Southern University at New Orleans

Department of Business Entrepreneurship

BADM 490-01: Strategic Management &

Business Policy
Fall, 2015, Section 1.

Instructor: Faisal Al Khateeb, PhD

Phone: 504-286-5172
Email: falkhateeb@@suno.edu
Office Location: CBA 105
Class Days/Times: Tues & Thu: 11:00- 12:15
Room: Classroom CBA 102
Office Hours: Mon: 4:15-5:30PM; Tues: 12:30-6:00; Wed: 10:00-2:00PM; and by appointment
Course Prerequisites: ACCT 202, BADM 240, BADM 301, BADM 362, BADM 370, MGIS 164
WARNING: IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STUDENT TO ENSURE THAT ALL
COURSE PREREQUISITE REQUIREMENTS ARE MET PRIOR TO ENROLLING IN THIS
COURSE. STUDENTS ARE SUBJECT TO ADMINISTRATIVE REMOVAL FROM THE
COURSE IF, AT ANY TIME, IT IS DETERMINED THAT COURSE PRE-REQUISITE
REQUIREMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN MET.
Course Overview:
How and why do some firms outperform others? This is one of the fundamental questions of
strategy. This course analyzes the sources of competitive success among firms and develops
knowledge and skills necessary to effectively analyze and formulate strategy, be it as a
manager, a management consultant, or an investment banker. We will learn how to rigorously
analyze a firms competitive environment, its internal resources, and functional-level, businesslevel and corporate-level strategies. Building upon this foundation of rigorous analysis, we will
practice formulating well-thought out recommendations that are specific and actionable. The
most important thing you will learn in this class is a rigorous strategic analysis process that can
be applied to any kind of organization, in any industry.
Catalog Description:
This course focuses on the synthesis of the principles of business management with emphasis
upon the formation of strategies and policies. The purpose of this course is to enable students to
rigorously analyze a firms competitive environment, its internal resources, and corporate,
business, and functional strategies. Building upon this foundation, students practice formulating
well-thought out recommendations that are specific and actionable. (Prerequisites: ACCT 202,
BADM 240, BADM 301, MGMT 362, and MKTG 370).
Course Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes:
The primary purpose of this course is to help student develop the following competencies:
1.
Demonstrate an understanding of the basic concepts of strategic management and
business policy.
2.
Demonstrate familiarity with tools for scanning the firm's environment.
3.
Demonstrate the ability to use techniques for strategy formulation, implementation,
evaluation, and control.
4.
Demonstrate awareness of other strategic issues concerning technology and innovation,
entrepreneurial ventures and small business, and not-for-profit organizations.
5.
Demonstrate ability to integrate skills from other business and non-business disciplines
when analyzing cases from
the real world.

6.
Demonstrate ability to analyze and synthesize techniques for case analysis and
evaluation.
Required Texts:
Thomas L. Wheelen & J. David Hunger, Strategic Management and Business Policy, 13th ed.
(Pearson Prentice Hall; ISBN-13: 9780132153225) It is necessary to purchase this book
immediately and read all the assignments promptly!
Other Texts:
Since we will discuss current issues in strategic management, I recommend that you subscribe to
Bloomberg BusinessWeek Magazine. I will collect your addresses at the beginning of the
semester. The Department of Business offers you a free home delivery subscription.
Required Hardware and Software:
The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.suno.edu/courseware.htm
Other Supplementary Materials:
This course is blackboard enhanced. Copies of my lectures and other important materials such as
the syllabus, instructions for assignments, and business cases will be posted on the class
blackboard website. You should check this website several times a week during the semester.
Expectations and General Information:
By order of Dean Dr. Udeh, there will be absolutely no food or drink of any kind allowed in any of
the classrooms of the College of Business and Public Administration. If you bring food or drink to
class I will have to ask you to remove it immediately.
We will study the theory and practice of strategic management and business policy in an
atmosphere of integrity, courtesy and partnership.
Integrity means absolute honesty in the preparation of all of your work. Cheating will not be
tolerated under any circumstances. Cheating includes (but is not limited to): bringing
unauthorized materials to the test; looking at, copying from or otherwise colluding with anyone
during the tests; unauthorized relocation or removal of the test script, or submission of any
written work that is not your own.
The University Academic Integrity Policy states clearly that any form of plagiarism or cheating on
exams and papers, or complicity in such acts is punishable by the maximum penalty of expulsion
from the university. The complete policy is published in the Student Handbook. All students are
expected to familiarize themselves with this policy and to understand and abide by its terms. In
addition, please read the following:
The College of Business & Public Administration (CBA) requires its students, faculty and staff to
abide by SUNOs anti Plagiarism policy. Plagiarism at SUNO (see page 92-108 of the SUNO 20092011 Student Handbook) is defined as:
1. Directly quoting the words of others without using quotation marks or indented format to
identify them;
2. Using sources of information (published or unpublished) without identifying them;
3. Presenting or paraphrasing information without identifying the source; or
4. Submitting reports, essays, term papers, tests, etc., of another person as if it were the work
of the presenter.
Plagiarism is considered a Code Three Offense (Major Violation) and as such a faculty
member has the authority to grant a failing grade in case of such academic misconduct, as
well as to refer the case for disciplinary action, including the maximum sanction of
expulsion.

Integrity also includes the consideration of ethical principles. There are managerial practices and
strategies that are not technically illegal, but that most of us would consider unethical. To help
you evaluate the ethics of specific behaviors, please familiarize yourself with the College of
Business and Public Administration Ethics Test.

The College of Business and Public Administration Ethics Test:

The following four criteria are to be applied to any decision or action under consideration in order
to determine if that decision or action is ethical. You should use this test in real world situations
to help determine if a decision or action is ethical for you. A NO answer to ANY of the 4
questions means that the decision or action is ethically suspect.
1. SMELL: Does it smell right? (feel right)
When you seriously consider the situation in the light of commonly accepted ethical principles
and your own moral compass, is the decision or action something you would feel completely
comfortable in carrying out? Alternatively, would it make you wince, as if there was a bad
smell in the room?
2. APPEARANCE: Does it look right?
How would this action or decision appear to other people of sound ethical principles? Would
they be likely to condone it or condemn it?
3. REPUTATION: Would you tell your loved ones about this?
Is this an action or decision that you would be proud to tell your loved ones you had taken, or
something you would prefer they didnt know you had done? Would this action or decision
enhance your reputation as a person of high integrity or would it be damaging?
4. FRONT PAGE: Could you live with this as front page news.
Would you want your action or decision announced to the world in this way? Would you be
proud for everyone to know what you had done, or would you be embarrassed about what
people would think?
Courtesy means conducting yourself in a way that does not interfere with the learning
experience of your fellow class members. For example, if you must enter or leave the room
during class, do so as quietly as possible. Avoid side conversations during lectures and class
discussions. Leave your cell phone turned OFF! (If you need to receive a call on an emergency
basis, see me at the beginning of class.)
Partnership means that I am committed to doing everything in my power to enable each of you
to have a meaningful and enjoyable experience with this course. You are encouraged to visit my
office, email or call me anytime you have a question. My goal is to conduct the class in an
atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. In exchange, I expect that you will prepare all assigned
work on time, participate in class discussions and make a sincere effort to understand the
material of the course.
Syllabus Review Policy:
The syllabus and course schedule are tentative and subject to change at the instructors
discretion. It is the students responsibility to attend class and regularly check Blackboard for
schedule changes.
Institutional Policies, Withdrawal Dates and Add/Drop:
Students must follow the universitys policies and dates for withdrawing, adding, and dropping
courses.

Please regularily review: http://suno.edu/suno-academic-calendar

Services for Students with Disabilities:
If you have special needs due to physical, emotional, or learning disability, please
contact me immediately. I will accommodate students needs to the best of my ability,
but please notify me at the beginning of the course.
The Services for Students with Disabilities Program addresses the needs of a diverse population
and provides special assistance, accommodations, and services/programs to ensure accessibility
and to meet the needs of individuals with documented disabilities. The primary purpose of the
program is to instill a sense of self-advocacy in students with disabilities and to provide auxiliary
aids in an effort to ensure full participation in all university activities and programs.
The program offers academic support services which cannot be developed or adequately
provided by other campus departments. Support services include, but are not limited to, tutorial
services, enlarged printed materials, exam proctoring and specialized computerized equipment.
Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Services for Students with Disabilities
Office (Ext: 5335) upon admission to the university and to provide official documentation
regarding the nature of their disability. All information received is confidential and released with
the written consent of the student, except in emergency cases.
Attendance:
Attendance of classes is important for your success not only in this course but also with regard to
your overall college experience. If you choose not to attend, please be aware that the exams will
cover all class material (e.g., chapters, outside articles, videos, discussions). If you must miss a
class, it is your responsibility to get lecture, video, and/or case notes for that day from one of
your classmates. Please be aware that students who miss a class period (regardless of the
reason) will not be allowed to borrow copies of lecture notes or make up any missed class
exercises. Additionally, missing more than four classes lowers your final course grade by 5 %
(i.e., half of a letter grade). Your final course grade will be lowered an additional 2% for each
class missed over and above the first four.
Make-up Exams:
There will be no make-up exams, except in rare situations where you have a legitimate reason for
missing an exam, including illness, death in the family, accident, requirement to appear in court,
etc. You must notify me that you will miss an exam before the exam. In all cases, you must
present proof of a legitimate reason for missing the exam, e.g., a doctor's note, police report,
court notice, etc., clearly stating the date AND times. There will be no exceptions. Additionally,
make-up exams will consist of essay questions only.
Assignments:
All written assignments must be turned in hard-copy at the beginning of class on the date they
are due. Late assignments will receive a grade of zero. You may miss an assignment only for
exceptional reasons for which you must provide supporting documentation, such as a medical
certificate or certificate for a conflicting, approved university activity. I will not accept
assignments submitted via email.
Grading:
Your grade in this course will be based upon the following components and scores:
1. Two Examinations (Midterm, 20% and Final, 20%)
2. Individual Assignment - (15%)
3. Group Project (15%)
4. Group Case Presentation (20%)
5. Attendance & participation (10%)

The usual grading scale applies for this course:

Percenta
ge

90 - 100
%
80 - 89.9
%
70 - 79.9
%
60 - 69.9
%
Below 60
%

Gra
de
A
B
C
D
F

Explanation of Grade Components:

1. Exams
There will be two major, a midterm and final exam. These exams are intended to evaluate your
comprehension of chapter readings and discussions. They will cover all material included in the
relevant chapters and all material discussed in class. Make-up exams only as outlined above.

2. Individual Assignments (15%)

I will post several questions on each chapter that require you to answer it and submitted after
the completion of each chapter. All written assignments must be turned in hard-copy at the
beginning of class on the date they are due. Late assignments will receive a grade of zero. You
may miss an assignment only for exceptional reasons for which you must provide supporting
documentation, such as a medical certificate or certificate for a conflicting, approved university
activity. I will not accept assignments submitted via email.
3. Group Project (15%)
Groups of approximately three to four students will select a firm to follow over the course of the
semester. You should select a large well-known firm like Exxon Mobil, General Motors, Google,
General Electric, etc on which there is sufficient publicly available information to complete the
assignment. This can also be a firm that you would be interested in joining as an employee or a
firm that you currently work for. Student teams must perform the following Tasks:

a. Collect the literature regarding the organizational mission, goals and

objectives, and strategic emphases;
b. Analyze the organizations external environment and industry; and
c. Clearly identify competitors, the organizations distinctive advantage, and
threats facing the organization, and innovative strategies to advance the
organizations mission.
By the second class session you should submit a list of 1) group members; 2) your selected firm.
4. Group Case Presentation (20%)
Each group will also have to prepare a 25 minutes in-class presentation and a written report of
an assigned case in class using MS Power Point (20%). You will receive several questions on a
business case that require you to apply the conceptual, analytical and technical skills acquired in
this course. This assignment will give you a feel for what it is like to face making and
implementing strategic decisions. This assignment counts for a significant portion of your course

grade. We will practice how to analyze business cases throughout the semester. Additionally, I
have scheduled a case analysis workshop during which you can ask me any questions that you
may have regarding this important assignment.

Instructional Strategies and Course Schedule:

A. Instructional strategies used are indicated by check mark [/] in the left column. No other
strategies are used.
Instructional strategies currently used
Additional Instructional strategies
used
/ Lecture
/ Discussion
Laboratory Exercises
Exhibits/Displays
/ Technology used by instructor (blackboard,
computer, internet)
/ Technology used by students (blackboard,
computer, internet)
/ Case Studies
Field Experience
Log/Diary/Journal
Portfolio
/ Individual Participation in class
/ Group Discussions
/ Group Presentations
/ Report/Paper
B. Field Experience: -none

C. Tentative Weekly Course Schedule:

Week
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10

Topic/Readings/Activities
Course introduction: syllabus discussion, learning outcomes, team planning.
Concepts of Strategy & Chapter 1
Chapter 2: Corporate Governance & Case workshop
Chapter 3 Strategy, Ethical Issues, and Social Responsibility
Chapter 4: Organization Analysis: External Environment
Chapter 5: Organization Analysis: Internal Environment:
Chapter 6:Situtiona Analysis and Business Strategy
Chapter 7: Corporate Strategy
Midterm Exam , Group Presentation
Chapter 8 : Functional Strategy & Group Presentation
Chapter 9: Strategy Implementation & Group Presentation

Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15

Chapter 10: Strategy Implementation & Group Presentation

Chapter 11: Evaluation and Control & Group Presentation
Review & Group Presentation
Review & Group Presentation
Final Exam