Syllabus for BUS-421-OL

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Business Policy is a three-credit, senior-level course that focuses on the development and implementation of sound strategy as the means to success in business. Relying extensively on case studies, the course explores the way management engages in strategic thinking and analysis to define competitive challenges, to establish competitive advantage, and to plan, allocate, and oversee effective use of internal resources and external relationships.

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ADVISORY

Business Policy is a capstone for the core business courses and requires knowledge of accounting, finance, marketing, and management. It is advisable to have knowledge in a course equivalent to FIN-301 (Principles of Finance), MAN-301 (Principles of Management), and MAR-301 (Introduction to Marketing) with a grade of C or better to succeed in this course. Students are responsible for making sure that they have the necessary knowledge.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

On successfully completing this course, you should be able to:

1. Identify key strategic concepts, theories, and issues in contemporary business practices.



2. Apply concepts and theories of strategic management to real-world business situations.



3. Integrate knowledge acquired in the core business courses to develop management strategies.



4. Use the tools and techniques of situation analysis such as SWOT analysis, value chain analysis, benchmarking, and competitive strength assessment.



5. Formulate and implement a strategic plan.



6. Apply ethical principles, core values, and socially responsible management practices to businesses.



7. Identify, apply, and evaluate various decision-making models.



8. Evaluate different organizational structures and ways in which organizations function.

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REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

You will need the following textbook to do the work of the course. The required textbook is available from the College's textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage—Concepts and Cases, 17th ed., by Arthur A. Thompson Jr, A. J. Strickland III, and John E. Gamble (New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2010; ISBN 978-0-07-353042-0).

The text is supplemented by online premium content— including narrated slides and videos, which, along with chapter tests, are also available for iPod download—which can be purchased at www.mhhe.com/thompson.

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COURSE STRUCTURE

Business Policy is a 3-credit online course, consisting of six (6) assignment modules.

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in six (6) graded online discussion forums (in addition to an ungraded "Introductions" forum in module 1), complete six (6) case study assignments (one per module), and submit a final project at the conclusion of the course. You are also required to take a proctored midterm examination.

Assignment modules comprise learning objectives, a study assignment, and a concluding case study assignment. Modules 2, 3, 4, and 6 also include one or more online discussion forums.

For the course's six assignment modules and their associated activities (study assignments, discussion forums, and case study assignments), go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. (See also the course Calendar.)

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CASE STUDY ASSIGNMENTS

The six (6) case study assignments (worth 30 percent of your course grade) draw on cases from the textbook and typically involve thoughtful, well-developed responses to case analysis questions. These assignments allow you to apply the strategic concepts and practices studied in the text and to sharpen your analytical, evaluative, and overall case analysis skills in preparation for the final project—a written case analysis report.

Prepare your case study assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.

Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.

When satisfied that your assignment represents your best work, submit it to your mentor by means of the

>>View/Complete Assignment

link provided at the bottom of the respective assignment page. Use the Browse button within this link to locate and attach your assignment file. Click to turn in the assignment.

Click link for an evaluation rubric.

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ONLINE PARTICIPATION

In addition to an ungraded "Introductions" forum in module 1, Business Policy requires you to participate in six (6) graded discussion forums (one each in modules 2 and 4, and two each in modules 3 and 6). The graded discussion forums are worth 15 percent of your course grade. See the course Calendar for scheduling details.

Communication and collaboration among fellow students and with the mentor is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a posted question (discussion thread) and subsequent comments on classmates' responses.

You will be evaluated both on the quality of your responses (i.e., your understanding of readings, concepts, and practices as demonstrated by well-articulated, critical thinking) and quantity of your participation (i.e., the number of times you participate meaningfully in the assigned forums). Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

Meaningful participation in online discussions is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement.

For additional information on online discussions, see Online Discussions in the Online Student Handbook.

Click link for an evaluation rubric.

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MIDTERM EXAMINATION

Business Policy requires you to take a closed-book, proctored midterm examination (worth 25 percent of your course grade). Consult the course Calendar for the timing of this exam.

The midterm is two hours long and consists of fifty (50) multiple-choice questions. It covers all reading and assignments from modules 1, 2, and 3.

In studying for the exam, be sure to review all core concepts and to reread the key points at the end of each chapter in the textbook. For practice, also consider taking each chapter's self-scoring, multiple-choice practice test in Tests & Quizzes > Chapter Practice Tests (also available on textbook's Student Online Learning Center).

You may take the examination only during the designated exam week, at an approved location, and with an approved proctor. In this regard, you need to schedule your exam and submit your "Proctor Request Form" with the necessary documentation no later than the end of the first week of the semester (see Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site).

If you are on a course extension and have not yet taken the midterm exam, you must let your examination proctor know when you plan to take the exam and contact the Office of Test Administration (609-984-1181) two weeks in advance to request that your exam be sent to the proctor.

For more information on scheduling a proctored examination, see the section Examinations and Proctors in the Online Student Handbook.

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FINAL PROJECT

Your final project is a written case analysis report worth 28 percent of your grade. See the Final Project area of the course Web site for further details.

For your report, you will identify key issues in an assigned case, research the company featured in that case, analyze and evaluate the issues involved, and recommend an action plan to management. In writing the report, follow the textbook publisher's "Guide to Case Analysis." Also, be sure to cite all sources and to format the report according to APA guidelines (see also Documentation Rules and Citation Styles).

The final project draws on concepts and knowledge gained from the entire course, including chapters 10–12 of the text. To allow yourself sufficient time to complete an exemplary report, consider beginning the project soon after the start of module 6.

Click link for an evaluation rubric.

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ETS PROFICIENCY PROFILE

This component of the course requires that you complete an assessment called the ETS® Proficiency Profile. (This assessment was called the MAPP test through 2009, and you may continue to see some references to the MAPP test.) This test, offered through Educational Testing Service (ETS), measures knowledge in the core areas of reading, mathematics, writing, and critical thinking. It is a widely accepted standardized assessment tool that will provide the College with important data to assess the College's overall quality and effectiveness in meeting the needs of our students. It serves as a valuable tool in helping us measure progress in achieving established learning goals and evaluate the effectiveness of our programs.

The ETS Proficiency Profile is administered in an unproctored, online format. It should take you no longer than 45 minutes to complete. The confidentiality of your responses and scores will be protected. Your individual score will not be recorded, but you will receive 10 points (weighted at 2 percent of your overall grade) for completing the assessment. Consult the course Calendar for the due dates for taking this test.

To access the ETS Proficiency Profile administrative and student interface, your computer must meet the following requirements:

To receive credit for completing the ETS Proficiency Profile, post a comment about the test and your experience taking it to the ETS Proficiency Profile discussion forum, and send an e-mail to your mentor indicating the date on which you took and completed the test. Your mentor will verify your participation and will give you credit for it.

For more information on the ETS Proficiency Profile and how to access the test, see Tests & Quizzes > ETS Test on the course Web site.

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GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, projects, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.

Letter grades for online participation, written assignments, exams, and projects are based on the following numerical grades:

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STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

1. Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.



2. Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule exams and arrange for proctors, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.



3. Arrange to take your midterm examination by following the instructions in the Online Student Handbook. Then complete the "Proctor Request Form" and submit it to the Office of Test Administration (OTA). You must make arrangements to take your examination and send in your "Proctor Request Form" to OTA before the end of the first week of the current semester. (See Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site.)



4. Familiarize yourself with the Blackboard environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.



5. If you are not familiar with Web-based learning, or specifically with the Blackboard platform, be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips
Consider the following study tips for success:

1. To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting group activities, and scheduling and taking your midterm examination. For details on each assignment module and a complete listing of learning activities, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.



2. Check the Announcements page and class Discussion Board regularly for new course information.

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