MGT 1301-08
Fundamentals of Strategic Management
Part-time MBA Program, Winter 1999

Grading

Class Participation (15%)
Verbal and presentation skills are essential in general management.

"I hope that we provide each other with a riskless environment in which we can test our ideas, enhance our presentation skills, and improve our decision-making effectiveness. Willingness to participate and to test new ideas is not only important, it is the central ingredient of this course."

It is important to appreciate that every student is a co-producer of the class discussion, and thus it is important that you listen carefully and attempt to build on or constructively critique prior comments. Try to resist the temptation to jump to topics that are not specifically open for discussion.

Grading criteria are:

• Analysis Do your comments include analysis, or do they simply restate the facts?
• Responsiveness Do your comments relate to, and build on, the previous discussion?
• Creativity Do your comments bring a new perspective to the issues? Do they test new ideas?
• Clarity Are your comments succinct and understandable?
• Participation How frequently do you participate?
• Integration Do you integrate material from past classes?
• Discussion Most importantly, do your comments stimulate productive discussion?

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Two Written Assignments (10% each)

You can do these assignments in teams of up to 3 people.

The first assignment must correspond with the cases and readings for classes on January 21, 28, February 4, or 11, and is due at the beginning of that class.

The second assignment must correspond with the material for classes on March 11, 18, or April 1.

The written hand-in should be 2-3 pages in length, double-spaced. After reading the case and the related readings, your assignment is to briefly illustrate how the reading informs us about the case. That is, what, if anything, from the reading can be applied to the case to make a better strategic decision?

Finally, please make a critical assessment of the reading. Do you think the authors of the reading provide valuable insights that managers can use in their strategic decision-making process? If you were given the opportunity to re-write the article, what would you change and what points are missed in the reading that you would emphasize?

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Group Midterm Assignment (20%)

Each study group will answer questions regarding the primary firm in an assigned case.

The case will be handed out on February 11 and is due at the beginning of class February 25.

Your report must be 7 or fewer pages (excluding exhibits where appropriate), double-spaced, and printed on a laser printer. More information will be given later.

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