have the opportunity to see how a firm's production,
marketing, R&D, HR, and financial operations interact, and to observe the impact of key decisions on
business performance within a competitive market.
The Capstone simulation will be conducted with students organized into groups that will represent
separate firms within an industry. Every firm begins from the same starting point, but will compete based
on various decisions made within your group. We will begin with a practice round to learn to play the

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game, and hopefully identify some fatal strategies. After that point, the simulation results count toward
your final grade. As the simulation continues, each group will keep a record of decisions made, and the
specific strategic reasons for those decisions. Simulations are fun, but take the competition seriously –
there are winners and losers in this game!

When possible, some class time will be allotted to the simulation exercise; however, students are expected
to meet outside of the class time to prepare weekly simulation decisions and to upload their decisions to
the simulation web-site on the assigned due date. To be effective team members, students should prepare
for the team meetings by analyzing data in their particular area of responsibilities and prepare the various
types of documents

When the simulation ends, each group will prepare a final report (1. Report: 5-6 (maximum) pages long ,
double-spaced, Times New Roman font, font size 12; 2. MS Powerpoint slides for the presentation; due
on the day (4/19) for the group Capstone presentation) that outlines actions taken throughout the life of
the simulation. The report should include:

1. Original strategy of the company.

2. The rationale behind this strategy.
3. The change in the company’s strategy over time
4. The result of the simulation exercise
5. What did the group learn from the exercise

Each firm group will then make a final presentation to the class regarding their final firm report. The
presentation should be around 15 minutes. Assume that you are top management making this presentation
to the board of directors at the annual shareholders meeting. Be able to defend your decisions and
assumptions.

Finally, you will individually and confidentially grade each member of your team on participation and
level of contributions.

Grading for the simulation will be as follows:

15% Final report and presentation, Simulation results
5% Peer Review, Individual participation and contribution in the simulation

Individual Simulation (10%): In the final week of the course, you will participate in Comp-XM,
an individualized version of Capstone. This simulation consists of 4 rounds of play – you against the
computer. There are no round deadlines, but there is a final deadline, so that this will be self-paced.
Comp-XM will ask you questions specific to your individual simulation, and calculate a grade based on
your response. Be sure that you fully participate in your group Capstone simulation so that you are
prepared for the individual version of simulation.

Class Participation and class attendance (5 %):

Class participation is highly encouraged in both the lecture portion as well as the case discussion portion
of the class. Quality of class contributions will be weighted more heavily than quantity. Frequent and
valuable participants are who attend most of the classes, participate regularly in every class attended, and
at least make one significant contribution in each class attended. “Participation and contribution” is a
meaningful portion of the total course grade (5%). To help the instructor learn each student’s name and
grade “participation and contribution” as fairly as possible, you will prepare and bring a “nameplate” to
each class. (Refer to Appendix 5 for the criteria for class participation)

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Class Schedule
Session Date Topics D&L Case Simulation A.R. Due
1 1/7 Introduction Bio
1/9 Case Analysis C 13 Team
2 1/14 Simulation tutorials Tutorials
1/16 What is strategic management C1 Solo Exercise1 #1
3 1/21 Martin Luther King Day
1/23 External Environment C2 Solo Exercise2 #2
4 1/28 External Environment C2 Crown Cork & Seal Solo Exercise3
1/30 Internal Environment C3
5 2/4 Internal Environment C3 Apple Grp. Exercise
2/6 Firm’s Intellectual Assets C4 Southwest Airlines
6 2/11 Business-level Strategy C5 Formal R 1 #3 Sim. R1
2/13 Business-level Strategy C5 Nintendo’s Wii 1 st Case
7 2/18 Corporate-level Strategy C6 Formal R 2 #4 Sim. R2
2/20 Corporate-level Strategy C6 Ford
8 2/25 Mid-term Exam Review
2/27 Mid-term Exam
9 3/3 International Strategy C7 Formal R 3 #5 Sim. R3
3/5 International Strategy C7 Sun Life Financial
3/10 Spring Break (3/10 ~ 3/15)
10 3/17 Entrepreneurial Strategy C8 Formal R 4 Sim. R4
3/19 Entrepreneurial Strategy C8 Dippin’ Dots Ice Cream 2 nd Case
Strategic Control (Corporate
11 3/24 C9 Formal R 5 Sim. R5
Governance)
3/26 Strategic Control (Corporate C9 Enron
Governance)
12 3/31 Corporate Social Responsibility C 11 Formal R 6 #6 Sim. R6
4/2 Corporate Social Responsibility C 11 Nike
13 4/7 Corporate Entrepreneurship C 12 Formal R 7 #7 Sim. R7
4/9 Corporate Entrepreneurship C 12 Samsung Electronics 3 rd Case
14 4/14 Presentation Grp. Report

4/16 Individual Comp-XM (Start) Comp-XM

15 4/21 Final Exam Review
4/23 Final Exam Comp-XM

- Formal simulation due at 5:30 pm on each designated date.

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Additional Required Readings

Session 2 (Jan. 16/18) What is strategy?

Reading # 1.
Porter, M. (1996) What is Strategy? Harvard Business Review, 90(6): 61-78.

Session 3 (Jan. 23/25) External Analysis

Reading # 2.
Porter, M. (2008) Five Forces that shape Industry Competition, Harvard Business Review,
86(1): 78-93.

Session 6: Business-level Strategy

Reading #3:
Kim, W.C., & Mauborgne, R. (2004) Blue Ocean Strategy. Harvard Business Review,
82(10):76-84.

Session 7: Corporate-level Strategy

Reading #4:
Hambrick, D.C., & Fredrickson, J.W. (2005) Are you sure you have a strategy? Academy of
Management Executive, 19(4):51-62

Session 9: International Strategy

Reading #5:
Porter, M.E. (1990) The Competitive Advantage of Nations. Harvard Business Review,
84(12): 73–93.

Session 13: Corporate Social Responsibility

Reading #6:
Porter, M. E., & Kramer, M. R. 2006. Strategy & society: The link between competitive
advantage and corporate social responsibility. Harvard Business Review, 84(12): 78–92.

Session 13: Managing Innovation and Fostering Corporate Entrepreneurship

Reading #7:
McGahan A. (2004), “How Industries Change ?”, Harvard Business Review, October, pp. 87-
94.

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Case Preparation Questions

Crown Cork & Seal (#6)

1. What are the key strategic issues that Avery needs to consider? What strategic options
are open to him?
2. If we are going to analyze the industry that Crown competes in, what is the appropriate
industry to analyze?
3. How attractive has the metal container been over the years? (Use the 5-forces model.)
4. How well did Crown Cork do under John Connelly? What were the keys to their
success?
5. What significant changes are taking place in the industry? How should the new CEO,
Bill Avery, respond? Is it finally time to change the Connelly strategy that has been
successful for over 30 years?

Apple (#30)
1. What are the current challenges facing Apple? What are key changes in the general and
industry environments that affect Apple’s operations?
2. What business is Apple in and how should it compete? What are Apple’s core
capabilities?
3. What strategies has Apple tried since 1984, and how successful have they been? What
additional strategies might you suggest?

Southwest Airlines (#18)

1. Assess the leadership effectiveness at Southwest Airlines.
2. Discuss Southwest’s approach to managing human capital.
3. Discuss the basis of Southwest’s competitive advantage and the potential challenges to its
strategy.

Nintendo Wii (#33)

1. Prepare a resource-based view (RBV) analysis for Nintendo and its Wii game console
2. Describe Porter’s 3 Generic Strategies. Which strategy do you feel Nintendo is using with
the Wii?
3. How do Porter’s five forces Model of Industry competition relate to the Video Game
Industry?
4. In Chapter 12 the authors describe two types of innovation, radical and incremental.
Using these two types of innovation describe the game console industry as a whole and
the Nintendo Wii’s entrance into this market.
5. What are the current challenges facing Nintendo?
6. Describe the five elements that make up a blue ocean strategy? Has Nintendo created a
blue ocean with its Wii game console?

Ford (#38)
1. Analyze the external environment of Ford Motor Company.
2. Analyze the internal environment of Ford Motor Company.
3. What are the major challenges that need to be addressed to strengthen Ford Motor
Company? Analyze the turnaround plan of Ford.

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 4. What kind of diversification strategy did Ford pursue and what was the problem with the
strategy?

Sun Life Financial (#7)

1. Is it a good time for Sun Life Financial to be pursuing the Chinese Market?
2. If you were Ohannessian, what city would you choose and why?

Dippin’ Dots Ice Cream (39)

1. Analyze Dippin’ Dots external environment. What are the general environmental factors
that have impact on the industry?
2. What are the external forces of competition affecting the frozen diary industry?
3. Analyze Dippin’ Dots internal environment. What does the Dippin’ Dots value chain
look like? What about its resources? How would you evaluate its performance?
4. What business level strategy does Dippin’ Dots appear to pursue? What niche (cost,
differentiation, focus) can Dippin’ Dots fill in the highly competitive ice cream industry,
is it sustainable and does the industry have room for such an enterprise?
5. What opportunities for growth should Dippin’ Dots pursue? What should Jones do to
manage and encourage this entrepreneurial activity?

Enron (#10)
1. Ethics comes from the top of the organization. Enron’s code of ethics was based on four
attributes: respect, integrity, communications, and excellence. Were the actions of
Enron’s senior management and Board of Directors consistent with the code? Was the
problem systemic, or just a few “bad apples”?
2. What was the culture at Enron? How did the culture impact unethical activities at Enron?
3. Comment on Enron’s attempt to change itself from a hard-assets company to a “new
economy” company, based on financial services.
4. Provide a stakeholder analysis of those affected by the Enron bankruptcy. What
alternatives are present to prevent or lessen these sorts of events?

Samsung Electronics
1. Describe the Five dimensions of Entrepreneurial Orientation. How did Jong Yong Yun
incorporate these factors into the reorganization of Samsung in 1996-1998?
2. After Jong Yung Yun took over at Samsung in 1996, how did he handle the five
dilemmas of innovation (Seeds v. Weeds; Experience v. Initiative; Internal v External
Staffing; Building Capabilities v. Collaborating; Incremental v. Preemptive Launch) in
order to take Samsung from near bankruptcy to over $100 billion in revenue in just over
10 years?
3. When Jong Yung Yun took over Samsung in 1996, the company was failing using their
existing strategy. Describe the old strategy and the new strategy that propelled Samsung
to its current success.
4. Define Leadership and explain the Three Key Interdependent Leadership activities
described in Chapter 11. Did Jong Yong Yun engage in the three key leadership
activities?

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Class Policies:

Absences/Make-ups: There are no excused absences from the exams without a written excuse from a
doctor or the academic dean. If there is a serious scheduling conflict, it is your responsibility to let the
instructor know well in advance. No work will be accepted after the date that it is due. Exams and case
analyses can be turned in earlier than the designated dates with written excuses, but not later.

Honor Code Information: No case write-ups, exams, or student's notes from current or previous
business school students should be consulted in doing your case analysis. You can, however, consult
your notes and reading materials as well as information in the library. Any material quoted directly or
paraphrased should be referenced in your written and oral cases. Plagiarism is a serious infraction and
will be dealt with accordingly.

Important Notes

Throughout the semester, each student is expected to follow the university’s guidelines on student
conduct with regard to cheating and other dishonorable behaviors. Severe consequences can occur if such
rules are not followed.

If a student has to miss a class or be late, it will be his or her responsibility to catch up with all the missed
materials including any new announcement in prior classes from other sources. No make-up exams or
lectures will be given. It will also be the students' responsibility to accept any negative consequences that
may result from it. No late assignments will be accepted.

Students are responsible to form their own groups before the deadline. Once the group is formed, a group
composition sheet will be provided to the instructor for record. The group will function throughout the
whole semester for activities such as group case discussion. A student's credit on group activities will be
counted only after his/her name has appeared in a group composition sheet.

Finally, it is a student's responsibility to READ THE SYLLABUS thoroughly and regularly and keep
track of all the important dates and requirements every week. Most of questions can find their answers in
the syllabus.

Class Communication
WebCT: Class notes, the syllabus, and other relevant course-related materials will be posted on WEBCT.
You may download this material from the website. In addition, you are advised to check your messages
on WEBCT frequently, and prior to each class session. This will be the main way of disseminating any
messages or instructions relating to the course.

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SYLLABUS ADDENDUM

Student Conduct & Discipline

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regulations for the
orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student and each student
organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and regulations which govern student conduct and
activities. General information on student conduct and discipline is contained in the UTD publication, A
to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered students each academic year. The University of Texas at
Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of recognized and established due process.
Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of
Texas System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of
the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to
students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in
interpreting the rules and regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391).

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship. He or she
is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and
administrative rules. Students are subject to discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such
conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such
conduct.

Academic Integrity
The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because the
value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the student for that
degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual honor in his or her
scholastic work.

Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to applications
for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or material that is not
one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the following acts: cheating,
plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying academic records. Students suspected of academic dishonesty are
subject to disciplinary proceedings.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other source
is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see general catalog for
details). This course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible
plagiarism and is over 90% effective.

Email Use
The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between
faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues concerning
security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The university encourages all official
student email correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty and
staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a UTD student account. This allows
the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the identity of all individual corresponding and
the security of the transmitted information. UTD furnishes each student with a free email account that is
to be used in all communication with university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at
U.T. Dallas provides a method for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.

Withdrawal from Class

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The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level courses. These
dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog. Administration procedures must be
followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from any class. In other
words, I cannot drop or withdraw any student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will
not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled.

Student Grievance Procedures

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities, of the
university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other fulfillments of
academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to resolve the
matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or committee with whom the grievance originates
(hereafter called “the respondent”). Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for assigning
grades and evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at that level, the grievance must be submitted in
writing to the respondent with a copy of the respondent’s School Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the
written response provided by the respondent, the student may submit a written appeal to the School Dean.
If the grievance is not resolved by the School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to
the Dean of Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic
Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the academic appeals
process will be distributed to all involved parties. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to
students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in
interpreting the rules and regulations.

Incomplete Grade Policy

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably missed at the
semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An incomplete grade must be
resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the required work to
complete the course and to remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline, the
incomplete grade is changed automatically to a grade of F.

Disability Services
The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities equal to
those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the Student Union.
Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to
7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments necessary
to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary to remove
classroom prohibitions against tape recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for students who are
blind. Occasionally an assignment requirement may be substituted (for example, a research paper versus
an oral presentation for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes enrolled students with mobility
impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities. The college or university may need to
provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or mobility assistance.

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It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an accommodation.
Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty members to verify that the student
has a disability and needs accommodations. Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact
the professor after class or during office hours.

Religious Holy Days

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activities for the
travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are exempt from
property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding the
absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be allowed to take the
exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time after the absence: a period equal to the length
of the absence, up to a maximum of one week. A student who notifies the instructor and completes any
missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A student who fails to complete the
exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a failing grade for that exam or assignment.
If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of observing a
religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has been given a
reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor
may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of the institution, or his or her designee. The chief
executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the
student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief executive officer or designee.

Off-Campus Instruction and Course Activities

Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law and University
policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities. Information regarding these rules and
regulations may be found at the website address given below. Additional information is available from the
office of the school dean. ( http://www.utdallas.edu/Business Affairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm)

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.

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 Appendix 1.
INFORMATION FOR CASE ANALYSIS (Individual Written Assignments)

INFORMATION FOR CASE ANALYSIS:

1. Your position is that of a business consultant team to the chief executive officer of the company. You
have been hired to do a strategic analysis of the company and the industry using case materials,
library research, electronic data sources, and tools suggested by the text. The goal is to determine
what direction the company should take and make specific recommendations about what the company
should do next and why. Sometimes the printed case will call attention to certain problems that exist
and other times you’ll be on your own to determine problem areas.
In all of your presentations you should be addressing the company’s key strategic isssues. The basic
question is “What must this company do to improve it’s performance in the long run?”

2. Identify the current position of the company using concepts from Chapter 2 and information from the
library and electronic resources.
· What is its current strategy to compete in the industry?
· What are the key characteristics of the industry and the industry competitors?
· What forces shape the industry?
· Identify key threats and opportunities that exist in the environment.

3. Identify the internal characteristics of the company. What gives the firm an advantage over its
competitors? Use concepts from Chapter 3 as well as information from the case and your research to
understand this.
· What are the tangible and intangible resources that the firm has?
· How does the financial strength of the firm stack up against other firms in the industry? Other
potential competitors?
· What core capabilities and core competencies give the firm a competitive advantage?
· Is the competitive advantage sustainable over time? Is it valuable, inimitable, rare, hardly
substitutable, and organizationally exploitable? (VIRO analysis from Ch.3.)
· Identify the key strengths and weaknesses apparent from your internal analysis.
· How do the strengths and weaknesses compare to the threats and opportunities apparent in
the environment?

4. From the analysis above, identify the KEY STRATEGIC ISSUE or PROBLEM the company must
face. To what extent will this key issue affect or be affected by the current strategic orientation of the
company. Is there a problem with the current strategy? Should it be changed? Or does the problem
concern how well the company is implementing a strategy that should work? The strategic
orientation of the company can be identified as:
· Business Level Strategies: Low cost, differentiation, or focus (See Chapter 4 in the text.)
These categories are broad and you should be able to discuss specific tactical strategies that
fall into the categories.
· If you embark upon a strategy, what is the probability that a competitor will respond? How
will they respond? (See Chapter 5 in the text.) How should your company respond to the
competitor?
· Corporate Level Strategy: Related or Unrelated Diversifications are strategic categories.
Under these broad categories are decisions to emphasize one industry over another within the

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 company. Acquisitions and divestitures are corporate level strategies. Comparing one
division to another and trying to improve overall performance also come under this category.
See Chapter 6 for descriptions of the strategies and tools to evaluate information.

5. Once you have evaluated the case, identified the strategic problem, and evaluated the impact of the
problem on current and/or future strategy, you must form some conclusions and recommendations
regarding the future position of the company. Support your evaluation with appropriate research.
· What alternatives can the company consider? Alternatives should be mutually exclusive.
Mutually exclusive means the company can go down only one road. It cannot pursue both
strategies simultaneously.
· What are the tradeoffs associated with the alternatives? You should NOT think in terms of
“good” versus “bad”, but rather what does the company GAIN from an alternative and what
does it LOSE. That way you can compare gains and losses across the alternatives. Gains and
losses may be in terms of customers, revenue, cost competitiveness, market share,
profitability, core competence, time to market, future growth, survival, etc.
· Select an alternative to recommend. Make a logical, clear, and integrated argument, backed
by research to support why the gain and loss tradeoff from this alternative is better than the
other alternatives.
· Recommendations should be made only if backed by analysis and logic. Trivial or unrealistic
recommendations or recommendations that are inconsistent with the firm’s goals, resources,
the industry environment, and the culture of the company must be avoided.

6. FINALLY, go back to the strategic issue or problem you identified earlier. How does your solution
SOLVE or at least improve the strategic problem? Will your recommendation allow your firm to
improve its financial performance in the long run? What implementation issues might come up?
What is the realistic probability of success if the company follows your plan?

INFORMATION FOR THE WRITTEN REPORT

1. The individually written analyses of the assigned cases are due at the start of class. A satisfactory job
will take a maximum of 5 double spaced pages for each case report (Total 15 pages), plus exhibits
and a bibliography of outside references. Exhibits may use charts, tables, and professional strategic
planning tools found in the text. DO NOT add charts just to the sake of length. All exhibits should
ADD VALUE to the written analysis. Summarizing facts of the case through a SWOT analysis or
using tables for evaluation of alternatives can save space and improve clarity.

2. Hand in two copies of your written report. Keep an additional copy for yourself. One graded copy
will be returned. DO NOT USE REPORT BINDERS OR COVER SHEETS. Library research AND
online research (called “due diligence” in the business world) is REQUIRED and must be limited to
information that would have been available to the executives at the time of the case.

3. Suggested format:
For ID: Course Number and Section, Class Time, Group Number, Your Name, Date

Name of Case (centered)

A. Introduction
B. Analysis of Environment, Company, Current Strategy, Competitors

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 C. Identification and Justification of Key Strategic Issue that comes from the Analysis
D. Identification and Evaluation of Alternatives
E. Selection of Recommendation and Justification
F. Exhibits and References. (Exhibits should be labeled sequentially and in the order they are
discussed in the text. If you do NOT talk about an exhibit in the text, it probably isn’t doing anything
except taking up space.)

4. Good questions for the written report

Current Challenge
· What is the problem/threat/opportunity? How have these been analyzed? What is the issue -- the
negative assumption, the complication -- that necessitates action?
· What is the pivotal question that must be addressed? Why?
Recommended Strategy
· What is the main action that should be taken to alleviate the problem you have identified? Why this
action rather than some other? Did you consider alternatives? Why did you reject them?
· What moves should be made? These moves must be implementable? If there are internal or external
barriers, if there are serious limitations, or constraints that might stand in the way of the moves you
are advocating, how can they be overcome?
· Substantiate each element in the moves you are proposing? Try to be specific as specific as possible.
Who should do what, how, and in what time period?
· How will other parties (competitors in particular) respond to these moves? Will their responses
effectively neutralize the moves you are proposing and make them null and void?
· In the end, what difference will the moves you are recommending make? How likely are they to solve
the problem you have identified? What problems will they create in their wake?
· Reiterate why you think the strategy you are proposing should be carried out and what difference it
would make?
· Who will be better off? In short run? In the long run? What are the uncertainties? How much risk is
involved?

STRONG POINTS IN REPORTS

1. Evidence of thorough case study.
2. Judgments supported by evidence from the case or outside sources.
3. Organization and clarity of the presentation (whether orally or in writing).
4. Identification of the key drivers and/or forces in the external environment and how that may affect the
future of the firm or the industry.
5. Identification and evaluation of pertinent company’s capabilities, weaknesses, resources, and sources
of competitive advantage in the context of the industry and competitive environment.
6. Clear articulation of the strategic issue you are addressing.
7. Use of professional tools and concepts from the text and lectures. (This includes tools used in other
courses such as ratio analysis or market share analysis.)
8. Alternatives that are realistic and fall from the analysis.
9. Examination of tradeoffs associated with alternatives.
10. Justification for the recommendation that is consistent with company strategy and resources.
11. Use of a “company-wide” view…not just a functional, short-term perspective.

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WEAKNESSES IN REPORTS
1. Not well organized or presented clearly.
2. Failure to proofread ANY written material (in written or oral presentation) and correct obvious
misspellings, errors, and sloppy grammar.
3. Mere repetition of case facts without analysis. (I.e. Rehash of the facts of the case is not value
added.)
4. Failure to identify outside sources.
5. Exhibits that are extraneous to the analysis. The reader or viewer is left to draw his/her own
conclusions and wonder why the exhibit is there.
6. Failure to ANALYZE. Don’t just give facts, do ANALYSIS!
7. Lack of consideration of non-economic issues (i.e. culture, values, ethics, etc.) if it is relevant.
8. Failure to support opinions by evidence or logical explanation.
9. Failure to perceive or present an “organizational” or “strategic” viewpoint.
10. Lack of adequate outside research.
11. For oral presentations: Lack of coordination, rehearsal, and preparation.
12. For oral presentations: Dominance by one individual.
13. For oral presentations: Speaking too quietly and/or too quickly.

Library Research for Cases

Just searching company website and/or citing free web information is unacceptable. Take advantage
of the expensive search engines at the library homepage, such as the following below. Should you
have further questions, contact liaison librarians in the library (Loreen Phillips,
Loreen.Phillips@utdallas.edu or visit http://utdallas.edu/library/services/reference.htm .

• Business and Company Resource Center

• Business Source Premier
• Business & Management Practices
• CCH Internet Tax Research Network (tax service)
• Wall Street Journal (1984-current)
• Academic Universe Lexis Nexis (then under Business)
• Disclosure Data from Academic Universe Click on Business, then Company Financial
• Mergent Online (formerly Moody's FIS Online) (company financial information)
• National Trade Data Bank (NTDB)
• EconLit (economics)
• ECONbase
• PAIS (public affairs)
• Business Dateline (index to regional business publications)
• Business Organizations
• Regional Business News (from TexShare)
• EDGAR Financial Reports (company financial information)
• Social Sciences Abstracts
• Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Science/Web of Knowledge)
• Essay & General Literature Index
• Web of Science (Web of Knowledge) (citation indexes)
• WorldCat (OCLC)

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 Appendix 2.
Evaluation Criteria for Writing Quality (Individual Written Assignments)

1. Students will write a firm case analysis draft using appropriate organization, mechanics, & style.
a. Grading will utilize the below rubric:

Criteria 0 1 2 Total
Grammar Several grammar errors One or two errors No mistakes
Spelling Multiple spelling errors One or two errors No spelling errors
Word Choice Below average word Good word Excellent word
choices choices choices
Paragraph/Sentence Poor organization Good Very well
Organization and Flow organization organized
Professional Style Poor Acceptable Excellent
Total Points 10

b. Criteria for rewriting is as follows:

i. A paper scoring a zero in any of the five criteria must be rewritten.
ii. For all papers totaling 6 or under, the paper must be rewritten.
iii. For all papers totaling 5 or under, the student must make an appointment with the
writing tutor.

2. Students will write a firm case analysis draft gathering, incorporating and interpreting source material
in their writing.
a. Grading will utilize the below rubric:

Criteria 0 1 2-3 Total

Citation of Sources, Missing citations Minor errors in Correct citation of
In Text citations sources
Works Cited Page Missing entries Minor errors Correct citation
Incorporation of Floating quotations Slightly choppy Seamless
quotations integration integration
Presentation of data Numerical data mixed in Some use of tables Clear tables &
paragraph form & charts charts
Total Points 10

b. Criteria for rewriting is as follows:

i. A paper scoring a zero in any of the five criteria must be rewritten.
ii. For all papers totaling 6 or under, the paper must be rewritten.

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 iii. For all papers totaling 5 or under, the student must make an appointment with the
writing tutor.
3. Students will write a firm case analysis draft using effective written arguments.
a. Grading will utilize the below rubric:

Criteria 0 1 2-3 Total

Thesis statement Thesis not Thesis stated but not Thesis is clearly stated
identified precisely
Evidence presented No supporting Support is vague Evidence logically
evidence supports argument
Argument Flow and Poor organization Good organization Very Well organized
Organization
Solutions proposed No solutions Solutions are vague Solutions are specific
offered
Total Points 10

When submitting a rewrite, the student should mark it clearly as a “REWRITE FOR THE WRITING
TUTOR.” Students with a passing score on the original writing portion can also choose to rewrite their
papers in order to further improve the writing scores. A new credit for the writing portion will then be
given based on the writing tutor’s reassessment of the revised work.

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 Appendix 3.
Evaluation Criteria for the Content of Case Write-up (Individual Written Assignments)

Criteria Evaluation Points

Summary of the critical issues (10pts)
- Most of the information in the case is not repeated Exceeds Expectations 10 pts
- Identification of internal and external issues Meets Expectations 8-9 pts
- Identification of the most important issues Marginally Meets Expectations 7 pts
Does not Meet Expectations 5 pts

Strategic Analysis (20 pts)

- Evidence of analysis beyond what is written or presented Exceeds Expectations 19- 20 pts
- Suggests realistic options for the company (or industry) Meets Expectations 16-18 pts
- Identifies pros and cons of options Marginally Meets Expectations 13-15 pts
- Provides realistic, case-based support for the options Does not Meet Expectations 10-12 pts

Recommendation (10 pts)

- Quality and support of the recommended option. Exceeds Expectations 10 pts
- Implementation impact of the recommendation Meets Expectations 8-9 pts
Marginally Meets Expectations 7 pts
Does not Meet Expectations 5 pts

Other grading criteria (10 pts)

- Clarity and logic of ideas Exceeds Expectations 10 pts
- Use of outside materials Meets Expectations 8-9 pts
- Organization of paper Marginally Meets Expectations 7 pts
- Use of exhibits Does not Meet Expectations 5 pts

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 Appendix 4.
Group and Individual Simulation Project

The group simulation exercise will allow students to practice some of the key concepts and theories
learned in the course while managing in a competitive business environment. There will be seven formal
rounds and two practice rounds in the group simulation exercise. Each round is equivalent to a calendar
year of the business. Whenever possible, class time will be given to the simulation exercise, but in
addition to this time, students are expected to meet outside class for preparing weekly simulation
decisions. To be effective team members, students should prepare for team meetings by analyzing data in
their particular area of responsibility. Group decisions should be up-loaded to the Capstone website no
later than the time specified in the lesson schedule above.

The group grade for this simulation exercise will be based on the following:
· Group simulation performance
· Written report and oral presentation on the simulation exercise

The reports should describe the original strategy of the group, the rationale behind this strategy, the
change in the group’s strategy over time, the result of the simulation exercise and what the group learned
from the exercise. The oral presentation should not exceed 25 minutes, while the written report should not
be longer than 5-6 pages (double-spaced).

To avoid free riding, the group grade will only assigned to those team members who did a fair share of
work in the simulation exercise. The contribution of team members to the group effort will be evaluated
by each team member within the team and students who are consistently evaluated by other team
members as failing to make a fair contribution to the team effort will receive a lesser grade.

Capsim’s Foundation®
Foundation® teaches business R&D, HR, Finance, Marketing, Production, Strategy, Tactics,
Leadership and Teamwork. In Foundation®, students will run a $40 million company for eight years.
The simulation is played as a team competition (Foundation® Tournament): four to six teams, with each
team running a company and competing head-to-head. Foundation® companies
operate in two market segments: "Low Tech" and "High tech." Students begin the simulation with one
product, but can develop a portfolio of up to five products.
Each simulated year they will make decisions in Research and Development, Marketing, Finance, Human
Resources and Production. In later rounds, Total Quality Management can be added as well. Students
select the benchmarks that will measure success. They choose from two or more measures including
Return on Equity (ROE), Return on Investment (ROI), Market Capitalization, Market Share (in Dollars),
Cumulative Profit, Return on Assets (ROA), Asset Turnover and Stock Price. You are expected to
carefully read the simulation manual and built-in materials!

· Foundation® is played over the internet, so each student will need access to a computer. The
business school has computer facilities that students can use.
· The simulation exercise will be completed in teams of 5; keep in mind that you will be competing
against your peers.
· Note: I will not re-assign individuals to a different group after the initial assignment has been
made. It is the group’s responsibility to work together, just as you would have to in a real top
management team environment. Students desiring guidance on working with group members are
welcome to ask me for advice and to utilize the peer review system.

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COMP-XM Simulation and Test:
In the simulation assignment mentioned above your group has been competing against other groups from
your class. You have to take intensive hands on participation in the above assignment because you will be
given an individual assignment where you will run your own firm competing with other firms simulated
by the computer. At the end of this market battle you will be tested by the computer with computer
generated questions tied to the specific details of the firm and its market.

Comp-XM® is an integrated assessment tool that allows students to demonstrate their business skills.
Each student is promoted to CEO and given a company to run in an industry similar to Foundation®.
Competitors are managed by the computer. As students run their companies, their board of director’s
presents them with a set of questions each round. The questions are drawn from all business domains,
from accounting to marketing to strategy. Performance is measured with a balanced scorecard.

Comp-XM® is divided into two parts:

· A business simulation, similar to Foundation®, that each student runs as an individual;

· A series of quizzes, called Board Queries, that ask each student questions based on their unique
simulation results.

Comp-XM® should be scheduled after the end of a Foundation® simulation. Successful completion of
Comp-XM® requires skills developed during Foundation®.

As with Foundation®, decisions are made via a Microsoft® Excel® worksheet. CompXM.xls has the
same look and feel as Foundation.xls.

Each Comp-XM® is like a snowflake. Questions are modified by the current conditions in the industry.
Each student’s industry is slightly different when launched to present a unique environment.

Grading for individual COMP-XM simulation will be based on the result of simulation.

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 Appendix 5.
Peer Evaluation Sheet

Team # ______________

Name _________________________

Name Self

Score
(1-10)*
Reasons

· Scale: 1 (did nothing) – 5 (neither satisfactory nor unsatisfactory) – 10 (very satisfactory)

· Then the participation score will be totaled and divided by the number of the group then this
number will be multiplied with the score one gets from the group written-report.
· Be objective in evaluating other members in your group and specify reasons.
· The evaluation should be turned in on the final exam. Peer evaluation sheet will be provided
along with the exam booklet.
· If one fails to turn in the peer evaluation sheet, then everybody in the team gets 8.

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 Appendix 6.
A Short Survey

A Short Survey

Your Name (Last, First, M. I.):

Student ID:

Phone Number: Email Address:

1. What is your main expectation on this course or primary goal for the class?

2. What is your major subject area of interest?

3. What is your educational background?

4. Have you completed all the core courses? (check one) Yes No

5. Are all the requirements listed in the syllabus clear to you? If not, which specific parts do you need
more clarifications?

6. Any specific suggestions you may have for making the course as successful as possible? Or any
specific concerns you might have?

(Thank you)

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