Harvard University Extension School
MGMT E-5000 STRATEGIC MANAGEMENTSpring 2014
Sharon A. Mertz, Ph.D., InstructorClass: Tuesday, 5:30 PM 7:30
PM web conferencePhone: 617-834-7787 Office Hours: By
appointmentE-mail: [email protected]
Luis M. Echeverri, Teaching AssistantPhone: 857-488-8478E-mail:
[email protected]
COURSE FORMAT: This section of MGMT E-5000 is a web-based course
utilizing the software program Collaborate version 12.5. Prior to
the first class session on January 28th, participants must attend
an introductory Web Conference On-boarding session to ensure that
computer equipment is functioning properly. This session is
required for all participants, regardless of your previous
experience with web conferencing tools. The sessions will last
approximately 30 minutes and will be conducted at the following
times please plan to attend one of these (all times U.S. Eastern
Standard Time):
Wednesday, January 22rd at 5:00 PM Thursday, January 23th at
12:00 PM (noon) Friday, January 24th at 8:00 AM
Set up instructions for the tool are available at the end of the
syllabus.
Information about accessing the session each week will be
provided from the Extension School: please look for this in your
e-mail. Links for the weekly live web conference will be posted on
the course iSite
(http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k101577).
COURSE MATERIAL: Assigned readings and case studies are
available online through a course pack. Instructions for accessing
the course pack will be provided prior to the start of the
term.
All assigned readings should be completed prior to class. Please
be prepared to discuss the subjects covered in the readings during
the web conference.
I will also assign additional readings during the term as
appropriate to the topic. These readings will be approximately 5-10
pages in length and will represent current research and viewpoints
on the subject. More information on these readings will be made
available on the course iSite.
COURSE BACKGROUND: This course familiarizes the students with
the broadperspectives of general management and strategy. The focus
of the course is on theoverall organization. It covers roles and
responsibilities of general managers andformulation and
implementation of strategy, including such concepts as process
andcontent of strategy, interrelations between corporations and
their environments,interrelations among different functional areas
of management, and role of managementsystems in implementing
strategy.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: This course will include cases on companies
in domesticand international markets, employing basic and leading
edge technologies, and operatingwithin regulatory and environmental
constraints. During the course you will learn how toanalyze company
strategies; you will also learn via the tools of strategic
analysis, how toevaluate strategic options and how to develop an
effective strategic plan. The course isstructured so that you will
need to work continuously throughout the course, reading,analyzing,
and preparing your cases.
COURSE FORMAT AND EVALUATION: This course will use articles from
leading business publications and a number of case analyses. These
cases are usually long and complex, and often require financial
analysis.
Case Write-up: You will prepare two written case analyses in a
group (2 students pergroup). The written paper should be no longer
than 5-7 pages (typed and double-spaced).You can add as many
exhibits, tables, and figures as necessary in the Appendix. The
paper is due in the relevant course drop box before 11:59 PM the
Monday before the Tuesday class session when the case will be
discussed no exceptions. If you have difficulty uploading your case
analysis to the course drop box you may email a copy to the
instructor, but the same submission deadline applies.
Students will select one case for the written analyses from each
of the following groups:Group 1: Cola Wars Continue: Coke and Pepsi
in 2010 (Session 3) The Home Depot, Inc. (Session 4) Apple Inc. in
2010 (Session 5)Group 2: Wal-Mart in the 21st Century: A Global
Perspective (Session 7) Hewlett-Packard Compaq: The Merger Decision
(Session 9) E-Commerce at Williams Sonoma (Session 10)
Useful frameworks for doing case analyses will be covered within
the assigned readings and during class discussions. Also, refer to
An Introductory Note on the Case Method (Session 1 reading) to
understand the basics of case analysis.
In general, there is no single correct answer to a case
analysis. The key to a good caseanalysis is to carefully analyze
the situation, apply relevant conceptual materials, andevaluate
possible courses of action before selecting your own
recommendations.Although each case is unique and may require a
different approach and analysis, yourcase write-up should include
the following two elements:
1. An assessment of the current situation of the firm. This
includes -
The environment in which the firm operates - the industry The
competitive situation and strategies of the firm, including its
financial results,with the objective of identifying the key issues
that must be addressed
This is not a summary of the case but rather your personal
evaluation/critique of thesituation using the relevant tools
covered in the course.
2. A description of the alternatives to address the issues
identified, followed by detailedrecommendations. This is a very
important and potentially the most difficult part ofthe case
analysis. The search for alternatives must be broad and should
considersignificant redirection, reorganization or disposition of
parts or all the business. Also,changes in business and competitive
strategies are expected here. Be specific in yourrecommended
solution. Describe the (new or modified) strategies, the
financialobjectives and the implementation plan.
Presentation: You will do a group presentation (3 students per
group) on a strategy topicof your choice. You can pick any topic
that is related to strategy. Some examples arebalanced scorecard,
barriers to entry, board of directors, competitive advantage,
corecompetence, disruptive technology, dynamic capabilities,
learningcurve, related diversification, strategic group, and value
curve. Try to narrow down thetopic so that in-depth analysis is
possible.
You will submit your topic proposal (no more than one page) to
me before 11:59 PM, March 3rd. Once approved, you will develop the
presentation. You should start with a description of the topic and
explain its importance to business and strategy. Next, present the
key findingsrelated to the topic that exists in the literature.
Then, discuss the challenges andunanswered questions associated
with this topic. Finally, offer your recommendations fordealing
with the challenges. I expect your presentation to spend more time
on thechallenges and recommendations sections. You can bring in
examples of companies fromvarious industries to present your
arguments. Alternately, you may choose one companyor companies from
a particular industry as an example. Both the generalized
approachand the case study approach are fine with me.
You will have 20 minutes to present your project through the web
conference. This will be followed by a brief Q&A session. A
professional PowerPoint presentation is expected. You need to
submit your presentations to the course drop box no later than
11:59 PM on the Monday prior to your scheduled presentation. As
with the case analysis submissions, if you experience difficulty
uploading your presentation you may send it via email to the
instructor adhering to the same deadline. Three sessions (4/22,
4/29 & 5/6) are allocated for the presentations. I will assign
the presentation dates for the groups.
Team Performance Evaluations: Each student will fill out a
performance evaluation on each of his or her team members.
Evaluations must be completed and submitted by close of business
(5:00 PM, EDT) on Wednesday, May 7. Failure to submit a team
performance evaluation for each of your team members will
negatively impact your grade.
Participation: Attendance will be taken during the semester.
Missing more than twoclasses without good reason will lower your
participation grade. You are also expected to be on time for the
class. If you cannot attend a lecture, will be late joining the web
conference, or need to leave early, please notify the instructor in
advance. Participation also means being able to make informed,
relevant comments based on your knowledge of the material.
Final Case: This is an individual assignment. The case will be
given to youapproximately one month before the semester ends. It
will be a comprehensive case whereyou will analyze all major
aspects of the companys strategy and performance. In the end,you
will state your recommendations. This case will be due by 11:59 PM
on Monday, May 12. Late cases will not be accepted. I will provide
more information as we progress through the semester.
GRADING POLICY:
Case write-up (2x15%)30%Presentation 20%Team
Evaluations5%Participation 20%Final Case 25%
ASSIGNMENTS
SESSION & DATE TOPIC OF CLASS LECTURE Session 1: January
28Introduction/Strategic Management
What is Strategy?, Michael Porter, Harvard Business Review,
November-December, 1996. What is Strategic Management? Jaren
Harris, Ming-Jer Chen, Gregory Fairchild, R. Edward Freeman, S.
Venkatraman, and Jenny Mead, Darden note/case. An Introductory Note
on the Case Method, John Haywood-Farmer, Richard Ivey School of
Business note.Session 2: February 4Internal Environment
Creating Competitive Advantage, Pankaj Ghemawat and Jan W.
Rivkin, HBS background note. The Core Competence of the
Corporation, C.K. Pralahad and Gary Hamel, Harvard Business Review,
May-June 1990. SWOT Analysis II: Looking Inside for Strengths and
Weaknesses, excerpted from Strategy: Create and Implement the Best
Strategy for Your Business, Harvard Business School Press, 2006.
Case: Global Product Development Strategy at Bosch: Selecting a
Development Site for the New Low-Cost ABS Platform, European School
of Management and Technology, September, 2012.
Session 3: February 11External Environment
The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy, Michael Porter,
Harvard Business Review, January, 2008. SWOT Analysis I: Looking
Outside for Threats and Opportunities Case: Cola Wars Continue:
Coke and Pepsi in 2010, David B. Yoffie and Renee Kim, Harvard
Business School, 2011.
Session 4: February 18Business Strategy
Types of Strategy: Which Fits Your Business? excerpted from
Strategy: Create and Implement the Best Strategy for Your Business,
Harvard Business School Press, 2006. Stress-Test Your Strategy: The
7 Questions to Ask, Robert Simons, Harvard Business Review,
November 2010. The Perils of Bad Strategy, Richard Rumelt, McKinsey
Quarterly, June, 2011. Case: The Home Depot, Inc., Darden Business
Publishing, the University of Virginia, 2007.
Session 5: February 25Business Strategy in Dynamic
Environments
*** Course Survey Due before 11:59 PM, February 24
Blue Ocean Strategy, W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne, Harvard
Business Review, October, 2004. Innovation in Turbulent Times,
Rigby, Gruver, and Allen, Harvard Business Review, June, 2009. Your
Strategy Needs a Strategy, Martin Reeves, Claire Love, and Philipp
Tillmanns, Harvard Business Review, September, 2012. Case: Apple
Inc. in 2010, Harvard Business School, March, 21, 2011.
Session 6: March 4Corporate Strategy
Strategies of Unrelated Diversification, by Samhita Jayanti and
Bharat N. Anand, HBS note Creating Corporate Advantage, by David
Collis and Cynthia A Montgomery, Harvard Business Review, May-June
1998 Choosing Corporate and Global Scope, by Mikolaj Jan Piskorski,
HBS note Case: House of Tata, 1995: The Next Generation (A),
Harvard Business School, August 30, 2006.
Presentation Proposal Due
Session 7: March 11International Strategy
Introduction to International Strategy, David Collins and Jordan
Siegel, HBS Module Note, December, 2006. Distance Still Matters:
The Hard Reality of Global Expansion, Pankaj Ghemawat, Harvard
Business Review, September, 2001. Should You Have a Global
Strategy? Chris Carr and David Collins, MIT Sloan Management
Review, Fall 2011, Vol. 53 No. 1. The CEO of Heinz on Powering
Growth in Emerging Markets, Bill Johnson, Harvard Business Review,
October, 2011. Case: Wal-Mart in the 21st Century: A Global
Perspective, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia,
2003.
March 18 Spring Break no class
Session 8: March 25Alliances
Simple Rules for Making Alliances Work, Jonathan Hughes and Jeff
Weiss, Harvard Business Review, 2007. How to Manage Alliances
Better Than One at a Time, Ulrich Wassmer, Pierre Dussauge and
Marcel Planellas. Sloan Management Review, Spring, 2010. When to
Ally and When to Acquire, Jeffrey H. Dyer, Prashant Kale, and
Harbir Singh, Harvard Business Review, 2007. Case: The KLM Approach
to Alliances, IESE Business School, 2008.
Session 9: April 1Mergers and Acquisitions
Bet-the-Company Deals: Mergers, Alliances, and Outsourcing,
Danny Ertel and Mark Gordon (From The Point of the Deal: How to
Negotiate When Yes is Not Enough, Harvard Business School Press,
2007). The New M&A Playbook, Clayton M. Christensen, Richard
Alton, Curtis Rising, and Andrew Waldeck, Harvard Business Review,
March, 2011. Case: Hewlett-Packard Compaq: The Merger Decision,
Harvard Business School, 2004.
Session 10: April 8Implementation
Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System,
Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton, Harvard Business Review,
July-August 2007. Never Underestimate the Importance of Soft Skills
in Executing Strategy, Balanced Scorecard Report, Harvard Business
Publishing, September-October 2011. How Innovative is Your Companys
Culture? Jay Rao and Joseph Weintraub, Sloan Management Review,
Spring, 2013. Case: E-Commerce at Williams Sonoma, Harvard Business
School, October 25, 2000.
Session 11: April 15Corporate Governance
What Makes Great Boards Great, Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld, Harvard
Business Review, September, 2002. Corporate governance in emerging
economies: Understanding the game, Victoria L. Crittenden and
William F. Crittenden, Business Horizons (2012), 567-574. Seven
Myths of Corporate Governance, Stanford Graduate School of
Business, CGRP-16, 06/01/11 Case: Lehman Brothers: Crisis in
Corporate Governance, Case Research Journal, 2012.
Session 12: April 22Group Presentations
Session 13: April 29Group Presentations
Session 14: May 6Group Presentations
Session 15: (no regular class)Final Case Due by 11:59 PM, May
12
Blackboard Collaborate Version 12.5 InstructionsHow to Get Ready
and Enter a Session
Preparing to Use Collaborate
1.We recommend that everyone use an echo-canceling headset when
in a web conference. You can buy them at an office supply store or
online for about $30-$50. We suggest using a wired rather than
wireless headset. If you dont already have a headset, you could buy
something similar to these:
You can get something similar to one of these:Connects to
computer via USB
connectionhttp://www.staples.com/Logitech-USB-Headset-H340/product_100284Connects
to computer via
jackhttp://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PC-31-II-Binaural-Microphone/dp/B0077L2WCY/
Note: Please do the following steps using the same computer you
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and that there aren't any firewalls that would prevent you from
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Step 1: Checking System Requirements. When you land on this page
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If you need to download a newer version of Java, you will be
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