BAD 64275 Fall 2008 Anokhin

STRATEGIC GLOBAL MANAGEMENT

BAD 64275-001, 600, 900

CRN 13474, 19355, 19356

Instructor: Dr. Sergey Anokhin

Office: A421, Phone: 330-672-1150, E-mail: sanokhin@kent.edu

Class Meeting Time: M 6:15-8:55pm,

Room: VHEC (section 001), and via VTEL for regional campuses

Office Hours: MW 1:00-3:30pm and by appointment

Fall 2008

Course objectives

To provide a framework for a general understanding of global strategy and an understanding of the conceptual tools and constructs used to develop strategy in a global context

Required text

Transnational Management (5^th  edition) by Christopher Bartlett, Sumantra Ghoshal, Paul Beamish: publishers McGraw-Hill/Irwin

ISBN 10: 0073101729

ISBN 13: 9780073101729

Additional readings may be assigned by the professor.

Prerequisites: Completion of MBA Core. Students in the course who do not have the proper prerequisite risk being deregistered from the class.

Notes:

·         This syllabus is subject to change at the Professor’s discretion. It is your responsibility to become informed of any changes if you miss a class meeting.

• All required assignments must be completed by the specified due dates. Assignments will not be accepted after the due date.  Please note that disk and/or computer problems/malfunctions are not acceptable excuses for late assignments.

Case Preparation and Discussion:

This course relies to a significant extent on case materials. Your preparation of the cases and participation in the discussion will be critical to your learning process and to the success of the class as a whole in effectively diagnosing problems and reaching recommendations. Preparation for the case discussion should begin with a quick reading of the assigned text and case material. Then, it is worthwhile to review the assignment questions for clues as to what issues require special attention. The next step is to reread the case carefully, take notes that sort information, facts, and observations under a number of relevant headings. Many cases may require that you perform some quantitative analyses and explore alternative hypotheses as to the reasons for the company's observed performance. Finally, preparation will include notes that can be used to guide your contributions to class discussions on the assigned issues or other issues you think critical to the company's apparent dilemma. In grading participation, I will look at both the quantity and quality of contribution. With regard to quality, some criteria include:

•   Are the points made relevant to the discussion?

•   Do they go beyond a mere recitation of case facts, and are implications clearly drawn?

•   Is there evidence of analysis rather than expressions of opinion?

•   Are the comments linked to those of others?

•   Did the contribution further class understanding of the issues?

•   Is the participant a good listener?

Grade structure: your grade will be determined based on how well you perform on the following:

-        Exams (45 points)

-        Case write-ups (20 points)

-        Group project (25 points)

-        Participation (10 points)

-        A: 90-100 points

-        B: 80-89 points

-        C: 70-79 points

-        D: 60-69 points

-        F: <60 points

Exams. There will be three exams (worth 15 points each) as listed in the class schedule to measure your understanding of the theory underlying the strategic management process in the global context. These exams will consist of essay questions where you will have to apply the concepts covered in the class to real-life or fictitious business situations. The final exam may be cumulative (TBD).

Case Write-ups. You are required to submit written evaluations on two of the cases. Each case summary is worth 10 points. Case write-ups are due at the beginning of the class (consult the schedule) and are to be prepared as an individual effort, not as a group project. If you cannot make it to the class make sure to have the write-up emailed to me by 10am on the day that the case is due.

Group projects.

You will form 6 groups of 3-5 students. Each group will select a public company facing a particular identifiable challenge with its global strategy for an in-depth case study. The company must be a publicly traded US-based company. Discuss your choice of the company/challenge with the instructor early, as it is important that no two groups work on the same project.

The objective of the group project is to apply the tools of business strategy to evaluating the strategy and performance of a business enterprise and, on the basis of an analysis of the present situation and emerging trends, to chart a future direction for the enterprise. The content of the project will vary according to the issue(s) facing the company, the characteristics and circumstances of the company and its industry, and your preferences.

There is a 25 page limit for this report including all tables, references, and appendices. Please make sure the report is typed double-spaced with one inch margins using a 12 pt Times New Roman font. The paper must contain a proper reference section (endnotes are acceptable). Specific structure of the report will depend on the nature of the challenge the company is facing.

Output:

The project has three principal outputs:

1.      A written executive summary of your analysis, findings, and recommendations (2 page maximum).

2.      A written report on the issue facing the company and the company’s overall strategic position.

3.      An oral presentation (maximum 25 minutes) in which you will outline the principal findings of your analysis and your recommendations. Your group will assume the role of consultants presenting recommendations for the firm. A question and discussion period will follow the presentation. Evaluation criteria include both content and style issues. You must provide all class members with a summary of your presentation on the day of your presentation.

Peer Evaluation:

Each group member will be evaluated by the other members of his or her team on his or her contribution to the group assignments. These evaluations may affect your individual grades.

Schedule

The Following Policies Apply to All Students in this Course

A.   Students attending the course who do not have the proper prerequisite risk being deregistered from the class.

Students have responsibility to ensure they are properly enrolled in classes.  You are advised to review your official class schedule (using Web for Students) during the first two weeks of the semester to ensure you are properly enrolled in this class and section.  Should you find an error in your class schedule, you have until Sunday, September 7, 2008 to correct the error.  If registration errors are not corrected by this date and you continue to attend and participate in classes for which you are not officially enrolled, you are advised now that you will not receive a grade at the conclusion of the semester for any class in which you are not properly registered.

B.   Academic honesty: Cheating means to misrepresent the source, nature, or other conditions of your academic work (e.g., tests, papers, projects, assignments) so as to get undeserved credit.   In addition, it is considered to cheating when one cooperates with someone else in any such misrepresentation.  The use of the intellectual property of others without giving them appropriate credit is a serious academic offense.  It is the University's policy that cheating or plagiarism result in receiving a failing grade for the work or course.  Repeat offenses result in dismissal from the University.

C.   Course Withdrawal:

For Fall 2008, the course withdrawal deadline is Sunday, November 2, 2008.

D.   Students with disabilities: 

University policy 3342-3-18 requires that students with disabilities be provided

reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access course content.  If you have a documented disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to make arrangements for necessary classroom adjustments.  Please note, you must first verify your eligibility for these through the Student Accessibility Services (contact 330-672-3391 or visit www.registrars.kent.edu/disability  for more information on registration procedures).