strategic management dr susan ellis unit guide · case. regarding case preparation: ... your ideas...

MGSM860

Strategic Management 2014 Term 2

Dr Susan Ellis

UNIT GUIDE

North Ryde Campus FTMBA Class Thursday 9am – 1pm April 3, 10, 17 and 24; May 1, 22 and 29; June 5. Also 9am – 5pm either Saturday May 31 or Sunday June 1 (specific day to be determined by student vote in Session 1 – all students to attend the same date)

Email: [email protected] or [email protected] Phone: +61 414 525 889

http://www.mgsm.edu.au/research-and-faculty/faculty/dr-susan-ellis/

mailto:[email protected]


MACQUARIE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

MGSM860 STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

Updated 19 February 2014 of 17

NB This unit guide is subject to change. For the latest version, please refer to the Sydney student website.


MGSM860 STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Memo to: Students enrolled in MGSM860 Strategic Management From: Dr Susan Ellis Date: 19 February 2014 Subject: Preparation for class

Welcome to MGSM860 Strategic Management! Ideally you will be in your final term at MGSM, because this capstone unit will assist you in integrating many of the previously siloed learnings from your degree program. Unit details, including schedule and deadlines, are attached. Please note that there is no textbook for our section of MGSM860. Instead there is a series of readings that will be provided to you separately from this document. You should be sure to do the reading for session 1 prior to our first meeting, including the case. Regarding case preparation: Please read the cases and prepare your discussion points for the case. Your ideas (except for the written assignment case study) need only be hand written notes to assist you to participate in the discussion of that case during class. Importantly, do not do outside research on the cases. Work solely with the information that is in the case. These are training cases purposely written with incomplete and sometimes inaccurate information, to help you with very specific learning objectives. By everyone working from the same set of information, we will all have an equal opportunity to learn the lessons. Also, we will not get distracted or sidetracked by what the company actually did or did not do. Sometimes they get it very wrong. There will be a number of both larger and smaller cases to be utilised in class this term including some current cases, one of which is a living case. Assessment. There are three items of assessment in Strategic Management: an individual component worth 25% of total unit marks, a group component worth 15% and a final exam worth 60%. Details can be found in the attached unit guide. See you for Session 1 of the unit, which you will not want to miss as we will be delving right into the material that will form the foundation for the remainder of the sessions. We will also determine group composition and group topic. Be sure to do the reading and be ready to discuss the session’s case: eHarmony. I am looking forward to working with you.





1. About this unit Credit Points: 4 Contact Hours: Total: 40 hours 2. Unit description The MGSM website describes MGSM860 Strategic Management as “a capstone unit that has a primary focus on the capabilities and techniques necessary to successfully implement business strategy. It assumes knowledge of the various frameworks and models used to formulate strategy. Content includes organisational culture as a platform for strategy, resource mobilisation, growth and diversification, and international expansion” (http://www.mgsm.edu.au/mba-and-postgraduate-programs/unit-directory/mba/strategic-management/). Let’s unpack that description. First, Strategic Management is a capstone unit. This means that not only does it build upon the other core strategy unit, MGSM850 Strategic Frameworks, but it also draws on and allows you to integrate other basic specialty disciplines you have already studied such as accounting, finance, marketing, organisational behaviour and operations. The idea behind a capstone unit is that you are no longer hemmed in by the boundaries that define one specific functional area but are now permitted – and in fact required – to consider the entire breadth and depth of what you have learned in your degree program and apply whatever is appropriate. In that sense the Strategic Management unit more closely represents the real world of a general manager. Second, the Strategic Management unit focus on capabilities and techniques in the strategy arena. We start with the assumption that you already have the knowledge of strategy development frameworks and models from MGSM850 Strategic Frameworks. This means that in MGSM860 Strategic Management we can focus on building your skills in the strategy area. How will we build skills? It’s like the old joke.

Q: How do you get to the Opera House? A: Practice, practice, practice.

That is precisely what we will do. We will practice, practice and practice strategy development and implementation across a variety of industries, countries and competitive environments. Our practice will involve learning to use an integrated set of tools that will assist you in your decision making. Third, our focus will be on improving your ability to implement business strategy successfully. Successful implementation requires that two criteria be met simultaneously: effectiveness and efficiency. As you know, effective implementation means that the strategy you implement accomplishes what you want it to, and efficient implementation means that you are able to implement that strategy with the most streamlined use of resources whether they be financial, human or tangibles. We will try to be vigilant in monitoring and improving the combination of efficiency and effectiveness of your strategy solutions. Fourth, our work will by its nature include the relationship of organisational culture and strategy, the mobilisation of resources, growth and diversification, and international expansion, just to mention a few variables that will cross our path. The MGSM website also mentions that a computer simulation will be part of the Strategic Management unit. We will in fact do a simulation but it will not be on the computer. Instead we will act as management consultants to a real organisation that has strategic management issues. In this living case we will be given current issues by a real client and required to





devise our best recommendations for the organisation to implement. More will be explained about this process as we progress through the term. There is no magic bullet, no one-size-fits-all answer to strategic management issues. There are however plenty of less-than-optimal directions to go and even a few that are landmines. Our goal in Strategic Management is to give you a process that (a) lessens the chance you will blow up your business, (b) increases the odds that you will improve the effectiveness and/or efficiency of your solution and (c) gives you a fighting chance of finding an exciting outside-the-box healthy alternative. At the same time, we know that you come to this unit of study with your own personal and work history, your own analytical priorities, your own style of managing and leading and your own degree of comfort with risk. We will take this into account as you work to develop your own point of view on more acceptable and less acceptable strategic management alternatives. The basic aim is to help you think and act more like a leader responsible for achieving and maintaining the competitive advantage of the entire business unit rather than just a single functional area, to think and act more like a general manager, chief operating officer, chief executive officer or managing director. In the process this should also help you work more effectively with or for, or as an advisor to, other leaders within an organisation. To get the most out of this unit, save it for your final term.

3. Unit objectives On completion of this unit you should

a. have an awareness and understanding of tools used for effective and efficient strategy development and implementation;

b. be able to apply those tools and techniques to analyse strategic issues; c. from that application be able to create, improve and/or critique strategic initiatives;

and d. understand how to use leadership to help your organisation achieve profitable and

sustainable growth whether in a domestic or international market.

4. Learning outcomes Discipline knowledge and skills Students assess how to generate effective and efficient strategies for an organisation to help achieve advantage in its chosen market(s). Techniques such as analytical prediction, scenario planning and hypothesis testing are explored to reduce uncertainty in environments with imperfect information. Students develop an understanding of different organisational cultures, and how to build or maintain a culture that is aligned with the desired strategy. Students identify how radical innovation, creative destruction and disruptive business models are increasingly employed to create competitive advantage. Critical, analytical and integrative thinking Students undertake a group assignment in which they use critical thinking skills to understand complex variables, both internal and external to a company, that drive shareholder value. Students must synthesise the manner in which the variables are





changing over time, and the relationships between variables to ascertain how strategy and its implementation can be optimised. Research and problem solving capability Students use a variety of written and living case studies to define a significant business issue, analyse the situation, set priorities and recommend appropriate action. Effective communication Students present their group assignment to a forum comprising the class and the lecturer. Students are encouraged to use a range of communication techniques including slides, audio-visual material and role play. Engaged and responsible, active and ethical citizens Students develop their leadership skills and are able to use these to produce strategic change within an organisation, an industry/sector and the broader community. The environmental and social implications (sustainability) of corporate and business unit strategies are emphasised. Capable of professional and personal judgement and initiative Students learn to recognise the advantages and disadvantages of a variety of strategic approaches that can produce positive transformational change in firms and industries. In part this is done through exposure to and study of a range of business leaders using case study analysis to appreciate how individuals through their thinking and actions can significantly affect organisational outcomes. In summary In summary, Strategic Management is designed to assist you to develop an action-oriented approach to strategy by exposing you to situation analysis, problem solving, priority setting, and implementation techniques. You will learn more about what leads to superior performance. You will have an opportunity to develop your own thinking skills and to form views on what style, approaches, attitudes, and behaviour are likely to lead to success.

5. Unit alignment with MGSM’s mission-driven attributes

Leadership: The unit developed my understanding of the role of leadership at a strategic level within organisations and its importance in achieving superior performance through effective and efficient strategy development and implementation.

Global Mindset: The unit supported my ability to apply my learnings to firms that operate in international or multinational markets across a wide range of industries in order to improve strategy effectiveness and efficiency.

Citizenship: The unit allowed me to develop an appreciation of how firms contribute to society by their adoption of more responsible approaches, such as triple bottom line, that encompasses corporate social responsibility, corporate governance and ethical decision-making.

Creating Sustainable Value: The unit encouraged my understanding of how effective strategy creates sustainable competitive advantage that benefits all stakeholders.





6. Educational framework MGSM860 Strategic Management continues the conceptual premise from MGSM850 Strategic Frameworks that effective strategy has several key components:

Leadership, clarity of vision and strategic intent

Resource capability

Flexibility, innovation and agility appropriate to the organisation and industry

Alignment of external dynamics with organisational capability Strategic leaders are required to tolerate high levels of ambiguity, work with a wide range of stakeholders, and accept that strategy is a work in progress that is both reactive (i.e., based on previous success or lack thereof) and proactive (i.e., assessing how to shape the future) and that all strategies compete for resources within the firm. Therefore in the Strategic Management unit we will address issues with varying degrees of ambiguity, number and type of stakeholders, and requiring both reactive and proactive assessment. We will do this through “learning by doing”, which is the most effective approach to learning a set of skills. Utilising “learning by doing” means that being present at each class session and participating as fully as possible in the session activities will maximise the growth you gain from the unit. The unit relies heavily on the dynamics of the class to apply and integrate content. A primary idea of the unit is to develop skills in the implementation of competitive strategy. This calls for the mastery of a set of analytical tools and the development of an integrative point of view to enable their synthesis in making and implementing strategic choices. Note that Strategic Management examines strategy at both the competitive and corporate levels, though its primary focus is on the implementation of competitive strategy in a single market or multiple markets.

7. Class sessions: teaching and learning methods

We will use a number of teaching and learning methods in Strategic Management, including but not limited to the following.

Formal lectures

Case studies

Syndicate group work

Class discussion

Group presentations Because the Strategic Management unit focuses on learning a set of skills, it is essential you do the pre-session work each week in order to understand what we are doing and talking about in class. If for some reason that should prove difficult in a particular week, be sure to come to class anyhow, as you will still gain from the experience of being part of a learning environment.





8. Class sessions: schedule and preparation There will be 8 weekly class sessions during the term, each one running from 9am to 1pm, plus one day-long living case session. We will start and end on time. Each session will involve a combination of activities for you to complete before the session. “Read” means read in depth to grasp not only the key points but additional detail. “Prepare” means read the case more than once in its entirety, be able to succinctly describe the facts of the case, analyse the case based on what you have learned in the Strategic Management unit and be prepared to discuss the case in class. Session-by-session details are as follows.

For Class Session 1: Thursday 3 April

Our focus for Sessions 1 and 2 will be on developing the foundation essential to efficient and effective strategic management. This will include connecting the concept of strategic management to other units of study from your program, as well as introducing the business strategy typology (BST) and its adaptive cycle, population ecology, and market definition. This work will underpin the remainder of the sessions, so you won’t want to miss these first two sessions. Before class: Read:

“Organizational Strategy, Structure, and Process” by Raymond E Miles, Charles C Snow, Alan D Meyer and Henry J Coleman Jr.

“Miles and Snow: Enduring Insights for Managers” by Sumantra Ghoshal.

“Note on Market Definition and Segmentation”, Harvard Business School. Prepare case for in-class discussion: eHarmony. Be prepared to discuss the following:

1. Why do people want to meet others online instead of finding them in the “real world”? 2. How attractive from a strategic standpoint is the market? 3. Does eHarmony have a competitive advantage? If so where does it come from? 4. How serious is the competitive threat to eHarmony? 5. Which of the four options should Waldorf pursue?


Our topic focus continues from Session 1. Before class: Read:

Pages 9-20 (starting at the section entitled “Population Ecology Perspectives on Market Evolution”) of “Evolutionary Processes in Competitive Markets” by Mary Lambkin and George S Day. (You are welcome to read the rest of the article as well but some of it is technical and beyond the scope of our unit of study.)

“Niche Strategy: Merging Economic and Marketing Theories with Population Ecology Arguments” by Eli Noy.

Pages 874-878 of “Population Ecology Theory” by Manjula S Salimath and Raymond Jones III. (You are welcome to read the rest of the article as well...)

Pages 632-637 (stopping at the beginning of the section “The Laser Printer Industry”) of “Churn, Baby, Churn: Strategic Dynamics Among Dominant and Fringe Firms in a





Segmented Industry” by John M de Figueiredo and Brian S Silverman. (You are welcome to read the rest of the article as well...)

Prepare case for in-class discussion: Trader Joe’s. Be prepared to discuss the following: 1. How do firms in the supermarket industry make money? 2. What are the current competitive dynamics within Trader Joe’s market? 3. Is Trader Joe’s competitive advantage sustainable? 4. What advice would you give to Trader Joe’s moving forward regarding their strategy?


Our topic focus will be:

1. Analysing competitors, competitor behaviour and retaliation 2. Strategic innovation, including technology as a strategic enabler

Before class: Read:

“A Dynamic View of Strategy” by Constantinos C. Markides.

“Disruptive Technology: How Kodak Missed the Digital Photography Revolution” by Henry C Lucas Jr and Jie Mein Goh.

“Reverse Engineering Google’s Innovation Machine” by Bala Iyer and Thomas H Davenport.

“Scoping: Where to Look”, which is Chapter 2 of Peripheral Vision: Detecting the Weak Signals That Will Make or Break Your Company by George S Day and Paul J H Schoemaker.

“Making the Most of Uncertainty” by Hugh Courtney.

Prepare case for in-class discussion: Polyphonic HMI: Mixing Music and Math

Questions will be provided one week beforehand.



1. International and global strategy 2. Strategic alliances

Before class: Read:

“Have You Restructured for Global Success?” by Nirmalya Kumar and Phanish Puranam.

“Managing Differences: The Central Challenge of Global Strategy” by Pankaj Ghemawat.

“The New Rules of Globalization” by Ian Bremmer.

“How Partners Shape Strategy” by Henrich R Greve, Timothy J Rowley and Andrew V Shipilov.

“Creating Shared Value” by Michael E Porter and Mark R Kramer.

Prepare case for in-class discussion: Fonterra: Taking on the Dairy World






For Class Session 5: Thursday 1 May


1. Implementing strategic change 2. Organisational culture as a platform for implementing strategy

Before class:

Read

“Six Ways to Sink a Growth Initiative” by Donald L Laurie and J Bruce Harreld.

“Cultural Change That Sticks” by Jon R Katzenbach, Ilona Steffen and Caroline Cronley.

“The Perils of Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt.

“Robert McNamara's ‘11 Lessons’ in the Context of Theories of Strategic Management” by Robert Grattan.

“Why System, Not Structure, Is the Way Toward Strategic Alignment: A Historical Perspective” by Robert S Kaplan and David P Norton.

Prepare case for in-class discussion: Applied Research Technologies, Inc.: Global Innovation's Challenges


IMPORTANT NOTE: NO class session on Thursday 8 May or Thursday 15 May

DUE TUESDAY 20 May, 2:00pm. Note: this due date is a Tuesday not a Thursday.

DUE: Individual written analysis of the assigned case. The analysis must be your own work, and must rely only on the material in the case. No outside material may be referenced or used. The paper you submit must be in Word. Case: Clayton Industries: Peter Arnell, Country Manager for Italy See section on assessment tasks (below) for details.


Our topic focus will be: Strategic thinking Before class:

No assigned reading for today. No case to prepare. In class:

We will focus on psychological biases that can influence strategic thinking.






Topic focus: Stepping into the real world Before class: Prepare this pair of cases for in-class discussion:

From Little Things Big Things Grow – The Clontarf Foundation for Aboriginal Boys

From Little Things Big Things Grow – The Clontarf Foundation for Aboriginal Boys (B)

Questions will be explained one week beforehand. Bring to class:

Your copy of the cases

Your laptop or mobile device. We will be doing some online work.

For Class Sessions 8 and 9: either Saturday 31 May or Sunday 1 June (specific date to be determined by student vote in Session 1 – all students to attend the same date)

Topic focus: Assisting a real organisation on a strategic management issue Before class: Read any materials provided by the client. In class: Living case Questions will be explained one week beforehand.

For Class Session 10: Thursday 5 June

Focus of session: review of unit material, exam preparation, practice exam Before class: Read: No assigned reading for today. Bring to class all of your cases, notes and slides

Final exam: date TBD

The final examination for MGSM860 Strategic Management will be held during the 9-14 June exam period. The precise date is to be advised.





9. Assessment tasks Your unit mark will be made up of the following:

Assessment Component Due Weighting

Group work Date of your group’s topic 15%

Individual work Case due Tuesday 20 May at 2:00pm (15%)

In-class quizzes (10%) 25%

Final examination Date TBA. Exam week is 9 June to 14 June. 60%

TOTAL 100%

9.1. Group work

Due Date of your group’s topic – refer to schedule of sessions

Weighting 15%

We will form six syndicate groups of approximately equal size. Each group will be responsible for one of the six topics to be covered in Sessions 3, 4 and 5:

1. Analysing competitors, competitor behaviour and retaliation 2. Strategic innovation, including technology as a strategic enabler 3. International and global strategy 4. Strategic alliances 5. Implementing strategic change 6. Organisational culture as a platform for implementing strategy

Each group will have one hour to cover their topic. Statement of Expectations. The major focus of the group is to maximise their fellow students’ understanding of the focal topic and the students’ capability in applying it strategically within a management environment. It is expected that each group will include the following in their 60 minute session:

Review/clarification of theory on the focal topic (the theory will have been presented by the lecturer in the previous session). Note that all theory slides for all six focal topics will be available to all students no later than Session 1.

Application of theory

Worked example (utilising the case study assigned for that session)

Extensions to the “real world” The group is free to use a variety of appropriate means to accomplish this. Importantly it is expected that class members will not be a passive audience of a one hour presentation. There will be a sliding scale of “protected” marks to compensate groups disadvantaged by going earlier rather than later in the schedule. Details of the scoring of the group work, including the sliding scale, will be provided in class at Session 1.





Groups will be formed during Session 1 and will have the opportunity at that time to bid for topics (in a process to be explained at that time). Topics and groups will have been paired by the end of Session 1. It is fully acceptable for class members to form the groups themselves. Also at Session 1 the Statement of Expectations will be more fully discussed. All group members will be expected to contribute approximately equally. Precise division of labour will be up to the group. Should any difficulty occur with this, the group should talk with the lecturer as soon as the issue arises. It is important to advise the lecturer sooner rather than later. To assist in the marking, you will be required to submit three pieces of documentation:

1. A soft copy of the exact slide set (including any multimedia) to be used by the group. That material is due no later than 8:50 am on the session day. There is a 5% penalty per day or part-day for lateness. Please note that no changes can be made to the slide set once it has been submitted to the lecturer.

2. A list indicating specifically what each group member contributed. Just saying “research” or “writing” is too vague. This list must be signed off by every member of the group.

3. The group’s agreed-to percentage split of the marks. Should all members receive equal marks? If not, how much more or less should each person receive, and why?

Items number 2 and 3 are to be submitted to the lecturer by 5:50 pm on the session day, that is, after the class session is concluded, so that in-class effort can be taken into account by the group. If the group assesses the contribution of each member as equal, each will receive 100% of the final mark. In cases where the group decides that some did not contribute equally, this will be reflected in the percentage. If the group is not able to agree on individual contributions, the lecturer reserves the right to apportion marks unequally.

9.2. Individual work

(a) Case submission

Length 400 words absolute maximum. No attachments, no graphs or charts.

Due Tuesday 20 May at 2:00pm by email to

[email protected] AND

[email protected]

Weighting 15%

Your individual case assignment will be an individual written analysis of and recommendations for the Clayton Industries case. Details of the content of the assignment, including any specific questions to be answered, will be provided in class at Session 1. Your logic or persuasiveness will heavily affect your marks, because strategic leadership and management relies heavily on the quality of your logic and persuasiveness.







Because in the Strategic Management unit we will be learning to be focused in our thinking, there is a word limit of 400 words for the paper. All words used anywhere on your submission will be counted. This includes everything, even your name. There will not be a marks penalty if you use more than 400 words, but the words from 401 onward will not be read and therefore not included in the assessed material. In other words, there is no advantage to writing any more than 400 words. The word count as indicated in Word’s word count on the lecturer’s laptop will be the final arbiter in any count discrepancies. Please note that while there is no marks penalty for utilising more than 400 words, late assignments will attract a penalty of 5 marks deducted per day or part-day. Please also note that the assignment must be submitted in Word, not in pdf.

(b) In-class quizzes

Due Schedule to be discussed in Session 1

Weighting 10%

There will be six 5-question quizzes given in class during the term. They will be very straightforward and will reflect your understanding of the previously read/discussed material. Your best four out of six quizzes will each count as 2.5 marks towards your total grade, for a total of 10 marks. Taking only your best four allows you to have a couple of “off” situations and still do well. A schedule of the quizzes will be discussed in Session 1.

9.3. Final examination (open book)

Duration 3 hours plus 10 minutes reading time

Date To be advised. Exam week is 9 June to 14 June 2014.

Weighting 60%

At the conclusion of the unit there will be an open book examination of 3 hours plus 10 minutes reading time. It will represent 60% of the final aggregated course mark. There will be an exam review and practice session during class session 10 of the Strategic Management unit, to help you prepare for this case based exam. The MGSM examination period in Term 2 2014 is from 9 June to 14 June 2014. You are expected to present yourself for examination at the time and place designated in the MGSM Examination Timetable. The timetable is expected to be available on 23 April 2014 at https://students.mgsm.edu.au/sydney-students/study/exams/ . The only exception to not sitting an examination at the designated time is because of documented illness or unavoidable disruption. In those circumstances you may wish to consider applying for Special Consideration. Information about unavoidable disruption and the special consideration process is available at https://students.mgsm.edu.au/sydney/forms/ If a Supplementary Examination is granted as a result of the Special Consideration process the examination will be scheduled after the conclusion of the official examination period. You

https://students.mgsm.edu.au/sydney-students/study/exams/

https://students.mgsm.edu.au/sydney/forms/





are advised that it is Macquarie University policy not to set early examinations for individuals or groups of students. All students are expected to ensure that they are available until the end of the teaching term that is the final day of the official examination period. Extension and special consideration request

Extension requests for assignments must be made to your lecturer with appropriate evidence to support the request. Each request will be treated on its merits. MGSM is committed to equity and fairness in all aspects of its learning and teaching. In stating this commitment, MGSM recognises that there may be circumstances where a student is prevented by unavoidable disruption from performing in accordance with their ability. MGSM has a policy on special consideration requests that may be found at https://students.mgsm.edu.au/assets/PDF/Student-Website/Exam-APScons.pdf . MGSM recognises that from time to time an event or set of circumstances may occur that:

could not have reasonably been anticipated, avoided or guarded against by the student AND

was beyond the student’s control AND

caused substantial disruption to the student’s capacity for effective study and/or completion of required work AND

substantially interfered with the otherwise satisfactory fulfilment of unit or program requirements AND

was of at least three (3) consecutive days duration within a study period and/or prevented completion of a formal examination.

This policy is instituted to support students who experience serious and unavoidable disruption such that they do not reach their usual demonstrated performance level.

10. Required and Recommended Textbooks and/or Materials Required textbook: None. We will use our readings pack instead. Recommended textbook: None. If you feel you really want to buy a book called “Strategic Management” so you have it on your bookshelf, there are two reasonable possibilities.

Hubbard, G, and Beamish, P, Strategic Management: Thinking, Analysis, Action, 4th edition, Pearson Australia, 2010. ISBN: 9781442528680.

Carpenter, MA, Sanders, WG, Rice, J, and Martin N, “Strategic Management: A Dynamic Perspective”, Pearson Australia, 2009. ISBN: 9781442500372.

Readings: A selection of readings on strategic management will be made available to you. Each article is identified with a particular class session. Other current articles may be handed out in class. Additional optional readings specific to the session’s topic will be listed at the end of each slide set. These are for people who want to delve deeper into a particular issue we discuss in class.

https://students.mgsm.edu.au/assets/PDF/Student-Website/Exam-APScons.pdf





For those with an unquenched interested in the field of strategy, here are some books both classic and more contemporary you may enjoy.

Afuah, A, Strategic Innovation, Routledge, New York, 2009. Black, R.J, Organisational Culture: Creating the Influence Needed for Strategic Success, Routledge, New York, 2003. De Wit, B, and Meyer, R, Strategy Synthesis, South-Western Publishing, Hampshire, 2010. Fleisher, CS, and Bensousson, BE, Business and Competitive Analysis, FT Press, New Jersey, 2009. Gamble, JE, and Thompson, AA, Essentials of Strategic Management: The Quest for Competitive Advantage, 2nd edition, McGraw-Hill Irwin, New York, 2011. Hamel, G, Leading the Revolution, McGraw Hill, 2000. Luthans, F, and Doh, JP, International Management: Culture, Strategy, and Behavior, 8th edition, HarperCollins, New York, 2011. Kotler, P, and Caslione, JA, Chaotics, Amacom, New York, 2009. Leinwand, P, and Mainardi, C, The Essential Advantage, Harvard Press, Boston, 2011. Mintzberg, H, The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning, Prentice Hall, 1994. Mintzberg, H, and Quinn, JB, The Strategy Process, Prentice-Hall International, 1991. Osterwalder, A, and Pigneur, Y, Business Model Generation, Wiley, New Jersey, 2010. Taylor, WC, and LaBarre, PG, Mavericks at Work, HarperCollins, New York, 2006. Thompson, AA Jr, Peteraf, M, Gamble, J, and Strickland, AJ III, Crafting & Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage, 19th edition, McGraw-Hill Irwin, New York, 2013.

MGSM iLearn The web page for this unit can be found at https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MGSM/

https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MGSM/





11. Policies Academic honesty policy It is a fundamental principle that all staff and students act with integrity in the creation, development, application and use of ideas and information. This means that:

all academic work claimed as original is the work of the author making the claim

all academic collaborations are acknowledged

academic work is not falsified in any way

when the ideas of others are used, these ideas are acknowledged appropriately. You should be familiar with the: University policy on academic honesty http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.htm University statement on ethics http://www.mq.edu.au/ethics/ethic-statement-final.html The policies and procedures explain what academic honesty is, how to avoid it, the procedures that will be taken in cases of suspected dishonesty, and the penalties if you are found guilty. Penalties may include a deduction of marks, failure in the unit, and/or referral to the University Discipline Committee. Examples of dishonest academic behaviours are:

Plagiarism

Deception

Fabrication

Sabotage Grading policy The University operates on the premise that through assessment students are encouraged to engage in their education, rather than merely pursue grades. The grades that you achieve at MGSM reflect assessment of the extent to which you have met the learning outcomes of a unit. Marks awarded in the continuous assessment items will not automatically guarantee a specific grade. Final grades for this unit are formally determined at the Examiners' Meeting, in accordance with University assessment procedure. The following grade descriptors are university-wide standards used to determine your final grade for this unit. High distinction. Provides consistent evidence of deep and critical understanding in relation to the learning outcomes. There is substantial originality and insight in identifying, generating and communicating competing arguments, perspectives or problem solving approaches; critical evaluation of problems, their solutions and their implications; creativity in application as appropriate to the discipline. Distinction. Provides evidence of integration and evaluation of critical ideas, principles and theories, distinctive insight and ability in applying relevant skills and concepts in relation to learning outcomes. There is demonstration of frequent originality in defining and analysing issues or problems and providing solutions; and the use of means of communication appropriate to the discipline and the audience.

http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.htm

http://www.mq.edu.au/ethics/ethic-statement-final.html





Credit. Provides evidence of learning that goes beyond replication of content knowledge or skills relevant to the learning outcomes. There is demonstration of substantial understanding of fundamental concepts in the field of study and the ability to apply these concepts in a variety of contexts; convincing argumentation with appropriate coherent justification; communication of ideas fluently and clearly in terms of the conventions of the discipline. Pass. Provides sufficient evidence of the achievement of learning outcomes. There is demonstration of understanding and application of fundamental concepts of the field of study; routine argumentation with acceptable justification; communication of information and ideas adequately in terms of the conventions of the discipline. The learning attainment is considered satisfactory or adequate or competent or capable in relation to the specified outcomes. Fail. Does not provide evidence of attainment of learning outcomes. There is missing or partial or superficial or faulty understanding and application of the fundamental concepts in the field of study; missing, undeveloped, inappropriate or confusing argumentation; incomplete, confusing or lacking communication of ideas in ways that give little attention to the conventions of the discipline. Grades and numerical ranges Grades awarded will be aligned to the following numerical ranges.

GRADE High

Distinction Distinction Credit Pass Fail

% 85-100 75-84 65-74 50-64 0-49

Attendance policy The interactive environment of the classroom is central to the MGSM experience. Students are required to attend all classes for the duration of each class. We recognise that exceptional circumstances may occur such as unavoidable travel on behalf of your organisation or the serious illness or injury of you or a close family member. Special consideration may be given for a maximum of 20% non-attendances for such circumstances as long as, where possible, lecturers are notified in advance and supporting documentation provided. Failure to abide by these conditions may result in a Fail grade being recorded. Planning your time The unit is based on an average student workload of 160 hours; made up of 40 hours of face to face contact and 120 hours of unsupervised private study and group work. Disclaimer These unit materials and the content of this unit are provided for educational purposes only and no decision should be made based on the material without obtaining independent professional advice relating to the particular circumstances involved.

strategic management dr susan ellis unit guide · case. regarding case preparation: ... your ideas...

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