What MGT499 is About:

The Business Policy course is taught, as it is at all distinguished Schools of Business, as the "capstone" course for business students, emphasizing integration and application of knowledge and methods from accounting, economics, finance, marketing, and management to business problem-solving. The conceptual framework is that development of a firm’s relative competitive advantage is affected by the larger environment of economy and society, the structure of industry, and distinctive competencies of the firm. The course aims to develop the student’s synthesis of knowledge, use of judgment, and applied research skills through an extensive use of case analyses.

On satisfactory completion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Integrate knowledge gained from prior courses to solve complex, multi-faceted business problems, including:

a.        Use knowledge of economics to evaluate a business’s environment;
b.        Interpret and use financial data and common financial reports to identify a business’ strengths and weaknesses and to relate financial and stock information to the strategic decisions of a business;
c.        Use simple statistical tools to forecast the future state of the market using common economic indicators.
d.        Use basic marketing theories and concepts to assess product/service strategies
e.        Apply managerial theories and tools to evaluate governance, operational, and organizational problems and to propose solutions.
  1. Recognize and evaluate key environmental forces, and be able to analyze the structure of an industry to explain how these forces shape the competitive pressures on a business and affect profitability.
  2. Understand sources of a firm’s strengths and weaknesses, and be able to evaluate how these should be managed to create distinctive competencies to succeed.
  3. Differentiate among corporate-level, business-unit, and functional-level management and describe how businesses compete at each level, and explain why these strategies defend against competitive pressures. This includes ability to:
    4. a.        Describe how diversified corporations with businesses in multiple industries attempt to create value through coordination of business units;
    b.        Analyze and explain why businesses pursue mergers and acquisitions or linkages with other firms;
    c.        Identify the general strategy that a described business is executing and assess the advantages/disadvantages of the strategy;
    d.        Prescribe production and functional organization to execute a strategy. 
  4. Given information about a company and its market situation, construct a reasoned argument to support a recommended strategy.

 

Below are the specific learning objectives for this course and to their right is their linkage to Management competencies, above.

Theories, Concepts and Practice:  Understand

Theories, Concepts and Practice:  Knowledge

Theories, Concepts and Practice:   Practice

Problem-Solving Skills

Leadership/Teamwork/

Diversity:  Understanding

Leadership/Teamwork/

Diversity: Practices

Accountability and Ethics: 

Adaptability:  Global Perspective

Adaptability: Environment change

Mathematical Skills:  statistical measures

Communication:  oral

Communication:  writing

Communication:  Organization

Use of Technology:  applications

Use of Technology:  research

Professional Development:

1. Integrate knowledge gained from prior courses to solve complex, multi-faceted business problems, including:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use knowledge of economics to evaluate a business’s environment;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interpret and use financial data and common financial reports to identify a business’ strengths and weaknesses and to relate financial and stock information to the strategic decisions of a business for value creation;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use simple statistical tools to forecast the future state of the market using common economic indicators.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use basic marketing theories and concepts to assess product/service strategies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apply managerial theories and tools to evaluate governance, operational, and organizational problems and to propose solutions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Recognize and evaluate key environmental forces, and be able to analyze the structure of an industry to explain how these forces shape the competitive pressures on a business and affect profitability.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Understand sources of a firm’s strengths and weaknesses, and be able to evaluate how these should be managed to create distinctive competencies to succeed domestically and globally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Differentiate among corporate-level, business-unit, and functional-level management, describe how businesses compete at each level, and explain why these strategies work. This includes ability to:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Describe how diversified corporations with businesses in multiple industries attempt to create value through coordination of business units;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Analyze and explain why businesses pursue mergers and acquisitions or linkages with other firms;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Identify and assess the advantages/disadvantages of the general strategy that a described business is executing (domestic and global markets);

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prescribe production and functional organization to execute a strategy.