Representative Syllabus for MGT 496

Instructor: Dr. Jim Sundali Office: 401D Business Administration Class: MW 4:00-5:15 p.m. AB 108 Office Hours: MW 2:30-4:00 Phone: 775-682-9176 E-mail: jsundali@unr.edu Web Site: http://www.business.unr.edu/sundali/ WebCampus http://wcl.unr.edu Fax: 775-784-1769

Catalog Description

Emphasis on the application of knowledge from all functional areas of business to organizational problems and the formulation and implementation of organizational strategies. (Major Capstone course.) Prereq(s): CH 201; ENG 102; FIN 301; MGT 323; SCM 352; junior or senior standing.

Course Overview

The theme of this course is the development and implementation of strategic missions, plans, objectives and tactics. You will develop strategic plans and engage in strategic management. We will integrate the knowledge you have acquired to this point in order to develop an understanding of how an entire organization functions and give you an opportunity to develop and exhibit your leadership abilities. Prerequisites: IS 301, FIN 301, MGT 323, SCM 352, and MGT 325 or ACC 460 Course Learnings Objectives MGT 496 will serve as a University Capstone Course, and will also serve as the coordinating course to satisfy the Ethics component of the Silver Core Curriculum. As such this course will satisfy the following three Core Objectives:

CO12 Ethics: Students will demonstrate understanding of the ethical principles in general or in application of specialized knowledge, results of research, creative expression, or design processes. Students will demonstrate an ability to recognize, articulate, and apply ethical principles in various academic, professional, social, or personal contexts.

CO13 Integration and Synthesis: Students will be able to integrate and synthesize Core knowledge, enabling them to analyze open-ended problems or complex issues.

CO14 Application: Students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge and skills developed in

previous Core and major classes by completing a project or structured experience of practical significance.

In addition to satisfying these core objectives, MGT 496 will further develop competency in these learning objectives:

1. CO1: Students will be able to effectively compose written, oral, and multimedia texts for a variety of scholarly, professional, and creative purposes.

2. To apply and integrate your knowledge from accounting, economics, finance, marketing, information systems, and management in order to improve your ability to make strategic decisions.

To convey these ideas and practice these skills, a variety of teaching methods will be used including lectures, in-class exercises, computer games, tests and quizzes, written and oral presentations, case analysis, and class discussion. Your enrollment in this class is evidence that you have successfully navigated your way through a college education. As such, I have high expectations concerning your attitude and behavior in this class. I assume that each of you is a responsible, thinking adult who wants to do his/her best. I also assume that each of you has knowledge and creative ideas that are valuable and that should be shared with the rest this class. Given these beliefs, I expect that each of you will be an active, intelligent and mature participant in class. Required Readings: Author Title Publisher ISBN Thompson Strategy: Core Concepts

and Analytical Approaches McGraw Hill Part of Business Strategy

Game Simulation

Each instructor of MGT 496 can choose their own textbook for the class but the textbook should cover the following topics: 1. Overview of strategic management; 2. External Analysis including Five Forces Model of Environmental Threats; 4. Industry Structure and Environmental Opportunities; 5. Internal Analysis; 6. Resource based view of the firm; 7. Business Level Strategies including Cost Leadership and Product Differentiation; 8. Corporate Level Strategies including Vertical Integration, Corporate Diversification and International Strategies; 8. Strategic implementation issues including organizational structure, culture and incentive systems. 9. Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethics. Thompson and Strappenback

The Business Strategy Game: Online Edition.

McGraw-Hill www.bsg-online.com

Each instructor must assign a business strategy simulation exercise. The instructor can choose either the Business Strategy Game or Globus. Harvard Cases from Harvard

Business School Publishing Course link: https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/access/28244134

The course will be taught using the “case method.” Each instructor should assign between 10-13 real world cases. These cases will detail the external and internal operating environments of an organization. These cases will allow for the application of theoretical material to real world issue. Sundali Lecture Notes Webcampus: http://wcl.unr.edu

Assignments Based upon data gathered from students, faculty, alumni, recruiters and employers, there is consensus that there are various learning outcomes a business graduate should master prior to graduation. Since this is the capstone course for business graduates, the assignments have been structured to assess and improve on many of these important learning objectives. Assignment % of Total Comments Class Contributions Grade 20% You should plan to contribute to case

discussions in almost every class. For each case you will need to complete a quiz

before class on Webcampus at: http://wcl.unr.edu

You will make a 4-5 minute individual presentation to the class on an assigned day.

Exams (3) 25% In addition to testing mastery of course material, the exams will assess students ability to recognize, articulate, and apply ethical principles in a business context.

Final: Strategic Audit and Presentation

20% Work must be sufficient to satisfy CO13 Integration and Synthesis Learning Objective

Business Strategy Game 25% Work must be sufficient to satisfy CO14 Application Learning Objective

Individual Assignments 10% Individual Humanities and Leadership Paper – see schedule

Game Theory Assignment – see schedule Total 100% Grades will be assigned based upon the following standards: % Required 92 90 88 83 80 78 73 70 68 63 60 Grades A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D-

The table below lists each of the important learning objectives/skills and each of the assignments in this class. A indicates that the assignment is designed to assess/improve your knowledge/skill regarding this learning objective.

Learning

Objective/Skills (Alphabetical Order)

Assignment Class

Contrib. Exams Strategic

Audit BSG Writing

Assign. Group Partic.

Application of Theory Creativity

Computer Aptitude Critical Thinking Cultural Diversity

Discipline and Motivation Ethics Facts

Global Awareness Inquisitiveness

Integration Leadership

Oral Communication Quantitative

Teamwork/People Skills Theory

Written Communication

Class Contribution Grade The structure of this class may be somewhat different from most of the other classes you have taken. We will employ “case method” and engage in discussion. Briefly, “The philosophical approach taken in discussion is one of inductive, autonomous, active, cooperative learning for the student. Students spend most of their class time in interactive discussion of cases that they read and prepare for discussion before class” (Corner & Corner, 2000). One theory of learning posits that learning is a process or cycle with four steps: abstract conceptualization, active experimentation, concrete experience, and reflective observation. Traditional teaching that is focused on lecturing generally helps a student with abstract conceptualization. Discussion teaching attempts to bring all four steps into the classroom. “By structuring, presenting, and sustaining arguments, students introduce ideas from which other students draw by relating them to their own ideas thus further enhancing their own learning. Collective and personal observation is then forthcoming. This advances the learning cycle in class” Corner and Corner, 2000).

Given all this, the following principles are fundamental to this class: 1. A discussion class is a partnership in which students and the instructor share the responsibilities and power

of teaching and the privilege of learning together. 2. A discussion group must evolve from a collection of individuals into a learning community with shared

values and common goals. This means that we are all in this together. The success of the class will depend on the level of involvement, preparedness, and enthusiasm each of us brings to class. A variety of classroom discussion techniques will be used during the class to facilitate discussion. Sometimes you will contribute as an individual and sometimes as part of a team. Sometimes you will be "cold-called" or "warm-called" and asked to provide relevant commentary.

For this class to run successfully, you must come to class prepared. In addition to completing all of the assigned reading prior to coming to class, you should be prepared to offer original and thoughtful analysis in which your claims are supported by evidence, logic, and possible calculations. For each reading, you should be able to summarize the reading, provide relevant commentary, and offer insightful questions to extend discussion of the reading. For a case, you must do more than just read the case during the last minute before class (see handout). A discussion with a few classmates prior to class and/or a trip to the website of the company and related companies would typically be advised.

Since in order to contribute to the class you must be in class, attendance may be taken at the beginning of each class. Any unexcused absence may result in a 3% deduction to your class contributions grade. While I recognize that many of you are working and have other important obligations to attend to, if you miss a discussion class the entire group suffers from your absence. If you do not think you can make a commitment to this class than you are encouraged to drop or be willing to accept the consequences.

To help you prepare for case discussions, a question will be posed for each case requiring your response. You should provide a short answer to this question through Webcampus (http:wcl.unr.edu Your answers on these questions will become part of your class contributions grade. The deadline for submitting your answers in 5:00 p.m.on the day of the assigned case.

As part of your class contribution grade, you will be asked to make a presentation to the class on a relevant management reading. In your presentation you should briefly summarize the article and highlight the most important points, and you should explain why this article is important for students/practitioners of strategic management. Your presentation should be around 5 minutes; you will be cut off if you go too long. I encourage you to utilize all the presentation skills you have acquired, to make use of the available technology, and to give to your classmates 5 minutes of useful knowledge. You should also provide each member of the class a one-page summary of the article highlighting the most important points. The following rubric will be used to give you feedback on your presentation.

Overall Class Contributions Grade: The “case method” of teaching requires that you actively participate in case discussions in class. Simply doing well on the case quiz/short answer questions is not enough to earn an “A” on class contributions. Your class contribution grade will depend heavily on both the quality and quantity of in-class contributions. "Persuasion" and "reasoned opinion" will be valued over simply conversing and novel and creative ideas are always a plus. Individual contribution grades will be assigned based on a class curve. Here is a rough guideline on the assignment of class contributions grades: Assignment Value in Class Contribution Grade Classroom Participation (thus attendance) High Classroom Presentation Medium Grades on Case Quizzes Medium

“A” Students – Earn above average grades on the case quiz/short answer questions AND consistently enhance in-class case discussions with above average insights and creative commentary, AND have few or no absences from class, AND deliver an above average individual presentation to the class.

“B” Students - Earn above to average grades on the case quiz/short answer questions, AND/OR consistently are willing to participate in-class case discussions, AND have few or no absences from class, AND deliver an individual presentation to the class.

“C and Below” Students - Earn below average grades on the before class case quiz/short answer questions AND/OR rarely if ever contribute to case discussions AND/OR have numerous absences from class AND/OR deliver a significantly below average individual presentation to the class.

Exams Each exam may consist of multiple choice/true false questions, and/or short answers or essay questions, and/or story problems and/or case analysis questions. You will be provided with a study guide prior to each exam. For the most part, each exam is not cumulative. The exams in MGT 496 will be used to partially assess CO12, the Ethics objective in the Silver Core Curriculum.

CO12 Ethics: Students will demonstrate understanding of the ethical principles in general or in application of specialized knowledge, results of research, creative expression, or design processes. Students will demonstrate an ability to recognize, articulate, and apply ethical principles in various academic, professional, social, or personal contexts.

The learning objectives of Chapter 9 of Strategy: Core Concepts and Analytical Approaches include:

1. Understand where ethical standards come from 2. Learn what drives companies to sometimes pursue unethical strategies and business people to

sometimes engage in unethical conduct. 3. Thoughtfully consider whether and why company strategies should be ethical and whether it is

important for company personnel to display high ethical standards in conducting the company’s business.

4. Become familiar with the concepts of corporate social responsibility, corporate citizenship; and environmental sustainability.

5. Decide whether and why businesses should have a social responsibility strategy, display good corporate citizenship, and adopt environmentally sustainable business practices.

Students will be assessed on the exam with multiple choice questions to demonstrate understanding of the key concepts inherent in these learning objectives. In addition, will asked to apply these concepts to the facts of a case and to provide an ethically defensible resolution to the ethical problem presented. For example, one of the assigned cases in the class concerns the company Ikea and how they are dealing with purchasing carpets from suppliers in India and Pakistan that employ child labor. Students will need to assess what Ikea has done and what they should do in order to reach and ethically defensible outcome. Note: The College of Business has decided to distribute the teaching of ethics throughout the curriculum in order to satisfy the CO12. MGT 496 will serve as the coordinating course that satisfies and assesses CO12. Ethics will be taught throughout the COBA core curriculum in the following six required core courses: FIN 301, IS 301, MGT 323, MGT 325 or ACC 460, MGT 496, SCM 352. Each of these classes will spend a minimum of two classes (2.5 hours of class contact time) on the topic of ethics with a cumulative result is 15 contacts hours of ethics coverage. Strategic Audit This assignment will be a major component used to assess whether the following learning objective has been met:

CO13 Integration and Synthesis: Students will be able to integrate and synthesize Core knowledge, enabling them to analyze open-ended problems or complex issues.

In completing this assignment students should demonstrate mastery of the following learning objectives:

CO1: Students will be able to effectively compose written, oral, and multimedia texts for a variety of scholarly, professional, and creative purposes.

CO2: Students will be critical consumers of information, able to engage in systematic research

processes, frame questions, read critically, and apply observational and experimental approaches to obtain information.

In addition, this assignment should also demonstrate your ability to:

make connections between and apply theories from prior business coursework in the development of the strategic audit

demonstrate inclusion and understanding of the interplay among different disciplinary fields in understanding and analyzing the external and internal environments of the organization

The specifics of this assignment include the following. As a member of a team, you are required to perform a strategic audit on a company of your choice. In performing your analysis, you should put your team in the position of a consulting group. You have hired by the Board of Directors to conduct this strategic audit. You are to determine whether the organization's strategy is effective, and to provide specific advice and implementation ideas on how to improve the firm's strategy. There is no one right way to conduct a strategic audit. How you conduct the audit depends largely upon the company, the industry, and the level of analysis. You should tailor your audit to your specific firm. As a guideline your audit should be organized around the following topics and provide detailed answers to the following questions:

Recommended Page Guidelines for Written Report

6. Executive Summary (1 page) – This summarizes the issues uncovered with this organization and your strategic recommendations.

7. Introduction (1 page) - A short background on the organization and industry 8. A SWOT Analysis of the Organization (6 pages) - Determine the firms strengths, weakness,

opportunities and threat. 1. External Environment/Industry Analysis (Opportunities and Threats) (3 pages)–

Describe the structure of the industry within which the firm operates. How attractive is the primary industry this firm operates in? Has this industry generated above average returns in the past and is it likely to generate above average returns in the future? Please provide specific data to answer these questions. You need industry profitability and cost of capital measures to draw these conclusions. A Porter’s Five Forces analysis may be appropriate here. Identify and analyze the organization’s key competitors, their strengths, and strategic objectives. What are the key success factors necessary for success in this industry? That is, what macro variables largely determine which firms earn above average returns in this industry?

2. Internal Environment Analysis – (Strengths and Weaknesses) (6 pages) - What has been the firm’s primary strategy, how well has it been working, and why has it been performing such? First, identify the basic business model and strategy the firm has been using. Second, provide a detailed financial analysis, both on a cross sectional and longitudinal basis (3 years minimum if possible), to determine whether or not this firm has generated positive economic value. In your analysis you should assess how a firm can improve its financial performance on measures such as ROE, ROA, profit margin, sales growth, etc. Third, identify the reasons behind why this firm’s strategy has been generating below, average, or above-average profitability. What are the resources and drivers of performance? Does the firms have strengths that are valuable, rare, and costly to imitate?

9. Strategic Recommendations and Action Plan – (4 pages) 1. Based upon your analyses of the industry and the company, develop conclusions and

offer specific recommendations and an action plan concerning what this firm should do over the next 2-5 year time period. The conclusions and recommendations you make should be backed up by logical arguments supported by rigorous quantitative and qualitative arguments. Where possible, use the tools you have been taught to strengthen your argument. Continually ask yourself, “does this argument make sense,” and, “if this were my money would I follow this advice?”

10. Implementation Plan – (2 pages) provide a realistic time line for the implementation of your recommendations over the next 1-5 years

Your paper should not exceed 20 pages (including everything except references). Please take note of the page guidelines for each section as they convey the importance I place on each section. The most important section, and the one you should give the most thought to, is strategic recommendations. I am most interested in the strategies you think this organization should pursue going forward. You paper should not be a report of what the organization has done in the past, rather it should be a thoughtful argument of what the organization should do in the future. Strategy is about the future, reports are about the past. It is important that you pick a firm for which you can gather detailed financial and strategic information. If you do not have access to all the relevant information your analysis will suffer. You will not face this problem if you pick a Fortune 500 company. I would recommend you pick a company that is primarily focused in one business segment.

Library Resources. The library has some very useful resources such as Standard and Poor’s Industry Surveys, Moody’s and various data bases. Please utilize the resources of the library and do not assume that a Google search will get you everything you need. Your paper is required to have at least 15 distinct sources/references. Restrictions. You cannot select any of the firms whose cases are discussed in class. No two groups can do the same firm (allocated on a first come/first serve basis – signup blog is on WebCampus). You are encouraged to discuss with me a detailed outline of your audit before the half-way point of the class. I will provide you with feedback on your audit based upon the information you in your outline. Teams that have turned in outlines tend to do better than those that do not. You are required to turn in a professional report and to give a presentation to the class on your findings. The paper is due on the last class meeting.

Business Strategy Game This assignment will be used to assess whether the following learning objective has been met:

CO14 Application: Students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge and skills developed in previous Core and major classes by completing a project or structured experience of practical significance.

The key student learning outcome for this assignment is that you apply the business knowledge and skills you have learned to this point (based on reading your textbook and completing application cases) to demonstrate you can successfully operate a simulated business. As a member of a 2-4 person team, you will participate in a computerized interactive business strategy game. This game will require your team to make all the appropriate decisions concerning the production and sale of athletic shoes. Here is an introduction to the exercise from the BSG Player’s Guide:

“Welcome to the The Business Strategy Game. You and your co‐managers are taking over the operation of an athletic footwear company that is in a neck‐and‐neck race for global market leadership, competing against rival athletic  footwear  companies  run  by  other  class members. All  footwear  companies  presently  have  the  same worldwide market share and the same market shares  in each of the four geographic market regions—Europe‐Africa, Asia‐Pacific,  Latin America, and North America. Currently, your  company  is  selling over 5 million pairs annually.  In  the  just‐completed  year,  your  company  had  revenues  of  $238 million  and  net  earnings  of  $25 million, equal to $2.50 per share of common stock. The company  is  in sound financial condition,  is performing well,  and  its  products  are well‐regarded.  Your  company’s  board  of  directors  has  charged  you  and  your  co‐managers with developing a winning competitive strategy—one that capitalizes on continuing consumer interest in athletic footwear, keeps the company in the ranks of the industry leaders, and boosts the company’s earnings year‐after‐year.” 

Key elements of this assignment include:

Your team will spend the first three weeks of semester learning how the simulation game operates and how to make the operating decisions of the company

Your team will then operate the company for 10 years, making the annual operating decisions for the company once each week

Your team will be competing against the other teams in the class You will be evaluated both on an absolute basis (did you company meet minimum investor

expectations) and on a relative basis (how well do you do compared to the other teams in the class

It is essential/vital/critical/important for your grade/performance on this assignment that you and your team members be familiar with the game by the time we begin play. It has been my experience that teams that understand the game prior to the start of play tend to do better than those that don’t. This requires that you and your team members read the entire “Player’s Manual” prior to the start of the game. If you don’t know how the game works, it will be difficult for you to plot an effective strategy. Grade: Your grade on the BSG assignment will be based upon the following elements: BSG Element Individual or Team Weight BSG Quiz 1 Individual 5% Investor Expectations Standard Team 37.5% Best-In-Industry Performance Standard Team 37.5% Individual and Peer Evaluation Individual 20%

Total 100% Note on Peer Evaluation: To encourage active and constructive participation on this BSG team assignment, you will be evaluated by other team members. At the end of the simulation you will asked a series of questions to evaluate yourself and each of your team members. If your group is having a problem maximizing their joint efforts, I expect that you should first try and remedy the situation using the skills you have learned as business students. If this does not work, the group should arrange a meeting with me. I fully expect that each team member will put out the amount of effort required by the team and that each member should receive full credit from his or her group. The Business Strategy Game Hall of Fame - A select number of team(s) will be elected to the Business Strategy Game Hall of Fame. Inductees will have their names engraved on a plaque that will hang in perpetuity somewhere in the College of Business.

Individual Writing Assignment

The following are excerpts from syllabi distributed by the Hartwick Humanities in Management Institute regarding courses using literature and film to teach management and leadership. The basic premise of this special topics course is that the humanities - - and literature in particular - - are

highly relevant to the study and practice of leadership, particularly in a college (and a University) which emphasizes the importance of the liberal arts and of multidisciplinary teaching/learning. All too often, scholars and practitioners accept the assumption that leadership is solely the province of the social sciences and the business schools, thus limiting the field of leadership studies to a narrow frame of reference and depriving it of the political enlightenment other areas can offer. As David Campbell puts it, "Listening to a social scientist talk about leadership is like listening to a physicist talk about rainbows." Obviously we need to look at leadership - - its aesthetic properties; its relationship to values/morality/ethics; its ambiguities, paradoxes, ironies; its association with vision, imagination, empathy, reflection, metaphorical thinking, synthesizing; and so on - - from multiple points of view, one of which is afforded by the non-academic but often powerfully moving “speaking pictures" of fiction and selected non-fiction. It is from such a perspective that the poet Percy Bysshe Shelly - - reflecting upon vision, passion, influence, and change - - argued that "poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world." From such a perspective, too, another poet, Sir Philip Sidney, argued that literature, with its ability to move man to "virtuous action," concerns "the end of well doing and not of well knowing only," or to introduce the parallel purpose of the Jepson School, it can teach both "for and about leadership."

This course is based on the fundamental belief that there is much to be learned about management and

leadership from mankind's greatest texts and films - - books of history, biography, drama, philosophy, and literature. It is not enough for Hartwick graduates to be competent in the specialized skills of managing. Although marketing, accounting, finance, operations, and human resources constitute the minimum entry requirements for a career in managing organizations, research clearly shows that what separates leaders from managers has more to do with such things as vision, communications ability, understanding interpersonal behavior, creativity, and even a sense of humility. Such concepts are rarely treated in traditional management texts, but they are the elemental stuff of the liberal arts and the humanities.

In this spirit, you are asked to read a book and/or a play, and/or view a film, and/or read a serious poem, and consider how this work informs us on the topics of management and/or leadership. The paper must be typed and double-spaced. Your paper should have QUALITY rather than length but try to fit it in 3-5 pages. Penalties will be assessed to papers that are too long or too short. Use your judgment. The paper does not have to be all prose, you can be creative with your paper. Below are listed the works available to you for the semester. After reviewing the work, at a minimum you should address the questions posed. If the work moves you and you feel you have additional insights to add, please do so. Choose one of the following four topics: Topic 1: Poetic Interpretation - Robert Frost wrote "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by. And that has made all the difference." A good strategic manager must figure out which road will make all the difference. Since much of strategic management is an art and not a science, poets may have much to say to help out strategic managers. This assignment asks you to select a poem by a serious poet (Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Maya Angelou, Wendell Berry, Billy Collins, your favorite--if in doubt ask me) and interpret the poem in the context of strategic management. What insight does this poem offer strategic managers? Please attach the complete poem with your analysis. Topic 2: View one of the following films and answer the associated questions.

Film Questions Twelve O’Clock High (1949)

Discuss and critique the central theme of this movie What do Colonel Davenport and General Savage teach us about

leadership? Master and Commander (2003)

Discuss and critique the central theme of this movie. What does Captain Jack movie teach us about leadership?

The Contender (2000) Discuss and critique the central theme of this movie. What does this Laine Hansen teach us about gender and leadership?

The Matrix (1999) Keanu Reeves

Discuss and critique the central theme of this movie. How does this movie relate to Plato’s allegory of the cave? What do Neo and Morpheus teach us about leadership?

The Kings Speech (2010) Discuss and critique the central theme of this film. What does this story have to teach managers/leaders?

The Iron Lady (2011) 1. Discuss and critique the central theme of this film. 2. What does this story have to teach managers/leaders?

Lincoln (2012) 1. Discuss and critique the central theme of this film. 2. What does this story have to teach managers/leaders?

Topic 3: Read one of the following books and answer the associated questions.

Book Questions to Consider Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad 1. Discuss and critique the central theme of this book.

2. What do Marlow and Kurtz have to teach managers/leaders? Nobility of Spirit by Rob Rieman 1. Discuss and critique the central theme of this book.

2. Would leaders be better or worse if they had nobility of spirit? The Ajax Dilemma by Paul Woodruff 1. Discuss and critique the central theme of this book.

2. Discuss fairness and justice. 3. What does a leader need to do to be just?

Topic 4: Read one of the following plays and answer the associated questions.

4. Play Questions

All My Son’s by Arthur Miller

1. Discuss and critique the central theme of this play. 2. Which character(s) is the most ethical and unethical in this play? Why

do you think good people make bad decisions? Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

1. What is your conception of the American Dream? How does it differ from Willy’s?

2. What did you learn from this play that applies to being a manager/leader?

Arcadia by Tom Stoppard 1. Discuss and critique the central theme of this play. Some themes discussed in this play include: 1) the conflict between reason and emotion; 2) chaos theory; 3) the quest for knowledge; and 4) romanticism vs. classicism.

2. What does this play teach us about being a better manager/leader? A scoring rubric to evaluate your papers is at the end of the syllabus.

Notice to Those of Dishonor. “Duty, Honor, Country” – That is the motto of the United States Military Academy. While this might not be your motto, I hope that we can all live up to the highest standards of ethical behavior. And now a word to the unwise. On an all too frequent basis, a student will turn in work that is not their own. Some bought papers from outside sources, whiles others will say they had their mothers, brothers, friends etc. "help them just a little bit." It is not difficult to detect such fraudulent work. While it saddens me to do so, I must issue this warning: If you turn in work that is not you're own and I catch you, I will take appropriate action. If you have to fail anything in this class, make it a test or a paper. I can help you improve your performance on these. If you fail in a test of your character, I can only pity you. The following appears in the Student Code of Conduct: http://www.unr.edu/stsv/acdispol.html

Academic dishonesty is against university as well as the system community standards. Academic dishonesty is defined as: cheating, plagiarism or otherwise obtaining grades under false pretenses. Plagiarism is defined as submitting the language, ideas, thoughts or work of another as one's own; or assisting in the act of plagiarism by allowing one's work to be used in this fashion. Cheating is defined as (l) obtaining or providing unauthorized information during an examination through verbal, visual or unauthorized use of books, notes, text and other materials; (2) obtaining or providing information concerning all or part of an examination prior to that examination; (3) taking an examination for another student, or arranging for another person to take an exam in one's place; (4) altering or changing test answers after submittal for grading, grades after grades have been awarded, or other academic records once these are official. Disciplinary procedures for incidents of academic dishonesty may involve both academic action and administrative action for behavior against the campus regulations for student conduct. The procedures involve the determination by the faculty member pursuing concerns over alleged cheating or plagiarism as to whether administrative action is warranted, in addition to making a determination as to any academic consequence. Academic action may include: (1) cancelling the student's enrollment in the class without a grade; (2) filing a final grade of "F"; (3) awarding a failing mark on the test or paper in question; (4) requiring the student to retake the test or resubmit the paper.

Note that when turning in a paper with your name on it you are responsible for all the information contained in the paper. Even if only one person in a group chooses to plagiarize his/her section of the work, all members of the group will be punished for the violation. Before you turn in any work with your name on it you should be sure that the work is legitimate. Statement on Audio and Video Recording: Surreptitious or covert video-taping of class or unauthorized audio recording of class is prohibited by law and by Board of Regents policy. This class may be videotaped or audio recorded only with the written permission of the instructor. In order to accommodate students with disabilities, some students may have been given permission to record class lectures and discussions. Therefore, students should understand that their comments during class may be recorded. Miscellaneous Do you have documented disability? Contact the Disability Resources Center at 784-6000 for information about accommodations for students with disabilities.

Tentative Course Schedule Date Topic Assigned Readings: May 19

Introduction Class Overview, Ice Breaker, Introductory Lecture

Business Strategy Game (BSG) Chapter 1 The Art of Strategy Ch. 1

The Business Strategy Game BSG Players Manual

May 20

Lecture/Discussion: Vision & Mission BSG Chapter 2 Harvard Business Case: Ben & Jerry’s

1. Building Your Company's Vision. By: Collins, James C.; Porras, Jerry I., Harvard Business Review, Sep/Oct96, Vol. 74 Issue 5, p65, 13p, 2 charts, 1bw.

2. Can You Say What Your Strategy Is? Preview By: Collis, David J.; Rukstad, Michael G.. Harvard Business Review, Apr2008, Vol. 86 Issue 4, p82-90, 9p.

Lecture/Discussion: Corporate Social Responsibility & Ethical Reasoning

BSG Chapter 9 (Strategy, Ethics, and Social Responsibility)

IKEA 3. The pyramid of corporate social responsibility: Toward... By: Carroll, Archie B..

Business Horizons, Jul/Aug91, Vol. 34 Issue 4, p39, 10p. 4. The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits. Milton Friedman, The

New York Times Magazine September 13, 1970

May 21

Lecture: Performance and Industry and Competitive Analysis

IKEA continued… BSG Chapter 3

5. CREATING SHARED VALUE. By: Porter, Michael E.; Kramer, Mark R.. Harvard Business Review, Jan/Feb2011, Vol. 89 Issue 1/2, p62-77, 16p

6. Innovating for Shared Value. Authors: Pfitzer, Marc; Bockstette, Valerie; Stamp, Mike. Source: Harvard Business Review. Sep2013, Vol. 91 Issue 9, p2-9.

Discussion: Industry and Competitive Analysis

Cola Wars Continue, 2010

7. BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY. By: Kim, W. Chan; Mauborgne, Renée. Harvard Business Review, Oct2004, Vol. 82 Issue 10, p76-84, 9p,

8. How Industries Change; McGahan, Anita M.; Harvard Business School Publishing; Harvard Business Review; 10/01/2004; (9 pages)

May 22

Discussion: Industry and Competitive Analysis

Apple Inc. in 2012

9. When One Business Model Isn't Enough. Authors: Casadesus-Masanell, Ramon; Tarziján, Jorge. Source: Harvard Business Review. Jan/Feb2012, Vol. 90 Issue 1/2, p132-137. 5p.

10. A Dynamic View of Strategy. Markides. MIT Sloan Management Review 40(3):55-63 (Spring 1999)

11. The Real Leadership Lessons of Steve Jobs. By: Isaacson, Walter. Harvard Business Review. Apr2012, Vol. 90 Issue 4, p92-102.

May 23

Catch Up and Review Exam 1

May 26

Memorial Day – No Class

May 27

Lecture/Discussion: Strategic Positioning and the Resource Based View of the Firm

BSG Chapter 4

12. Competing on Resources. Preview By: Collis, David J.; Montgomery, Cynthia A.. Harvard Business Review, Jul-Aug2008, Vol. 86 Issue 7/8, p140-150, 10p

13. When You've Got to Cut Costs Now.Full Text Available By: Coyne, Kevin P.; Coyne, Shawn T.; Coyne, Sr., Edward J.. Harvard Business Review, May2010, Vol. 88 Issue 5, p74-82

Lecture/Discussion: Strategy Formulation: Business Competitive Strategies - Cost Leadership

BSG Chapter 5 Southwest Airlines

14. Heskett. Putting the Service-Profit Chain to Work. Harvard Business Review 86(07/08):118-129 (July/August 2008). Pages: 118-129

15. Bryan. The New Metrics of Corporate Performance: Profit Per Employee. McKinsey Quarterly (2007). 1:56-65. Pages: 56-65

May 28

Discussion: Strategy Formulation: Business Competitive Strategies – Differentiation

Patagonia

16. Design Thinking. Preview By: Brown, Tim. Harvard Business Review, Jun2008, Vol. 86 Issue 6, p84-92, 9p, 1 diagram, 2 illustrations, 7 color; (AN 32108052)

17. Innovating Through DESIGN. By: Verganti, Roberto. Harvard Business Review, Dec2006, Vol. 84 Issue 12, p114-122.

Lecture: Game Theory: Sequential and Simultaneous Games

The Art of Strategy 2, 3

18. The two faces of Adam Smith. By: Smith, Vernon L.. Southern Economic Journal, Jul98, Vol. 65 Issue 1, p2, 19p, 1 diagram, 3 graphs

19. The Unselfish Gene. By: Benkler, Yochai. Harvard Business Review, Jul/Aug2011, Vol. 89 Issue 7/8, p76-85, 10p

May 29

Lecture: The Prisoner's Dilemma, Mixed Strategies, Co-opetition

The Art of Strategy 4, 5

20. Building a Collaborative Enterprise. By: Adler, Paul; Hecksher, Charles; Prusak, Laurence. Harvard Business Review, Jul/Aug2011, Vol. 89 Issue 7/8, p94-101, 8p

21. In the Company of Givers and Takers. Authors: Grant, Adam; Source: Harvard Business Review. Apr2013, Vol. 91 Issue 4, p90-97. 8p.

22. How to Pick a Good Fight. By: Joni, Saj-nicole A.; Beyer, Damon. Harvard Business Review, Dec2009, Vol. 87 Issue 12, p48-57, 10p,

May 30

Lecture: Strategic Moves, Credibility, Brinkmanship.

The Art of Strategy 6, 7

Game Theory Homework Assign. Due Catch Up and Review Exam 2

June 2 Lecture: Global Strategy BSG Chapter 7 BRL Hardy

23. Bartlett. Going Global. Harvard Business Review; Mar/Apr2000, Vol. 78 Issue 2. 24. Ghemawat. Distance Still Matters. The Hard Reality of Global Expansion. Harvard

Business Review; Sep2001, Vol. 79 Issue 8. BRL Hardy Continued 25. What Is a Global Manager? (Classic); Bartlett, Christopher A.; Ghoshal, Sumantra;

Harvard Business School Publishing; Harvard Business Review; 08/01/2003; (9 pages) 26. Ghemawat. Managing Differences. Harvard Business Review; Mar2007, Vol. 85 Issue

3.

June 3 Lecture: Corporate Scope - Integration and Diversification

BSG Chapter 6 (Pages 117-123 only) The Walt Disney Company

27. What Panasonic Learned in China. Authors:vWakayama, Toshiro; Shintaku, Junjiro; Amano, Tomofumi. Source: Harvard Business Review. Dec2012, Vol. 90 Issue 12, p109-113. 5p.

28. Cultural Intelligence. By: Earley, P. Christopher; Mosakowski, Elaine. Harvard Business Review, Oct2004, Vol. 82 Issue 10, p139-146, 8p

29. Building Deals on Bedrock. Harding, David; Rovit, Sam. In Harvard Business Review, Case No. R0409J. Published 09/01/2004, Harvard Business School Publishing, (10 pages).

30. The Strategic Secret of Private Equity. By: Barber, Felix; Goold, Michael. Harvard Business Review, Sep2007, Vol. 85 Issue 9, p53-61, 9p, 1 diagram, 1 graph, 1c

Individual Paper (Book/Film/Play) Due June 4 Mergers and Acquisitions BSG Chapter 10

Warner Music Group 31. Growth Outside the Core. By: Zook, Chris; Allen, James. Harvard Business Review,

Dec2003, Vol. 81 Issue 12, p66, 8p. 32. The New M&A Playbook. By: Christensen, Clayton M.; Alton, Richard; Rising, Curtis;

Waldeck, Andrew. Harvard Business Review, Mar2011, Vol. 89 Issue 3, p48-57, 10p 33. How the Growth Outliers Do It. Authors: McGrath, Rita Gunther. Source: Harvard

Business Review. Jan/Feb2012, Vol. 90 Issue 1/2, p110-116. 7p Organizational Design Irizar June 5 Organizational Design Irizar Continued

BSG Chapters 12 The Lincoln Electric Company

34. Leading by Leveraging Culture. By: Chatman, Jennifer A.; Cha, Sandra Eunyoung. California Management Review, Summer2003, Vol. 45 Issue 4, p20, 15p

35. Putting people first for organizational success[a]. By: Pfeifer, Jeffrey; Veiga, John F.. Academy of Management Executive, May99, Vol. 13 Issue 2, p37, 12p, 1 chart, 2bw.

36. The Secrets to Successful STRATEGY EXECUTION.Preview (cover story) By: Neilson, Gary L.; Martin, Karla L.; Powers, Elizabeth. Harvard Business Review, Jun2008, Vol. 86 Issue 6, p60-70, 11p.

37. Power Play. Pfeffer, Jeffrey. Harvard Business Review, Jul/Aug2010, Vol. 88 Issue 7/8, p84-92,

38. How Hierarchy Can Hurt Strategy Execution. Harvard Business Review, Jul/Aug2010, Vol. 88 Issue 7/8, p74-75, 2p,

June 6 Strategic Audits Paper Due and Oral Presentations Exam 3

Case Study Questions *Quiz questions on Webcampus. Ben & Jerry’s

1. *What do you think of Ben & Jerry’s mission statement? Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the mission statement. Is it an effective mission statement?

2. Is Ben & Jerry’s a socially responsible company? Why or why not? 3. Can the soul of Ben & Jerry’s be maintained within Unilever?

IKEA’s Global Sourcing Challenge 1. *How should Marianne Barner respond to the invitation for IKEA to have a representative

appear on the upcoming broadcast of the German video program? 2. What actions should she take regarding the IKEA supply contract with Rangan Exports? 3. What long-term strategy would you suggest she take regardging IKEA’s continued operation

in India? Should the company stay or should it exit? (Be prepared to describe the impact of such a decision and how you would manage it.)

4. For those recommending that IKEA continue to source carpets in India, would you suggest that she:

a. Continue IKEA’s own monitoring and control processes or sign-up to Rugmark? b. Continue to focus only on eliminating the use of child labor in IKEA’s supply chain or

engage in broader action to address the root causes of child labor as Save the Children is urging?

Cola Wars 2010 1. *What is your forecast for the demand for carbonated soft drinks for the next five years?

Explain your reasoning. 2. Why has the soft drink industry been so profitable for concentrate producers for so long? Use

the five forces (rivalry, buyers, suppliers, threat of entry, substitutes) to help explain industry profitability.

3. Why has the soft drink industry only provided moderate profitability for bottlers? Use the five forces (rivalry, buyers, suppliers, threat of entry, substitutes) to help explain industry profitability.

4. How has the competition between Coke and Pepsi affected the industry’s profits? 5. How big is the threat of flattening demand and substitute products? 6. Will Coke and Pepsi be as profitable internationally as they have been domestically? Explain.

Apple 1. What, historically, have been Apple’s competitive advantages? 2. *Analyze the personal computer industry. Why did Apple struggle historically in PCs? 3. How sustainable is Apple’s competitive position in PCs, MP3 players, and smartphones? 4. What are Apple’s SWOTs? 5. What are Apple’s long-term prospects for the iPad? 6. What advice would you offer the new CEO Tim Cook?

Southwest Airlines 1. Describe the structure of the airline industry. Is it an attractive industry? 2. How has Southwest positioned itself in the industry; what is Southwest’s strategy? 3. *What are the key strengths and capabilities accounting for Southwest’s success? Why are the

factors you cite strengths? 4. Will Southwest be able to sustain their success given the current restructuring in the airline

industry and threats from new and existing competitors? 5. Is Southwest’s acquisition of AirTran wise? 6. Does Southwest have or can it develop a competitive advantage in the long haul market?

Patagonia 1. Evaluate Patagonia’s business model. How important to Patagonia’s business model is its

environmental position? 2. *What is your assessment of the Product Lifecycle Initiative (Reduce, Repair, Reuse and

Recycle). Is the PLI a good way for Patagonia to differentiate the brand from competitors? 3. How fast can Patagonia grow? How fast should it grow? 4. How would Patagonia’s business model differ if the company were publicly held?

BRL Hardy 1. *What are the global strategy issues for and against the proposal to launch the D’istinto line?

What do you think Steve Millar should do in this situation? 2. What are the global strategy issues with the proposals regarding Kelly’s Revenge and Banrock

Station? What would you decide to do as Christopher Carson? What would you decide to do as Steve Millar?

The Walt Disney Company 1. What are the core capabilities of Disney? Have these capabilities been used wisely in

developing a clear and coherent strategy for the Disney organization? 2. Assess Disney’s use of vertical integration and corporate diversification. Which acquisitions

have been wise and which have been foolish? Is this a strong collection of businesses in their portfolio?

3. *Should Disney acquire Pixar? Why? For how much? Warner Music Group (Confine your analysis to the facts provided in the case)

1. THLP has offered $2.6 b to take WMG private. Is this a fair price? Does this deal make financial sense?

2. *Does purchasing WMG make strategic sense? How do you see this industry and business evolving over the next 10 years?

3. Assess the proposed strategic plan put forth by THLP for WMG. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this plan?

4. Would you advise THLP to take WMG private for $2.6b? Why or why not? Irizar

1. *What’s the secret to Irizar’s success? 2. How has Irizar been able to create and sustain so much value for so long? 3. How can an unconventional business model work so well? 4. Describe Irizar’s culture, structure, and incentive systems. Are these aligned with the

company’s strategy? Lincoln Electric

1. *What are the key factors that explain the high productivity of Lincoln Electric employees? 2. Put yourself in CEO John Stropki’s shoes. Should Lincoln expand into India by investing in a

major production facility there? What competitive advantage does Lincoln Electric have in India? Explain.

3. If you were to expand into India, would you enter through acquisition, a greenfield site, or some type of joint venture? Which factors would inform your decision among these entry choices?

4. In which countries is Lincoln Electric likely to be most successful or least successful? Why? How would this guide your own choice of where to place Lincoln Electric’s production facilities abroad?

5. When Lincoln goes to India and other countries, what factors should determine how much it adapts its core incentive pay-for-performance management practices to local labor market norms? Should Lincoln follow the adage “when in Rome, do as the Romans do,” or should it seek to always replicate the recipe behind its success I the home plant in Cleveland?

Here are some generic tips (gleaned from Microsoft Powerpoint and Toastmasters) for organizing and delivering a solid oral presentation:

Organizing Your Presentation Introduction State the purpose of the discussion Identify yourself Topics of Discussion State the main ideas you’ll be talking about Specific Topics Details about this topic Supporting information and examples How it relates to your audience Real Life Give an example or real life anecdote Sympathize with the audience’s situation if appropriate What This Means Add a strong statement that summarizes how you feel or think about this topic Summarize key points you want your audience to remember

10 Tips For Successful Public Speaking (http://www.toastmasters.org/tips.htm)

Feeling some nervousness before giving a speech is natural and healthy. It shows you care about

doing well. But, too much nervousness can be detrimental. Here's how you can control your nervousness and make effective, memorable presentations:

Know the room. Be familiar with the place in which you will speak. Arrive early, walk around the

speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids. Know the audience. Greet some of the audience as they arrive. It's easier to speak to a group of friends

than to a group of strangers. Know your material. If you're not familiar with your material or are uncomfortable with it, your

nervousness will increase. Practice your speech and revise it if necessary. Relax. Ease tension by doing exercise Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear, and assured.

When you visualize yourself as successful, you will be successful Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative,

and entertaining. They don't want you to fail. Don't apologize. If you mention your nervousness or apologize for any problems you think you have

with your speech, you may be calling the audience's attention to something they hadn't noticed. Keep silent.

Concentrate on the message -- not the medium. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties, and outwardly toward your message and your audience. Your nervousness will dissipate.

Turn nervousness into positive energy. Harness your nervous energy and transform it into vitality and enthusiasm.

Gain experience. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. A Toastmasters club can provide the experience you need.

Oral Presentation Scoring Rubric for MGT 496

Scoring Criteria Needs Improvement

(0 Points) Satisfactory

(1 Point) Outstanding

(2 points)

Delivery of Presentation

1. Physical Characteristics:

Slouching, excessive/inappropriate swaying, frozen at podium.

Appropriate posture, movement, gestures, etc. No distracting rocking or swaying.

Relaxed physical presence that engages audience. Movement and body language that emphasizes key points.

2. Diction:

Poor pronunciation, audience has difficulty understanding words spoken.

Appropriate choice of words with clear and distinct pronunciation and enunciation.

Excellent use of accent, inflection, intonation, and speech-sound quality to enhance presentation.

3. Non-Words:

Noticeable use of non-words to the point that it distracts from the presentation.

An occasional but non-distracting use of a non-word such as um’s, aw’s, like, you know, etc. No noticeable use of non-words.

4. Presence:

Little or no eye contact with audience. Must consistently read from slides or prepared notes. Nervous to the point of distraction.

Adequate eye contact with audience. Occasionally refers to notes. Nerves in control, exhibits some confidence.

Establishes and maintains excellent eye contact with entire audience. Exhibits confidence in front of audience and commands presence.

5. Voice: Voice too soft for audience to hear or used inappropriately.

Voice loud enough and used appropriately.

Voice is used as a tool to enhance presentation and engage audience.

6. Appearance: Appearance distracting to presentation. Appropriate for audience and speech.

Sartorial splendor enhancing speaker image and presentation.

Content of Presentation

7. Opening Statement:

Confused and/or unorganized opening. Audience neither engaged nor informed as to content of speech.

Captures attention and interest of audience with engaging opening. Provides preview of speech.

Opening that cleverly piques audience attention and interest. Audience can’t wait to hear what comes next.

8. Organization:

Ideas are presented in a rambling manner with little logical organization. Transitions weak.

Clear and logical development of ideas, easy for active listener to follow. Smooth transitions between ideas.

Exceptionally clear, logical and thorough development of ideas. Excellent and creative transitions.

9. Content Clearly Explained:

Limited evidence to explain and/or support keys ideas. Abstract ideas presented at an inappropriate level for audience.

Primary message and thesis of presentation is understood. Difficult or complex ideas are explained at a level that is consistent with audience sophistication

Exceptional logic and language used to explain keys ideas. Audience can easily understand and remember primary thesis of presentation.

10. Creativity of Presentation:

Ideas are presented as is with little flair or use of examples.

The content and delivery of the speech is presented with originality and expressiveness. The audience is informed and engaged.

Speaker creatively presents ideas and uses relevant and engaging examples to explain. Speaker surprises audience.

11. Closing Statement:

Speaker awkwardly ends presentation with no summary or clear demarcation.

Provides an appropriate conclusion and summary of presentation.

Conclusion exciting and leaves audience with memorable summary of key ideas.

Other

12. Quality of Visual Aids:

Typographical errors on slides. Slide graphics distracting. Too much information on slides.

Informative, creative, easy-to-read, and error-free. Appropriate amount of information on slides.

Exceptional use of graphics that enhance speaker presentation and engage audience’s attention.

13. Ability to Answer Questions:

Can’t provide reasonable answers to questions or does so in an inappropriate manner.

Provides informative and respectful answers to queries.

Answers to queries go above and beyond minimum required response.

14. Time Management:

Presentation is significantly too long or too short. Speaker attempts to cover too much information in time allotted or does not provide enough content to clearly explain ideas.

Presentation fits within stated or appropriate time guidelines.

Exceptional use of time. Clear and concise ending exactly as the presenter intended.

15. Quality of Handout(s):

Handout is poorly organized, contains numerous errors, and is difficult to read.

Informative, creative, easy-to-read, and error-free.

Handout provides an exceptional summary of ideas presented

16. Overall Presentation:

Audience had significantly difficulty understanding primary message of presentation. Significant errors in either the delivery or content of presentation. Definite need for improvement. (55 points)

Audience clearly understood main ideas of presentation. Presenter delivered presentation in an effective and appropriate manner. Presenter has some room for improvement but satisfactorily meets standards. (65 points)

Presenter delivered an exceptional presentation with little room for improvement. Audience was informed, engaged, and even entertained throughout presentation. (70 points)

This rubric is primarily intended to provide feedback to a presenter to improve his or her presentation and to provide data for curriculum assessment. Please keep in mind there is no “grade” for the presentation; the presentation is just one component in your overall class contributions grade.

Scoring Guidelines:

On scoring criteria 1-15 you will receive a grade of needs improvement (0 points), satisfactory (1 point), or outstanding (2 points).

On criteria 16, a grade of your overall presentation, you will receive a grade of needs improvement (55 points), satisfactory (65

points), or outstanding (70 points).

Your total score will combine the points received on scoring criteria 1-16. You should interpret the total score received for your presentation as:

o 55-69 points = Needs Improvement o 70-88 points = Satisfactory o 89 + points = Outstanding

Rubric for Written Work Factors for Evaluation Below Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations Introduction/thesis Lacks clear thesis statement.

Thesis is weak and lacks an arguable position.

Thesis may be bland restatement of an obvious point.

Proficient introduction that states topic, thesis and roadmap for paper.

Thesis may lack originality, but is clear and concise.

Exceptional introduction that grabs interest of reader and states topic, thesis, and roadmap for paper.

Thesis is clear, interesting and potentially original.

Organization/development of ideas

Lacks clear and logical development of ideas.

Weak transitions between ideas and paragraphs/sections.

Clear and logical development of ideas within and among paragraphs/sections.

May have a few paragraphs without strong topic sentences; may have a few unclear transitions.

Exceptionally clear, logical and thorough development of ideas.

Excellent transitional paragraphs and/or sentences.

Paragraphs and/or sections have clear and concise topic sentences.

Information/evidence Limited information on topic.

Evidence is gathered from very few sources.

Evidence is not correctly cited. Evidence is not related to the

thesis.

Accurate and critical evidence is provided from diverse sources.

Examples are used to support most points.

Quotes are well integrated into sentences.

May have some unsupported assertions.

Exceptionally researched and provides strong detail.

Diverse sources are used. Primary source information used to buttress

each point. No unsupported assertions.

Analysis/reasoning Limited connections made between evidence and thesis.

Consistent connections are made between evidence, arguments and thesis.

Evidence is clearly related to topic sentences.

Exceptionally critical with relevant and consistent connections.

Synthesis/integration Topics are not interrelated and no coordination is provided.

Topics are consistently coordinated and interrelated.

Some detailed conclusions are reached from evidence and analysis.

Exceptional methods of integrating material to evaluate thesis.

May pose new ways to evaluate the material.

Conclusion Lack of summary of topic Conclusions are simply a

restatement of description; no analytical depth is provided.

Good summary of topic with clear concluding ideas.

Excellent summary of topic. Concluding statements leave impact on

reader.

Mechanics: Sentence structure, word choice, grammar, punctuation, spelling

Problems with sentence structure, grammar and spelling.

May have run-on sentences and/or sentence fragments.

Few problems with sentence structure, grammar and spelling.

No run-on sentences; no sentence fragments.

Vocabulary is clear and functional but may lack energy.

No problems with sentence structure, grammar and spelling.

Language is compelling and engaging. Vocabulary is powerful and exciting.

Creativity Ideas lack originality. Writing is dull.

Some original ideas. Writing is expressive.

Original ideas that support a creative thesis. A joy to read.