Analysis of Business Issues, Writing In the Disciplines (WID) BADM 2003W (95440): BADM_2003W.SEC.12 Tuesday Combined Class:

SEMESTER: Spring 2014

LOCATION
& TIME: Duques 353, Tuesday 11:10 AM-12:25 PM

PROFESSOR: Dr. Bret Crane Department of Management Office: Funger Suite 315N Email: bretdcrane@gwu.edu Office Hours: Tuesdays 1:00-2 PM or by appointment

TEACHING ASSISTANTS:

|Erin Vander Wall | |
|Leigha McReynolds | |
|Mark De Cicco | |
|Tess Strumwasser | |
|Daniel Berkhout | |
|Sam Yates | |
|Vicki Brown | |
| | |
|Section # |Begin |End |Day |TA |Email |
|30 |08:00 AM |09:15 AM |Wed |Mark De Cicco |mdecicco@gwmail.gwu.edu |
|31 |09:25 AM |10:40 AM |Wed |Mark De Cicco |mdecicco@gwmail.gwu.edu |
|32 |10:50 AM |12:05 PM |Wed |Tess Strumwasser |tstrumwa@gwu.edu |
|33 |12:15 PM |01:30 PM |Wed |Tess Strumwasser |tstrumwa@gwu.edu |
|34 |01:40 PM |02:55 PM |Wed |Daniel Berkhout |berkhout@gwmail.gwu.edu |
|35 |03:05 PM |04:20 PM |Wed |Daniel Berkhout |berkhout@gwmail.gwu.edu |
|36 |04:30 PM |05:45 PM |Wed |Erin Vander Wall |evanderw@gwmail.gwu.edu |
|37 |08:00 AM |09:15 AM |Thurs |Victoria |vab@gwmail.gwu.edu |
| | | | |Barnett-Woods | |
|38 |09:25 AM |10:40 AM |Thurs |Victoria |vab@gwmail.gwu.edu |
| | | | |Barnett-Woods | |
|39 |10:50 AM |12:05 PM |Thurs |Leigha McReynolds |lhm@gwmail.gwu.edu |
|40 |12:15 PM |01:30 PM |Thurs |Leigha McReynolds |lhm@gwmail.gwu.edu |
|41 |01:40 PM |02:55 PM |Thurs |Sam Yates |yates@gwmail.gwu.edu |
|42 |03:05 PM |04:20 PM |Thurs |Sam Yates |yates@gwmail.gwu.edu |
|43 |04:30 PM |05:45 PM |Thurs |Erin Vander Wall |evanderw@gwmail.gwu.edu |

Lab Office Hours and location established by each TA

Course Description: This course will introduce students to common language and analytic techniques necessary to operate effectively in today’s business environment. Through case analysis, students will be introduced to business concepts. Students will be required to produce a variety of documents used in business, ranging from tweets to executive reports. This sophomore-level course will focus on developing critical thinking skills required for accurate problem definition in business situations.

Designed for sophomore business students, this course explores key management and business concepts relevant to technology-dependent enterprises. The purpose of this course is to enable you to reason about the role of business in a complex, dynamic, global environment.

Required Texts: Two Books from the Course Reading list

Required Packet: In order to access the course packet from Harvard Business Publishing you will need to register and pay the fee (approx.. $63.00) at https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/import/ptos/20368704
Once you have obtained access, it is recommended that you print the packet.

Recommended: (3) The major business periodicals: Business Week, Fortune, Forbes, Inc., Wall Street Journal, Time, Newsweek, US News & World Report, People, O, Sports Illustrated, etc. Other readings and cases will be available on Blackboard. (4) William Zinsser, On Writing Well, 7th edition, Collins, 2006 (Recommends Strunk & White)

Learning Objectives:
A student who successfully completes this course will have demonstrated the ability to:
To be able to apply several frameworks for analyzing and discussing business issues.
To develop a general management perspective that includes the ability to formulate, analyze, and defend business decisions. c) Distinguish problems from symptoms in a business setting d) Communicate information effectively and efficiently using conventions of writing in the discipline* e) Determine the appropriate form and tone for communication in various business settings f) Use general business terms appropriately g) Use data from appropriate business information resources for a given issue h) Construct effective arguments given a set of facts* i) Understand the different ways to communicate with a variety of audiences and stakeholders* j) Revise messages and documents to best address intended audiences k) Give and receive objective, constructive feedback to and from peers and superiors; rethink & revise* l) Respond appropriately to feedback *Specifically mentioned by GWU’s Director of Writing
Specific elements of business communications we will consider include: a) Articulating analysis and arguments b) Writing effective memoranda c) Synthesizing ideas d) Giving feedback e) Receiving and responding to feedback f) Writing concise and informative executive summaries g) Preparing documents appropriate for a variety of different audiences

In concert with the values of the George Washington School of Business, this course will highlight the following themes within the context of current business issues: • Integrity – demanding transparency, accountability, and ethical behavior • Leadership – encouraging problem solving, commitment, and entrepreneurship • Scholarship – emphasizing discovery, learning, and innovation • Service – responding to the needs of students, academic professions, and the community • Relationships – fostering communication, collaboration, and collegiality

Assignments and Grade Makeup:

I. Class Participation (Group Discussion): 20%

II. Paper 1, 4-6 pages: 15% Topic: Synthesize two books from the reading list.

III. Paper 2 , 6-8 pages: Topic: Company Analysis Report: 20% A document detailing this assignment will be provided on blackboard.

IV. Paper 3 (Final), 4-6 pages: 15% Topic: Case Analysis: A document detailing this assignment will be provided on blackboard.

V. Writing Lab Grade, consisting of: 30% • (20% per GTA) Six “Short Assignments” (Responses), approximately 500 words or less for each: Case discussion questions, assignment readings, supplemental readings, and guidelines for assignments (prompts) on Blackboard. You are responsible for preparing a written response to bring to your lab GTA. Due-dates are shown on the calendar, but may be revised at the discretion of your GTA.

• (10% per GTA) Participation: Preparation, reading, discussion, drafting, attendance, promptness, and peer review.

Overview of Assignments and Papers

|Assignment |Audience |Description |
|1. Letter to DC or Wal-Mart |Wal-Mart or DC City |Write a short letter (300 words or less) addressed to Wal-Mart or the DC |
|and post on Facebook |Council |City Council justifying your position and post on BlackBoard. |
|2. Publish or Not? |Board of Directors |Applying the concepts from the lab, write a 500 word letter arguing for |
| | |publishing or not. |
|3. Executive Summary of "What |Manager |Create a one page executive summary of the article "What is Strategy?" |
|is Strategy?" | | |
|4. Elevator Speech |Future |Write a five minute elevator speech which conveys your personal brand and|
| |employer/Alumni |employment aspirations. |
|5. Description of GW Culture |Prospective Student |A student has asked you to describe the culture at GW. Write a response |
| | |(500 words) providing artifacts, behaviors and assumptions to support |
| | |your description. |
|6. Value Proposition (via |Customer |Select one of your favorite products and tweet the value proposition. |
|Twitter) | | |
|Paper |Audience |Description |
|1. Book Synthesis |Academic |Leveraging ideas and concepts from both books, create a unique point of |
| | |view and provide recommendations for application in today’s business |
| | |environment. |
|2. Company Analysis |Investor | Gather, integrate, analyze and synthesize data from various sources to |
| | |describe the attractiveness of a firm and make a recommendation to |
| | |prospective investors. |
|3. Case Analysis (Final Exam) | TA and Professor |Write a case analysis within a specified period of time as your final |
| | |exam. |

Final grades will be based on the following:

94 – 100 points = A 90 – 93.9 points = A- 87 – 89.9 points = B+ 84 – 86.9 points = B 80 – 83.9 points = B- 77 – 79.9 points = C+ 74 – 76.9 points = C 70 – 73.9 points = C- 67 – 69.9 points = D+ 64 – 66.9 points = D 60 – 63.9 points = D- Less than 60 points = see instructor

(Note: Grades are not determined on a “curve.” That means everyone could conceivably earn the same grade, be it an “A” or another one.)

The faculty grading your papers and leading the large group and writing lab sections meet regularly to ensure consistency in grading and content.

If you want additional feedback on any of your papers, please make an appointment to see your Writing Lab Leader or Professor Crane. We are happy to work with you.

Class Participation Grading: Participation will be based on your contributions to case discussion during the combined class. I have provided discussion preparation questions for each case and it will be to your advantage to review and answer these questions before class. You may even elect to prepare for class with a partner or a group. Participation will be recorded each day and a mid-term grade will be reported to help you calibrate your contributions. Please keep in mind that we are looking for quality over quantity. In other words, comments that change how we think about the case will be rewarded more than comments that merely regurgitate previous comments or case facts. Participation will be awarded on a scale of 0-3 for each combined class as follows:

0 = absent from class
1 = present but did not comment
2 = made a solid contribution to the discussion
3 = provided a unique insight that significantly contributed to the discussion, flipped an previous assumption on its head, or elevated the trajectory of the conversation.

Turning in Assignments:

All assignments, unless otherwise specified, will be due at the beginning of lab. Please bring a hard copy to the lab. The two exceptions are the case analysis and company analysis which will be submitted via blackboard on a specified date. When participation exercises are assigned in lab they will have a clear due date and time and method of submission

Late Assignments:

Short Writing Assignments and Peer Reviews: Must be submitted on time. Late responses will not be accepted.
Drafts: Late and/or incomplete drafts will result in a deduction of up to 5 points from the final paper grade.
Papers: The first day late will result in a 5 point deduction from the final paper grade. Each subsequent day late will result in an additional 10 point deduction.
Lab Participation: These assignments will not be accepted late.
Exceptions: We understand that things do come up. If you ask for help or let your TA know about extenuating circumstances in a timely manner, then we will work things out.

Attendance:

Class attendance is mandatory. However, we will excuse absences for appropriate extenuating circumstances. It will be to your advantage to notify me or your TA (depending on the class) of absences ahead of class.

Tardy Policy:

If you are late to class, (after the professor has begun) 2 points will be deducted from your participation score for the day. No negative points will be awarded. In other words, the most you can receive for the day is a 1.

.
Electronics Policy:

Laptops, tablets, phones and other electronic device will not be permitted during the combined class or writing lab as they can distract from the classroom discussion. Please take notes on paper and transfer to electronic copies at a later time.

Code of Academic Integrity:

You should be familiar with the GWU Code of Academic Integrity. A copy of the code is available in the GWU Bulletin You can find more information about GW’s Code of Academic Integrity at http://www.gwu.edu/~ntegrity/code.htm/. The minimum penalty for such offenses, whether on a rough or final draft, is to fail the assignment; the more common penalty is to fail the course. Commitment to academic honesty is crucial; therefore, cheating, fabrication, and plagiarism are strictly forbidden.

The writing-intensive aspect of this course is designed to teach you to write and research responsibly and ethically. To learn strategies for researching, compiling, and presenting your writing, you must complete all stages of the work yourself. Taking the words of others, or presenting the ideas of others, as your own not only prohibits you from learning the skills of academic research, it also violates the University's Code of Academic Integrity. The University defines academic dishonesty as "cheating of any kind, including misrepresenting one's own work, taking credit for the work of others without crediting them and without appropriate authorization, and the fabrication of information." Situations involving plagiarism may involve reporting to the Academic Integrity Office, a zero on the assignment, or failure of the course.

The Writing Center:

The Writing Center (Gelman 103 | 202-994-3765, http://www.gwu.edu/~gwriter/) is a free service for GW students who seek help with their writing. The goal of the Writing Center is to help clients sharpen their ideas, work toward a focus, or organize the arguments they already have. While tutors will not edit papers, they will engage students in a cooperative learning environment throughout all stages of the writing process. Appointments are scheduled on the hour and on a walk-in basis.

Hours: Monday-Thursday: 9 am -8 pm, Friday: 9 am -2 pm, Sunday: 7 pm -10 pm

Disability

Any student who feels he or she may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me and their TA privately to discuss his or her specific needs. In addition, I encourage you to contact Disability Support Services (Marvin Center #242, Tel: 202.994.8250, URL: http://gwired.gwu.edu/dss/) to coordinate reasonable accommodations for all of your courses at GWU.

Assessment:

Writing is an essential academic skill as well as an important thinking and learning tool. Learning to write well—which means not simply producing technically correct prose, but crafting writing that is imaginative, persuasive, and informed as to the expectations of its audience—is a lengthy process that requires learning about, practicing, and eventually being able to manipulate successfully a complex array of skills. In this class, we will work on both the mechanics of your writing as well as content organization and development. We will fortify your understanding of correct sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation. We will also practice techniques for greater clarity and style in your writing. As a college level writing course, your papers will be expected to go beyond merely summarizing what you have read and include your own original ideas, syntheses, and reflections. Moreover, your papers will be required to follow APA or MLA style conventions in integrating and citing sources. Our standards and criteria for evaluating your writing in this class will be based on your ability to demonstrate your understanding and application of all of these elements.

In grading your papers, we will use the “Skeletal Scale for Evaluating Papers” developed by the Indiana University Campus Writing Program http://www.iub.edu/~cwp/assgn/skelscale.shtml. A copy of the scale is provided below.

Modified Skeletal Scale for Evaluating Papers

|A |A paper that receives an A is excellent in thought, organization, and style. The A paper uses a sound |
| |organizational strategy, with clearly developed paragraphs proceeding from a unified main topic. The ideas in the|
| |paper are engaging and show illuminating insights. Assertions are supported by evidence (which is not necessarily|
| |in the form of quotations) and expand on the thoughts and ideas presented in the case or article. There are very |
| |few distracting errors in style, diction, or mechanics. |
|B |A B paper is still quite good, but it is weaker than an A paper in some areas. It may have good ideas that are |
| |marred by some problems of organization and style. Alternatively, it may be well-organized and well-written but |
| |offer fewer or less valuable insights than an A paper. |
|C |This is the grade given to a paper that is clearly acceptable, but not exceptional. A C paper will show a |
| |competent understanding of the assigned topic, but its insights usually do not go beyond the obvious points that |
| |most papers make. A C may also be assigned to an inconsistent paper that shows some excellent insights but fails |
| |to tie ideas into a unified whole. |
|D |A D paper can have some virtues—either occasionally good ideas marred by unclear writing or clear writing |
| |conveying superficial ideas that show a lack of engagement with the work being studied. |
|F |A paper will receive an F either because it is poorly written throughout or because its ideas show no insight |
| |into the work being studied, or the paper is completely unacceptable--obviously written in haste without thought |
| |or effort. |

NOTE: This scale does not reflect pluses or minuses, such as the differences between a B-, B, and B+. Instead, each grade scale presents a continuum of qualities and characteristics of good writing. How well your writing accomplishes all the identified qualities will determine its position on the continuum for each grade.

|Spring SEMESTER 2014 |
|CLASSES BEGIN |(M) January 13 | |
|Martin Luther King Jr. Day (no classes) |(M) January 20 | |
|President’s Day (no classes) |(M), February 17 | |
|Spring Break |Monday, March 10- | |
| |Saturday, March 15 | |
|Final Class |April 28th (M) and April 29th (T) | |
|Reading Days |Thursday, May 1- Friday, May 2 | |
|FINAL EXAMINATION |(Mon-Thurs) May 5th-8th | |
BADM 2003W Spring 2014:
| |Week |Combined Session Topic|Assignment for Combined Session |Lab Topic |Assignment/Paper Due for |
| | | | | |Lab |
|1 |Jan. 13th |Introduction |N/A |Introduction & Overview of |N/A |
| | | | |Assignments | |
|2 |Jan. 20th |No Combined Class | |Paper 1 Preparation |Letter to DC or Wal-Mart and |
| | | | | |post on face book |
|3 |Jan. 27th |Systemic Thinking |Read: Everest 1996 & Cultivating|Fundamentals of Making and | |
| | | |Systemic Thinking in the Next |Argument (Part I) | |
| | | |Generation of Business Leaders | | |
| | | |(Atwater et. al.) | | |
| | | |Complete: Discussion Questions | | |
|4 |Feb. 3rd |Strategy |Read: Southwest Airlines 2011 & |Principles of Summarization | |
| | | |What is Strategy? (Porter) | | |
| | | |Complete: Discussion Questions | | |
|5 |Feb. 10th |Ethics |Read: Davis Press and Meccan |Fundamentals of Making an Argument| Executive Summary of "What |
| | | |Madness & Managing for |(Part II) |is Strategy?" |
| | | |Stakeholders (Freeman) | | |
| | | |Complete: Discussion Questions | | |
|6 |Feb. 17th |No Combined Class | |Paper 1 Process Work |Publish or not |
|7 |March Feb |Culture |Read: Creating a Culture of |Peer Review of Paper 1 Draft |First Draft of Paper 1 |
| |24th | |Empowerment and Accountability | | |
| | | |at St. Martin de Porres High | | |
| | | |School (A) & What Is an | | |
| | | |Organization's Culture? | | |
| | | |Christensen & Shu | | |
| | | |Complete: Discussion Questions | | |
|8 |March 3rd |Finance |Read: Selections from Libby |Quantitative vs. Qualitative |Letter about GWU Culture |
| | | |Chapter 14 – The Investment |Analysis | |
| | | |Decision (on Blackboard) & | | |
| | | |Ratios Tell a Story | | |
| | | |Complete: Exercise in Ratios | | |
| | | |Tell a Story | | |
|9 |March 10th |Spring Break No Class | | | |
|10 |March 17th |Leadership |Read: Erik Peterson and Biometra|Trip to Library |Paper 1: Book Synthesis |
| | | |(A) & Leadership That Gets | | |
| | | |Results (Goleman) | | |
| | | |Complete: Discussion | | |
|11 |March 24th |Marketing |Read: MusicJuice.net: The |Social Media and Writing |N/A |
| | | |Challenges of Starting Up a New | | |
| | | |Internet Venture & Customer | | |
| | | |Value Propositions in Business | | |
| | | |Markets Anderson et. al. | | |
| | | |Complete: Discussion Questions | | |
|12 |March 31st |Career Center |TBD |Cover Letter/Resumes |Tweet Value Propositions |
|13 |April 7th |International Business|Read: AES in Nigeria & Managing|Elevator Speeches with Feedback |Written Elevator Speech |
| | | |Risk in an Unstable World | | |
| | | |(Bremmer) | | |
| | | |Complete: Discussion Questions | | |
|14 |April 14th |Feedback |Read: Alvarez & Fear of |Giving Feedback |1st Draft of Company Analysis |
| | | |feedback Jackman & Strober | | |
| | | |Complete: Discussion Questions | | |
|15 |April 21st |Communication |Watch: 12 Angry Men |Peer Review |Peer Review |
| | | |Complete: Discussion Questions | | |
|16 | April 28th |Summary/Wrap up | |Paper Help Sessions |Paper 2: Company Analysis |
| | | | | |(Due May 2nd by 5:00pm on |
| | | | | |Blackboard) |
| |May 5th-8th | Final | | |Paper 3: Case Analysis |

Readings and Case Discussion Questions

1. Introduction: Jan. 13th

|Readings: Topic: |N/A |
|Case Preparation |N/A |
|Questions | |

2. Systemic Thinking: Jan. 27th

|Readings: Topic: |Mount Everest - 1996 Case Packet |
| |Cultivating Systemic Thinking in the Next Generation of Business Leaders (Atwater et. al.) |
| |Blackboard |
|Case Preparation |What went wrong? To what do you attribute this tragedy? |
|Questions |How did leadership (Hall & Fischer) contribute to these events? |
| |How did poor decision making, team dynamics and system errors contribute? |
| |If you were leading an expedition in a similar circumstance, what would you do differently? |
| |What does this have to do with diagnosing organizations? |

3. Strategy: Feb. 3rd

|Readings: |South West Airlines 2011. Case Packet |
| |What is Strategy? Porter Case Packet |
|Case Preparation |What is South West Airline’s strategy? |
|Questions |What do they do to execute their strategy? |
| |Why aren’t more airlines copying this strategy? |
| |What challenges does South West Airlines face and how would you respond to them? |

4. Ethics: Feb. 10th

|Readings: Topic: |Davis Press and Meccan Madness Case Packet |
| |Managing for Stakeholders Freeman Case Packet |
|Case Preparation |1.What action should Carol Davis take at this time? Why? |
|Questions |2. What should the advisory board recommend to her? |
| |3. What are the obligations a publisher has to the national and international community, and how are the |
| |boundaries of those communities defined? |
| |4. Does an American publisher have a moral obligation to further free speech? |

5. Culture and Change: Feb. 24th

|Readings: |Creating a Culture of Empowerment and Accountability at St. Martin de Porres High School (A) Case Packet |
| |What is an Organization’s Culture? (Christensen and Shu) Case Packet |
| | |
| | |
|Case Preparation |1. How would you describe the culture at SMdP before the arrival of Odiotti and Seiberlich? |
|Questions |2. Was the school’s culture aligned with its mission? |
| |3. Given the situation, what specific challenges did Odiotti and Seiberlich face? How are these |
| |challenges related? |
| |4. What would you do if you were Odiotti and Seiberlich? How would you “fix” SMdP? Where would you |
| |start if you wanted to build a new culture? How would you integrate the different elements of your |
| |solution? |

6. Finance: March 3rd

|Readings: |Selections from Libby Chapter 14 – The Investment Decision Blackboard |
| |Ratios Tell a Story Case Packet |
|Case Preparation |Complete the exercise in Ratios Tell a Story. You may complete it as a group. |
|Questions |The instructions are included in the case itself (pg. 2) with one modification – you do not need to |
| |identify the following: |
| |#4 specialized staffing services (Robert Half International) |
| |#8 is the computer equipment producer (Hewlett Packard) |
| |#10 is the wholesale food distributor (SuperValu, Inc.) |
| | |

7. Leadership: March 17th

|Readings: | Erik Peterson at Biometra (A) Case Packet |
| |Leadership That Gets Results (Goleman). Case Packet |
|Case Preparation |1.What problems are facing Erik Peterson? |
|Questions |2.What are the underlying causes of these problems? How effective has Peterson been in taking charge of |
| |Biometra, in terms of managing the new operation and of providing leadership? |
| |3. What actions, if any, should Peterson take to turn the situation around and prepare for his meeting |
| |with Chip Knight? |

8. Marketing: March 24th

|Readings: |MusicJuice.Net Case Packet |
| |Customer Value Propositions in Business Markets. Anderson et al. Case Packet |
|Case Preparation |What are the major opportunities and challenges involved in Internet (as opposed to bricks-and-mortar) |
|Questions |start-ups? |
| |What are the major opportunities and challenges facing MusicJuice.net? |
| |What is the value proposition of MusicJuice.Net? How well are they marketing it? |
| |How should Rocky Lui and John Wong address the problems highlighted by their market research? What should|
| |they do next? |

9. Career Development: March 31st

|Readings: |TBD |
|Assignment: |TBD |

10. International Business: April 7th

|Readings: |AES in Nigeria Case Packet |
| |Managing Risk in an Unstable World (Bremmer). Case Packet |
|Case Preparation |1. What is unique about AES? |
|Questions |2. How would you assess the risks associated with AES’ entrance into Nigeria? |
| |3. What has AES done to mitigate these risks and what risks remain? |
| |4. How should AES measure success in Nigeria? Can AES duplicate this approach in other countries? |

11. Feedback: April 14th

|Readings: |Alvarez Case Packet |
| |Fear of Feedback Case Packet |
|Case Preparation |1. What do you make of the situation at Canalven? |
|Questions |2. What do you think of Alvarez and Stone? |
| |3. How did this problem come to be? |
| |4. If you were Pinto, what would you do? What feedback would you provide? |
| |What do you anticipate as the consequences to your course of action or decision? |

12. Communication: April 21st

|Readings: |No readings for this class |
|Case Preparation |Watch the movie 12 Angry Men (Henry Fonda version) and consider the following questions. The video is |
|Questions |available for rent on Amazon.com. |
| |What principles of effective communication are demonstrated? |
| |What did you notice about the styles of communication among the jurors? Which styles were most effective?|
| |Least effective? |
| |How would you describe Juror No. 7's communication style? |
| |In addition to Juror No. 7, who showed credibility and how? Who didn’t? |
| |Who showed respect, honor, and trust for others? Who didn’t? How did it appear as visible behavior? What |
| |were its benefits? Its costs? |
| |Who showed empathy? How did it appear as behavior? What were its benefits? Its costs? |
| |What assumptions did some of the jurors make? In what ways did these assumptions demonstrate the presence|
| |or lack of respect, honor, and trust? |
| |Who nurtured dialogue? Who relied mainly on lecturing? What was the difference in their impact? |

13. Summary Wrap Up: April 28th

|Readings: |No Readings |
|Case Preparation |1.What did you learn about analyzing business issues? |
|Questions |2. What concepts were most useful? |
| |3. What will you do differently? |