SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS

BA 4305-002 - course #10946: TR 10-11:15am, SOM 2.103

BA 4305-502 - course #10951: TR 5:30-6:45pm, SOM 2.804

Course Syllabus, FALL 2009

Instructor information
Roberto Ragozzino
Office: 4.402
Phone: 972-883-5868
e-mail: rragozzino@utdallas.edu
Course website: http://www.utdallas.edu/~rxr092000/teaching.htm
Office hours: TBA

Student assistant information

Brian Pinkham
Office: 4.102
e-mail: bpinkham@gmail.com

Course co-requisite and prerequisites

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

Course Description

This course consists of the interdisciplinary study of persistent performance differences between
firms in the international arena. As a field, strategy is a nexus for organizational research that
spans multiple disciplines (i.e. economics, psychology, sociology) and its fundamental question is
the pursuit of competitive advantage in a single market or industry. Research in the domain of
strategic management has indicated that the greatest portion of a firm’s profitability is associated
with the conception and implementation of business strategies. The second emphasis in the
course is corporate strategy, the pursuit of competitive advantage by simultaneously operating in
multiple businesses or industries in the global marketplace. This course will demonstrate that it is
possible to describe situations in which corporate strategies should create economic value for the
firms that pursue them.
The course is divided into discussions of (1) the role of strategic management; (2) the analysis of
an industry and its macroeconomic environment; (3) the analysis of the internal resources and
capabilities of an organization, including how these resources and capabilities are obtained via
business and corporate strategy.
My goal is to give you an understanding of how strategic issues are framed, the range of strategic
decisions that are faced by most organizations, and how some of the concepts that you might have
been exposed to in other courses can generate information used for strategic problem solving. A
practical objective of this course will be to cultivate your ability to make well-grounded
recommendations as to how a business is or should be competing rather than statements of
‘intuition’ or popular practice.

Roberto Ragozzino - BA 4305 Page 1

 Class Format

This course places an emphasis on using case analysis as a way of practicing your business
thinking skills, your oral presentation skills, as well as your writing skills. Thus, professionalism
and integrative thinking are emphasized. The use of cases provides a mechanism to help you
learn skills and techniques associated with oral presentations and written briefs. These skills can
make the difference in your job performance.
Remember that most strategic issues are non-routine and unstructured. This is your opportunity to
use what you have learned in your career and other classes to address real problems that
companies routinely face. The quality of the case analysis usually determines the quality of the
solutions and it is a direct consequence of your effort level.
The approach of the class is practical and problem oriented. The major part of the course will
involve applying concepts, analytic frameworks, and intuition to the strategic issues that real-
world companies face. The course will use case studies to present issues to build on round
simulation exercises. For the class to work well – and for you to benefit from it – attendance and
preparation for each class meeting is essential.

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

By the end of this course, students must be able to do the following:

1. Students will be able to complete an external and internal analysis of a firm.

2. Students will be able to identify the strategic problems of a firm.

3. Students will be able to develop solutions to a firm’s strategic issues.

4. Students will be able to integrate skills acquired in finance, accounting, marketing, and MIS
courses to create a successful firm strategy.

This course requires extensive reading, writing, active discussions, and diligent attention to the
exercises. Each student will be expected to spend an average of 4 hours a week on this course in
addition to class time. If a student cannot commit this amount of time and effort to this course, it
may make it difficult for the students to earn a good grade. Failure to fully prepare for class also
limits class discussion and is a detriment to other students. It is the student’s responsibility to read
the syllabus thoroughly, understand all the requirements, and keep track of all the important dates
in order to succeed.

Required Materials

The reading material for this class consists of a custom book containing chapters from Gregory
Dess' “Strategic Management” book, as well as several cases and articles from the Harvard
Business School and other scholarly sources. The book is to be purchased prior to the beginning
of the class from the on- or off-campus bookstores. Additional articles (those market with ** on
the syllabus) can be downloaded directly from the library through Management Power Search at:
http://www.utdallas.edu/library/resources/databases/business.htm

Capstone Business Simulation Management Simulation Inc. (http://www.capsim.com/). 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. Please call the following toll
free number with questions during working hours: 877-477-8787.

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 Grading, Course and Instructor Policies

The breakdown for grading is as follows:

Exam 30%
Oral Presentation 20%
Participation 20%
Peer Evaluation 10%
Group Simulation 10%
Individual Simulation 10%

Final grades will be given in letter form with +/- where applicable, but for on-going grading
purposes all grades given during the term will be in numerical form as follows:

98 – 100 A+
94 – 97 A
90 – 93 A–
87 – 89 B+
84 – 86 B
80 – 83 B–
77 – 79 C+
74 – 76 C
70 – 73 C–
69 – below F

Case Analysis: Guidelines

The following information is intended to give you guidelines on how to tackle case analysis as
well as the oral presentation and final project due in this course. When doing this case analysis,
each student should adopt the role of an outside analyst who is evaluating the current and future
potential of the strategies being pursued by the firm described in the case. A complete case
analysis contains three main parts:

• A short financial analysis to assess the company’s health as well as its competitors
• A complete analysis of the firm
• A recommended strategy based on the results

Begin with a short executive summary—about three sentences—that explains which firm you are
analyzing, the underlying problem, and what you recommend. This will help your readers grasp
what is happening without reading the entire case in order to set up the scenario.

Sample Tables for the Financial Analysis

Case Firm Current Year Prior Year % Change

Income Statement
...
Balance Sheet
...
Table 1. Change in Financials

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 Case Firm % Closest Competitor(s) %
Income Statement
Sales 100% 100%
...
Balance Sheet
Total Assets 100% 100%
...
Table 2. Common Size Statements of Case firm and closest competitor for 20__

Case Firm Closest Competitor(s)

Ratio
Current Ratio
Quick Ratio
Debt-to-equity Ratio
Debt-to-total Assets Ratio
Inventory Turnover
Total Asset Turnover
Gross Profit Margin
Net Profit Margin
Return on Assets
Return on Equity
Table 3. Financial Ratios for Case firm and closest competitor for 20__

Having analyzed the firm, you should have an idea of what strengths the firm should be
leveraging on and you can look again at the external environment to see what opportunities it
should pursue. In many of the cases, the firm in question is contemplating, or has implemented,
several specific strategic actions (e.g., an acquisition). In this situation, the written case analysis
should also include an evaluation of these specific strategic actions and, where appropriate,
recommendations should be made and justified. The recommended strategy should occupy the
last one-third of your analysis. The strategy needs to be a specific action item – something that if
it were developed into a plan, you could go to a bank and get financing for. As an example,
instead of saying “Firm Z should acquire other companies,” try to suggest possible candidates—
and say why Firm Z would benefit. If you can’t find specific firms, you could say, “acquire firms
in the range of $XX revenue, or $YY market capitalization,” or some other relevant factor.
Instead of saying “form an alliance,” you could recommend “form an R&D alliance with Q to
leverage this firm’s superior product rollout capabilities against Q’s more advanced technology.”
It may take some effort, but this will show that you understand a) what makes the firm strong or
weak and b) how it can take advantage of those factors. You could even recommend a firm
liquidate—be specific and say how management should sell it off.

Other Thoughts. Obviously to do a good strategic analysis of a firm, you will need to compile
additional data. The university subscribes to many online journals, and much news is available
from sources like AP, Reuters, Lexis-Nexis, etc. Keep records of what you find. If you cite from
press releases or articles, list them in a bibliography. If you use numbers from an investment
website, compile the information you use into some easy-to read tables or charts, and put all of
this into your exhibits. Try not to include things in the exhibits for the sake of taking up space—
predigest the useful knowledge for your audience so that they can quickly spot what is important.

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Porter’s 5 forces and VRIO are not the only analytical tools you have available. You could
conduct a SWOT analysis while you are preparing your research. But remember, strengths and
weaknesses are internal to the firm, and opportunities and threats are external; SWOT doesn’t fit
directly into either category of analysis. It might be good to have a SWOT diagram in your
exhibits, and it might also be good to use it simply to organize your thoughts without mentioning
it in your report.

Finally, you should be thinking critically about the firm in this analysis. Don’t simply take the
case writer’s word for it. Does your own research contradict what the case argues? If you have an
opinion, always support it. I don’t have to agree with your conclusions or recommendations, if
you argue them convincingly. I am looking to see that you understand the process for completing
a case. Once you understand the logical framework to follow, good answers come with practice.

Additional Oral/Written Evaluation Guidelines. Excellent analyses “tell a story” about a firm’s
strategies and describe the fundamental economics of a firm’s strategy, how different parts of the
strategy are related, and the longer-term objectives of a given strategy. It is important that each
major point in their argument be justified with reference to critical facts in the case, and
appropriate ideas and concepts from lectures and the readings be seamlessly incorporated into the
discussion.

Mediocre analyses demonstrate few of these attributes. Instead of “telling a story” about a firm’s
corporate strategies, these analyses simply repeat the facts and assertions contained in the case.
Critical facts in the case are ignored, or not integrated into the paper. For example, a mediocre
analysis will often include a summary and cursory discussion of a firm’s profit and loss statement
and its balance sheet, but will fail to discuss the strategic implications of these analyses. The
author(s) of these analyses often seem more interested in making sure that every theory or model
mentioned by the professor or in the book is mentioned in the report than making sure that the
report tells an integrated story about a firm’s corporate strategy. Often, the different parts of these
mediocre analyses are not linked--almost as if different people wrote different sections, but no
one took the time to bring these sections together or to discuss the implications of each section for
other sections. These analyses rarely generate any counter-intuitive or surprising analyses or
recommendations. At the end of reading or listening to these analyses, the reader/listener is only
convinced that, in fact, members of the group read the case. The reader is not convinced about the
wisdom of any final recommendations.

Oral Presentation

The class will be divided into groups of equal size. Your group will be responsible for presenting
a case to the rest of the class. Each group will be required to present one of the cases below and
three (or fewer) groups will present each case. I will randomly draw the group numbers that will
be assigned to each of the cases below on its due date. For example, if your group number is
assigned to present case 1, you will have to be prepared to do so when the case is due for
discussion. Following your presentations, I will collect the facts you have discussed and then as a
class, we will discuss the issues presented and attempt to integrate each group’s remarks into a
unified set of arguments. Here are the four cases:

1. Bally Total Fitness

2. Netflix
3. eBay: Expanding into Asia
4. Sony PlayStation 3: Game Over?

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Your project should be a comprehensive analysis of the facts of the case and application of
concepts learned in the lecture portion of the class. Your grade will be based on the quality of the
group's work. As part of the learning experience, you will find it necessary to do outside research
to acquire updated information. For example, this means looking up current financial information
or discussing new issues facing the firm that may not be discussed in the case. Of course, you are
asked to be professional in your approach to the task. For instance, during your presentation,
keeping the attention of your audience can be just as important as the content of your
presentation. A presentation which is not professional is one where students simply read out
slides to their audience.

Final Exam

On the last day of class, in addition to having to turn in your final project, you will take a final
exam. This exam will be in the form of multiple-choice and it will test you on the key points
covered in class throughout the course. You should expect questions on both the theory as well
as any of the articles and cases discussed in class. Keep in mind that my main interest is for you
to take away broad concepts that you will be able to apply to a variety of business situations,
rather than, say, a specific piece of information about a company or an industry that might come
from a case exhibit. Therefore, when preparing for the exam, do not try to memorize facts and
figures. Instead, make an attempt to understand the theory and be able to elaborate on how these
analytical tools relate to the situations discussed in the cases.

Class Participation & Peer Evaluation

Class participation is one of the best ways that students can demonstrate their understanding of
the ideas and models presented in class, as well as their ability to apply them to real business
situations. I will keep a record of everyone’s participation during class, by assigning credit to the
students contributing to the discussion. As a consequence, students are expected to be fully
prepared for each class and you may be called upon at any time, whether to open the class with a
summary of the key issues or to answer a specific question during the class on any day. The
assigned course readings provide conceptual material and background information that will help
you analyze the cases you will be graded on. You should identify the key points of the assigned
text and use them to help form an opinion concerning the actions that the managers in the case
should take.

In addition, when specified in the syllabus, each group will have to bring to class one article
illustrating how the material to be covered in class applies to another current company or context.
This article should be drawn from the business press. Each time this assignment is due, I will ask
one or two groups to present the article briefly. The presentation should consist of three slides:
one cover, one summary of the article with key takeaways, and the last drawing a clear link
between the article and the material covered in class. Only one member of a group is required to
present on a given day. However, I will assign equal points to each group member for the choice
of article and the quality of the presentation and slides.

CAPSIM Simulation

Group Simulation
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 eight formal rounds in this simulation exercise. Each round is equivalent to a calendar year of
the business. Students are expected to have carefully read the manual and any questions

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regarding the technical aspects of the program are to be directed to the CAPSIM support
(877-477-8787). In addition, general questions regarding the simulation should be directed to the
course TA.

When possible, class time will be given to the simulation exercise, but in addition to this time,
students are expected to meet outside of the class time to prepare weekly simulation decisions. To
be effective team members, students should prepare for the team meetings by analyzing data in
their particular areas of responsibility. Group decisions should be up-loaded to the simulation
web-site by no later than 3am on the day of the class. Groups can review the results of each
round after the above deadline is passed.

Your Group Simulation grade will be determined by your performance in the game.

Individual Simulation
Along with the group simulation grade you will also receive an individual simulation grade based
on your Comp-XM, the Capstone Competency Exam score. You will complete this exam
individually on your own time as a take home exam.

In addition to the base score on this exam, there will be an added score based on the student’s
‘practice’ times. This will be the raw number of times a student entered the system to practice
before the Comp-XM. Note that students who practice often outperform the national average.

Seniors and Graduating Students

In the second meeting for the course all graduating students will turn in a 1 sheet statement that
they intend to graduate. The professor will give all grades back in a timely manner, but may give
graduating students a faster turnaround on final grades. This will be announced to the class. All
students are subject to the same grade distribution, and graduating students will receive no
grading preference or benefits from receiving grades before the non-graduating.

Final Grade

Following the university’s guideline for grade distribution, the final grade of a student will be
based on the relative standing of his or her total credit points accumulated from all the
requirements as compared with the rest of the class.

In compliance with the university’s policy of confidentiality, no grade information will be

transmitted via phone or e-mail.

See details of grading and evaluations at the end of the syllabus.

Technical Support

If you experience any problems with your UTD account you may send an email to:
assist@utdallas.edu or call the UTD Computer Helpdesk at 972-883-2911.

Field Trip Policies

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

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regarding these rules and regulations may be found at the website address
http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm. Additional information is
available from the office of the school dean. Below is a description of any travel and/or risk-
related activity associated with this course.

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 printed 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, Series 50000, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, 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) and online at
http://www.utdallas.edu/judicialaffairs/UTDJudicialAffairs-HOPV.html

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, any student who commits an act of scholastic dishonesty is subject to
discipline. Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the
submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another
person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a
student or the attempt to commit such acts.

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.

Copyright Notice

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials, including music and software.

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Copying, displaying, reproducing, or distributing copyrighted works may infringe the copyright
owner’s rights and such infringement is subject to appropriate disciplinary action as well as
criminal penalties provided by federal law. Usage of such material is only appropriate when that
usage constitutes “fair use” under the Copyright Act. As a UT Dallas student, you are required to
follow the institution’s copyright policy (Policy Memorandum 84-I.3-46). For more information
about the fair use exemption, see http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/copypol2.htm

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

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.

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 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)
disabilityservice@utdallas.edu

If you anticipate issues related to the format or requirements of this course, please meet with the
Coordinator of Disability Services. The Coordinator is available to discuss ways to ensure your
full participation in the course. If you determine that formal, disability-related accommodations
are necessary, it is very important that you be registered with Disability Services to notify them of
your eligibility for reasonable accommodations. Disability Services can then plan how best to
coordinate your accommodations. 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 Holidays

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

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 intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief
executive officer or designee.

Important Notes

Throughout the semester, each student is expected to follow the university’s guideline on student
conduct with regard to cheating and other dishonorable behaviors. Severe consequences can
occur if such rules are not followed. The instructor also reserves the right to deduct from a
student’s individual class participation credit if the student has shown severe non-constructive
behavior in class (such as disrupting the class or abusing another individual), in addition to other
disciplinary actions. If a student is absent or late to a class meeting, it will be his or her
responsibility to catch up with all the missed materials including to learn of any announcement
made while the student was absent. No make-up exams or lectures will be given. It will also be
the students’ responsibility to accept any consequences that may result from absences. No late
assignments will be accepted. 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.
Experience shows that the answer for most questions that students ask can in fact be found in the
syllabus.

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

Class Schedule

DAY TOPICS & ASSIGNMENTS

08/20 » Introduction to the course
» Porter, “What is Strategy?” (Reprint 96608)
» Simulation Exercise: Prior to this class: (1) Read the students’ guide; (2) Register for the simulation
08/25 exercise; Go the getting started page and do the following: (3) View the introductory lesson and
complete the quiz; (4)Save the Capstone.xls spreadsheet to your local computer (4) Download the
capstone courier (this is very important. ); (5) Print a copy of the capstone courier
» EXTERNAL ANALYSIS
08/27
» Dess, Chapter 2
» EXTERNAL ANALYSIS
09/01
» Corts and Rivkin, “A Note on Microeconomics for Strategists” (9-799-128)
» EXTERNAL ANALYSIS
» Porter & Rivkin, “Industry Transformation” (9-701-008)
09/03
» Simulation Exercise: Go through the startup page and read about the Capstone Courier.
Complete the situational analysis on the startup page
» INTERNAL ANALYSIS
09/08 » Dess, Chapter 3
» Simulation Exercise: Complete the group rehearsal exercise
» INTERNAL ANALYSIS
09/10 » Ghemawat and Rivkin, “Creating Competitive Advantage” (9-798-062)
» Article presentation
» CORPORATE STRATEGY AND DIVERSIFICATION
09/15 » Collis & Montgomery, “Creating Corporate Advantage” (Reprint 98303)
» Dess, Chapter 6
09/17 » How to do case analysis and research
09/22 » Apple Inc., 2008 (Case #9-708-480)
09/24 » Article presentation
09/29 » Wal-Mart, 2005 (Case #9-705-460)
» Article presentation
10/01
» Formal Round 1 is due PRIOR TO CLASS

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 10/06 » INTERNATIONAL TOPICS IN STRATEGY
» INTERNATIONAL TOPICS IN STRATEGY
10/08 » Ghemawat, “Managing Differences” (HBR R0703C) **
» Formal Round 2 is due PRIOR TO CLASS
» INTERNATIONAL TOPICS IN STRATEGY
10/13
» Graham & Lam, “The Chinese Negotiation” (HBR R0310E) **
» INTERNATIONAL TOPICS IN STRATEGY
10/15 » Gadiesh, Leung & Vestring, “The Battle for China’s Good-Enough Market” (HBR R0709E) **
» Formal Round 3 is due PRIOR TO CLASS
10/20 » Haier: Taking a Chinese Company Global (Case #9-706-401) - PART 1
» Article presentation and/or in-class exercise
10/22
» Formal Round 4 is due PRIOR TO CLASS (10/22)
» Wal-Mart Stores: Every Day Low Prices in China (Case #06/297)
10/27
» Article presentation
10/29 » Global Wine Wars: New World Challenges Old A & B (Cases 9-303-056, 9-304-016)
» Article presentation
11/03
» Formal Round 5 is due PRIOR TO CLASS (10/29)
» Group oral presentation articles introduction and Q&A:
• Bally Total Fitness (9-706-450)
• Netflix (9-607-138)
11/05
• eBay: Expanding into Asia
• Sony PlayStation 3: Game Over? (9-508-076)
» Formal Round 6 is due PRIOR TO CLASS (11/05)
11/10 » BREAKOUT SESSIONS
» Assignment Due: Group Oral Presentations (15 minutes each + Q&A)
11/12
» Formal Round 7 is due PRIOR TO CLASS
11/17 » Assignment Due: Group Oral Presentations (15 minutes each + Q&A)
» Assignment Due: Group Oral Presentations (15 minutes each + Q&A)
11/19
» Formal Round 8 is due PRIOR TO CLASS
11/24 » Assignment Due: Group Oral Presentations (15 minutes each + Q&A)
11/26 » NO CLASS
12/01 » Exam Review and COMP-XM Review
» EXAM
12/03
» COMP-XM DUE
** articles available through the library

Roberto Ragozzino - BA 4305 Page 12