This course is intended as a capstone course in business administration. Successful completion requires the integration of backgrounds acquired from courses in accounting, economics, finance, management, production, personnel and marketing. Strategic planning and implementation, and analysis and discussion of actual and simulated situations, will be the highlights of the course.

Students completing this course should:

• understand and be able to use analytical, conceptual, diagnostic and managerial skills relevant to policy formulation and administration.
• understand the concept of strategy and the processes of relating opportunities to resources, personal values and ethical behavior.
• understand the dimensions of the general manager’s role in strategic planning and control.
• understand the implementation process required to achieve commitment to organizational purpose and results.
• develop skills in communicating, in written and oral form, the concepts of strategy and strategic management as they relate to specific organizational situations.
• experience how strategy is analyzed and formulated in the organizational context through group interaction.

The texts required in this course are:

• Strategic Management, Thompson and Strickland, 10th edition, Irwin.
• The Business Strategy Game, Thompson and Stappenbeck, 5th edition, Irwin.

The following weights are given to individual parts of the course. Participation consists of attendance, contributing to group work and meaningful contributing to class discussions. It is understood that each student will make a substantial contribution to his or her group’s performance.

The course structure includes lectures, focused case discussions, in-class examinations, group case presentations, written assignments, group exercises and a business simulation.

Students are required to:

1. Actively participate in class discussions, case discussion and exercises in an active and informed manner.
2. Read assigned chapters of the text.
3. Write and submit critical analysis of cases and case presentations. Each student group will be required to present case analysis. In relationship to that, the other student groups will be responsible to submit critical analysis of the case and of the presentation. This will include but not be limited to, a set of questions concerning the case, a statement of the most significant issue facing the board of the firm under discussion and a list of the strengths and weaknesses of the groups presentation. The first two components must be typed and prepared prior to class discussion. The group analysis will be handwritten and prepared at the end of that day’s class.
4. Pass two examinations. There will be two tests, covering the text, lectures, simulation and cases. Many of the questions will be drawn from the students’ critical questions. There are no make-up examinations offered.
5. Submit written assignments, covering the major elements of a strategic audit, as assigned. Late papers will be discounted one letter grade for each day they are late.
6. Maintain academic honesty. The highest standards of academic honesty are expected of each student. Students should be aware of the various forms of academic dishonesty and their penalties. Students are encouraged to meet and discuss assignments. However, they are not to compare written notes or drafts before submission. The final analysis should be the individual student’s. Students are encouraged to use their groups to study cases and review for the examinations.

1. Participate in a business simulation. Groups of three or four students will be formed to execute the planning and operation of a business simulation. The grade for this component includes a quiz on the manual, evaluation of the strategic plan, corporate report, firm performance and an analysis of group performance.
2. Lead case discussions. Each student team will be required to be the primary presenters for one of the cases listed in the calendar of this syllabus. When leading these discussions, the groups must present their analysis of the situation. A simple reiteration of the details of the case is inadequate. In addition, students from all teams will be expected to actively enter into discussion with the lead group during these presentations.
3. Prepare a company analysis. Each group will prepare and present a strategic audit on an actual firm, using appropriate visual aids. The goal is to use knowledge of the industry, the selected firm and various academic disciplines, to conduct a strategic audit. This audit is presented as a consulting report to the "board" of the firm. A final paper including an executive summary, a SWOT chart, bibliography, analysis of danger areas, and recommendations for improvement are required. Students will evaluate their peers’ presentations. On firm presentation days, no cuts are permitted. The company to be analyzed is chosen by the group, with the approval of the professor. The non-presenting class members are the Board of Directors.