I will be available after class to meet students who need to talk with me..

 

Text required:            Essentials of Strategic Management, 3E

J. David Hunger and Thomas L Wheelen;

Publisher: Pearson - Prentice Hall.

 

A word about the text: This text may be different from other texts you have used. It is an “Essentials” text, meaning that it contains only the major concepts without a lot of supporting detail. It is designed to be used with other supporting material. Please read the chapters carefully because every sentence has an important meaning. You cannot “skim” and expect to get the meaning of the concepts.

 

 

This course represents an opportunity to integrate of all of your previous knowledge and coursework on business management. It builds on basic principles of management and gives you tools for approaching and understanding of business strategy. To that end, you will be studying theories of strategy used in real-life business applications. It is your job to tie the two together based on materials from our text, materials given in class, your own research, and collaborative work with other class members. As with any new skill, you must learn to use the tools. We will practice the tools in class and in your assigned work throughout the session.

 

During this course, you will be working with the following support materials

 

·        your text

·        library and internet references

·        articles of current interest from internet or popular media sources

·        readings from other texts

·        your own structured observations

·        detailed research using business resources on firms assigned in class.

 

We shall learn from several academic sources and from each other as well as the structured learning experiences during the semester - thus, the word “integrated” in the title of this course. What we learn and share will expand the learning of all.

 

 

 

 

 

Orion will be used for Class Management. You can register on this site by typing in orion.kent.edu. Click on the opening screen; it will expand. Begin your registration by clicking on Courses at the lower left corner. At the next screen, click on Enroll in a Course. You will be led through the rest of your registration. Orion will be used for on-line quizzes, posting handouts, links, communicating with the class and submitting coursework.

 

All completed assignments are to be uploaded on Orion – NO EXCEPTIONS! Assignments should be submitted as a hard copy in class and uploaded on Orion by the date due. Please give the instructor a hard copy of your presentation BEFORE you present.

 

All assignments included in this class are designed to support your learning through the mastering of key business tools such as financial analysis, SWOT, value chain analysis and competitive analysis using Porters Five Forces Model. Through these assignments, you will have the opportunity to practice and apply what you have learned as theory about Strategic Management.

            Class Participation and Attendance

 

Attendance is required and shall represent 5% of your grade. Attendance shall be graded on a pass-fail basis. No more than 1 unexcused absence - pass with 5 points. Missing 2 or more unexcused absences - 0 points for this requirement. University accepted excuses shall be required for attendance credit when missing class.

As students who are or aspire to be managers, your oral communication skills are or will be an essential part of your effectiveness. I expect you to practice and display them in class. All students can develop excellent communication skills with practice.  Oral presentations and participation are critical skills for managers. When presenting, DO NOT READ FROM YOUR NOTES. This could result in a lower grade.

Teamwork is integral to today’s workplace. We shall practice teamwork in this class setting. Students who do not participate and contribute to their team may be asked to leave their teams and will receive a lower grade. “Group presentation” means everyone in the group participates. Each student will be evaluated by his or her peers at the completion of the course.

You will be given some opportunity to work during class toward completion of team assignments, therefore, your attendance will be an important contribution to your team. You must do your reading outside of class and come to class prepared. In addition, there may be in-class assignments during the semester. You will be required to submit in-class assignments in writing. These assignments are not subject to “make-up” unless you have a University-approved absence.

 

Students will conduct an interview with a manager who is responsible for developing strategic objectives for his or her company. This means the manager should have significant input into the future direction of the company. Interview questions will be developed in class. Students will summarize the main points of their interview results in class. Details will follow on Orion.

 

 

Students will work as teams to prepare and present, using PPT. an analysis of an assigned industry. Teams will prepare answers to structured questions. References should be used in the discussion and submitted for credit.

 

Students will be assigned to teams to present a case analysis. Cases will be assigned and students are expected to update information in the cases. The strategic audit will be used as a template for your presentations. Submission of research references will be required. More detail for this assignment will be provided on Orion.

Your final assignment will be to write a case as a class. The instructor will give you the name of the company and basic information about the case. Working as teams, you will be asked to update and expand the information based on your research, using the strategic audit format in Appendix 11.C.  This assignment requires both a paper and a presentation. A list of references and the name of the student supplying the references should be attached.

 

There will be a brief on-line quiz, about 10-12 questions, for each chapter assigned, open book, open notes. There are 10 Chapters, therefore 10 Quizzes. Quiz questions will be objective. You may take these quizzes for extra credit, one-half grade point (.5) per quiz.

 

 

Papers will be formatted as follows: 1 inch margins, single spaced; Times Roman or Ariel fonts may be used; 12 point type. Paragraphs may be blocked. Use one space between paragraphs. A cover sheet with the title of the assignment and the names of all students submitting as a team should be included.

 

All research papers and presentations should use APA format for all references. Examples of APA format are available through the KSU library website. A three page paper requirement means three full pages. Points are deducted for not meeting the minimum length requirement. To achieve an “A,” the student must exceed the minimum requirements.

 

Students should provide the instructor their PPT presentation prior to the presentation.

 

 

For team assignments, students will receive a grade based on their contribution to the overall quality of the presentation. The team will be assigned a grade and individual grades adjusted based on the adequacy and quality of the contribution of each. Your grade will be determined as follows[1]:

 

Interview with a Strategic Manager	20%
Industry Analysis	25%
Strategic Audit and Presentation	25%
Case Analysis and Presentation	25%
Attendance	5%
Total	100%

 

PERCENT	GRADE
90-100	A
80-89	B
70-79	C
60–69	D
<60	F

 

 

All assignments are expected to be submitted on time. Students who turn in assignments past the due date are responsible for informing the instructor immediately of their situation. Failure to do so may result in a 0 (no credit) for the assignment. Credit may be given for a late assignment based in agreement between the instructor and the student.

 

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 (0 points) for the work or course.  Repeat offenses may result in dismissal from the University. For this class, anyone making a request of others to perform their assigned work, in either a group or individual setting, is considered a violation of the academic policy and will result in a failing grade.

 

The instructor reserves the right to incorporate extra credit during the course of the semester.

 

Students have responsibility to ensure they are properly enrolled in classes.  You are advised to review your official class schedule (using Web for Students) to ensure you are properly enrolled in this class and section.  Should you find an error in your class schedule, you have until July 20, 2006 to correct the error with your advising office.  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.

 

For Summer III 2006, class withdrawal begins on July 21, 2006. The date to withdraw without receiving a “W” is August 7, 2006.  Students may continue to withdraw after August 7, 2006; however students withdrawing after August 7, 2006 will receive a "W" on their official transcript and must make their change through the undergraduate office.  Withdrawal after the deadline will require an assignment of a letter grade for the course.  Please see the undergraduate business advising office (107 BSA) for details and exceptions to this policy.

 

University policy 3342-3-18 requires that students with disabilities be provided reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access equal access course content.  If you have 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 Disability Services (contact 330-672-3391 or visit www.kent.edu/sds for more information on registration procedures).

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Note: This Syllabus may be updated or revised based on class discussions, interactions, and current events 

 

 

 

 

 

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