Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Strategic Management (Face-to-Face)

MGMT 4950-02

Course: MGMT 4950-02
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: MHRH
CRN: 30299

Course Description

A capstone course for seniors covering the concepts of strategic management and developing perspective, judgment, and skills in problem solving in interrelated areas of accounting, management, marketing, economics, and finance. (Fall, Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Prerequisite(s): FIN 3250 and MGMT 3100 and MGMT 3180 and MKTG 3010 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: D-

Required Texts

Hitt, M.A., Ireland, R.D., Hoskisson, R.E. (2020) Strategic Management: 
Competitiveness and Globalization, 13th Edition 
ISBN-13: 978-0357033838
ISBN-10: 0357033833
 
We will use some cases from Harvard Business School Publishing. 
Other discussion cases will be provided on Canvas (free).

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:  

1.      Define a business problem or challenge;
2.      Perform internal and external analyses for a business;
3.      Solve business problems by describing, evaluating, and selecting the appropriate functional, business, and corporate-level strategies;
4.      Communicate business information effectively in oral and written form;
5.      Perform effectively in work group, including organizing, motivating, and evaluating group members;
6.      Describe ethical issues managers face and how organizations can meet their social responsibilities.

Course Requirements

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS & GRADING:

Grades based on 1,000 total points, divided as follows:  

1.       Application Statements                                                                                              60
2.       Case Preparation                                                                                                        60 
3.       Participation                                                                                                               200
4.       Projects                                                                                                                       280 
             Group Project Updates                                                                                         40
             Group Project Presentation                                                                                   20
             Group Project                                                                                                     200
             Team member evaluations                                                                                    20
5.       Examinations                                                                                                              400 
             Exam 1 (chapters 1-6)                                                                                        200 
             Exam 2 (chapters 7-13, excluding chapter 11)                                                     200 
 
Course grades are based on the following point ranges:

  | A | B | C | D | F
|    | B+: 870- 899 | B+: 770- 799 | B+: 670- 699 | F : > 600
| A:  940-1000 | B:   840-869 | B:   740-769 | B:   640-669 |   
| A-: 900-939 | B-:  800- 839 | B-:  700- 739 | B-:  600- 639 |   
 
 
Team project: As a group you will analyze the strategy of an assigned company. Note that assigned group grades will be adjusted based on peer evaluations. Students will not be allowed to do the project on their own without extenuating circumstances, and work turned in without inclusion of ALL group members will not count for full credit without prior discussion with the instructor. However, if a team member's lack of contributions hampers team progress and if team members have tried to work with the team member to try to remedy the problem, the team member may be removed from the group with instructor approval. In such instances, removing a group member will only be allowed after sufficient effort to include that student in group communication and work. Team member evaluations are required. Submit written work through Unicheck in Canvas.
 
Exams: There will be two noncumulative exams. Questions will be based on material from the text and video lectures. Exam 1 will cover chapters 1-6, and Exam 2 will cover chapters 7-13 (excluding Chapter 11). Each exam is 50 multiple choice questions and will take approximately one hour.
 
Preparation: Because of the collaborative nature of this course, it is essential that each student prepare to contribute. Application statements will be due prior to discussion of each chapter, and case preparation questions will be due prior to the case discussion.

Participation: The world of business requires significant teamwork, creativity, and participation. Participation is based on your contribution to the course. You are expected to attend class and engage in discussions and activities. I do not grade participation on attendance alone. Your participation grade will reflect your active participation in the course.

Course Outline

    | Week  | Date  | Topic  | Readings/Assignments Due
 | 1  | 28-Aug  | Course Introduction  |  
 |   |   |   |  
 | 2  | 2-Sep  | Chapter 1: Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness  | Chapter 1 Application Statement
 |   | 4-Sep  | Case 1  | Case 1: Savannah Bananas (video)
 | 3  | 9-Sep  | Chapter 2: The External Environment: Opportunities, Threats, Industry Competition, and Competitor Analysis  | Chapter 2 Application Statement
 |   | 11-Sep  | Case 2  | Case 2 McDonald's (HBS)
 | 4  | 16-Sep  | Chapter 3: The Internal Organization: Resources, Capabilities, Core Competencies, and Competitive Advantages  | Chapter 3 Application Statement
 |   | 18-Sep  | Case 3  | Case 3 Amazon/Walmart (HBS)
 | 5  | 23-Sep  | Chapter 4: Business-Level Strategy  | Chapter 4 Application Statement
 |   | 25-Sep  | Case 4  | Case 4 Ryanair (HBS)
 | 6  | 30-Sep  | Chapter 5: Competitive Rivalry and Competitive Dynamics  | Chapter 5 Application Statement
 |   | 2-Oct  | Case 5  | Case 5 Cola Wars (HBS)
 | 7  | 7-Oct  | Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy  | Chapter 6 Application Statement
 |   | 9-Oct  | Case 6  | Case 6 Aldi (HBS)
 | 8  | 14-Oct  | Fall Break  |  
 |   | 16-Oct  | Exam 1  |  
 | 9  | 21-Oct  | Chapter 7: Merger and Acquisition Strategies  | Chapter 7 Application Statement
 |   | 23-Oct  | Case 7  | Case 7: Bayer/Monsanto (HBS)
 | 10  | 28-Oct  | Chapter 8: International Strategy  | Chapter 9 Application Statement
 |   | 30-Oct  | Case 8  | Case 8: Safaricom
 | 11  | 4-Nov  | Chapter 9: Cooperative Strategy  | Chapter 8 Application Statement
 |   | 6-Nov  | Case 9  | Case 9: General Motors
 | 12  | 11-Nov  | Chapter 10: Corporate Governance  | Chapter 10 Application Statement
 |   | 13-Nov  | Case 10  | Case 10: Uber (HBS)
 | 13  | 18-Nov  | Chapter 12: Strategic Leadership  | Chapter 12 Application Statement
 |   | 20-Nov  | Case 11  | Case 11: Apple (HBS)
 | 14  | 25-Nov  | Thanksgiving Break  |  
 |   | 27-Nov  | Thanksgiving Break  |  
 | 15  | 2-Dec  | Chapter 13: Strategic Entrepreneurship  | Chapter 13 Application Statement
 |   | 4-Dec  | Case 12  | Case 1: Savannah Bananas (video)
 | 16  | 8-Dec  | Exam 2  |  
 |   |   |   |  

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late work: Following an initial 24-hour grace period, assignments may be turned in late for half credit with instructor approval. Exams and quizzes close at the deadline and are not accessible after the deadline and may not be completed late without extenuating circumstances. Health-related exceptions must be approved by the Disability Resource Center, which is available to support students through both short- and long-term health challenges.

Attendance Policy

Participation: The world of business requires significant teamwork, creativity, and participation. Participation is based on your contribution to the course. You are expected to attend class and engage in discussions and activities. I do not grade participation on attendance alone. Your participation grade will reflect your active participation in the course.

Course Fees

Content for this section will be provided by the instructor.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.