UWA_UnitOutline

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Unit Outline*

MGMT8700

Strategic Management

EMBA

Trimester 3, 2011

Crawley

Mr Sathya Ganganahalli

Business School

www.business.uwa.edu.au

* This Unit Outline should be read in conjunction with the Business School Unit Outline Supplement available on the Current Students web site http://www.business.uwa.edu.au/students

MGMT8700/Crawley/SG/10.08.10.

All material reproduced herein has been copied in accordance with and pursuant to a statutory licence administered by Copyright Agency Limited (CAL), granted to the University of Western Australia pursuant to Part VB of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).

Copying of this material by students, except for fair dealing purposes under the Copyright Act, is prohibited. For the purposes of this fair dealing exception, students should be aware that the rule allowing copying, for fair dealing purposes, of 10% of the work, or one chapter/article, applies to the original work from which the excerpt in this course material was taken, and not to the course material itself.

The University of Western Australia 2011

UNIT DESCRIPTION

Introduction

Welcome to the capstone unit of your MBA course. This is a very important unit and it is important that you gain as much benefit from this unit as possible.

Unit content

This capstone unit takes a general, integrating perspective and is concerned with setting the strategic direction of organizations. The most important outcome from undertaking this unit is to better consider how managers and organizations can think and act in a strategic way.

This unit predominately uses case studies to improve the strategic thinking capability of students. A number of topics are considered: What is strategy?; How does strategy happen within organizations?; vision, strategy and values; analysing environmental forces and searching for a sustainable competitive advantage; competitor positioning and game theory; the impact of disruptive technologies upon business model innovation including forming inter-organizational networks of relationships; entrepreneurial strategies; core competencies; parenting advantage; strategic turnaround; measuring strategy; strategic leadership; managing strategic change.

The Goal of the unit

The most important outcome is that you are able to think and act in a strategic way. Overall, the course aims to improve the practice of management i.e your ability to manage a variety of strategic and operational situations. These situations may be complex and you should be able to cope with a considerable amount of ambiguity. The overriding theme of the course is strategic transformation. The aim of the course is to introduce students to:

Total view of the organisations stakeholders, its mission, goals, long term prospects and how it relates and interacts with various actors and forces in its environment.Concepts and practices of strategic analyses and strategy formulation, both informal and planned explicitly.Analysis of business environment and identification of long-term trends and change.Competitive positioning with respect to rivals and developing a sustainable competitive advantage.Aspects of implementing strategies.Aspects of strategic leadership at top levels of the organisation.

Our perspective is that of the total organisation, usually as seen from the position of a general manager and/or managing director/CEO. However, the topic is of interest to all levels of management as well as staff and advisers. These people are affected by and in turn influence the way the firm chooses to strategically position itself in its industry.

Policy and strategic management are not confined to profit-making business organisations, nor to the organisation as a whole. The concepts are useful also to not-for-profit organisations as well as for organisational sub-units and career strategies of individuals.

With more active approach, you will learn far more than a few theories and interesting case studies, and this will serve you well in understanding strategic management. Therefore you are required to pre-read and prepare well for seminar sessions, attend and participate actively in those sessions and hand in assignments on time and doing your fare share of work in team/group projects.

Learning outcomes

The course lends itself to discussion and analysis of practical cases as well as theoretical concepts. An important feature of the course is an emphasis on perspective and developing ones own point of view.

Students are expected to spend an average of 6-8 hours individually and in their groups preparing for each class session. Successful learning on the course depends very much on you reading the material, to fully prepare the cases and to have constructive discussion of issues in your groups and in the class. To paraphrase Frances Bacon: reading makes a person full, writing makes a person precise and debate makes a person prepared.

You will have to deal with quite a number of different ideas sometimes they agree with each other, sometimes they dont. You will be given concepts/frameworks and support to help you to integrate the different perspectives you will come across but it is also important that you exercise your mind to make sense of, or accept, these differences in your own way, so that you develop your own thinking and views.

This course uses a variety of learning including case analyses, group work and classroom discussions of both theory and practical application. Therefore, the attendance and participation in class sessions are essential part of learning process and the functioning of the course.

The course consists of 12 sessions; each session is about 3.0 hours. The unit structure consists of:

A number of case studies,A selection of important journal articles/readings supplement to the textbook (in a package), andA selection of important concepts/theory from the textbook chapters.

On completion of this unit, you should be able to:

Have deeper understanding of strategy theory.Have experience in application of strategy theory/concepts and your work experience to a number of case studies and readings.

Educational Principles and Graduate Attributes

A key task is to identify which questions to ask rather than to seek answers to questions put by someone else. Throughout the course, in class analysis of cases, in deciding on topics for assignments, and in evaluating theoretical concepts, students must frame their own questions wherever possible.

In this unit, you will be provided with the opportunity to:

Critically evaluate and identify the strategic issues and developing an appropriate strategies according to the context; Develop effective communication skills through class presentation on the findings of issues and by responding to any questions that arise during discussions; Develop competencies to work more effectively in teams through the completion of a group/team strategic project relating to your selected business context; Demonstrate self-management and independent learning skills through the completion of the prescribed weekly exercises, a number of assignments and the final examination;Develop and understanding of the business environment and competitive threats facing the organisations through completion of various case studies.

TEACHING AND LEARNING RESPONSIBILITIES

Teaching and learning strategies

This unit requires a high degree of class participation by the students, in analysing and discussions of case studies and strategies. Therefore, it is necessary that students prepare and read in advance the relevant concepts and case studies assigned to the seminar.

The study pack has been designed to facilitate learning of the material that includes the reading package with relevant journal articles and text book chapters that provides strategic management concepts, and selection of a number of case studies.

Students are encouraged to share their (or their colleagues/friends) business experiences, of successful and/or not so successful strategies, in the class room. Students will have frequent opportunities to work as an individual and in groups to apply their understanding of concepts while developing their assignments.

The individual assignment is to prepare an analysis for a case study using strategic management concepts/frameworks. The individual assignment provides an opportunity to quickly assess and pick-up the symptoms of the firms strategic health, diagnostic process for evaluating the issues the firm face during a period of uncertainties and its competitiveness. The assignment also provides an opportunity to develop your strategies based on the analysis and recommend to the firm according to the context for its future competitiveness and sustainability.

The learning journal / diary, is meant to capture your process of learning. You are required to keep and maintain an on-going learning journal / diary that captures your process of reflective learning throughout this unit. This will help to ensure that you will be an active participant and will also help you to apply your own knowledge and experiences particularly when reflecting upon the materials.

The group/team project provides an opportunity for more in-depth investigation where participants will benefit from further investigation of additional sources to strengthen their analysis. The team/group assignment is developing a case study on an organisation of students choice (it may be the organisation the students are, or have been, working in) considering various strategic issues, and analysing their own case study to formulate an appropriate strategies and develop recommendations.

Teaching and learning evaluation

You may be asked to complete two evaluations during this unit. The Student Perception of Teaching (SPOT) and the Students Unit Reflective Feedback (SURF). The SPOT is optional and is an evaluation of the lecturer and the unit. The SURF is completed online and is a university wide survey and deals only with the unit. You will receive an email from the SURF office inviting you to complete the SURF when it is activated.

We encourage you to complete the forms as your feedback is extremely important and can be used to make changes to the unit or lecturing style when appropriate.

This unit has been updated and improved based on the feedback from students of previous years:

Updating and including new case studies, Case studies from different industries, to enhance broader knowledge,New theoretical concepts from latest business journal articles, andSelection of appropriate textbook.

Attendance

Participation in class, whether it be listening to a lecture or getting involved in other activities, is an important part of the learning process, therefore it is important that you attend classes. More formally, the University regulations state that to complete a course or unit students shall attend prescribed classes, lectures, seminars and tutorials. Where a student, due to exceptional circumstances, is unable to attend a scheduled class, they are required to obtain prior approval of the unit coordinator to be absent from that class. Any student absent from class without having had such absence approved by the unit coordinator may be referred to the faculty for advice and may be required to withdraw from the unit.

CONTACT DETAILS

We strongly advise students to regularly access their student email accounts. Important information regarding the unit is often communicated by email and will not be automatically forwarded to private email addresses.

Unit coordinator/lecturer

Lecturer:

Mr Sathya Ganganahalli

Email:

sathya@visionreach.com.au

Phone:

+0401 009 854

Consultation hours:

By appointment (use email or through telephone)

Lecture days / times and venues

Saturdays 9am-12noon & 1-4pm BUSN:201

Lecturer Details

Sathya Ganganahalli

B.Eng. (Mysore), Dip.MCEng. (Trondheim), MBA (Western Australia), MAust.IM, EAInstIB.

Sathya is a director and founder of Vision Reach Consultants based in Perth. He has over 25 years of industry experience as a Management Consultant, Business Development Manager, Project Manager and Project Engineer, working at various industries and geographical locations.

Experienced in developing and implementing business and marketing strategies, formulating business process improvement systems, risk management and mitigation strategies, cause and effect strategy mapping, and asset management in oil and gas, mining, airlines, movie/entertainment, telecommunications, healthcare, construction and education industries. His clients range from small businesses to medium size domestic firms to large multinationals. Prior to Vision Reach he worked in and associated with many local and multinational companies from India, Asia, Australia, Europe and North America.

Sathya has developed commercialisation strategies for new products and has been involved in developing performance management systems based on the balanced scorecard model. He has been involved in developing strategies for clients in Australia and in Asia.

His firm Vision Reach has successfully developed alliances with local partners in Australia, Singapore, Jakarta and in India to provide customised strategies suitable for local industries/conditions.

He was a strategy coach of the winning UWA postgraduate MBA teams, in 2003, 2005 and 2006 that participated in the Australia-New Zealand Boston Consulting Group Business Strategy Competition. Winner of excellence in teaching awards from the Graduate Management Association and the Graduate School of Management, and from the University of Western Australia.

Sathya has developed a business case study for a technology company in Perth and published for use in MBA units such as Entrepreneurship & New Business Ventures, Small Business Management, Strategic Management and the Management of Technology & Innovation (European Case Clearing House).

He is an adjunct associate professor for MBA subjects: Strategic Management, Business Strategy for the Asia-Pacific Region and International Management at the University of Western Australia.

He is an Executive Associate of The Institute for Independent Businesses. He is an active member of the Graduate Management Association of Western Australia and an affiliate member of Australian Institute of Management.

Seminar Schedule (EMBA)

Session ID

Day/Date

Session Time

Topics

1

3rd Sept

9-12 noon

First session: stakeholders analysis

2

1-4 pm

Industry analysis, competition and game theory

3

17th Sept

9-12 noon

Value chain analysis, SWOT and competitive position

4

1-4 pm

Resources, capabilities and core competency

5

1st Oct

9-12 noon

Corporate strategy

6

1-4 pm

Competitive advantage of nations

5th Oct

Before 11.30am

Individual Assignment is due today

7

15th Oct

9-12 noon

Mergers and acquisitions, alliances

8

1-4 pm

Creating new markets, blue ocean strategy

9

29th Oct

9-12 noon

Global strategy and subsidiary management

10

1-4 pm

Not-for-profit organisation

9th Nov

Before 11.30am

Learning Journal Assignment is due today

11

12th Nov

9-12 noon

Measuring strategy

12

1-4 pm

Final session: team project presentation

16th Nov

Before 11.30am

Team/Group Project Report is due today

13

TBA

TBA

Final Examination

TEXTBOOK(S) & RESOURCES

Unit Website

http://www.webct.uwa.edu.au

Recommended/required text and other packages:

Strategic Management: Thinking, Analysis, Action

By Graham Hubbard and Paul Beamish

4th Edition (2011)

Pearson Prentice Hall

ISBN 978 144 252 8680

Plus:

Readings Package for Strategic Management MGMT8700

Optional Book Only:

What I Didnt Learn in Business School How Strategy Works in the Real World

By Jay B Barney and Trish Gorman Clifford

Harvard Business Review Press, 2010

ISBN 978-1-4221-5763-3

Note:

Textbook and the Reading Package are available for purchase at the University Co-op Bookshop.

Optional Strategic Management Textbook(s)

Some recent books on Strategic Management to reinforce the principles you have learned during the class discussion and to obtain alternative perspectives:

Barney J B and Clifford T G (2010): What I Didnt Learn in Business School How Strategy Works in the Real World, Harvard Business Review Press (Approx. $50).

Barney J B (2011): Gianing and Sustaining Competitive Advantage, 4th Edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13-2479060 (Approx. $130).

Carpenter M A, Sanders W M G, Rice J and Martin N (2010): Strategic Management: A Dynamic Perspective, Concepts and Cases, 1st Edition, Pearson Australia, ISBN 978-1-4425-0037-2 (Approx, $130).

Dess G G, Lumpkin G T and Eisner A B (2010): Strategic Management Creating Competitive Advantages, 5th Edition, McGraw-Hill Irwin, ISBN 978-0-07-724626-6 (Approx: $100).

Grant R M (2008): Contemporary Strategy Analysis, 6th Edition, Blackwell Publishing, ISBN 978-1-4051-6309-5 (Approx. $120).

Hill C W L, Jones G R, Galvin P and Haidar A (2007): Strategic Management, An Integrated Approach, 2nd Australasian Edition, John Wiley & Sons, ISBN 9780470809297 (Approx. $140).

Johnson G, Scholes K and Whittington R (2008): Exploring Corporate Strategy, 8th Edition, FT Prentice Hall, ISBN 978-0-273-71191-9 (Approx. $120).

Lewis G, Morkel A, Hubbard G, Davenport S and Stockport G (1999): Australian and New Zealand Strategic Management Concepts, Context and Cases, 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall, ISBN 0724811311 (Approx. $110).

Wheelen T L and Hunger J D (2010): Strategic Management and Business Policy Achieving Sustainability, 12th Edition, Pearson International Edition, ISBN 013-702915-2 (Approx. $150).

Additional/Suggested/alternate Text(s)

Some recent books and some classic books on Strategy to reinforce the principles you have learned during the class discussion and to obtain alternative perspectives:

Bossidy L and Charan R (2002): Execution The Discipline of Getting Things Done, Random House Business Books, 2002.

Burgelman R A (2002): Strategy is Destiny How Strategy Making Shapes a Companys Future, The Free Press, 2002.

Charan R (2007): Know-How, The 8-skills That Separate People Who Perform from Those WhoDont, Crown Business, 2007.

Christensen C M (1997): The Innovators Dilemma When new technologies cause great firms to fail, Harvard Business School Press, 1997.

Christiansen C M and Raynor M E (2003): The Innovators Solution, Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth, Harvard Business School Publishing, 2003.

Collins, J (2001): Good to Great: why some companies make the leap and others dont, Random House, 2001.

Davenport T H and Harris J G (2007): Competing on Analytics, The New Science of Winning, Harvard Business School Publishing, 2007.

Ghemawat P (2007): Redefining Global Strategy: Crossing Borders in a World Where Differences Still Matters, Harvard Business School Publishing, 2007.

Govindarajan V and Trimble C (2005): 10-Rules for Strategic Innovators From Idea to Execution, Harvard Business School Press, 2005.

Govindarajan V and Trimble C (2010): The Other Side of Innovation Solving the Execution Challenge, Harvard Business Review Press, 2010.

Hamel G (2000): Leading the Revolution, Harvard Business School Press, 2000.

Hamel G with Bill Breen (2007): The Future of Management, Harvard Business School Press, 2007

Hamel G. and Prahalad C. K (1994): Competing for the Future, Harvard Business School Press, 1994.

Hubbard G, Samuel D, Heap S and Cocks G (2002): The First XI Winning Organizations in Australia, John Wiley, 2002.

Joachimsthaler E (2007): Hidden In Plain Sight How to find and execute your companys next big growth strategy, Harvard Business School Publishinh, 2007.

Johnson M W (2010): Seizing the White Space Business Model Innovation for Growth and Renewal, Harvard Business Press, 2010.

Kalkota R and Robinson M (2002): e-Business Roadmap for success, Addison Wesley, 2002.

Kanter R M (2000): e-volve succeeding in the Digital Culture of Tomorrow, Harvard Business School Press, 2000.

Kaplan R and Norton D (2001): The Strategy - Focused Organization. How balanced scorecard companies thrive in the new business environment, Harvard Business School Press, 2001.

Leinwand Pand Mainardi C (2011): The Essential Advantage How to Win with a Capability Driven Strategy, Harvard Business Review Press, 2011.

Mintzberg H, Ahlstrand B and Lampel J (1998): Strategy Safari: a guided tour through the wilds of strategic management, Prentice-Hall, 1998.

Ohmae K (1982): The Mind of the Strategist, McGraw-Hill, 1982.

Ohmae K (2000): The Invisible Continent Four Strategic Imperatives of the New Economy, Harper Business, 2000.

Porter M. E (1998): On Competition, Harvard Business School Press, 1998

Prahalad C K (2005): The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, Eradicating Poverty Through Profits, Wharton School Publishing, 2005.

Prahalad CK and Ramaswamy V (2004): The Future of Competition, Co-Creating Unique Value with Customers, Harvard Business School Publishing, 2004.

Schmitt B H (2007): Big Think Strategy How to leverage bold ideas and leave small thinking behind, Harvard Business School Publishing, 2007.

Schwartz P (1996): The Art of the Long View, Australian Business Network, 1996.

Schwartz P (1996): The Long Boom A Future History of the World 1980-2020, Orion Business Books, 1996.

Simons R (2010): Seven Strategy Questions A Simple Approach for Better Execution, Harvard Business Review Press, 2010.

Van der Heijden K (1998): Scenarios The art of strategic conversation, John Wiley, 1998.

Welch J (with John A. Bryne) (2001): JACK: what Ive learned leading a great company with great people, Headline, 2001.

Yoffie D B and Kwak M (2001): Judo Strategy Turning your competitors strength to your advantage, Harvard Business School Press, 2001.

Additional resources & reading material

Journal References

Business Journals:

Asian Wall Street JournalBusiness WeekThe EconomistFar East Economic ReviewFinancial TimesFortuneFobes

Bridging Journals between Business and Academic:

Business HorizonCalifornia Management ReviewJournal of World Business (Previously Columbia Journal of World Business)European Management JournalHarvard Business ReviewLong Range PlanningMcKinsey QuarterlyMultinational BusinessMIT Sloan Management Review

Academic Journals:

Academy of Management ReviewInternational Journal of Strategic Management: Long Range PlanningInternational Human Resources ManagementJournal of International Business StudiesStrategic Management Journal

UNIT SCHEDULE

Seminar Schedule/Topics

IMPORTANT: It is essential to READ AND PREPARE FULLY the cases and the readings listed against each session before attending the classes. Reading makes a person full, writing makes a person precise and debate makes a person prepared. Frances Bacon

Session ID

Seminar Topic

1

Welcome, Introduction, Course Aims, Assessment

Introduction.Discussion of Unit Outline/Assignments.Role of Lecturer and appointments.

Mini Case Studies:

Minicase: Dick Ferris and United Airlines.

Minicase: Bill Agee and the fall of Morrison Knudsen.

Concepts:

What is Strategy? Intended Strategy and Emergent Strategy.Importance of Vision and Mission.Stakeholder Analysis.

Readings:

Analysing a Case.Chapter 1: What is strategy? pp2-27.Chapter 2: Creating value for key stakeholders, pp43-45.

Mintzberg H (1987): Five Ps for Strategy, California Management Review, Fall 1987Mintzberg H (1987): Crafting Strategy, Harvard Business Review, Jul-Aug 1987.

2

Competition, Industry Analysis AND Game Theory

Case Study:

Cola Wars Continue: Coke and Pepsi in 2006 (HBS 9-706-447).

Concepts:

PEST: General Business Environmental Factors.5-Forces: Porters Industry Analysis Framework and complementors.Competition and Game theory.

Readings:

Chapter 3: Analysing the external environment, pp62-94 & pp97-102.Chapter 8: Dynamic competitive strategy, pp218-238.Rumelt R (2011): The perils of bad strategy, McKinsey Quarterly, June 2011.Horn J (2011): Playing war games to win, McKinsey Quarterly, March 2011.

Case Questions to think:

Analyse the soft drink industry using Porters industry analysis framework and conclude that the industry is attractive or unattractive? Justify your arguments.Evaluate the profitability positions of Concentrate Producers (CP) and Bottlers? As a new entrant would you be entering as a CP Producer and/or a Bottler?Can Coke & Pepsi sustain their profits in the wake of flattening demand and the growing popularity of non-carbonated drinks?

3

Value Chain Analysis, SWOT Analysis AND Competitive Position

Case Study:

Argyle Diamonds

Concepts:

What is Value Chain and its importance?Competitive Position: Cost Leadership or Differentiation Concept of Stuck in the Middle.Strategic SWOT Analysis.

Readings:

Chapter 2: Analysing business strategy creating value for customers, pp36-43.Porter M (1985): The Value Chain and Competitive Advantage from M E Porter book Competitive Advantage: Creating and sustaining superior performance, Free Press, 1985. Pil F K and Holweg M (2006): Evolving From Value Chain to Value Grid, Strategic Management Review, Vol 47, Issue, Summer 2006.Fine C H, Vardan R, Pethick R and El-Hout J (2002): Rapid-Response Capability in Value Chain Design, Strategic Management Review, Vol 43, Issue 2, Winter 2002.Weihrich H (1982): The TOWS Matrix A tool for situational analysis, Long Range Planning, Vol 15, No 2, 1982.

Case Questions to think:

Develop value chain for the diamond industry. Where do CSO and Argyle concentrate their efforts?Evaluate strengths and weaknesses of Argyle Diamonds in the diamond industry? Does Argyle Diamonds sustain its profitability?What are the options open to Argyle Diamonds in its relationship with Central Selling Organization (CSO), when their contract expires?

4

Resources, Capabilities AND Core Competency

Case Study:

Your selection one of the case studies above (or your assignment case study).

Concepts:

Resource based view for strategy development Competitive Advantage.Analysing using VIRO concept / framework.Concept of Core competency.

Readings:

Chapter 4: Analysing the organizations resources and capabilities, pp103-128.

Chapter 6: Gap analysis and business-level strategic options, pp158-195.Chapter 12: Capabilities, systems and structure, pp326-355.

Barney J (1991): Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage, Journal of Management, Vol 17, 1991. Grant R (1991): The Resource Based Theory of Competitive Advantage; Implications for Strategy Formulation, California Management Review, Spring 1991.Javidan M (1998): Core Competence: What does it mean in Practice?, Long Range Planning, Feb 1998.Prahalad C K and Hamel G (1990): The Core Competence of the Corporation, Harvard Business Review, May-Jun 1990.Collis D J and Montgomery C (1995): Competing on resources, Harvard Business Review, Jul-Aug 1995.

5

Corporate Strategy

Case Study:

The Walt Disney Company The Entertainment King (HBS 9-701-035).

Concepts:

Business unit level and Corporate level strategies.Managing multi-business units.GE-McKinsey Matrix and BCG Portfolio Matrix.

Readings:

Chapter 9: Corporate/multi-business strategy, pp242-269.Chapter 13: Leadership, people and culture, pp357-389.Porter M (1987): From Competitive Advantage to Corporate Strategy, Harvard Business Review, May-Jun 1987.Raynor M and Bower J (2001): Lead from the centre: How to manage divisions dynamically, Harvard Business Review, May 2001.Campbell A, Kunisch S and Muller-Stewens G (2011): To centralise or not to centralise?, McKinsey Quarterly, June 2011.Herrman K, Komm A and Smit S (2011): Do you have the right leaders for your growth strategies?, McKinsey Quarterly, July 2011.

Case Questions to think:

Why has Disney been successful for so long?Evaluate Disneys Resources and Capabilities in relation to its Corporate Strategy?Evaluate performances of Disneys business units?Does Disney have any competitive advantage to be successful in the future?

6

Clusters, Competitiveness AND Competitive Advantage of Nations

Case Study:

Finland and Nokia: Creating the Worlds Most Competitive Economy (HBS 9-702-427).

Concepts:

Competitiveness and Comparative Advantages of Nations.Industry Competitiveness framework Porters National Diamond Framework.Clusters and their influence on industry competitiveness.

Readings:

Chapter 3: Porters Diamond Model, pp94-97.

Porter M (1990): The Competitive Advantage of Nations, Harvard Business Review, Mar-Apr 1990.Porter M (1998): Clusters and the New Economics of Competition, Harvard Business Review, Nov-Dec 1998.Grant R (1991): Porters Competitive Advantage of Nations, an Assessment, Strategic Management Journal, Vol 12, Oct 1991.

Case Questions to think:

How did Finland move from a sleepy economy to one of the most competitive nations in the world?What was the role of policy makers in Finland in developing the telecommunication cluster to drive the growth, rather than other industries?

7

Corporate Strategy: Mergers and Acquisitions

Case Study:

Cisco Systems: Are You Ready? (HBS 9-901-002).

Concepts:

Corporate strategy and use of M&A for growth.Ownership of Assets: Horizontal Vs Vertical Integration in large organizations.Emergence of winning business model/strategy for competitive threats.

Readings:

Chapter 10: Acquisitions and alliances, pp272-301.Christensen C (2001): The Past and Future of Competitive Advantage, MIT Sloan Management Review, Vol 42, No. 2, pp105-109, Winter 2001.

Christiansen C M (1997): Give Responsibility for Disruptive Technologies to Organisations Whose Customers Need Them, taken from the book Christiansen C M (1997) The Innovators Dilemma, When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail, Harvard Business School Publishing, 1997.

Dyer J H, Kale P and Singh H (2004): When to Ally and When to Acquire, Harvard Business Review, Jul 2004.Lovallo D and Sibony O (2010): The case of behavioral strategy, McKinsey Quarterly, March 2010.

Case Questions to think:

Evaluate the elements of Ciscos strategies are most critical to the Companys success, as a customer, as an employee and finally as an investor?Would you recommend to Ciscos management that it should acquire INS? Why/Why not? Justify your argument.

8

Creating New Markets AND Blue Ocean Strategy

Case Study:

The Evolution of the Circus Industry (HBS BOS-007).

Even a Clown can do it: Cirque du Soleil Recreates Live Entertainment (HBS BOS-008).

Concepts:

Creating new markets by looking across the industries.Value innovation for products and to consumers.Creation of blue ocean strategy.

Readings:

Christiansen C M and Raynor M E (2003): How Can We Beat Our Most Powerful Competitors?, taken from the book Christiansen C M and Raynor M E (2003) The Innovators Solution, Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth, Harvard Business School Publishing, 2003.

Kim C and Mauborgne R (1997): Value Innovation: the Strategic Logic of High Growth, Harvard Business Review, Jan-Feb 1997.Kim C and Mauborgne R (1999): Creating New Market Space, Harvard Business Review, Jan-Feb 1999.Kim C and Mauborgne R (2004): Blue Ocean Strategy, Harvard Business Review, Oct 2004.Kim C and Mauborgne R (2000): Knowing a Winning Business Idea, When you see one, Harvard Business Review, Sept-Oct 2000.

Case Questions to think:

Analyse and conclude the attractiveness of the traditional circus industry in the early 1980s?Evaluate how the Cirque du Soleil created the value proposition for customers compared to the traditional circus companies? Develop value curve of Cirque du Soleil and how is that differ from those of the traditional big league and little league players, and other entertainment players such as opera or theatre?

9

Global Strategy AND Subsidiary Management

Case Study:

BRL Hardy: Globalizing an Australian Wine Company (HBS 9-300-018).

Concepts:

Global Strategic Management. Subsidiary and Head Office Relationship.Value (Experience/Learning) Curve and Brand Management.Globalisation and Localisation.

Readings:

Chapter 7: Strategic decision making, pp197-217.Chapter 11: International Strategy, pp302-324.Bartlett C and Ghoshal S (1986): Tap your subsidiaries for Global Reach, Harvard Business Review, Nov-Dec 1986.Bartlett C and Ghoshal S (2000): Going Global: Lessons from Late Movers, Harvard Business Review, Mar-Apr 2000.

Ghemawat P (2005): Regional Strategies for Global Leadership, Harvard Business Review, Dec 2005.

Case Questions to think:

What is the source of the tension between Stephen Davies and Christopher Carson? How effectively has Steve Millar handled their differences?Should Millar approve Carsons proposal to launch Distinto brand? Why/Why not?What would be your strategy concerning the brands: Kellys Revenge and Banrock Station?

10

Non-Profit Organisation AND Strategy

Case Study:

American Cancer Society: Access to Care (HBS 9-109-015).

Concepts:

Organisational dynamics and adjusting strategy.Strategy implementation in a non-profit setting.Leadership in a non-profit organisation.

Readings:

Chapter 1: Industry analysis for the public sector and Not-for-profit industry analysis, pp97-100.Chapter 6: Public sector and Not-for-profit strategy options, pp193-195.Chapter 13: Leadership, people and culture, pp357-392 (repeated from session 5).Chapter 14: Change management, pp393-414.

Simons R (2005): Designing High Performance Jobs, Harvard Business Review, Jul/Aug 2005.Simons R (1995): Control in an Age of Empowerment, Harvard Business Review, Mar/Apr 1995.Florida R and Goodnight J (2005): Managing for Creativity, Harvard Business Review, Jul/Aug 2005.De Waal A and Leo K (2010): A Performance Management Rediness Review Framework for Governmental Services Providers, Business Horizons, Vol 53, Issue 4, Jul 2010.Chesbrough H W, Ahern S, Finn M and Guerraz S(2006): Business models for technology in the developing world: The role of non-governmental organizations, California Management Review, Vol 48, Issue 3, Spring 2006.

Case Questions to think:

Identify the key features of American Cancer Society (ACS) major changes since its inception.Evaluate the advanatges and risks of new ACS strategy Access to Care Strategy. What would be your recommendations to ACS management to manage the risks and assure the successful implementation of the new strategy?

11

Measuring Performance

Case Study:

Your selection one of the case studies above or your team project.

Concepts:

Performance management and controls.Balanced scorecard concept.Strategy mapping and cause-and-effect relationship.

Readings:

Chapter 5: Measuring strategic organization performance, pp129-157.Kaplan R and Norton D (1993): Putting balanced scorecard to work, Harvard Business Review, Sept-Oct 1993.Kaplan R and Norton D (2000): Having trouble with your strategy? Then Map it?, Harvard Business Review, Sept-Oct 2000.Kaplan R and Norton D (2004): Measuring the strategic readiness of intangible assets, Harvard Business Review, Feb 2004.Mankins C and Steele R (2005): Turning Great Strategy into Great Performance, Harvard Business Review, Jul 2005.

12

Team/Group Project Presentation AND Wrap Up.

Teams/Groups to present briefly about their project.

Presentation: 5-minutes (Hint: about 5-6 slides you could manage within the allocated time)Q&A: 5-minutes

Examination case study will be issued today.

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Examination Week (Date of Exam to be confirmed).

ASSESSMENT MECHANISM

The purpose of assessment

There are a number of reasons for having assessable tasks as part of an academic program. The assessable tasks are designed to encourage you to explore and understand the subject more fully. The fact that we grade your work provides you an indication of how much you have achieved. Providing feedback on your work also serves as part of the learning process.

Assessment mechanism summary

Item

Weight

Due Date/time

Remarks

Assignment-1:

Attendance and participation.

10%

On going

Also See submission of assignments section.

Assignment-2:

Individual case analysis strategy report.

20%

5th Oct

11.30am

See submission of assignments section.

Assignment-3:

Individual learning journal / diary.

20%

9th Nov 11.30am

See submission of assignments section.

Assignment-4:

Team/Group project report: Developing a case on an organisation and providing a strategy analysis report.

25%

16th Nov 11.30am

See submission of assignments section.

Assignment-5:

Individual final examination

25%

TBA

Total

100%

Note 1:Results may be subject to scaling and standardisation under faculty policy and are not necessarily the sum of the component parts.

Note 2:The grade FC indicates failure to complete an identified essential assessment component and means failure of the unit.

Note 3:Your assessed work may also be used for quality assurance purposes, such as to assess the level of achievement of learning outcomes as required for accreditation and audit purposes. The findings may be used to inform changes aimed at improving the quality of Business School programs. All material used for such processes will be treated as confidential, and the outcome will not affect your grade for the unit.

Assessment components

Assignment item # 1: Attendance and participation

Strategic management is as much about perspective, judgement, analysis and leadership as knowledge of content. Attendance and participation in class activities and discussions are important to developing these abilities. The marks will be awarded after considering the following.

Attendance means arriving and leaving the class and tutorials on time. Attendance will be recorded at every session. Please inform us if you have a valid reason for missing a class. If you do miss a class, you will be required to prepare notes to show that you have undertaken the preparation.Participation in class, whether it is listening to a lecture or getting involved in other activities, is an important part of the learning process. For this reason the Business School has decided not to move to on-line teaching. It is, therefore, important that you attend classes (and be on time).

Participation in discussions is harder to measure but essential to Strategic Management. While a minimum participation in discussion is required, we have a broad view of participation, including evidence of prior preparation, alertness and following the flow of class discussions, active and naturally, effective participation in syndicates and class discussions (a thoughtful comment based on good preparation and judgement is worth much more than superficial remarks).

Two or more missed classes without prior permission from the lecturer is classified as unsatisfactory. Students should not expect to obtain approval to miss more than six hours of class time per unit, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

More formally, the University regulations state that to complete a course or unit a student shall attend prescribed classes and lecture seminars. Students whose attendance at MBA units has been unsatisfactory will not be granted a pass grade.

Assignment item # 2: Individual Assignment A case analysis

Prepare a strategic analysis report in which you analyse a given case study in terms of Strategic Management Concepts, Frameworks/Models, based on the information provided within the case only. Please do not source post-case information for the assignment.

The case contains all of the necessary information, even though the companies have moved forward since the time of writing, you should base all of your analysis on the facts presented within the case study, and not on the basis of what has happened recently, that is after the case study period.

By the end of the case analysis you must conclude with the issues facing the company/industry and why? What are your strategic options and recommendations for the firm? The key to receiving high marks for this assignment is the analysis that you present regarding the important strategic issues facing both, the company and the industry, justifying through strategic management concepts, frameworks and models.

Your assignment should use academic frameworks/models covered during the unit (to date) and include references from readings and other case studies covered. The report shall not be more than 2,000 words (excluding executive summary, table of contents, the reference list, exhibits and annexes) should be typed using 1.5 or double spacing with reasonable side margins.

The Executive Summary shall not be more than 750 words. Refer to word limit and late submission penalties in section Submission of assignments below.

As always, quality is more important than quantity. Depth of analysis is paramount in this assignment.

Learning Outcomes: At the end of this assignment you will:

Be able to view the importance of organisations stakeholders, its mission, goals, and long term prospects and how it relates and interacts with various competitors/players and forces in its environment.Have learnt to pick up the symptoms of the firms strategic health.Have developed the capabilities of diagnostic process for evaluating the issues that the firms face during a period in relation to industry competition, changes in business landscape, market share and profitability, strategic positioning of products and services with respect to its business unit strategies and/or corporate level strategies.Have learnt to understand the firms resources and capabilities and their allocation to compete.Have deep understanding and application of strategic theory.Have the skills for analysis of business environment and identification of long-term trends and change.Have the capabilities of developing and implementation of strategies.Understand the aspects of strategic leadership at top levels of the organisation.

Assignment item # 3: Individual Learning Journal/Diary

You are required to keep and maintain an on-going learning journal / diary that captures your process of reflective learning throughout this unit. This will help to ensure that you will be an active participant and will also help you to apply your own knowledge and experiences particularly when reflecting upon the materials.

Within your Learning Journal / Diary you need to identify (at least) 20 key lessons learnt from the unit including your rationale for choosing each of them. Your Learning Journal / Diary might include:

Key learning points from the case studies, journal articles, and textbook chapters and videos, etc.How might you have applied the strategic management models / frameworks / theory during your past work experience? How might you apply them currently? How could you apply them in the future?What evidence of good strategic and operational practice have you observed in the case studies and in the videos? What was not managed well? Why not? How might you have managed the situation differently?

Do note that the Learning journal / diary is meant to capture YOUR process of learning. It has to be far more than just a re-presentation of student comments made during a case discussion. In-depth analysis and reflective thinking is required relating to you as a senior manager past, present and future.

This assignment will be assessed according to a number of criteria such as: depth of analysis; strategic insight; quality reflective thinking; ability of the student to relate course materials to his / her role as a manager and strategist.

The maximum word length for the Learning Journal / Diary is 20 typed pages (or 25 pages for hand written pages). These page limits do not include tables or figures or appendices. You can write / present this assignment in any format / structure you prefer. It is expected that for an assignment of this nature, a very high quality piece of work will be produced.

The format of the submission should be 12 pt fonts with 1.5 lines spacing.

More than the maximum limit of pages suggested above will be penalised 5% per page in excess. Refer to word limit and late submission penalties in section Submission of assignments below.

Assignment item # 4: Team/Group Assignment A Written Report

Develop and Analyse a Case Study

Each group will comprise 5-7 students and are required to develop a case study of an organization selected from Australia (or from the region). Your final report must have two sections:

Section 1: Develop a Case Study

The case study may be developed by collecting the information directly contacting the organization and/or sourcing the publicly available information about the organization (No word limit for the case study, however, as a guideline you may develop around 20-25 pages, see examples of course case studies).

The case study of an organization must contain the industry structure in which the firm is operating, brief introduction of major competitors, competitive position, suppliers and supporting industries, distribution networks and target customer segments and its financial and strategic health. You must select a time frame for the case study (say last 5 years) and identify the critical issues the organization encountered and the strategies used. Further you need to end the case at a critical point of time that they must make some sort of strategic decision (Hint: Follow the format/examples of any of the case studies from this unit).

Section 2: Strategic Analysis Report.

This section contains an Executive Summary and the Strategic Analysis of the Case Study developed in Section 1 above.

An executive summary, not exceeding 750 words, accurately summarizing all the key points of the report, and any background or introduction as necessary. The Analysis shall be based on the team/group interpretation, which includes the evaluation of the strategies/strategy process used by the organization/industry at different periods. Identify the critical issues faced by the organization/industry at the end of the case study and their importance for the organizations and industry competitiveness for the future growth. You are required to analyse the case study and justify your arguments using appropriate theoretical concepts and strategic management models. You will be encouraged to use the models from the course to see how and if they fit, and which ones best explain the strategy processes observed. The case analysis should be the results of the teams interpretation, not just that of one individual.It should be around 2,000 words, excluding the executive summary (see above the word limits), table of contents, exhibits and references.

Learning Outcomes: At the end of this assignment you will:

Have the skills in developing a management report for a company.Have the skills in putting together relevant information that is necessary for the firm and industry board to take appropriate strategic decisions.Have developed to view the broader implications for the future growth of the firm and/or industry competitiveness in general.Have the research and writing skills in developing a case study that will have an implication for the firm and/or industry group for long term profitability and sustainability.Plus, you will have the strategic analysis skills (similar to the Assignment 2 learning outcomes).

Refer to word limit and late submission penalties in section Submission of assignments below.

Assignment item # 5: Final Individual Examination (3 hours + 10 minutes)

Due to logistical difficulties there is NO extension or change of date for examination is allowed, please ensure that you get time off for the examination day from your work, in advance.

The final examination will comprise both a case study AND essay questions and will last for 3 hours. The examination is open book i.e. you are allowed to take books, lecture notes, approved calculators and other materials into the examination. Lap top computers are NOT allowed inside the examination hall.

A Case Study (without questions) will be distributed to you in the final session. You are allowed to discuss the case study in your groups and take and use any group and individually prepared materials into the examination. Please do not source post-case information for this case study for examination.

You must answer each question in the answer book provided by the University. Appendices and attachments are only a back-up material.Not answering in the answer book and directing the examiners to Appendices and/or Attachments will receive ZERO marks.Only pre-prepared strategic management models/frameworks are allowed to attach in the Appendices, NOT the pre-prepared answers to the questions (see first bullet point above). Students must INDIVIDUALLY answer the examination questions under normal examination conditions. The questions on the case study are compulsory and you will have to answer 2 case study questions.Essay Questions you will have the choice of answering 2 out of 3 essay questions.All questions will carry equal marks.

MBA Administration will advise you about the date and time of the 3-hour examination.

Submission of assignments

You are required to submit your assignment in an electronic format by going to the UniPrint web site www.uniprint.uwa.edu.au then click on Student Assignments and follow the instructions.

The UniPrint web site will not allow submitting your assignments after the due date and time. Please be on time.

Late assignments will attract a penalty of 5% per day after the submission date. This penalty will be waived by the lecturer only in exceptional circumstances. No marks will be awarded to assignments submitted after other students in the class have had their assignments returned.

Papers of excessive length will also attract a penalty. The penalty will be 5% for each 200 words, or part thereof, over the word limit. Excess pages more than the stipulated maximum number of pages attract penalties of 5% per additional page.

Assignments will be returned through the Postgraduate Office Reception. It is the intention that the marked assignments will be returned within two weeks of submission.

UWA Student Guild

Phone: (+61 8) 6488 2295

Facsimile: (+61 8) 6488 1041

E-mail: enquiries@guild.uwa.edu.au

Website: http://www.guild.uwa.edu.au

Charter of Student Rights and Responsibilities

The Charter of Student Rights and Responsibilities outlines the fundamental rights and responsibilities of students who undertake their education at UWA (refer http://handbooks.uwa.edu.au/undergraduate/poliproc/policies/StudentRights ).

Appeals against academic assessment

The University provides the opportunity for students to lodge an appeal against assessment results and/or progress status (refer http://www.secretariat.uwa.edu.au/home/policies/appeals ).