Business Policy and Strategy

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

The central theme of the Business Policy and Strategy (Strategic Management) course is that a company’s chances for enjoying persistent or sustained competitive advantage and/or profitability are greatly enhanced if and only if its managers (1) have an astute, timely strategic “game plan” for running the company; and (2) implement and execute the game plan with proficiency. We shall explore in some depth how and why a well-formulated and well-executed strategy nearly always enhances a company's long-term performance through strategic content analysis and skill building exercises.

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

• Understand the strategic issues and policy decisions facing businesses and how current management concepts address these issues.

• Understand and describe the strategic management process and the difference between strategic analysis, strategy formulation and strategy implementation.

• Acquire an understanding of how to use new and existing knowledge to analyze "real world" cases and by so doing, to understand the complexity of strategic issues.

• Elaborate on how strategic plans and policies are integrated, implemented and controlled and to comprehend the culture and ethical factors that influence these management activities.

• Analyze new knowledge and use existing knowledge to conduct strategic and competitive analysis using various tools (e.g., five forces model, SWOT analysis, Portfolio matrix models) in a variety of industries.

• Evaluate the formulation of business and corporate level strategies, the different business and corporate strategic types, alternative actions, and make sound strategic decisions using what-if analysis.

• Discuss the managerial task associated with implementing and executing company strategies, and the action managers can take to promote competent strategy execution.

• Assess the role of government policy in creating incentives and disincentives for a variety of competitive conditions for both domestic and international competition.

• Demonstrate how the various pieces of the knowledge they have acquired in their functional-oriented business courses fit together and discuss why the different parts of a company's business need to be managed in strategic harmony for the company to operate successfully.

• Synthesize and apply the concepts and analytical tools exposed to in the course by participating in managing a company through a business simulation game or conducting a strategic and competitive analysis of a company.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Chapter Assignments and Quizzes in McGraw-Hill Connect	25%
Examinations Online (Two exams)	30%
Individual Case Analysis (Two cases)	20%
Final Case Study Paper	25%

Grading Scale:

Percentage	Letter Grade
94-100	A
90-93.999	A-
86-89.999	B+
82-85.999	B
79-81.9999	B-
76-78.9999	C+
70-75.99	C
Below 70	F

Attendance/Participation:

Students are expected to participate by completing all assignments, discussions, reflections, and other required course activities by the stated deadlines. Participation and timely completion of course requirements will be reflected in each student’s final course grade. NOTE: You must have your camera-on to stay on Zoom calls.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

McGraw-Hill Connect® Access for “Dess, G. G., McNamara, G., & Eisner, A. B., & Sauerwald, S. Strategic Management: Text and Cases (DMES), 11th Edition, 2024. ISBN13: 9781265999001 (Connect® Version of the textbook); ISBN13: 9781264124329 (Hardcopy Version of textbook). When you register for McGraw-Hill Connect® Access, you will have access to the eBook version of the textbook, which is included in the registration, so you do not have to purchase the printed version of the textbook unless you want a hardcopy of the textbook.

Important Note: This course participates in the First Day Complete program and Connect is included, but if you have opted out of the program, you will need to purchase access separately.