Students

MGSM860 – Strategic Management

2018 – Term 3 Hong Kong

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Lecturer
Grant Foster
grant.foster@mgsm.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
4
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(Admission to MBA or MSocEntre and 32cp including MGSM850)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
Strategic Management is a capstone unit that builds on MGSM850 Strategic Frameworks and the other core management disciplines studied in MGSM MBA units. The purpose of this unit is to help you develop your own viewpoint on the most appropriate methods for effectively executing corporate strategy in 21st Century organisations. You will learn how to think and act to help develop, achieve and maintain the competitive advantage of an organisation.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Critically reflect on and apply strategic principles to achieve incremental and transformational change across organisations.
  • Synthesise concepts studied in other units of the MBA program to create and implement business strategies that produce competitive advantage.
  • Apply appropriate strategic tools and models in ways that leverage diverse cultural and market mindsets to improve the competitive positioning of an organisation.
  • Critically reflect on how applying responsible approaches to strategic business practice can impact positively on the ethical, social and environmental factors affecting the organisation.
  • Critically analyse stakeholder relationships to generate strategies that create and deliver sustainable value for stakeholders across value chains and complex networks

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Group Work 20% No 8 July / 16 July
Case Submission 30% No 23 July 2018; 6pm HK Time
In-class Quiz 10% No Scattered across the sessions
Final Examination 40% No 4 August 2018

Group Work

Due: 8 July / 16 July
Weighting: 20%

Due date further information:

  • Sunday morning 8 July for in-class segment (10%)
  • Monday 16 July 9:00am for learning journal (5%) in iLearn. 

There will be either four or eight syndicate groups of approximately equal size, depending on the number of people in the class. Each group will “win” (process to be discussed in class during Session 1) one of four special topics. It’s a bit of a competition but hopefully a friendly one.

The four special topics are:

  • Geographic expansion
  • Strategic alliances
  • Strategic innovation
  • Implementing strategic change

There are two parts to the group work.

Part 1: in class. The major focus of the group assignment is to maximise your fellow students’ understanding of the lecturers’ Strategic Management slides and the readings on your specific special topic, in a highly interactive manner. (We will discuss the concept of “interactive” during Session 1.) The time given to each topic will be 45 minutes.

Your group will help the class’ learning of their special topic by applying it specifically to the Radiometer case.

Details of the scoring of the group work will be provided in class at Session 1.

Each group should ensure their topic fills the full amount of time. Padding with Q&A is not allowed as a means of filling time. Groups will be politely but firmly cut off at the time limit.

Part 2: learning journal. A learning journal will be submitted one week after the in-class group session, that is, by 9am Hong Kong time on Monday 16 July. This document of 400 words maximum will describe how the group’s knowledge about and understanding of their special topic changed from when they started the group assignment to the time they submitted the learning journal. One learning journal will be submitted for the entire group.

Group formation. Groups will be formed during Session 1. Topics and groups will have been paired by the end of that session.

Group member responsibilities. All group members will be expected to contribute approximately equally to the group assignment. Precise division of labour will be up to the group.

Group dynamics. Should any difficulties develop within the group regarding this assignment, the group should talk with the lecturer as soon as the issue arises. It is important to advise the lecturer sooner rather than later.

Group submissions. To assist in the marking, you will be required to submit three pieces of documentation. They are listed here.

  1. A soft copy of any materials (slide set, multimedia, etc.) to be used by the group, with written annotative notes under any slides. That material is due into the lecturer’s hands by email, Dropbox or USB key no later than 8:30 am on the session day. There is a 5% penalty attached to the in-class activity per day or part-day this file is late. Please note that no changes can be made to materials once they have been submitted to the lecturer. Please also be aware that the written notes under the slides form part of the assessment, so make sure they are clear and complete. And finally, be aware that the lecturer has a real bias against strategy presenters who simply stand up and read prepared material, whether you are reading from the notes section of the slides, a piece of paper or – heaven forbid – your mobile phone. Save that sort of behaviour for when you run for office.
  2. A learning journal (one for the entire group) submitted one week after the session. This document of 400 words maximum will describe how the group’s knowledge about and understanding of their special topic changed from when they started the group assignment to the time they submitted the learning journal. There is a 5% penalty per day or part-day for lateness. Submission will be done in iLearn. Instructions on how to submit is available by clicking this link. (http://www.mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/assignments.htm)
  3. A list indicating specifically what each group member contributed. Just saying “research” or “writing” is too vague. (A sample list will be provided so you can see the level of detail required.) Your list must be physically signed off by every member of the group and is to be submitted to the lecturer by 5:30 pm on Sunday 8 July, that is, after the class session is concluded, so that in-class effort can be taken into account by the group. There is a 5% penalty attached to the in-class activity per day or part-day this document is late.
  4. The group’s agreed-to percentage split of the marks. Should all members receive equal marks? If not, how much more or less should each person receive, and why? Please note that this information is provided only as input to the lecturer, who makes the final determination. Again this information must be physically signed off by every member of the group and is to be submitted to the lecturer by 5:30 pm Sunday 8 July, that is, after the class session is concluded, so that in-class effort can be taken into account by the group.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically reflect on and apply strategic principles to achieve incremental and transformational change across organisations.
  • Synthesise concepts studied in other units of the MBA program to create and implement business strategies that produce competitive advantage.
  • Apply appropriate strategic tools and models in ways that leverage diverse cultural and market mindsets to improve the competitive positioning of an organisation.
  • Critically reflect on how applying responsible approaches to strategic business practice can impact positively on the ethical, social and environmental factors affecting the organisation.
  • Critically analyse stakeholder relationships to generate strategies that create and deliver sustainable value for stakeholders across value chains and complex networks

Case Submission

Due: 23 July 2018; 6pm HK Time
Weighting: 30%

Length: 500 words absolute maximum. No attachments, no graphs or charts

Your individual case assignment will be an individually prepared recommendation for the case Nine Dragons Paper (NDP).

The following questions must be answered in your paper. Your paper will be a cohesive and coherent work that persuades the reader of the logic and solidness of your recommendation.

  1. What is NDP’s market, BST and PEM? (20% of marks for this assessment)
  2. Describe NDP’s current strategy and identify the stated and real issues of the case. (15%)
  3. Provide Mrs Cheung with a critique of her existing strategy and your recommended strategy. Justify your choice. (40%)
  4. Identify which one or more of the business functions (e.g., finance, marketing, operations) are the most critical to the success of the strategy you have selected. Then describe the key elements of the functional strategy for the specific business functions you named, and justify your choice. (15%)
  5. What specific measures should be monitored to see whether your chosen strategy is on track to be successful? Provide the name of the measure, the specific level and the time by which that level should be achieved. (10%)

Your logic or persuasiveness will heavily affect your marks, because strategic leadership and management relies heavily on the quality of your logic and persuasiveness. This means that dot points will not be allowed, as they are lists and as such carry little persuasiveness.

Because in the Strategic Management unit we will be learning to be focused in our thinking, there is a word limit of 500 words for this paper. All words used anywhere on your submission will be counted. This includes everything: title, text, headings, even your name. There will not be a marks penalty if you use more than 500 words, but the words from 501 onward will not be read and therefore not included in the assessed material. In other words, there is no advantage to writing more than 500 words.

Please note that while there is no marks penalty for utilising more than 500 words, late assignments will attract a penalty of 5% deducted per day or part-day.

Please also note that the assignment must be submitted in Word, not in pdf.

Submission will be done in iLearn. Instructions on how to submit is available by clicking this link. (http://www.mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/assignments.htm)

Further details of the content of the assignment will be provided in class
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically reflect on and apply strategic principles to achieve incremental and transformational change across organisations.
  • Synthesise concepts studied in other units of the MBA program to create and implement business strategies that produce competitive advantage.
  • Apply appropriate strategic tools and models in ways that leverage diverse cultural and market mindsets to improve the competitive positioning of an organisation.
  • Critically reflect on how applying responsible approaches to strategic business practice can impact positively on the ethical, social and environmental factors affecting the organisation.
  • Critically analyse stakeholder relationships to generate strategies that create and deliver sustainable value for stakeholders across value chains and complex networks

In-class Quiz

Due: Scattered across the sessions
Weighting: 10%

There will be a series of short “pop” (i.e., unannounced) quizzes given in class during the term. They will be straightforward and will reflect your understanding of the read/discussed material. Your best three quizzes will each count equally towards your total grade, for a total of 10 marks. Taking only your best three allows you to have an “off” situation and still do well.

The quizzes will be discussed in Session 1.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically reflect on and apply strategic principles to achieve incremental and transformational change across organisations.
  • Synthesise concepts studied in other units of the MBA program to create and implement business strategies that produce competitive advantage.
  • Apply appropriate strategic tools and models in ways that leverage diverse cultural and market mindsets to improve the competitive positioning of an organisation.
  • Critically reflect on how applying responsible approaches to strategic business practice can impact positively on the ethical, social and environmental factors affecting the organisation.
  • Critically analyse stakeholder relationships to generate strategies that create and deliver sustainable value for stakeholders across value chains and complex networks

Final Examination

Due: 4 August 2018
Weighting: 40%

Duration: 3 Hours plus 20 minutes reading time

Format: Open book exam

At the conclusion of the unit there will be an open book examination of 3 hours plus 20 minutes reading time. It will represent 40% of the final aggregated course mark. There will be an exam review and practice session during Session 10 of the Strategic Management unit to help you prepare for this case based exam.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically reflect on and apply strategic principles to achieve incremental and transformational change across organisations.
  • Synthesise concepts studied in other units of the MBA program to create and implement business strategies that produce competitive advantage.
  • Apply appropriate strategic tools and models in ways that leverage diverse cultural and market mindsets to improve the competitive positioning of an organisation.
  • Critically reflect on how applying responsible approaches to strategic business practice can impact positively on the ethical, social and environmental factors affecting the organisation.
  • Critically analyse stakeholder relationships to generate strategies that create and deliver sustainable value for stakeholders across value chains and complex networks

Delivery and Resources

Required textbook: None. We will use our readings in iLearn instead.

Recommended textbook: None.

If you feel you really want to buy a book called “Strategic Management” so you have it on your bookshelf, there are several reasonable possibilities.

  • Dess, G, Lumpkin, G T, Eisner, A, and McNamara, G, Strategic Management: Text and Cases, 7th edition, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2013. ISBN: 9780077862527. 
  • Hubbard, G, and Beamish, P, Strategic Management: Thinking, Analysis, Action, 4th edition, Pearson Australia, 2010. ISBN: 9781442528680.
  • Rohaermel, F, Strategic Management: Concepts, 2nd edition, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2014. ISBN: 9780077645069.
  • Carpenter, MA, Sanders, WG, Rice, J, and Martin N, “Strategic Management: A Dynamic Perspective”, Pearson Australia, 2009.  ISBN: 9781442500372.

Readings: A selection of readings on strategic management will be made available to you. Each article is identified with a particular class session.

Other current articles may be handed out in class. 

Additional optional readings specific to the session’s topic will be listed at the end of each slide set. These are for people who want to delve deeper into a particular issue we discuss in class. 

For those with an unquenched interested in the field of strategy, here are some books both classic and more contemporary you may enjoy.

Afuah, A, Strategic Innovation, Routledge, New York, 2009.

Black, R.J, Organisational Culture: Creating the Influence Needed for Strategic Success, Routledge, New York, 2003.

De Wit, B, and Meyer, R, Strategy Synthesis, South-Western Publishing, Hampshire, 2010. 

Fleisher, CS, and Bensousson, BE, Business and Competitive Analysis, FT Press, New Jersey, 2009.

Gamble, JE, and Thompson, AA, Essentials of Strategic Management: The Quest for Competitive Advantage, 2nd edition, McGraw-Hill Irwin, New York, 2011.

Hamel, G, Leading the Revolution, McGraw Hill, 2000.

Luthans, F, and Doh, JP, International Management: Culture, Strategy, and Behavior, 8th edition, HarperCollins, New York, 2011.

Kotler, P, and Caslione, JA, Chaotics, Amacom, New York, 2009.

Leinwand, P, and Mainardi, C, The Essential Advantage, Harvard Press, Boston, 2011.

Mintzberg, H, The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning, Prentice Hall, 1994.

Mintzberg, H, and Quinn, JB, The Strategy Process, Prentice-Hall International, 1991.

Osterwalder, A, and Pigneur, Y, Business Model Generation, Wiley, New Jersey, 2010.

Taylor, WC, and LaBarre, PG, Mavericks at Work, HarperCollins, New York, 2006.

Thompson, AA Jr, Peteraf, M, Gamble, J, and Strickland, AJ III, Crafting & Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage, 19th edition, McGraw-Hill Irwin, New York, 2013. 

Zweifel, Thomas D, and Edward J Borey, Strategy-in-Action: Marrying Planning, People and Performance. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014.

MGSM iLearn

The web page for this unit can be found at https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MGSM/

Unit Schedule

Block class – First Block: 29-30 June, 1 July 2018. Second Block: 6-8 July 2018

Session-by-session details are as follows.

Sessions 1, 2 and 3 develop the foundation essential to good strategic management, which ultimately means efficient and effective strategy implementation. This includes connecting the concept of strategic management to other units of study from your program, as well as introducing the definition of a market from a strategic, i.e., economic, perspective; the business strategy typology (BST) and its adaptive cycle; and the advanced competitive dynamics of population ecology. This work will underpin the remainder of the sessions.

Strategic management consists of three decision areas: strategy formulation, functional strategy alignment and strategy implementation. Session 1 focuses on key elements of the internal context that impact those three decision areas. Session 2 focuses on key elements of the external context that impact strategy formulation, functional strategy alignment and strategy implementation. In particular, we shine the spotlight on analysing competitors, competitor behaviour and retaliation. Session 3 integrates the inside and outside perspectives.

Session 1: Friday 29 June, 6-10pm​ - Strategic management from the inside

Read in advance of Session 1:

  • “Miles and Snow: Enduring Insights for Managers” by Sumantra Ghoshal.
  • “Organizational Strategy, Structure, and Process” by Raymond E Miles, Charles C Snow, Alan D Meyer and Henry J Coleman Jr. This is the original book chapter on which the Ghoshal article (listed above) is based.
  • “Formulating Strategy” by Eric Van den Steen.
  • “Note on Market Definition and Segmentation”, Harvard Business School.
  • How to use a MECE structure (if you are not already familiar with it): http://workingwithmckinsey.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/MECE-at-McKinsey.html

Case preparation in advance of Session 1. There is no case to prepare for Session 1. Just make sure you have done the readings.

……………………………………

Session 2, Saturday 30 June, 2-6pm - Strategic management from the outside

Read in advance of Session 2:

  • Pages 9-20 (starting at the section entitled “Population Ecology Perspectives on Market Evolution”) of “Evolutionary Processes in Competitive Markets” by Mary Lambkin and George S Day. (You are welcome to read the rest of the article as well, but some of it is technical and beyond the scope of our unit of study.)
  • “Niche Strategy: Merging Economic and Marketing Theories with Population Ecology Arguments” by Eli Noy.
  • Pages 874-878 of “Population Ecology Theory” by Manjula S Salimath and Raymond Jones III. (You are welcome to read the rest of the article as well...)

Also, before Session 2, prepare this case for in-class discussion: Tennant Company: Innovating Within and Beyond the Core.

  • Read the case thoroughly and be highly familiar with the facts of the case.
  • Be prepared for a wide ranging discussion by organising your answers to the following questions, some or all of which will be asked specifically but all of which need to be thoughtfully considered prior to class in order to maximise your learning from the case discussion:
  1. What insights do you have about Tennant Company that you would not have had before the Strategic Management unit?
  2. Describe Tennant’s current overall business strategy, and assess its appropriateness to the situation.
  3. Now cascade that strategy down to the critical functional strategies. That is, identify which one or more of the specific business functions (e.g., finance, marketing, operations) are the most critical to the success of the business strategy you identified in Question 2, and then describe the strategy for each of those specific business functions you named. For example,
  4. What will be the key elements of an implementation plan for that strategy?
  5. How and when will Chris Killingstad know if the strategy has been successful – or when it is not?

……………………………………

Session 3, Saturday 30 June, 6-10pm - Integrating the inside and outside perspectives

Read in advance of Session 3:

  • Pages 632-637 (stopping at the beginning of the section “The Laser Printer Industry”) of “Churn, Baby, Churn: Strategic Dynamics Among Dominant and Fringe Firms in a Segmented Industry” by John M de Figueiredo and Brian S Silverman. (You are welcome to read the rest of the article as well...)
  • “A Dynamic View of Strategy” by Constantinos C. Markides.

Case preparation in advance of Session 3. We will continue the discussion of the Tennant case.

……………………………………

Sessions 4 through 7 cover four special topics relating to strategic management. Each of these topics is designed to assist in all three decision areas of strategic management: strategy formulation, functional strategy alignment and strategy implementation.

Session 4, Sunday 1 July, 9am-1pm - Strategic innovation, including technology as a strategic enabler

Before Session 4, read for the topic of strategic innovation:

  •  “Disruptive Technology: How Kodak Missed the Digital Photography Revolution” by Henry C Lucas Jr and Jie Mein Goh. Just read/skim this article lightly to extract the main points.
  • “Reverse Engineering Google’s Innovation Machine” by Bala Iyer and Thomas H Davenport. Just read/skim this article lightly to extract the main points.
  • “Scoping: Where to Look”, which is Chapter 2 of Peripheral Vision: Detecting the Weak Signals That Will Make or Break Your Company by George S Day and Paul J H Schoemaker.
  • “Making the Most of Uncertainty” by Hugh Courtney.

Before Session 4, prepare this case for in-class discussion: Huawei in Canada: Can It Become a Trusted Player? Focus on applying the material from all previous sessions plus the readings for this session.

  1. What insights do you have about Huawei in Canada that you would not have had without our Strategic Management unit?
  2. Describe Huawei’s current business strategy in Canada, and assess its appropriateness.
  3. Design and recommend to Sean Yang an integrated growth strategy, and justify your choice.
  4. Identify which one or more of the business functions (e.g., finance, marketing, operations) are the most critical to the success of the strategy you have selected. Then describe the functional strategy for each of those specific business functions you named.
  5. What will be your implementation plan? Be specific: tasks, timelines, responsibilities. Be sure to include any leadership issues.
  6. What specific measures should Sean Yang monitor to see whether your chosen strategy is on track to be successful? Provide the name of the measure, the specific level and the time by which that level should be achieved.

……………………………………

Session 5, Sunday 1 July, 1-5pm - Geographic expansion, particularly international and global expansion

Before Session 5, read for the topic of geographic expansion:

  • “Have You Restructured for Global Success?” by Nirmalya Kumar and Phanish Puranam.
  • “Managing Differences: The Central Challenge of Global Strategy” by Pankaj Ghemawat.
  • “The New Rules of Globalization” by Ian Bremmer.
  • “When You Shouldn’t Go Global” by Marcus Alexander and Harry Korine.
  • “In Pursuit of Globalization: Learning from the Hard Lessons” by Mohammed A Burney and M Sadiq Sohail.

Case preparation in advance of Session 5. We will continue the discussion of the Huawei case

……………………………………

Session 6, Friday 6 July, 6-10pm - Strategic alliances

Before Session 6, read for the topic of strategic alliances:

  • “Alliances: The Secrets of Successful Co-operation” by Benjamin Gomes-Casseres.
  • “How Partners Shape Strategy” by Henrich R Greve, Timothy J Rowley and Andrew V Shipilov.
  • “Managing Ambiguity in Strategic Alliances” by Rajesh Kumar.
  • “Competing Globally, Allying Locally” by Tieying Yu, Mohan Subramaniam and Albert A Cannella Jr. Just read/skim this article lightly to extract the results, unless you are statistically inclined.

Before Session 6, prepare this case for in-class discussion: Beacon Group of Hong Kong: Finding Light in the Shadow Education Industry. Focus on applying the material from all previous sessions plus the readings for this session.

  1. What insights do you have about BG that you would not have had without our Strategic Management unit?
  2. Describe BG’s current business strategy, and assess its appropriateness.
  3. Design and recommend to June Leung an integrated growth strategy, and justify your choice.
  4. Identify which one or more of the business functions (e.g., finance, marketing, operations) are the most critical to the success of the strategy you have selected. Then describe the functional strategy for each of those specific business functions you named.
  5. What will be your implementation plan? Be specific: tasks, timelines, responsibilities. Be sure to include any leadership issues.
  6. What specific measures should June Leung monitor to see whether your chosen strategy is on track to be successful? Provide the name of the measure, the specific level and the time by which that level should be achieved

……………………………………

Session 7, Saturday 7 July, 2-6pm - Implementing strategic change

Before Session 7, read for the topic of implementing strategic change:

  • “Enduring Ideas: The 7-S Framework”. Found (including an 8 minute podcast) at http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/strategy/enduring_ideas_the_7-s_framework .
  • “Six Ways to Sink a Growth Initiative” by Donald L Laurie and J Bruce Harreld.
  • “Cultural Change That Sticks” by Jon R Katzenbach, Ilona Steffen and Caroline Cronley.
  • “The Perils of Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt.
  • “Robert McNamara's ‘11 Lessons’ in the Context of Theories of Strategic Management” by Robert Grattan.
  • “Why System, Not Structure, Is the Way Toward Strategic Alignment: A Historical Perspective” by Robert S Kaplan and David P Norton.

Before Session 7, prepare this case for in-class discussion: Sealed Air China. Focus on applying the material from all previous sessions plus the readings for this session.

  1. What insights do you have about Sealed Air that you would not have had without our Strategic Management unit?
  2. Describe Sealed Air’s current business strategy, and assess its appropriateness.
  3. Design and recommend to William Hickey an integrated growth strategy, and justify your choice.
  4. Identify which one or more of the business functions (e.g., finance, marketing, operations) are the most critical to the success of the strategy you have selected. Then describe the functional strategy for each of those specific business functions you named.
  5. What will be your implementation plan? Be specific: tasks, timelines, responsibilities. Be sure to include any leadership issues.
  6. What specific measures should William Hickey monitor to see whether your chosen strategy is on track to be successful? Provide the name of the measure, the specific level and the time by which that level should be achieved.

……………………………………

Session 8, Saturday 7 July, 6-10pm - Integration of the previous topics, including prioritisation and the role of leadership

Before Session 8, read:

  • “How Leadership Matters: The Effects of Leaders’ Alignment on Strategy Implementation” by Charles A O’Reilly, David F Caldwell, Jennifer A Chatman, Margaret Lapiz and William Self. Just read/skim this article lightly to extract the results, unless you are particularly interested in the methodology or technical issues.
  • “Rubust Imitation Strategies” by D Sudharshan, Olivier Furrer and Ramesh A Arakoni. Just read/skim this article lightly to extract the results, unless you are particularly interested in the methodology or technical issues.
  • “Being an Entrepreneur: Emergence and Structuring of Two Immigrant Entrepreneur Groups” by Luca Storti. Just read/skim this article lightly to extract the results, unless you are particularly interested in the methodology or technical issues.

Case preparation in advance of Session 8. There is no case to prepare for Session 8. Just make sure you have done the readings.

……………………………………

Session 9, Sunday 8 July, 9am-1pm - Case discussion led by student groups

This session is turned over to the student groups to bring the “Radiometer” case to life.

This is very much a learning session, but we will learn through student-designed and student-led exercises and activities. This will not just a “lecture” or “straight presentation” session. Your responsibility is to actively engage the other students in the learning process so that they lock into their brains the material about the topic.

Before class:

Prepare case for in-class discussion: “Radiometer?”.

  • Your group’s primary focus should be the application of the material from the one of the four speciality topics that your group “wins”. See section on assessment tasks (Section 9 below) for details

……………………………………

Session 10, Sunday 8 July, 1-5pm - Psychological biases, and review

Before Session 10, read:

  • “The Hidden Traps in Decision Making” by John S Hammond, Ralph L Keeney and Howard Raiffa.
  • “Before You Make That Big Decision” by Daniel Kahneman, Dan Lovallo and Olivier Sibony.
  • “Strengths Become Weaknesses: Cognitive Biases in Founder Decision-Making” by Noam Wasserman and Kyle J Anderson.
  •  “Self-Selection Bias in Hypothesis Comparison” by Jennifer C Whitman and Todd S Woodward.

Also…

We will also do exam preparation today, so bring to class all of your cases, notes and slides from the Strategic Management unit

--------------------------------------

Final exam, Saturday 4 AUGUST

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

PG - Capable of Professional and Personal Judgment and Initiative

Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Critically reflect on and apply strategic principles to achieve incremental and transformational change across organisations.
  • Synthesise concepts studied in other units of the MBA program to create and implement business strategies that produce competitive advantage.
  • Apply appropriate strategic tools and models in ways that leverage diverse cultural and market mindsets to improve the competitive positioning of an organisation.
  • Critically reflect on how applying responsible approaches to strategic business practice can impact positively on the ethical, social and environmental factors affecting the organisation.
  • Critically analyse stakeholder relationships to generate strategies that create and deliver sustainable value for stakeholders across value chains and complex networks

Assessment tasks

  • Group Work
  • Case Submission
  • In-class Quiz
  • Final Examination

PG - Discipline Knowledge and Skills

Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Critically reflect on and apply strategic principles to achieve incremental and transformational change across organisations.
  • Synthesise concepts studied in other units of the MBA program to create and implement business strategies that produce competitive advantage.
  • Apply appropriate strategic tools and models in ways that leverage diverse cultural and market mindsets to improve the competitive positioning of an organisation.
  • Critically reflect on how applying responsible approaches to strategic business practice can impact positively on the ethical, social and environmental factors affecting the organisation.
  • Critically analyse stakeholder relationships to generate strategies that create and deliver sustainable value for stakeholders across value chains and complex networks

Assessment tasks

  • Group Work
  • Case Submission
  • In-class Quiz
  • Final Examination

PG - Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Critically reflect on and apply strategic principles to achieve incremental and transformational change across organisations.
  • Synthesise concepts studied in other units of the MBA program to create and implement business strategies that produce competitive advantage.
  • Apply appropriate strategic tools and models in ways that leverage diverse cultural and market mindsets to improve the competitive positioning of an organisation.
  • Critically reflect on how applying responsible approaches to strategic business practice can impact positively on the ethical, social and environmental factors affecting the organisation.
  • Critically analyse stakeholder relationships to generate strategies that create and deliver sustainable value for stakeholders across value chains and complex networks

Assessment tasks

  • Group Work
  • Case Submission
  • In-class Quiz
  • Final Examination

PG - Research and Problem Solving Capability

Our postgraduates will be capable of systematic enquiry; able to use research skills to create new knowledge that can be applied to real world issues, or contribute to a field of study or practice to enhance society. They will be capable of creative questioning, problem finding and problem solving.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Critically reflect on and apply strategic principles to achieve incremental and transformational change across organisations.
  • Synthesise concepts studied in other units of the MBA program to create and implement business strategies that produce competitive advantage.
  • Apply appropriate strategic tools and models in ways that leverage diverse cultural and market mindsets to improve the competitive positioning of an organisation.
  • Critically reflect on how applying responsible approaches to strategic business practice can impact positively on the ethical, social and environmental factors affecting the organisation.
  • Critically analyse stakeholder relationships to generate strategies that create and deliver sustainable value for stakeholders across value chains and complex networks

Assessment tasks

  • Group Work
  • Case Submission
  • In-class Quiz
  • Final Examination

PG - Effective Communication

Our postgraduates will be able to communicate effectively and convey their views to different social, cultural, and professional audiences. They will be able to use a variety of technologically supported media to communicate with empathy using a range of written, spoken or visual formats.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Critically reflect on and apply strategic principles to achieve incremental and transformational change across organisations.
  • Synthesise concepts studied in other units of the MBA program to create and implement business strategies that produce competitive advantage.
  • Apply appropriate strategic tools and models in ways that leverage diverse cultural and market mindsets to improve the competitive positioning of an organisation.
  • Critically reflect on how applying responsible approaches to strategic business practice can impact positively on the ethical, social and environmental factors affecting the organisation.
  • Critically analyse stakeholder relationships to generate strategies that create and deliver sustainable value for stakeholders across value chains and complex networks

Assessment tasks

  • Group Work
  • Case Submission
  • In-class Quiz
  • Final Examination

PG - Engaged and Responsible, Active and Ethical Citizens

Our postgraduates will be ethically aware and capable of confident transformative action in relation to their professional responsibilities and the wider community. They will have a sense of connectedness with others and country and have a sense of mutual obligation. They will be able to appreciate the impact of their professional roles for social justice and inclusion related to national and global issues

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Critically reflect on and apply strategic principles to achieve incremental and transformational change across organisations.
  • Synthesise concepts studied in other units of the MBA program to create and implement business strategies that produce competitive advantage.
  • Apply appropriate strategic tools and models in ways that leverage diverse cultural and market mindsets to improve the competitive positioning of an organisation.
  • Critically reflect on how applying responsible approaches to strategic business practice can impact positively on the ethical, social and environmental factors affecting the organisation.
  • Critically analyse stakeholder relationships to generate strategies that create and deliver sustainable value for stakeholders across value chains and complex networks

Assessment tasks

  • Group Work
  • Case Submission
  • In-class Quiz
  • Final Examination

Changes from Previous Offering

Changes were:

  • Group work assessment percentage was changed to 20% from 15%
  • Individual work assessment percentage was changed to 30% from 15%
  • Final examination assessment percentage was changed to 40% from 60%
  • Some cases and readings were changed.

Alignment with MGSM’s mission-driven attributes

Leadership: The unit develops judgment capability as to what is effective ethical leadership within different contexts.  

Global mindset: The unit required me to make decisions from different cultural positions than my own.

Citizenship: The concepts corporate social responsibility, corporate governance and ethical decision making are core components of the unit.

Creating sustainable value: The unit demonstrated how the interrelatedness of functional business decisions connect to create value within an ethical context over the short and longer-terms.  

Attendance Policy (MGSM)

The interactive environment of the classroom is central to the MGSM experience. Students are required to attend the full duration of all classes for the units in which they are enrolled. We recognise that exceptional circumstances may occur, such as unavoidable travel on behalf of your organization or the serious illness or injury of you or a close family member.

Special consideration may be given for a maximum of 20% non-attendance for such circumstances as long as lecturers are contacted in advance, and supporting documentation provided, to request exemption from attendance. Failure to abide by these conditions may result in automatic withdrawal, with academic and/or financial penalty. The full Student Attendance Policy is published in the MGSM Student Handbook at https://students.mgsm.edu.au/handbook.

Content Disclaimer

These unit materials and the content of this unit are provided for educational purposes only and no decision should be made based on the material without obtaining independent professional advice relating to the particular circumstances involved.

Changes since First Published

Date Description
13/06/2018 Typo error in the final examination description wherein it was specified that the assessment is 60% of the final mark but it should be 40%.