Business 290 – Strategic Thinking

Course Description and Overview

The course provides an integrative focus on managing the total enterprise, including corporate and business-level strategy formation. It applies market and industry analysis, using qualitative and quantitative techniques, to position companies in their competitive environment and to identify sources of competitive advantage. Students create a strategic plan for an on-going or a new organization.

This course is designed to help students: analyze internal and external resources of an organization, develop strategic thinking skills, develop and identify strategic alternatives or initiatives, and prepare a strategic business plan to implement strategies or lead strategic change within an organization. The course integrates prior subject matter included in the MBA program (reference prerequisites).

The purpose of this integrative course is to provide students the opportunity to apply knowledge acquired from the entire curriculum. The focus of the course is to: link strategic thinking with strategy formulation and analysis and selection, develop a strategic business plan, understand how to implement and execute it, and convincingly present a business case. Students will be working in teams of two, assuming the roles of senior management or entrepreneurs responsible for starting or running the proposed business.

In addition to developing the student’s strategic business skills and integrating core business disciplines, this course will develop soft skills in the area of public speaking.

Course Prerequisites

Completion of BUS 200W, BUS 202, BUS 210, BUS 220, BUS 230, BUS 250, BUS 260, BUS 270, BUS 280 and graduate standing; restricted to Business - MBA majors only.

Note: Must receive a minimum grade of 'B' on project or equivalent culminating experience.

Course Learning Objectives

1. Apply knowledge and tools from the core business disciplines of the MBA program to run a virtual company in competitionm with other virtual firms.

   A central component of this course is the Businss Policy Strategy simulation. Small teams of 2 or 3 students will make resource allocation decisions to steer their company quarter by quarter. These quarterliy decisions are the wasy strategy is turned into action. Through this simulation you will better understand issues relating to:

   1. balancing competing requirements for scarse resources
   2. short vs long term gains
   3. the trade-off between adaptability and consistency
   
   You will need to develop a numerical (Excel) model of your business from which to make your 3 year forecast and prepare 3 years of historical financial statements.

2. Demonstrate an understanding of key analyitical frameworks in strategic management

   Early in the course, we will introduce you to a variety of fundamental frameworks and findings from strategic management research. Some of the you may have come across before (e.g. Porter's 5 forces, generic strategies, product life cycle) and we will not dwell on those you have seen. Some you will probably not have seen (The Resource Based View, TCE, diversification, network externalities, disruptive technologies).

   You will practice applying them in a variety of situations during class and in the exam.

3. Recognize and apply appropriate communication skills to convey a business message.

   A workshop reviewing presentation skills is included as part of the course curriculum. The workshop includes public speaking skills such as: eye contact, audience scan, proper voice projection, proper use of gestures, proper use of voice intonation, and speaking speed and tempo. Practice sessions are video recorded followed by peer and instructor critique.

Course Requirements

1. Required texts:
• An editied ebook version of Frank Rothaermel's “Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases” $91
  (Instructions for buying / accessing the ebook).
  You have to purchase the book before any of the live links to book chapters embedded in the syllabus will work.
• Supplemental Readings in Strategy (no charge)
2. Recommended readings:
   • Blau, P. 1964, Exchange and Power in Social Life.
   • Pfeffer, J, 1993, Managing With Power: Politics and Influence in Organizations
   • March, J.G., 1994, Primer on Decision Making: How Decisions Happen

Grading

The grade for this course will be determined as follows:

1.	Initial business plan	10
2.	Updated business plan	5
3.	3 year forecasts (years 4,5 and 6)	10
4.	3 year forecasts, updated (years 5 and 6)	5
5.	Simulation Z-score	15
6.	Briefing papers	15
7.	360 evaluations	15
8.	Mid-term exam	20
9.	Innovation exercise	5
10.	Term paper - forecasting methodology	10
Total		110

Points to grades

> 90	A
> 70	B
> 50	C

University, College or Department Policy Information

1. Academic integrity statement (from Office of Judicial Affairs): “Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at San José State University and the University’s Academic Integrity Policy requires you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty is required to report all infractions to the Office of Judicial Affairs.” The policy on academic integrity can be found at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S07-2.pdf


2. Campus policy in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act: “If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours.” Presidential Directive 97-03 requires that students with disabilities register with DRC to establish a record of their disability.


3. College of Business Policies and Procedures:
   
   To ensure that every student, current and future, who takes courses in the Boccardo Business Center, has the opportunity to experience an environment that is safe, attractive, and otherwise conducive to learning, the College of Business at San Jose Jose State University has established the following policies:
   
   
   • Eating:

     Eating and drinking (except water) are prohibited in the Boccardo Business Center. Students with food will be asked to leave the building. Students who disrupt the course by eating and do not leave the building will be referred to the Judicial Affairs Officer of the University.

   • Cell Phones and Pagers:

     Students will turn their cell phones and pagers off or put them on vibrate mode while in class. Students will not use or answer their phones in class. Students whose phones disrupt the course and do not stop when requested by the instructor will be referred to the Judicial Affairs Officer of the University.

   • Computer Use:

     In the classroom, faculty allows students to use computers only for class-related activities. These include activities such as taking notes on the lecture underway, following the lecture on Web-based PowerPoint slides that the instructor has posted, and finding Web sites to which the instructor directs students at the time of the lecture. Students who use their computers for other activities not related to the class (including but not limited to IM, web surfing, email, etc.) or who abuse the equipment in any way, at a minimum, will be asked to leave the class and, at a maximum, will be referred to the Judicial Affairs Officer of the University for disrupting the course. (Such referral can lead to suspension from the University.) Students are urged to report to their instructors computer use that they regard as inappropriate (i.e., used for activities that are not class related).

   • Academic Honesty:

     Faculty will make every reasonable effort to foster honest academic conduct in their courses. They will secure examinations and their answers so that students cannot have prior access to them and proctor examinations to prevent students from copying or exchanging information. They will be the first to alert for plagiarism. Faculty will provide additional information, ideally on the green sheet, about other unacceptable procedures in class work and examinations. Students who are caught cheating will be reported to the Judicial Affairs Officer of the University, as prescribed by Academic Senate Policy S07-2.

Class schedule