MANAGEMENT 4090

SECTIONS A & B
Course Outline
Spring 2009
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Brad Olson
EMAIL:
bradley.olson@uleth.ca
OFFICE:
D 534
CLASS TIMES:
Monday & Wednesday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. - Room: D 632
Monday & Wednesday, 10:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. - Room: D 632
OFFICE HOURS: Monday 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. & Wednesday 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
or by appointment.
TEXTS: Hitt, M., Ireland, R., Hoskisson, R., Rowe, W., & Sheppard, J., (2006).
Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization -- Concepts, (Second
Canadian Edition). Toronto: Thomas/Nelson.
Internet site: http://hitt2e.nelson.com for textbook.
Syllabus, power point slides etc can be found on the Class Web Site.
Olson, B. (2009). Management Policy & Strategy (Cases), Coursepack
Capsim Management Simulation Inc. (online registration is mandatory).
Internet site: http://www.capsim.com
COURSE PREREQUISITES:
Current Prerequisites (under 2008-2009 calendar):
For 40-course B. Mgt program: Fourth-year standing (a minimum of 90 credit
hours) including MGT 3020, MGT 3031, MGT 3040, MGT 3050 (or POLI 3420), and
MGT 3061.
For Post-diploma B. Mgt program: Fourth-year standing (a minimum of 90 credit
hours) and admission to the Bachelor of Management program via Diploma Admission
Route, including MGT 3031, MGT 3050 (or POLI 3420), and MGT 3061.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: To provide students with the knowledge to integrate core
business functions and implement sound strategic decisions. Students will become familiar
with the terms, concepts and theories associated with business policy and strategy. During
and after this course, it is hoped that students will understand and appreciate that strategic
decisions affect the entire organization, and thus learn the importance of integrating
disciplines such as accounting, finance, marketing, etc. Emphasis will be placed on the

development of analytical skills, critical thinking, and written and oral communication
skills.
METHOD: To convey the foundation of business policy and strategy, I will incorporate
lecture, class activities, a major simulation exercise, case analyses, presentations and
videos throughout the semester. The student, therefore, must be fully prepared so that he
or she is aware of what is being covered in each class.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING:
Oral Presentations/Summary
Case question(s):
Mid-term exam:
Final exam:
Participation:
Business simulation game:

50
50
200
300
50
350

1,000 total points

860 1000: Excellent - 950 1000 = A+; 900 949 = A; 860 899 = A-;
740 859: Good - 820 859 = B+; 780 819 = B; 740 779 = B-;
620 739: Satisfactory - 700 739 = C+; 660 699 = C; 620 659 = C-;
500 619: Pass - 580 619 = D+; 500 579 = D;
0 499: = Fail - 0 499 = F.
ORAL PRESENTATION PLUS BRIEF SUMMARY: Each student will select a current
article from any relevant business magazine (i.e. Harvard Business Review, Academy
of Management Executive) related to a strategic management topic or concept and
analyze the article, discussing its relationship and relevance to this course. Give a
summary of the article and discuss how a strategic management concept is
illustrated in this article. Visual aids are not necessary for this presentation. The
outline will be brief, no longer than one page (singled spaced), and will be due
the day of the presentation. Presentations should be between 5 and 8 minutes.
Presentations longer than 8 minutes will be penalized. I will choose who will
speak in each session. I am looking at areas such as how interesting/relevant the
article is to the class (i.e. a strictly marketing article belongs in a marketing not a
strategy class) and how prepared you are (do you read the article, do you have good
eye contact, how is your voice transition and pronunciation, etc.). This is not an
exhaustive list, but these suggestions give you an idea of what I am looking for.

MIDTERM EXAM AND FINAL EXAM: There will be two exams given during the
semester. Both will be content/theory exams consisting primarily of multiple choice and/or
short answer questions and some essay-type questions. The final exam will have more
essay-type questions. Content/theory exams will cover chapters assigned and material
brought up in lecture but not limited to your assigned readings. Make-up exams will
only be given in extreme circumstances. You must get approval from me before the

day of the exam. I reserve the right to refuse any request for a make-up exam. No
hats are allowed in the exams. IPods, cell phones and other such devices must be
turned off.
GROUP ASSIGNMENTS AND BUSINESS STRATEGY GAME : Classes will be
divided into groups consisting of 5 or 6 members (depending on class size). The intent of
this group assignment is to prepare students to work with others that have different
responsibilities within a company. Therefore, groups should consist of different majors
(i.e. accounting, management, finance, and marketing), if possible. There will also be peer
evaluations. These peer evaluations will be conducted to assess individual contributions to
team performance. I will adjust grades as necessary based on the peer evaluations.
However, I do have the right to adjust any evaluation if I deem it unjust. Please note: all
comments regarding individual contributions (or lack thereof) should be recorded in a
journal or notebook. These peer evaluations are due April 17th, 2009.
Each group will participate in the business strategy game. The business strategy game is a
simulation exercise that gives players hands-on experience in crafting strategies, making
business decisions, and being responsible for financial performance. Students are expected
to spend a substantial amount of time on the game. Time commitment is particularly
heavy in the initial portion of the game.
You will need to register for this simulation game. To register, you will need your
Industry ID number. For Section A, the Industry ID number is C29251 and for
Section B, it is C29252. Please note that the industry ID number is NOT the registration
number. With my website, you can download slides to assist in your registration. Once
you have registered, I will provide you with a copy of the Capstone Student Guide
2009.
Although I will be a resource for the business strategy game (Capstone), I will not deal
with the operational issues of the game. There will be NO spoon-feeding. As a group, it
is your responsibility to understand the rules of the game. My input in the game will be
minimal. The manual is very explicit and straightforward. In other words, most of your
questions can be answered by reading the manual or through assistance from the Capstone
toll free number or their website. There is a steep learning curve in this game so I would
suggest you spend considerable time, upfront, playing the game.
At the end of the game, your team will submit a written report and make a formal
presentation (no longer than 25 minutes presentations longer will be penalized by 10%)
about your company. The written report will be due on April 17th, 2009 by 5:00 pm. Late
reports will receive a 10% deduction from the groups report grade. Presentations will be
on April 8th and 15th, 2009. I will discuss the content of the report and presentations at a
later date of the semester.
The break-down of the different categories of the simulation are as follows:
Results of game (between 100 150)
Presentation (between 50 100)
Company report (between 100 - 150)

Total must equal 350 points.

Your group must decide by January 26th, 2009 what your weighted percentages are for
each category. Otherwise, the weights will be 100 for game results, 125 for presentation
and 125 for company report.
CASE QUESTIONS: You will be responsible to be prepared for each case. I will
choose at least one case where I will ask one or two questions that you (individually) will
write responses to during the class period. There will be a time limit on the written
responses. If you miss this class, you will receive zero points on that question(s).
PARTICIPATION:
Participation will be determined by your attendance and
involvement in class discussions. I will randomly take attendance and note individual
involvement throughout the semester. Coming to class prepared (or not prepared) will
increase (or decrease) your participation points. Therefore, attending and preparing for
class are essential. Rudeness to the instructor or to your fellow peers will not be
tolerated. Talking to classmates while the instructor or other peers are in discussion is not
acceptable, and you will be marked down for such actions. As well, coming in late (or
leaving early) will decrease your participation points. The distribution of these points is
solely at the discretion of the instructor. Attendance does not equal participation, meaning
coming to all classes will not, in itself, warrant all points associated with attendance and
participation. In fact, coming to class would only warrant approximately 20% of the
participation marks. Therefore, even if you came to every class, yet you do not participate
or participate very little in relation to other students, then you should expect no more than
a quarter of the participation points.
ATTENDANCE: You are expected to attend each scheduled class. If you must miss a
class, it is your responsibility to get notes, assignments and other information from another
student. I will make announcements of any schedule or exam changes in class.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: No form of academic misconduct will be tolerated.
Please see your student handbook or school catalog for the University's policy.

MGT 4090 Sections A & B

TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE

I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE ANY CHANGES DEEMED NECESSARY.

DATE

TOPIC

READING ASSIGNMENT
(OUTSIDE READINGS TBA)

01/07

Introduction/Strategic Management

Text: Chapter 1

01/12

Strategic Management

Text: Chapter 1

01/14

External Environment

Text: Chapter 3

01/19

Presentations/Internal Environment

Text: Chapter 4

01/21

Internal Environment/Case Analysis

Text: Chapter 4 /Edwards Restaurant

01/26

Simulation Exercise lab time

Practice round

01/28

Generic Strategy Activity

Text: Chapter 5

02/02

Simulation Exercise lab time

Practice round due February 1 6:00 pm

02/04

Presentations/Business Level Strategy

Text: Chapter 5

02/09

Simulation Exercise lab time

Decision 1 due February 8 6:00 pm

02/11

Mid-term Exam

02/16 02/18

Reading Week

02/23

Corporate Strategy/Simulation Exercise

Decision 2 due February 22 6:00 pm

02/25

Presentations/Corporate Strategy

Chapter 7

03/02

Acquisitions/Simulation Exercise

Decision 3 due March 1 6:00 pm

03/04

Presentations/Acquisitions

Chapter 8

03/09

Acquisitions

Decision 4 due March 8 6:00 pm

03/11

Acquisitions/Case Analysis

Chapter 8/Care Canada

03/16

Presentations/Corporate Governance

Decision 5 due March 15 6:00 pm

03/18

Corporate Governance

Chapter 11

03/23

Corporate Governance

Decision 6 due March 22 6:00 pm

03/25

Presentations/Strategy Leadership

Chapter 13

03/30

Strategic Leadership

Decision 7 due March 29 6:00 pm

04/01

International Strategy/Case Analysis

Chapter 9/Sepps

04/06

International Strategy

Chapter 9

04/08

Group Presentations

04/13

Holiday

04/15

Group Presentations

FINAL EXAM SEE THE UNIVERSITYS WEBSITE