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Instructors: Jay Azriel (Section 4577)
Ervin
Starr (Section 4576)
Office: BA 346
Office Hours: Mondays 3:00-5:00, and by appointment
Phone Numbers:
Office: 442-4386
Home: Starr 286-2467 (Please do not call after 10pm or before
9am)
Azriel
437-1089 (Please do not call after 10pm or before 9am)
WebCT address: webct.albany.edu:8900
(note no www.)
Textbook: - Readings packet & cases (at copies plus)
- Strategic Thinking: An Executive Perspective
- The Portable Business Writer
- Covey: 7 - Habits
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Overview and Course
Objectives:
The study and understanding of business strategy is more important
then ever given that businesses operate in a fast paced environment
filled with both opportunity and uncertainty. According to some
experts, business restructuring, downsizing, and TQM have reached
their limits. Managers must find new strategies to ensure their
organization's survival as well as continued profitability.
This course focuses on concepts, models, tools, and skills that
are essential for strategic management. A key objective of the course
is to provide a setting that facilitates the development and refinement
of the knowledge and skills that are necessary for managers in today's
fast moving, unpredictable, and highly competitive business environment.
As a "capstone" course, a second objective is for you to incorporate
the theories and materials learned in others classes into this course.
The underlying purpose of this course is for you to effectively
integrate strategic management theory with the practical concerns
that confront managers in modern organizations. This course provides
you with the opportunity to integrate the theoretical perspectives
found in the readings with your vision of the type of manager you
intend to become. Students need to identify their own strategy-related
objectives and personal competencies that they require as managers.
The methodologies to assist you in achieving these objectives include:
(1) case analyses and write-ups, presentations, and discussions;
(2) performing as a cross-functional team member; (3) in-class and
out-of-class exercises including newspaper articles and watching
news relation television shows; and (4) demonstration of knowledge
of strategic management principles through written assignments and
examinations. In order for you to master the course materials you
must conscientiously complete assignments, stay informed of current
events, regularly attend class, and actively participate in group
exercises and class discussions.
Attendance Policies:
Each class session missed is the same as missing three 1-hour
class sessions. While emergencies arise from time to time, missing
class because of work due in another course, job responsibilities,
or student activities is not an acceptable reason for missing class
or late assignments. Students who miss more than one class session
will lose class participation points. Additionally, students who
miss more than one class will loose points on their final grade
for each additional absence. Students who miss three or more
classes are subject to being dropped from this class and must schedule
an appointment with me immediately. Please also refer to the University's
policy on excused absences. An absence does not excuse you from
any assignments that are due on that day or in the future. If you
are absent contact a classmate to find out what you
missed.
In the U.S. business environment tardiness is not acceptable.
People do lose their jobs for excessive lateness. In our class,
tardiness disrupts the activity that is going on and is unfair to
your classmates. Attendance will be taken sometime after the first
15 minutes of class. Students who are tardy will loose points
on their final grade for each tardiness. It is your responsibility
to make sure that you are marked as attending class.
Dishonesty:
Although we do not expect that any of you will be dishonest, we
will punish any student who is dishonest to the fullest extent that
the university allows, including expulsion from the University.
This includes cheating on examinations and plagiarism on written
assignments. If you have any questions regarding what is considered
cheating or plagiarism please let me know. Any suspected dishonesty
on examinations will result in a retest under controlled testing
conditions. Please do not cheat!
Grading Policy:
The following is the grading scale for this course. At our option
we may choose to curve any class assignment, examination, or quiz.
We will not curve grades downward (i.e. lower anyone's grade). Your
grade is not negotiable, therefore,
do not come to us at the end of the semester and ask for extra credit
or a point so that you can get a higher grade.
If you feel that we have made a mistake in grading any of your
course work, please make an appointment to see me and I will review
the assignment or test. Reviewing your work does not guarantee a
grade adjustment. If I find a mistake in grading your work I will
make an adjustment.
The following is the grading scale for this course:
| 95-100 A |
90-94 A-
|
| 86-89
B+ |
-
83-85 B |
| 80-82
B- |
76-79 C+ |
| 73-75
C |
70-72 C-
|
| 66-69
D+ |
63-65 D |
| 60-62
D- |
59 & Below E |
The following is the breakdown for your final grade:
| Individual |
Class Participation (see below) |
15% |
| |
Exams (20% each) |
40% |
| Group/Team |
Seminar |
20% |
| |
Project |
25% |
Class Participation:
The success of our class session is largely determined by your
input to class discussions. You are expected to come to class prepared
so that you are able to provide well thought out points, instead
of "shoot from the hip" answers. Your participation, management
talks, cases, current events, etc. will determine 15 percent of
your grade. The breakdown is as follows:
| Management Talk / Write-up |
20 points |
| Facilitation Summary/Questions |
20 points |
| Activity on WebCT (current events) |
20 points |
| Turning-in Evaluations |
15 points |
| Case Write-up/Participation |
15 points |
| Other e.g. Mission Statement
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10 points |
We may give a pop quiz if I feel that the class is unprepared
or when attendance is low. We also may provide the class with
an opportunity to earn extra credit.
Management Talks:
Hiring employees with excellent communication skills is critical
to all organizations. Recruiters cite poor communication skills
as the biggest weakness of new graduates. Both the management talks
and written assignments are designed to help you improve your communication
skills as well as to get you to think about important managerial
issues. Management talks are designed to provide you with the opportunity
to practice talking to a group. The themes selected for these talks
are topics that managers often find that they must talk about to
their employees. Management talks are two-minute speeches on an
assigned topic, such as commending for a job well done. The class
following your speech, you will write a one page reflection essay:
responding to the questions; (What have I learned? What I would
do differently?).
Cases:
Two cases will be packaged with the readings. Case assignments
are designed to provide an opportunity to utilize the theory you
have learned in this and other courses you have taken. You are expected
to hand in a comprehensive case write-up notes that are well thought
through. Failure to do so will result in participation points being
deducted.
Exams:
The two exams will cover materials from each half of the course.
Questions will be derived to test your knowledge and ability to
apply the lecture and readings materials. More information will
be provided as the examination date approaches. Both readings and
lecture materials will be on exams.
If you know you will be absent on the day that an exam is scheduled,
please contact me as soon as possible, so arrangements can be
made. Make-up examinations will be given only in case of a documented
emergency, e.g., your hospitalization or death of an immediate
family member.
Written Assignments:
Any assignments that are to be turned in must be type written.
This includes the case write-ups. The written assignments are designed
to help you further develop your analyzing skills as well as your
writing skills. Each paper will be graded on both content and grammar.
The margins must be one inch all around and the typeface must be
12 pt. Each paper must have a title page containing: the assignment
title (e.g. Compaq Case) centered in the middle of the paper in
bold; your name and the date in the lower right hand side of the
cover sheet. Please make sure that your paper is stapled before
you get to class. Please keep a copy in case something happens to
my copy.
These assignments are due during the class period designated
in the syllabus. Late assignments will lose one letter grade per
day, unless a circumstance occurs per the University attendance
policy. If you know you will miss the class session, make arrangements
to turn in the assignment prior to the class.
Book Facilitation/Discussion:
There is a great deal of literature on business written for managers.
These books offer you valuable practical information that will serve
you in the workplace. Stephen Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective
People" is the book we as a class will be reading. Time will be
given during most class meetings to discuss the section due that
day.
A group member will facilitate each discussion, the facilitator
is responsible to turn in questions and an outline of the section
for that week. Your team will evaluate your discussion facilitation,
and the professor will evaluate the quality of your questions
and outline. This will impact the class participation section
of your grade.
Book Seminar:
Finally, each group will give a creative 30-minute
seminar to the rest of the class on one or more habits. Seminars
will be conducted on either December 11th.
1. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey
Section 1 - Introduction through habit 1
Section 2 - Habit 2
Section 3 - Habit 3
Section 4 - Habit 4
Section 5 - Habit 5
Section 6 - Habit 6
Section 7 - Habit 7 through Conclusion
Peer Evaluations:
Everywhere you work individuals are evaluating your performance.
In the best scenarios that evaluation is done to help you "become
all you can be", by people who genuinely care about your professional
growth. In the worst cases these evaluations are done by those who
desire your failure (possibly in hopes of their own success), by
people who are fearful, jealous, and highly competitive.
A wise man/woman will heed the good advice of either group and
learn. The foolish person will ignore both and suffer for it.
Your classmates will have opportunity to give you feedback on
the work you do. I will force them to be critical and discerning
so that the information they give you is more valuable. This is
your opportunity to learn with minimal consequences to making
mistakes.
Life if full of risks and decisions. Take risks, live life fully,
but get your scrapes and bumps when you're closer to the ground
(it hurts a lot less, and saves you from bigger mistakes later).
Whenever you get the opportunity to be mentored by someone you
deeply respect jump at the chance.
Project:
70 (out of 100 points) for your formal write-up of the strategic
plan for the project you undertake.
30 points (out of the 100 total points) for implementation of
the plan, goal achievement, and reflection work.
More details will be given during the semester as projects are
selected.
Course Outline:
Projected Class Schedule
(subject to change) |
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Date
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Activities
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Due
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| Sept. 11 |
Course Introduction
(Chapter 1 "What is Strategy") |
Read
Chapter 1 |
| Sept. 18 |
Environmental Analysis
& Scanning
Memo Writing |
Read
Chapter 2
Leadership Talk 1
Group Selection |
| Sept. 25 |
SWOT Analysis |
Read
Chapter 3
Leadership Talk 2
Compaq Case |
| Oct. 2 |
Systemic Thinking |
Read Chapter 7
Senge Reading
Leadership Talk 3 |
| Oct. 9 |
No Class |
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| Oct. 16 |
Business
and Corporate Level Strategies |
Chapters 4 & 5
Leadership Talk 4 |
| Oct. 23 |
Mid Term Examination |
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| Oct. 30 |
Group
Meetings w/ Prof. Azriel or Prof. Starr |
Introduction
& Habit 1
Leadership Talk 5 & 6 |
| Nov. 6 |
Stakeholder Analysis |
Habits 2 & 3
Leadership Talk 7 & 8 |
| Nov. 13 |
Decision Making |
Habit 4
Leadership Talk 9 & 10 |
| Nov. 20 |
Goal Mapping & Action
Plan |
Habit 5 & 6
Leadership Talk 11 & 12 |
| Nov. 27 |
Exam Two - Application |
Habit 7 |
| Dec. 4 |
SEMINARS
- Highly Effective People |
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| Dec. 11 |
Wrap-up
(SERF's, feedback, reflections, questions, closing lecture) |
Project Reflections |
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