STRATEGIC BUSINESS POLICIES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

1999-2000 Academic Year

Faculty: Cynthia Kennedy (x 5009) SE3164

Dean Olson (x 6433) SE3152

Akihito Nishide (x 6593) SE3124

 

This program is shaped by the belief that liberal arts graduates bring a special kind of talent to the study and practice of business management. Liberal arts graduates are 'big picture' thinkers. They are skilled at framing the larger issues that often drive strategic thinking in public and private organizations. Liberal arts graduates, and Evergreen graduates in particular, learn how to use collaborative processes which enable them to span and build upon differences between theory and application, ethnicity, gender, and discipline. They do this by becoming strong critical thinkers and active listeners. They do this by communicating ideas clearly in written format and oral forum, and by reasoning about ethical principles and moral outcomes. A liberal arts graduate will know enough about finance, marketing, organizational behavior and other disciplines to know when this expertise is needed and how to get it, but will not devote the bulk of their educational resources to any given area of specialized knowing. Their special skill is in putting the elements together into a comprehensive strategic plan which will be competitively successful and ethically consistent with their sense of what is right, just and fair.

The Strategic Business Policy program aims to make meaningful progress toward these learning objectives:

(1) writing clear and well structured essays and reports;

(2) listening actively and reading effectively;

(3) expressing ideas clearly and supporting argumentation effectively;

(4) developing strategic planning skills;

(5) refining small group interaction skills;

(6) defining ethical parameters for business policy makers.

This is a full time year long coordinated study program. The program seeks to identify the larger social, political, economic and environmental issues shaping business policy as we enter the 21st century. Each week contains a book seminar, a lecture and discussion period, and two skill-strengthening workshops. Weekly seminar response papers, team case reports, and periodic workshop submittals are required. A larger term research paper is required in the fall term (individual submittals) and in the winter term (group submittals). Periodic conferences with faculty members about research and writing are expected. Spring term submittals will emerge from a computer model through which student groups will simulate strategic planning and implementation in a competitive industry with operations in several countries.

Fall quarter

Plan for a two-day overnight retreat the second week of fall quarter. At the retreat we will get acquainted using 'challenge course' techniques and staff trainers. The retreat is required of all students because it is here that teams will be finalized. Much of the work throughout the year is performed in teams. Hence the formation process is quite important to you. Fall quarter workshops will focus on basic tools you will need to conduct strategic policy analysis. Several workshops will deal with finance and accounting. Others will examine organizational behavior, or marketing. Seminar readings focus on a range of larger issues that influence strategic success. Each student must bring a one-page response paper to each seminar. In this paper you should select a leading issue examined in the reading and, drawing specifically from the text, illustrate how the author develops that issue. Response papers are analytical and demonstrate the depth of your readership and illustrate your critical thinking. If you do not have a response paper you may be asked to leave the room. You must also post your seminar response paper on WEB-CT and you are required to comment on at least one response paper posted on WEB-CT each week. WEB-CT is a method of extending seminar discussion and providing a higher profile to your critical reasoning skills. Each of you will be asked to maintain an academic journal throughout the year. We will discuss journal writing at the retreat.

Case study teams will examine selected strategic policy cases in the text. The titles of selected cases and the submittal schedule for case reports is shown below. We will use some of our Thursday workshop periods to discuss policy cases and highlight key features of the strategic management text. A 'Guide to case analysis' is contained in the text and is also on-line at the publisher's web site. The guide is very useful to successful preparation of case reports. There are other resources available to you on-line at the publisher's web site (mhhe.com/thompson). The college has subscribed to Hoovers, a very helpful web site for company and industry data as well as for some financial analysis. You will find a link to Hoovers, and other helpful resources, on our program Web C/T installation. Each team will create and maintain a web site on Web C/T. Case reports and comments to them will be posted on Web C/T.

Each student is expected to submit a five to ten page paper during week nine of the term. In this paper we want you to select a company whose strategic business policies, financial statements, and industry context you examine in some detail. The common stock of the company should be broadly held and available to the public on an organized stock exchange. This ensures that financial statements are available to you through the Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR) and that information about the industry is also readily available. The paper must demonstrate your complete understanding of concepts in the text by including (at minimum): (1) an examination of how effectively the firm performs strategy-making tasks; (2) an analysis of industry structure and the firm's strategic position within the industry; (3) an analysis of the firm's internal and external strengths and weaknesses; and (4) a forecast of strategic and financial outcomes for the first three years of the 21st century.

Finally, you will be asked to agree to the terms of a program covenant. The covenant describes the rights and responsibilities we share in the program as members of a learning community.