Spring 2016
Ms. Bonita Austin
Associate Professor (Lecturer) - Strategy
Asst. Department Chair – Entrepreneurship & Strategy
Office: SFE 4117
Email: Use Canvas email
Phone: 801-585-1112
Office Hours: M/W 11:00AM- 12:00PM; Other times available by appointment.
TA’s: Chase Lindsay, Zach Sterbens, Andres Lancheros (contact via Canvas email)
Credits: STRAT 5700 is 3.0 credit hour course
Required Text: Strategic Management and Competitive Advantage: Concepts and Cases Barney and Hesterly 5ed Edition
Course Overview
The central question of this strategic management course, and of much of strategy research over the
past thirty years is “Why do some firms outperform others?” We will spend the term learning
strategy theory and applying it to real business situations presented in cases and classroom exercises.
The class will explore questions such as “What is the structure of the video game industry?”; “Is
Apple’s iTunes business a relic of the past?”; “What will it take to gain mass adoption of the electric
car in the US?”; “Is Walmart a better company than Target?”; “Do acquisitions ever create value for
the acquirer or does all the money inevitably go to the shareholders of the company that sells out?” At
the end of the term, students will be able to answer the central question of the course.
Strategy is an integrative discipline. That means students are required to use the principles, analytic
tools, and communication skills learned in prerequisite courses WRTG 2010/MGT 3810, MKT 3010,
FIN 3040, and MGT 3680 in the class discussions and projects. All students MUST have completed
the prerequisite courses to be enrolled in STRAT 5700. If you have not completed the
prerequisites, drop the course and re-enroll once you have completed them.
We will use a variety of both traditional and not-traditional learning tools throughout the course such
as short simulations, games, cases, role play, experiential exercises, topic guides, quizzes, and exams.
CANVAS is an important part of the course. In order to keep up with course work, you should plan to
check CANVAS regularly. I will post lecture notes, answers to in-class exercises, resources for the
team project, and other study materials on CANVAS. Our course is organized as a series of wiki
pages. Nearly everything you need for the course is located on CANVAS/Pages. The course calendar
appears on the home page. The dates for assignments are “set in stone” and will not change once the
term begins.
This course requires substantial individual preparation and class discussion, and has a relatively
heavy reading and writing load. If you have difficulty with writing, please work with the writing
lab on every written assignment. In order to succeed in the class, you must attend every class.
Students must earn a C- or higher in STRAT 5700 to graduate.
What You Will Learn: Course Objectives (CO)
Each student will be able to:
 CO1: identify and analyze business unit and corporate strategies using the tools provided by the
instructor and the textbook, basic financial analysis, marketing principles, and organizational
management concepts;
 CO2: assess the past performance and likelihood of future success of real strategies,
 CO3: formulate recommendations for meeting competitive and organizational challenges
managements face;
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 CO 4: communicate his/her recommendations effectively, succinctly, and persuasively both orally
and in writing; and
 CO 5: evaluate team members effectively and work in a team.
Why Learn It?
Management is about choices. Successful managers choose resource allocations that give their firms
sustainable, profitable market positions. Strategy guides resource allocations and separates successful
firms from unsuccessful firms. Unsuccessful firms eke out an existence or fail outright. Their cost of
capital is higher than for successful firms. They have limited flexibility and opportunities for growth.
High performing employees defect to successful firms and the top employee prospects are unavailable
to them. Successful firms have superior financial performance, lower cost of capital, options for
growth, and good prospects for hiring the best employees and retaining them.
Understanding strategic management will help you personally in several important ways. First,
studying strategic management will give you the tools to evaluate future employers. You have a better
chance of selecting an employer that you are compatible with and offers you the opportunity for
personal growth and advancement if you understand the firm’s competitive position and management’s
plans for the future of the company.
Second, learning how to conduct external and internal analyses and the key elements of business level
and corporate strategies as well as how to analyze and write up cases will improve your chance of
success in interviews. An increasing number of employers rely on case interviews to grant second
interviews and select college graduates for positions in management, finance, marketing, accounting,
and OIS. I personally know former undergraduate and graduate students who credit their job offers to
learning how to analyze cases and write them up in the PO format in my classes.
Third, the process and principles you learn in STRAT 5700 will help you position your own business
for success. Many students either operate their own business or plan to open their own business after
graduation. As the CEO of your own company, you must figure out how to address your customers and
use your firm resources differently than your competitors in order to succeed in the long run.
Fourth, strategy is a key element of a successful business plan. Many students plan to compete in the
Utah Entrepreneur Challenge. My former students have won the challenge in the past, largely due to
their superior analysis of the external environment and understanding of how to address competitive
challenges by using a unique business model for their industry (noted by the judges in their feedback to
the team).
Finally, studying strategic management will make you a more valuable employee. Most college
graduates can plug figures into a spreadsheet and calculate answers. The most valuable graduates
understand what numbers to come up with based upon an understanding of the firm’s strategy.
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Spring 2016
How You Will Learn It
Course Objective
 CO1
 CO1;  CO2;  CO3;
 CO 4
 CO1;  CO2;  CO3;
 CO 4
 CO1;  CO2;  CO3;
 CO 4
 CO1;  CO2;  CO3;
 CO 4
 CO1
 CO1;  CO2;  CO3;
 CO 4
Type
Read
Activity
Textbook
Direction
Self Directed (Individual)
Analysis
Cases
Instructor & Self Directed (Individual)
Analysis
In Class Exercises
Case Briefs, Case
Write Ups (PO’s)
Instructor & Self Directed (Group)
Self Directed (Group)
Instructor Directed
Instructor & Self Directed (Individual
and Group)
 CO1;  CO2
 CO 4;  CO 5
Personal
Team
Team Project
Quizzes/Exams
Class
Participation
Review Learning
Objectives for
Each Course
Segment
Team Project
Analysis
Analysis
Evaluation
Lecture &
Discussion
Self Directed (Individual)
Self Directed (Individual)
Self-Directed (Group & Individual)
About Your Instructor
Bonita Austin is an Associate Professor (strategy) and the Assistant Department Chair for
Entrepreneurship & Strategy in the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. She
received the Marvin Ashton Award for Teaching Excellence in 2015, Brady Award for Superior
Teaching for 2014 as well as the Daniels Award for Leadership in Ethics Education and the Daniels
Award for Ethics Education for 2013.
Ms. Austin served as Director - Management Undergraduate Studies from 2010-2012. She also served
on the University of Utah Ad Hoc Committee on Auxiliary Faculty from 2012-2013 and the Academic
Senate Sub-Committee on Auxiliary Faculty RPT in 2012. Ms. Austin was a member of the
undergraduate program planning committee as part of the David Eccles School of Business strategic
planning initiative in 2010-2011. Her teaching interests include undergraduate and graduate courses in
Strategic Management, and Business Turnarounds.
Ms. Austin is the faculty advisor for the DESB Case Competition Club and served as the coach to the
2015 and 2011 ACG Utah Cup winners (an annual case competition on mid-market mergers &
acquisitions for graduate students). In Spring 2012, Ms. Austin launched a DESB Ethics competition
open only to undergraduate students. Thanks to funding from the Daniels Ethics Grant, the winners of
the competition travel to Denver each spring to compete against other schools in our region as part of
the Daniels Ethics Initiative. Our DESB teams placed 3rd in 2012 and 3rd in 2014 in the Denver
competition. Ms. Austin also has hosted/coached several other case competitions and teams for both
undergraduate and graduate students since 2011.
Since joining the DESB in August 2008, she has written and published five teaching cases with
accompanying teaching notes. Three cases of the cases are contained in Barney & Hesterly Strategic
Management and Competitive Advantage 5 ed – True Religion Jeans: Will Going Private Bring Back
Its Congregation; You Say You Want a Revolution: Sodastream International; and Starbucks: An Alex
Poole Strategy Case. The other two cases appeared in earlier editions of Barney & Hesterly Strategic
Management – True Religion Brand Jeans and the Premium Jeans Industry and True Religion Brand
Jeans and the Premium Jeans Industry: Cyclical Downturn or Secular Slowdown?
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From 1986-August 2008, Ms. Austin was a Securities Analyst. She followed the household products,
personal care and cosmetics companies for three major brokerage firms -- Wertheim Schroder, Lehman
Brothers, and Prudential Securities. As an Institutional Investor’s All American All Star Analyst, Ms.
Austin became a Senior Vice President at Lehman Brothers. In her capacity as an industry expert,
sheappeared as a special guest on Wall $treet Week with Louis Rukeyser. She also served on the
Prudential Securities Investment Committee. Ms. Austin was a long-time member of the Wall Street
Transcript’s annual roundtable on her industry and was recognized by the Wall Street Journal for
earnings estimate accuracy. Her work received frequent citations in such publications as the Wall
Street Journal, New York Times, Business Week, Fortune, and Forbes. NPR and a variety of
television shows also regularly interviewed Ms. Austin. Most recently, Ms. Austin was featured in the
2010 book “Chasing Stars: The Myth of Talent and the Portability of Talent” by Harvard Professor,
Dr. Boris Groysberg.
For the 9 years prior to joining the DESB, Ms. Austin worked as an analyst consultant for two hedge
funds following consumer products companies ranging from toy manufacturers to high-end jeans
makers to all types of retailers. She has analyzed more than 65 companies in the course of her career.
Prior to becoming a securities analyst, she worked as a cost analyst in the Beech Island, SC Mill for
Kimberly-Clark Corporation. Ms. Austin holds an MBA from University of Alabama, and a BS from
Troy University (math and economics).
Ms. Austin has two children, six Vizslas, one English Pointer, two cats, and two horses. She is active
in field trials, and in several dog clubs including the Vizsla Club of Utah (President), National Vizsla
Association (Board of Directors), and the Vizsla Club of America (National Finance Chair 2003
National Championships). Ms. Austin runs cross-country, and loves to ride horses.
Statement of Personal Teaching Philosophy
I believe that the most important aspect of teaching lies in creating a natural critical learning environment in the classroom that fosters deep learning. To that end, it is the professor's responsibility to
arouse curiosity in students and help them learn how to ask meaningful questions about the academic
discipline so that they discover important issues in theory and practice. Moreover, I believe strongly
that students learn and retain learning by applying tools, frameworks, and analysis to situations that
they are likely to encounter outside the classroom. I feel it is my responsibility to keep my classes
current, strive to improve them every term, learn from my colleagues both in the DESB and from other
colleges and universities, and allow my students to teach me and give me insights I could not get on
my own. It is not my responsibility to know everything about everything nor do I want to pretend that
I do.
How I Incorporate My Philosophy Into My Classes
In order to create a critical learning environment, I do the following. First, I explicitly connect all the
of course material to a central question that transcends the classroom. For example, the central question in MGT 5710 Managing Organizational Change and STRAT 6750 Business Turnarounds is "Why
can managers turnaround some organizations and not others?" The complementary question for these
courses is "How can I increase the likelihood that I can turnaround my organization?" These questions
transcend the classroom through team consulting projects. Students have an opportunity to help a local
non-profit or for-profit business improve their operations. These consulting projects allow students to
derive a great deal of meaning from the central question in the class and result in a high degree of personal satisfaction for nearly every student. The personal satisfaction that comes from helping an organization cements in place the knowledge students have gained in the course. Moreover, students
have a chance to uncover the key questions for the organizations, diagnose organizational problems,
and formulate solutions to improve organizational performance.
Second, my classes are all very organized and highly structured. Note that the strategy challenges students address in my courses are open-ended and unstructured. The course structure helps students be4
Spring 2016
come more comfortable with the messy nature of real-world business problems. I connect all of the
course content to the central question for the course. In addition, I break the course content into related
components or "chunks" of material that allow students to progress through the discipline in a logical
and meaningful way. Students are very concerned about course structure and grading. Professors are
very concerned about course content. Unfortunately, students' high levels of grade anxiety and focus
on grading act like "snow" on an old TV set. These factors obscure the "picture" and interfere with
students' ability to move beyond strategic learning to deep learning.
I combat these factors in several key ways -- namely, by using many different types of assignments,
publishing grading rubrics, allowing students some "no harm, no foul" opportunities to drop their lowest grades, and minimizing "high stakes" assignments. Students also give and receive peer feedback on
projects using an evaluation process that encourages thoughtful reflection. In addition, once the term
begins, I do not change the course calendar or assignments so that students can plan their approach to
the course assignments.
Third, I use a wide variety of tools to help students think about and apply course content. My courses
employ video clips, practice exercises in small groups, role play, short simulations, cases, company
analyses, movies, building and team building exercises, comparative company financial analysis, peer
evaluations, readings, and games. The class games are built using three different formats - college
quiz bowl, Jeopardy, and one I invented which is modeled after the popular book and move series, The
Hunger Games. All of these tools engage students and get them interested in the course content and
curious about how it applies to the central question for the course. Curiosity is one key to engagement
and deep learning, in my view.
Finally, I strive to create a respectful and positive environment in the classroom. My students can express their opinions, discuss issues, and make recommendations without being embarrassed or humiliated. I think it is important to allow students to disagree with one another and with my opinions both
in class and on written assignments. Moreover, I have an amazing opportunity to learn from my students' experiences and gain insights on subjects I know little about that come up in class discussion. I
encourage students with deeper knowledge than I have on a topic to share their knowledge and experiences with the class.
Course Format
Strategy 5700 uses the case study/discussion format accompanied by short lectures and in class
exercises to allow students to develop (or enhance) the critical analytic skills they need to be successful
in all levels of management. Class discussions also will cover assigned readings from the text as well
as supplemental articles and handouts from the instructor. Note: The instructor reserves the right to
change assignments and cases as necessary to improve the course content and students’ learning
experiences.
Expectations
I expect
 each student to come to class fully prepared to participate in class discussions. Students may
be called upon at random during class discussions;

every student to treat his or her classmates respectfully at all times. No one will be permitted
to make dismissive remarks about any student or their contributions to discussions, ridicule
any classmate’s comments, or engage in any discussions not directly relevant to the cases,
assigned readings, or lectures; and

students to recognize and accept that solutions to real business problems rarely are precise.
Moreover, there usually is more than one way to solve a problem or address a competitive
challenge. Often the most successful managers are those that can flexibly respond to
situations while staying on track with their company’s overall objectives.
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In addition, I expect every student to comply with the University of Utah’s policies on student conduct
and to act professionally at all times when interacting with his/her classmates, and me.
Each student can expect me to

treat him respectfully and professionally at all times;

answer her questions both in and out of class; and

work hard to make the course material interesting, challenging, and relevant.
Evaluation
1. Exams (3)
30%
2. Case Assignments
-- Team Case Briefs (2)
5%
-- Individual Case Write Ups (3 drop 1)
15
Total Case Assignments
20%
3. Team Project
15%
4. Quizzes (drop 2)
15%
5. Participation
--Case Takeaways
5%
-- In Class Participation
15
Total Participation
20%
Total
100%
All assignments are due via Canvas before class begins. The David Eccles School of Business has set
guidelines for average class grades for the different levels of courses. This class is a 5000-5990 level
course with an expected class average range of 2.8-3.2. Students should expect the class average to
fall within this range. In order to attain the desired class average, the grade distribution within the
class will be roughly as follows: 10%-20% of students A- to A, 50% of students B- to B+, 30% of
students C+ and below. The typical grade “break points” are A= 94-100; A- = 90-93; B+ = 88-89; B
= 85-87; B- = 80-84; C+ = 78-79; C = 75-77; C- = 70-74; D+ = 68-69; D= 65-67; D- = 60-64; E =
below 60. These break points may change by one or more percentage points in order to get the class
average to fall within the DESB mandated average range or to raise the class average. The professor
reserves the right to curve class grades up, if she feels the calculated class average does not adequately
reflect the class’s learning during the term. This determination is subjective.
Attendance
In accordance with the University of Utah’s attendance policy, class attendance is mandatory except
when excused under University guidelines. A meaningful portion of your grade depends upon your
active participation in class. You cannot get credit for participating unless you are physically present.
Moreover, there is a strong positive correlation between class attendance, and exam and assignment
scores. You should anticipate that a significant percentage of questions on each exam will be derived
directly from class discussions, class exercises, the assigned cases for each chapter, and the team
strategic analysis assignments.
Late Assignment Policy
I do not accept late assignments. We will discuss elements of the team project as well as the assigned
cases in class on the due date. As a result of the class discussion, all of the “answers” and options
available to the company in the case or to Target/Walmart will be made public. Anyone choosing to
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Spring 2016
wait until after class to complete their assignments potentially would have an unfair advantage over
their classmates by borrowing someone’s notes from class or sitting in on the discussion in order to do
the assignment.
However, I reserve the right to allow students to do a “make up” case to be turned in the following
week if extraordinary circumstances arise for that student. Things that constitute “extraordinary”
circumstances include, but are not limited to, serious personal illness (Dr.’s note required), your spouse
admitted to the hospital, last minute out of town business trip (travel itinerary required from your
employer), etc… Note: The circumstances truly must be out of your control, and extraordinary to
qualify you for an additional written assignment. I reserve the right to determine the definition of an
extraordinary circumstance.
Exams (30 points)
STRAT 5700 will have three exams during the term. Each exam accounts for 10% of your term grade,
for a total of 30% of your total grade. Exam questions will be in a true/false and multiple-choice
format, and will cover the material shown on the course calendar. Note 50% of exam questions will
come directly from the quizzes. You should anticipate a meaningful percentage of questions will be
derived from in-class discussions and exercises, the assigned cases for each chapter, and the team
project assessments. In addition, you will be required to perform calculations used for case analysis,
and the team strategic analyses on exams. It is your responsibility to review the answer sheets for the
team assignments prior to each exam. I will post detailed answer sheets for calculations from the team
assignments after the due date for each assignment. If you do not understand the calculations after you
review the answer sheets, please ask me to review them with you and your team. I am available to
help you.
Case Assignments (20 points)
Each student is assigned to a team. The team will submit two “case briefs” this term. Case briefs are
worth 5% of your grade for the term. Both case briefs occur in the first part of the term. The first case
brief consists of specific questions students will answer on Case 1-1 You Say You Want a Revolution:
Sodastream International. The second case brief is on the internal analysis of Case 1-2 True Religion
Jeans: Will Going Private Help Regain Its Congreation? Students will use internal analysis to answer
specific questions related to True Religion Jeans’ prospects in the domestic premium jeans market.
You can download the questions and the answer template on Canvas either by clicking on the name of
the assignment on the syllabus page or by going to Canvas/Pages/Frequently Used Resources/Case
Briefs. These two assignments are designed to allow students to learn to apply industry analysis and
internal analysis concepts systematically to specific company situations before attempting the first full
case write up due this term. These assignments will you understand how to use frameworks to
analyze cases before you turn in the first individual case write up.
Each student must submit short case write-ups that we will term Position Outlines (PO’s). PO’s will
be worth 15% of your grade. I will not accept any PO’s longer than 300 words – excluding tables and
exhibits. I strongly encourage you to use tables, exhbitis and graphs to support and show your analysis
in the case write up. Do not copy tables from the case. You may (and should) use data from the case
for your tables and exhibits, but you must use the data in a new way. You may simply reference a
table or piece of information from the case rather than copying it. The students that learn the most
from this assignment, have the best participation in case discussions, and earn the highest scores use
case data effectively and apply course concepts in a systematic way. Give the length constraints of the
assignment, it is nearly impossible to support your position effectively without using tables and
exhibits.
Students will submit an electronic copy via Canvas drop box before class begins on the due date. The
assignments must be neatly typed and should consist of one side of one page, double-spaced (you can
add tables, figures, etc. beyond the one page, but they must complement rather than substitute for one
page of text). The PO should present your main idea(s) about the case for discussion. Refer to the
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document entitled “Case Write-Ups (PO’s)” on Canvas for assignment requirements.
You may drop your lowest score on a PO. However, everyone must complete the first case writeup of the term. You may do all three case write-ups or choose one of the last two case write-ups to
submit.
Team Project (15 points)
I have divided the class into teams using the random group assignment feature of Canvas. Half of the
class will conduct a strategic analysis of Wal-Mart and half of the class conducting a strategic analysis
of Target. We will discuss both firms in periodically in class. I will evaluate your team’s analysis via
three open book assessments on Canvas. You may take as much time as you like to complete each
assessment as long as your team submits its answers by the time class begins on the due date for each
assessment. However, only 1 person per team may submit the answers to the assessment. I have
assigned that duty to one of your teammates. Only that team member has access to the assessment.
The team member responsible for submitting your group’s answers to the assessment will receive an
email from me via Canvas today. If you’d like to change the team’s representative, notify me through
Canvas email. I will change the team assessment submitter on each assessment. If you need to boost
your team participation scores (see below), you should volunteer to be the submitter.
Note: I substitute the team assessments for a 20 to 25-page term paper other faculty members require
for STRAT 5700. As such, you should anticipate making a significant time commitment to this
project. I recommend you collaborate with your fellow teammates rather than assigning the assessment
to one or two group members. Your team may use any reference materials you like for the
assessments. Please do NOT collaborate with other teams.
It is very important that you meet your teammates as soon as possible. Most teams work well, but
there are occasional problems. One problem is a result of the vagaries of Canvas. Canvas does not
update the class roster after the term begins. That means you may have people in your group that have
dropped the class. The sooner your team figures that out, the better. It may be possible to add
someone to the group if your group is too small as people add the class, and some groups can be
combined. Do not wait until the day before the assignment is due to contact your teammates. That is
very likely to result in a ton of last minute work for everyone in the group.
In order to avoid the problem of free loading, each team member will complete a team assessment
participation form on his/her fellow teammates after each assessment. This part of the assignment is
mandatory for all team members. You will be penalized 10 points for not turning in a form. Make
sure you turn in a hard copy in class and an e-copy on CANVAS. These forms must be turned in on
the day the team assessment is due. I expect every team member to contribute meaningfully to the
team assessments. Your individual grade depends on your participation as well as the group’s efforts.
This is a subjective determination by your teammates. If you feel there is a significant personality
clash within the group that will likely impact your grade, see me as soon as possible so that I can
consider reassigning you to another group. If you feel that your group does not treat you or another
teammate professionally due to gender, race, religion, age, nationality, disability, or any other nonperformance related reason, contact me so that I can resolve the situation as quickly as possible. It is
each student’s responsibility to be proactive about completing the team project on time, making sure
participation expectations are clear, and informing me of significant team problems prior to turning in
each piece of the team project. For more information and to view the evaluation form, go to
Canvas/Pages and look under the Team Project heading.
Quizzes (15 points)
The class will take 9 quizzes (a quiz on each chapter of the text. The quizzes are designed to both give
you an incentive to prepare for class and allow you to become familiar with the types of questions that
will appear on exams. Note 50% of exam questions will come directly from the quizzes. To
accommodate your busy schedules, routine colds and problems, I will allow you to drop two quiz
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Spring 2016
grades this term. I will offer make up quizzes only for classes missed due to participation in
official University of Utah or David Eccles School of Business activities, so plan accordingly.
Class Participation (20 points)
The Entrepreneurship & Strategy Department has adopted a new course policy for STRAT 5700,
beginning Spring 2015. Class sizes have been reduced from 80 to 40 in order to facilitate better case
discussions and increase writing, presentation, and participation requirements.
It is critical for every student to take an active role in class discussions and activities. Active
participation means offering comments and ideas related to the topic under discussion that will
enhance the learning experiences of everyone in the class. You must tie your comments back to the
course concepts to get credit for participating. Remember to stay focused on the topic/concepts under
discussion. Active participation also means it is your job to ask me questions when you do not
understand the concepts or ideas we are discussing or need some clarification on discussion points.
An ideal discussion is one where ideas, comments, and questions surface as a function of other
students’ ideas, comments, or questions, and not necessarily as a direct response to the instructor’s
questions or comment. While it is fine to challenge your peers’ assumptions and ideas, any criticisms
must be friendly, respectful, and related solely to the discussion. It is your responsibility to be
professional and courteous at all times.
NOTE: Students will not get full credit for participation through attendance alone, or even
through frequent participation that does not advance the learning of the class. I will take attendence
and post it on Canvas. It is your responsibility to attend every class and to make sure that I know your
name so that I can give you credit for your contributions to class. Class participation grades are
competitive – only 10%-20% of the class will receive an A to A- for participation. Moreover, class
participation grades are subjective. o You must actually participate in class discussions to get a grade
higher than “C”. I will give you opportunities to participate in class through group activities, but this
form of participation alone is not enough to earn full marks. Every manager (as well as many nonmanager employees) must be prepared to speak in front of colleagues, employees, and top
management. This is your opportunity to practice doing so without penalty.
In order to facilitate thoughtful reflection of class case discussions, each student will submit a brief (3
to 4 points) list of the most important points the class made in case discussions. These brief reflection
exercises, called “case takeaways,” will be available in the last 15 minutes of each case discussion
class and must be completed in class. To access the case takeaway reflection exercises, go to
Canvas/Discussions. Each case takeaway reflection exercise is worth 10 points for a total of 100
points for all case takeaways. The exercises are collectively worth 5% of your term grade or 20% of
your class participation grade.
Extra Credit Opportunity
At the end of the term, you have an opportunity to take an on-line quiz on the Strategy Diamond as it
applies to the Activision-Blizzard case. The quiz is available on Canvas/quizzes. You may earn up to
5 extra credit points on your highest case write up (PO) score. The quiz is not mandatory.
Statement of Core Beliefs
Some of the writings, lectures, films or presentations in this course may include material that conflicts
with the core beliefs of some students. Please review the syllabus carefully to see if the course is one
that you are committed to taking. If you have a concern, please discuss it with me at your earliest
possible convenience.
NEW DESB Use of Electronic Devices Policy
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Use of any and all electronic devices (e.g. pagers, cell phones, language translators, laptops, tablets,
calculators, etc.) is forbidden during an exam unless otherwise specifically authorized by the instructor.
A student who uses an unauthorized device may be subject to penalties for academic misconduct.
Important Course Information for the Department of Entrepreneurship and Strategy and the
David Eccles School of Business
Americans with Disabilities Act --The University of Utah, David Eccles School of Business seeks to
provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for people with disabilities. If you will
need accommodations in this class, reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the instructor and to
the Center for Disability Services, http://disability.utah.edu/, 162 Olpin Union Building, 581-5020
(V/TDD) to make arrangements for accommodations. All written information in this course can be
made available in alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability Services.
David Eccles School of Business -- Statement of Professional and Ethical Conduct
Because of the importance of professional and ethical behavior in business, and its emphasis in our
program, professional or academic misconduct is not tolerated in the David Eccles School of
Business. Students are expected to adhere to the standards of behavior outlined in the University of
Utah Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities (Policy 6-400). Students engaging in behavioral
misconduct could be subject to suspension or dismissal from the University. Students involved in any
form of academic misconduct, including but not limited to cheating on tests, plagiarism and collusion
may, at the instructor's discretion, receive a failing grade in the course, examination, or academic
assignment. In addition to or instead of this sanction, the instructor may refer the case to the Student
Behavior Committee for hearing. If the instructor chooses not to do so, the Associate Dean for
Academic Affairs, after appropriate investigation, may do so along with a recommendation to dismiss
the student from the Business School. If, after hearing the evidence, the Committee determines that the
student in question is guilty of the misconduct charged, the Committee may impose sanctions in
addition to those taken by the professor. If the academic dishonesty is not proven, the instructor must
rescind any sanctions imposed and will be required to evaluate the student's performance with the
assumption that there has been no misconduct. The School will treat the student likewise. If a student
suspects another student of academic misconduct, he/she should refer the incident to the instructor, the
appropriate department, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, or the Student Behavior Committee,
administered by the Associate Dean of Students, 270 Union.
STRAT 5700 Policy on Academic Dishonesty
In accordance with the DESB standards for professional and ethical conduct, cheating on exams,
quizzes, and assignments in STRAT 5700 is unacceptable. Any student caught cheating in STRAT
5700 will receive a 0% on that assignment, quiz or exam for a first offense. Cheating on a quiz also
will result in the student being evicted from class for that class period. If a student cheats on any other
assignment, quiz, or exam, he/she will receive a failing grade for the course. This grade will not
qualify as a score that can be dropped. His/her name will be added to the University of Utah’s
academic dishonesty database, and he/she will be subject to further sanctions by the DESB. Cheating
includes, but is not limited to:
1.
copying or attempting to copy another student’s answers;
2.
plagiarism;
3.
turning in someone else’s work and representing it as your own; and
4.
Comparing team project answers to another team’s answers.
In order to avoid the appearance of cheating, it is your responsibility to keep your eyes on your own
paper during exams and quizzes, remove all materials from the top of your desk, keep your exam
papers flat on the desk in front of you, and put all electronic devices away. Once you have completed
a quiz, raise your hand and a TA will collect it right away. NOTE: I use turnitin for plagiarism
checking on all assignments – including the essays for the team projects. Since this is not the first term
that I have used the service, turnitin has a data base that includes assignments from previous terms. All
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case write ups, and essays automatically are compared to student work turned in in previous
terms and checked for originality.
A special note on academic dishonesty and case write ups. I submit all case write ups to turnitin.com
to check for plagiarism. I have been submitting case write ups and adding them to the turnitin.com
document repository for years. If you submit someone else’s work rather than your own, I will catch
you and sanction you for academic dishonesty. If you paraphrase your friend’s PO from an earlier
section of my course, I will catch you and sanction you for academic dishonesty. Do not use slideshare
and paraphrase someone else’s work. Do not download tables and exhibits from the Internet and
pretend that they are your own work. I am very familiar with the materials that are available on the
Internet. It is better to struggle and earn a lower grade than to be sanctioned for cheating (see policy
below). My TAs are just as familiar as I am with both turnitin.com and internet resources. They are
very experienced and also will catch you if you turn in someone else’s work.
David Eccles School of Business -- Statement of Grading Policy
Grading provides feedback to students on how well they have mastered the content and learning
objectives of a particular course to allow students to capitalize on strengths and work to improve
weaknesses through future courses of action. The DESB grading policy is intended to ensure grades
offer reliable feedback regarding student performance, and to ensure fairness and consistency across
the School. The faculty member is responsible for arriving at a grade for each student that the faculty
member believes appropriately reflects the student's mastery of the course material and learning
objectives. The faculty member will then consider the class' overall performance in terms of School
guidelines. These guidelines are provided to ensure that grading, on average for the School as a whole,
is sustained at a reasonable level over time. The guidelines are as follows:
COURSE LEVEL
GUIDELINE
1000-2000
2.4-2.8
3000-3990
2.6-3.0
4000-5990
2.8-3.2
6000-6990
3.1-3.5
If students have a concern about their grade in a particular course, they should consider whether it
reflects an accurate evaluation of their mastery of the course material and learning objectives, in terms
of the above descriptors. If they need clarification of the instructor's evaluation, they should meet with
the instructor to obtain additional information and feedback. If after doing so, they believe their grade
was arrived at in an inappropriate manner, they may pursue an appeal through the School's appeals
process as described in Section 5.15 of the University of Utah Code of Student Rights and
Responsibilities (Policy 6-400).
5.32 DESB GRADING POLICY -- Purpose of Grading
Grading has two main purposes:
1. Grading provides feedback to students on how well they have mastered the content and learning
objectives of a particular course. Generally, grades in the School should be interpreted as follows:
A - Excellent Performance/Superior Achievement
An A student is one who understands the content and learning objectives thoroughly, completely and
accurately, and can demonstrate that understanding in a number of ways. Such a student will have
done exceptionally well on assignments, exams and class projects, and will have participated
extensively in class discussion by asking good questions and contributing constructive thoughts. An A
student will also have demonstrated a strong interest in the learning process by contributing to a
constructive class environment and to the learning success of his or her fellow students.
B - Good Performance/Substantial Achievement
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A B student is one who has demonstrated a relatively high level of mastery of the content and learning
objectives of the course. A B student will have done very well on assignments, exams and class
projects, and will have participated constructively in class discussion. A B student will have
demonstrated a positive attitude toward the learning process and made a positive contribution to the
learning environment of the class.
C - Standard Performance and Achievement
A C student will have demonstrated a reasonable level of mastery of the content and learning
objectives of the course. A C student will have completed assignments and demonstrated a reasonable
grasp of requisite knowledge on exams and class projects. A C student will have demonstrated a
reasonable level of commitment to the learning process and made a positive contribution to the
learning environment of the class.
D - Substandard Performance/Marginal Achievement
A D student will have demonstrated some level of mastery of the content and learning objectives of the
course, but less than that desired to serve as a basis for future endeavor. A D student will not have
completed all assignments in a satisfactory manner, nor demonstrated more than a partial grasp of
requisite knowledge on exams and class projects. A D student will have demonstrated only some
commitment to the learning process and made only a marginal contribution to the learning
environment of the class.
E - Unsatisfactory Performance and Achievement
An E student has failed to demonstrate any significant mastery of the content and learning objectives
of the course. An E student will not have completed all assignments in a satisfactory manner, nor
demonstrated any significant grasp of the requisite knowledge on exams and class projects. An E
student will have failed to demonstrate any significant level of commitment to the learning process, nor
made any positive contribution to the learning environment of the class.
The most important aspect of grading from the student's standpoint is to view is as an opportunity to
understand where his or her strengths and weaknesses lie so that he or she can capitalize on the
strengths and work to improve the weaknesses through future courses of action.
2. To provide a system of measurement to distinguish among students for various evaluative purposes.
Internal to the University, students are allowed to progress based on grades. For example, admission
to professional programs and graduate programs use grades as a major (but not the only) input. In
addition, scholarships and other awards are based largely on grades. External to the University,
persons recruiting and hiring students consider grades an important factor in their evaluation process.1
DESB Grading Policy
A grading policy is needed for the following reasons:
1. To ensure fairness and consistency across the School.
2. To ensure that students can use grades as reliable feedback of their actual performance and
understanding of course material.
3. To ensure that grades are based on actual learning and achievement, so that persons who base
decisions on them have confidence that they are reliable for that purpose.
The School's policy is as follows:
1. Faculty are responsible for developing an appropriate system of evaluation, feedback and grading
for each course. That system is described in the course syllabus.
2. Faculty are responsible for carrying out the system described in the syllabus in an accurate and
effective manner. In particular, faculty must design evaluative processes (e.g., assignments, exams)
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Spring 2016
that are capable of distinguishing clearly among students who have different levels of mastery in the
course.
3. Faculty are responsible for arriving at a grade for each student that the faculty member believes
appropriately indicates the student's mastery of the course material and learning objectives. Once that
is done, the faculty member will consider the class' overall performance in terms of School guidelines.
If the class mean falls outside the guidelines, the faculty member will explain the nature of the
deviation in a memorandum to the chair of the department responsible for the course. These guidelines
are provided to ensure that grading, on average for the School as a whole, is sustained at a reasonable
level over time. The guidelines are as follows:
COURSE LEVEL
GUIDELINE
1000-2000
2.4-2.8
3000-3990
2.6-3.0
4000-5990
2.8-3.2
6000-6990
3.1-3.5
4. If students have a concern about their grade in a particular course, they should consider whether it
reflects an accurate evaluation of their mastery of the course material and learning objectives, in terms
of the above descriptors. If they need clarification of the instructor's evaluation, they should meet with
the instructor to obtain additional information and feedback. If after doing this, they believe their
grade was arrived at in an inappropriate manner, they may pursue an appeal through the School's
appeals process as described in Section 5.15 of the Student Handbook.
1In accordance with University policy and applicable regulations, grades are not made available to
persons or organizations outside the University without the student's written consent.
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