MGMT 471 Master Syllabus

MGMT 471: Competitive Strategy Master Syllabus

Course Instructor:
Office Number:
Office Hours:
Email:
Course Meeting Times:
Course Website: Canvas

Required Course Materials

Textbook: Strategy as Action: Competitive Dynamics and Competitive Advantage, Curtis M. Grimm, Hun Lee, & Ken G. Smith, 2006, First Edition, Oxford University Press, ISBN #0195161440. An eBook version of this text can be accessed through the University Libraries by using this link. You may consider downloading the entire eBook on your local hard drive. That way, you will have access to the material even if there is a technical issue at the Libraries’ end.

Please note the link above will not include items 2 and 3 in the list below.
Case Packet: You will purchase the additional readings and cases from Harvard Business School Publishing.

Please keep in mind the copyright laws and act responsibly – you are representing George Mason - as you purchase the case packet from Harvard Publishing. The publisher is easily able to know what percentage of the enrolled students in the class bought the case pack.
Online Simulation: You will need an access code to play The Business Strategy Game (BSG) online. You will purchase the access from this website. Click the red box which says, “NEW STUDENTS.” It will then take you to the “Participant Account Registration” screen. When you start the registration process, it will ask you: “Enter the Company Registration Code provided by your instructor.” This code will be available in the column titled "Company Registration Code" in Blackboard inside “My Grades.” If it is not available on the first day of class, please wait for a couple of days. Enter this code and complete the rest of the steps. The last character in the Company Registration Code is an alphabet, "company letter" assigned to you. It will be required on the second screen during the registration process. You will have to pay using your credit/debit card. Once you are registered, you will have full access to BSG. A useful video is available at the BSG website to walk you through the account registration process.

Please complete your BSG registration as early as possible but no later than noon on Feb 5 (Wednesday). We will hold our first optional Zoom session on Feb 5 (Wednesday) at 7:00 pm. Note timely BSG registration is mandatory.

Course Description

This course focuses on competitive dynamics—actions and reactions among rivals—and presents the conceptual frameworks and analytical tools for understanding industry dynamics and how competitors interact in the marketplace. To develop effective strategies, managers and companies need to understand not only industry structure and capabilities of the industry players but also the individual competitive moves and countermoves exchanged by various industry players. Hence, this course will be valuable to students interested specifically in competitive intelligence and broadly in managing and advising established and entrepreneurial companies in competing against rivals.

Course Objectives

By the end of the semester, you will be able to:

To define the concept of competitive dynamics and interaction
To describe and apply the concepts and frameworks for analyzing an industry and the competitive positions of rivals
To describe and apply the competitive actionbased model and the different types of actions that firms can undertake
To describe and apply the concepts and frameworks for analyzing and predicting the competitive actions and strategies of competitors
To further refine critical-thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity skills

Concentration Learning Goals

Students majoring in the Management concentration will master the following by graduation:

Students will apply the theories, models, research findings, and tools related to organizational behavior.
Students will apply key components of human resource management.

BS Business Learning Goals

By the end of the BS Business program, students will master:

The social, global, ethical, and legal contexts of business and will be able to reflect on the role of the individual in business.
The ability to apply knowledge of professional skills necessary for success in business including effective business writing. *
Technical and analytic skills appropriate for success in business. *
The ability to apply knowledge of core business disciplines including accounting, finance, information systems, management, marketing, and operations management.
How research in the business disciplines contributes to knowledge and how such research is conducted.

*Program and concentration learning goals that are addressed in this course

Component Weights of your Course Grade

Evaluation Tool	% of Course Grade
Class participation (Individual)	a) Ten quizzes (chapter/additional readings)	10%
Class participation (Individual)	b) Contribution to 10 online discussion boards	10%
Exam 1 (Individual)	21%
Simulation Practice Game (Group)	0%
Simulation Game 1 (Group)	10%
Simulation Game 2 (Individual)	11%
Written assignment 1 (Group)	12%
Exam 2 (Individual)	26%
Total Percentage	100%

Grading Scale for your Course Grade

Grade	Total Points	Grade	Total Points
A	93-100	B-	80-82.99
A-	90-92.99	C+	77-79.99
B+	87-89.99	C	70-76.99
B	83-86.99	F	0-69.99

Class Participation & Case Discussions

Since this course is a discussion/case-based course, your participation is critical to the learning experience. Much of the learning that will take place in this class comes from the chance to express ideas, listen to what others have to say, and discuss these ideas to develop your critical-thinking skills. Please take advantage of this opportunity to gauge and hone your communication skills. Be sure to bring your unique viewpoint to online discussion boards and be ready to learn from the diverse perspectives offered by your classmates. Do not underestimate the value of what you and your classmates have to say. Your participation is vital to the success of the class as a whole!

The George Mason Universirty catalog states the following on attendance policies for graduate and undergraduate classes: Students are expected to attend the class periods of the courses for which they register. In-class participation is important to the individual student and to the class as a whole. Because class participation may be a factor in grading, instructors may use absence, tardiness, or early departure as de facto evidence of non-participation. Students who miss an exam with an acceptable excuse may be penalized according to the individual instructor's grading policy, as stated in the course syllabus.

I will measure class participation using the two components shown earlier.

Ten Quizzes

These quizzes will consist of true/false or multiple-choice questions and will assess your understanding of the key ideas from the assigned chapters and articles. See the schedule in the syllabus. These single-attempt quizzes are open book and timed. While open-book, the quizzes are individual-level assignments. Do not discuss the quiz contents with anyone else before or after taking the quiz. You can expect 10-15 questions per quiz. The time limit will be two minutes per question. You may take these quizzes anytime between 4:00 pm on Friday to 11:59 pm on Sunday.

Contribution to Online Discussion Board

Complete initial post on your own without discussing with anyone else

Read/analyze the applicable chapter/reading material/case.
Answer all the discussion questions/prompts.
Elaborate with specifics and appropriate level of details using chapter concepts/reading material concepts/information in the case.
Demonstrate thoughtful understanding and analysis of issue/question.
Organize your initial post appropriately (numbering, paragraph, title, bold face, transition, etc.).

Complete reply post on your own without discussing with anyone else

After the initial post deadline has passed, respond to one individual who is not part of your group for group projects. There are six graded reply posts due during the semester, which should be sent to six different individuals who are not part of your group projects.
Answer all the questions/prompts for the reply post (e.g., in some cases you might be asked to select the best initial post, in some others you might be asked to challenge an initial post or to write developmental feedback).
Elaborate your post by drawing on the information in the chapter/reading material/case.
Organize your reply post appropriately (numbering, paragraph, title, bold face, transition, etc.).
Again, no reply post may be sent to someone who is in your own group for group projects.

Online Discussion Protocol

Postings should be done during the discussion period in the syllabus.
You may not be able to see peer posts until you submit your initial post.
You may not be able to post anonymously.
You may not be able to edit or delete your own published post.
Elaborate your answer with an appropriate level of detail.
Address the questions as much as possible (do not let the discussion stray).
Feel free to bring in related prior knowledge (work experience, prior coursework, readings, etc.).
Use proper etiquette (proper language, typing, etc.).

IMPORTANT: 1) All posts will be due as per the schedule shown in the column titled “Discussion board #.” 2) Abbreviations used in the column: DB1-I refers to Discussion Board 1 – Initial Post and DB1-R refers to Discussion Board 1- Reply Post. 3) Discussion board posts are individual-level assignments. Therefore, do not discuss with your group members or anyone else within/outside of your section. 4) To post, click "Discussion Board" in the Course Menu on the left. Click on the appropriate forum to participate.

Some discussion boards have both initial and reply posts (e.g., DB1-I&R). In such cases and unless stated otherwise, initial posts will be due by 11:59 pm on Thursday and reply posts by 11:59 pm on Sunday. The earliest you may write a reply post is Friday 12:01 am. In one or two instances, the earliest you may write a reply post is Friday 12:00 noon. Some discussion boards have initial posts only (e.g., DB3-I). These initial posts will be due by 11:59 pm on Sunday. Unless stated differently, initial post is worth 80% and reply post is worth 20%. If there is no reply post due, the initial post will be worth 100%. The word limit for individual posts may vary and will be specified in the respective module. All discussion boards are 1% each except DB1 and DB10, which are 0.5% and 1.5%, respectively.

Exams 1 and 2

You will need to activate the camera and the microphone on your computer to take Exam 1 and Exam 2. More specifically, you will take Exam 1 and Exam 2 using Respondus LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor. Online proctoring programs such as Respondus record webcam audio and video of the student taking the test. You will have to download the browser to your computer ahead of time. A practice test to check your settings will be available in the appropriate module.

Please click here for information about Respondus LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor.

More details about the exams will be available inside the “miscellaneous” tab on the Course Menu panel on the left. But here are some of the highlights:

The closed-book, multiple-choice exams are timed and only one attempt is allowed. Once you open the exam, it must be completed in one sitting - you cannot exit and then try again.
You will be required to answer multiple-choice Question 1 before answering multiple-choice Question 2. The exam will prohibit backtracking; you will not be able to change the answer to a question that has already been submitted.
I expect the length to be 90-120 minutes depending on the number of questions. The average time available per multiple-choice question will be 1.5 minutes.
Exam 2 is not cumulative.

Exam 1 available on	Specific hours	Important consideration for all days
March 9 (Sunday)	6:00am to 10:00pm	Finish the exam before the end time. Why? If you start a few minutes before the end time (e.g., 9:50 pm) but get kicked out after the end time (e.g., 10:22 pm) due to a power failure or some technical issue beyond your control, you will not be able to get back in. You will be taking a risk by starting just before the end time.
Exam 2 available on	Specific hours
May 10 (Saturday) Note: Exam 2 is not on a Sunday.	6:00am to 10:00pm

Business Strategy Game (BSG) Simulation

Throughout the course you will read about real-life companies. As part of case discussion, we will discuss challenging situations faced by real-life companies. In those situations, your job is to come up with a set of recommendations to improve the company’s competitive position. We will supplement this process by playing the online Business Strategy Game (BSG) Simulation. The game requires business decisions to be made as per the schedule suggested in the syllabus (team-level Practice Game, team-level Game 1, and individual-level Game 2). Abbreviations used in the “Simulation decisions” column: P-Y11 refers to Practice Game – Year 11 decision. G1Y12 refers to Game 1 – Year 12 decision. G2-Y13 refers to Game 2 – Year 13 decision. You will need individual level access to participate in this simulation. It is imperative that you read the Player’s Manual before we start playing the practice game. Plenty of video tutorials and helpful documents are also available at the BSG website.

Team-level Practice Game

We will have two trial decisions (P-Y11 and P-Y12) in Game 1. Your course grade does not depend on your performance at the end of this practice period. Therefore, use these opportunities to learn as much about the game as possible.

Game 1

Practice decisions will be followed by team-level Game 1 (G1-Y11 to G1-Y17) and individual-level Game 2 (G2-Y11 to G2-Y15). In both games, your company’s performance after making the last decision (may change due to unforeseen problems) will determine your corresponding simulation grade. In Game 1, I will use the game-to-date weighted average score out of 100 and without the bonus points and use the following curve, if needed: Top company gets 97, bottom company gets 71, median company gets 84, and others extrapolated. However, the maximum curve is limited to 40 for any company. What is the implication of this curve limit of 40? As an example, if your company finishes at the very bottom with a score of 25 out of 100, you will only get curved up to 65 (25+40) and not 71. Please note the weighted average score shown on the first page of the Footwear Industry Report is out of 110. It is first converted to out of 100.

Game 2

There is no practice game in Game 2. I will use the game-to-date weighted average score out of 100 and without the bonus points and use the following curve, if needed: Top company gets 97, bottom company gets 71, median company gets 84, and others extrapolated. The maximum curve in Game 2 is limited to 25 for any company. What is the implication of this curve limit of 25? If your company finishes at the very bottom with a score of 25 out of 100, you will only get curved up to 50 (25+25) and not 71.

First Decision in Each Game

The first decision in each game will be for Year 11.

Optional Zoom Session

Before starting with the scored rounds of Game 1, three optional Zoom sessions will be offered as per the schedule in the syllabus. A recording will be available at Miscellaneous > BSG Simulation for those who cannot attend. If no one joins the optional Zoom meeting, the Zoom session may not be recorded, and a recording will not be available. Once the scored round starts, to be fair to everyone, I do not give specific feedback until the game is over. That is why Zoom sessions are offered before the scored round of Game 1 starts. Please make the best use of this opportunity.

Data Reset

After the practice rounds (P-Y11 and P-Y12) are over, the game will be reset to the beginning of Year 11 for Game 1 for you to make your G1-Y11 decisions. If you would like to have access to your practice round data while playing Game 1, be sure to take any printouts (electronic or hard copy) before the data is reset. The same thing applies when we transition from Game 1 to Game 2. Once Game 2 is set up, you will not have access to your Game 1 data. If you need access to the Game 1 data while playing Game 2, be sure to take any printouts before Game 2 is set up. These dates will typically be available on the syllabus schedule page.

Written Assignment 1

Each team needs to turn in one written group assignment (2-3 typed, single-spaced pages, Times New Roman, 11-point font, and 1-inch margins) and unlimited exhibits. One team member should submit the group assignment for grading on behalf of the entire group. This written assignment will be related to the BSG Simulation Game. More details will be available inside the “miscellaneous” tab on the Course Menu panel on the left.

Group Work Formalities and Peer Evaluation

Group formation: A maximum of eight groups for each section and no more than five students per group (to be confirmed once the enrollment stabilizes). You will work in the same group for all group projects. The instructor will form groups based on random selection by noon on Feb 5. [Because the enrollment may fluctuate till Feb 4, the last day to drop a class with no tuition penalty, I will wait till Feb 5.] While the overall group is formed randomly, I will give you a chance to select one team member of your choice. I will do my best to accommodate your preference. Please do not send a request for three students to be in the same group. How to let me know your choice? An assignment will be set up in Module 2; do not send an email. You can complete this assignment by 11:59 pm on February 2 (Sunday). Use Discussion Board 1 to get to know your classmates. You may reach out to a potential teammate by using the tab “Send email to other students in the course.” If you scroll down, you will be able to reach out to “Single / Select Users.” If you are not able to find a team member of your choice, do not panic: You will be part of a group I will form randomly on February 5.

Group Charter/Contract: This contract will serve as a strategy for your collective learning experience. It should outline group policies and procedures as well as a timeline for the development of your team projects. Include individual responsibilities and behaviors expected to uphold the Mason Honor Code. Everyone must participate in writing this contract. You should recognize that this contract is a dynamic and changing document that may be revisited and updated throughout the process. As part of the contract, be sure to quantify as suggested in the next paragraph. For example, when should a team member get 70% of the team grade? What behaviors will constitute a team member getting recommended to only get 50% of the team grade?

Grade equity for group projects: Please take your team responsibilities seriously. The points earned by individuals in graded team assignments may be adjusted by peer evaluations. If you believe that someone in your group should receive a grade below that which the team receives, please send me an email within 24 hours of the project due date/time. The email should have “grade equity – your full name and section number” as the subject line and should describe two things: (1) Why should this person receive a lower grade? (2) What efforts were made to solve the problem while your group was working on the project? If an appropriate email is received from a member of the group within 24 hours of the project due date/time, I will ask everyone in the group to briefly describe and quantify everyone’s contribution. Based on that peer input, an individual’s grade will be calculated. For example, if recommended by peers to receive 70%, 80%, 50%, and 80% of the team grade, the team member will get 70% of the team grade. Average of 70, 80, 50, and 80 is 70. There is no need to send an email if you believe your group worked well. I hope most groups will never have to resort to these mechanisms.

If there are grade equity issues in your group for Practice Game or Game 1, please email me within 24 hours of each decision date (P-Y11, P-Y12, G1-Y11, G1-Y12, etc.). If you tell me at the end of G1-Y16 that a person has never contributed to the group’s BSG decisions, nothing can be done about G1-Y11 to G1-Y15.

Peer Evaluation of the Project Teamwork

Each team member must demonstrate the ability to:

Collaborate successfully and be inclusive of all members
Support and respect other member opinions and ideas
Distribute roles and workload fairly and equitably
Meet all individual and team project deadlines
Maintain accurate records of team communications and decisions
Resolve team conflict
Make sound and ethical decisions
Produce professional quality work products
Seek direction from and maintain communications with the professor as needed

Catalog

The University Catalog is the central resource for university policies affecting student, faculty, and staff conduct in university affairs.

Late Assignments

Late submissions of quizzes or discussion board posts will immediately receive a deduction of 50% of the maximum value of the assignment, with additional 50% deductions for each 24-hour period of lateness. However, this deduction policy will kick in after you have used the “Life Happens Pass” Policy. Under this policy, anyone can get an automatic 24-hour extension either on one quiz during the semester or on one discussion board post during the semester. Just email me before the due date/time using “Life Happens Pass” Policy in the subject line; you do not have to give a reason you need the extension. This policy does not apply to Exam 1, Exam 2, your group projects, and Game 2 BSG decisions.

Make-up Exams

No make-up exams will be given without prior permission.

Extra Credit

Extra credit opportunity may not be available.

Tentative Schedule

(Please print this page and pin it in a conspicuous place to stay organized.)

Module Number	Dates	Chapter/Case/Topic	Quiz	Discussion Board #	Simulation Decisions	Important Deadlines (Unless stated otherwise, time due is 11:59pm)
1	Jan 20-26	Introduce yourself + Chapter 1		DB1-I&R		DB1-I due Jan 24 (Friday), DB1-R due Jan 26
2	Jan 27-Feb 2	Chapter 2 + BSG Introduction	1
3	Feb 3-9	BSG Intro Optional Zoom Session				Feb 5 (Wednesday) from 7:00-8:00 pm
3	Feb 3-9	Chapters 3 & 4	2	DB2-I&R	P-Y11	DB2-I due Feb 6, rest due Feb 9
4	Feb 10-16	BSG P-Y11 Optional Zoom Session				Feb 12 (Wednesday) from 7:00-8:00 pm
		Chapters 5	3	DB3-I	P-Y12	Everything due Feb 16
		Team Contract				Due Feb 16
5	Feb 17-23	BSG P-Y12 Optional Zoom Session				Feb 19 (Wednesday) from 7:00-8:00 pm
		BSG Practice industry data reset				Feb 20 (Thursday) at 11:59 pm
		BSG		DB4-I&R	G1-Y11	DB4-I due Feb 20, rest due Feb 23
6	Feb 24-March 2	Three Harvard articles	4	DB5-I	G1-Y12	Due March 2
7	March 3-9	Exam 1 using Respondus	Exam 1 available on March 9 (Sunday) from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm
7	March 3-9				G1-Y13	G1-Y13 due March 9
	March 10-16	Spring Recess				Nothing due this week
8	March 17-23	Chapter 7 + One Harvard article	5	DB6-I&R	G1-Y14	DB5-I due March 20, rest due March 23
9	March 24-30	Chapters 6 & 8	6	DB7-I	G1-Y15	Due March 30
10	March 31-April 6	Chapters 9 & 10	7		G1-Y16 & G1-Y17	G1-Y16 due April 3, rest due April 6
11	April 7-13	Chapter 11 & Written assignment 1				Written assignment 1 due April 13
12	April 14-20	BSG Game 2 Set Up				April 16 (Wednesday) beginning 12:00 pm
12	April 14-20	Case: The a2 Milk Company	8	DB8-I&R	G2-Y11	DB8-I due April 17, rest due April 20
13	April 21-27	Case: Brighter Smiles for the masses	9	DB9-I&R	G2-Y12 & G2-Y13	DB9-I and G2-Y12 due April 24 DB9-R and G2-Y13 due April 27
14	April 28-May 4	Case: Cilkray Graphics + One academic article	10	DB10-I	G2-Y14	Everything due May 4
15	May 5-10	Exam 2 using Respondus	Exam 2 available on May 10 (Saturday) from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm [Exam 2 is not on a Sunday]
15	May 5-10				G2-Y15	G2-Y15 due May 10 (Saturday) [Again, it is not Sunday]

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