Your Homework Assignment

NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

SYLLABUS

BUSI 411 BUSINESS POLICY SECTION 1907

Spring 2025

Online

NJCU SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

BUSINESS POLICY

Spring 2025

Page 1

Instructor Information

Instructor: Dr. Chris Corrao

Management Department

School of Business

New Jersey City University

Office Hours: By appointment

Telephone: Mobile 267 382-9172

Email: NJCU Email: [email protected]

NOTE: FOR PURPOSES OF THIS CLASS, EMAIL THROUGH THE BLACKBOARD COURSE SHELL.

This course meets online, as noted by the School of Business. Online means that the class materials and deadlines are provided to students who self-manage their progress through the program. While self managed, the class has strict deadlines for readings and assignments. In this class, all materials and communication is provided through Blackboard—all lectures, all discussions, all assignment instructions and submissions, any help from the professor, and all messaging with the professor and classmates

RESOURCES

The text for this course will be:

Title: Strategic Management

Authors: Frank T. Rothaermel, Georgia Institute of Technology, 6th Edition Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education

This class is included in the NJCU School of Business e-book and digital platform program. Students have access to course materials electronically, including an e- book. There is a course materials fee associated with this class billed to students. Students who choose to opt out of this initiative will NOT have access to the course materials. For spring 2025, students have until January 28, 2025, to opt out of the program. Inclusive access charges are not eligible for a refund or credit after this date. If you are unsuccessful opting out via blackboard and require assistance prior to the 9/10/24 deadline, you can contact

Breaunna Whitehead, [email protected] F: (201) 435 2231

http://njcu.bncollege.com

If you need assistance or have questions, email [email protected] to open a ticket with Customer Care, or call 844-932-6657 (844-9-EBOOKS).

Students who wish to opt-out utilizing the digital materials and receive a credit to their student account must do so by accessing the materials through Blackboard and selecting the Opt-Out option at the top of the page. There are No exceptions granted to this policy.

Description of Course and Purpose of Course

Business Policy is the capstone, integrative course for graduating business administration students. This is an exciting, challenging course that focuses on how firms formulate, implement, and evaluate strategies. Strategic management concepts and techniques are studied – both strategic and tactical. Students will use all the knowledge acquired from prior business courses, coupled with new strategic management techniques learned, to chart the future direction of different organizations. The major responsibility of students in this course is to make objective strategic decisions and to justify them through oral and written communication. Students recommend strategies for the organizations studied and specify how those strategies could best be implemented.

Keep in mind that based upon the school’s policy each student must earn a final grade of not less that “C” in any business course. A final grade of less than a “C” will require the student to repeat the course.

All correspondence must use NJCU email or the Blackboard email/message area to communicate directly with the professor. Do not use your personal email account.

Assignments, evaluation, policies and procedures, etc. can be adjusted by the instructor. If students require extra help, please reach out to Dr. Corrao at [email protected] for assistance.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The four objectives of the course are:

1. To analyze in detail the strategic process of:

a. Studying and forecasting the external environment of the firm,

b. Assessing the present and expected enterprise strengths and weaknesses,

c. Setting enterprise goals while recognizing personal and societal value systems,

d. Formulating and implementing plans to achieve these strategic goals,

e. Evaluating performance and progress toward strategic objectives.

2. To develop decision-making skills from the perspective of top management.

3. To understand the integration of operating objectives and decisions within the enterprise strategy.

4. To use the tools and concepts of strategic management.

An additional benefit of the course is the development of computer literacy and written communication skills.

STRUCTURE

This course is delivered via distance learning and will enable students to complete academic work in a self paced and flexible manner, completely online. Course materials and access to Blackboard is made available to each student. Online assignments are due by Sunday evening of the week as noted and include Discussion Board responses, reflection papers, and individual assignments submitted for review by the instructor.

The course will be composed primarily of online completion of assigned work and participation in a Business Strategy competition called Capstone. You and your team will have the opportunity of running an actual corporation – provides that experience—without the real-world risk—along with the opportunity to practice the financial, intellectual, and human skills required for successful business management. You will also have a final Comprehensive Exam in the CAPSIM Capstone to evaluate individual knowledge and experience.

Throughout the semester, you will be given various assignments in forms of homework, summary of reading materials, CAPSIM assignments, course paper, individual and group presentations, etc. Online assignments are due by Sunday evening of the week as noted and included in the Discussion Board. All Research Paper Assignments Need to Be Typed and All External Sources Need To Be Cited using APA Citation Format. Post all emails of papers and PPTs as individual attachments to me via email in Blackboard.

CAPSIM – CAPSTONE INTERNET BASED LEARNING

P:312-477-7200 | [email protected] | www.capsim.com

NJCU’s School of Business in its endeavors to bring in the cutting-edge technology to learning has invested in CAPSIM Business Simulation packages. These are used to build business acumen and knowledge by most prestigious universities in the world as well as Fortune 500 companies. We will be using the Capstone® business simulation package and it will be provided to you absolutely free of charge. The interactive platform provides you with the opportunity to test assumptions and learn from mistakes so that you are better prepared to step confidently into your business career. Through Capstone, you will get the chance to apply what you’ve learned across all disciplines of business as well the Business Policy class in one strategic, competitive, engaging learning experience.

Success in business begins with strategy. It can only be achieved, however, through the inevitable compromises and trade-offs inherent in the decisions managers make every day on finance, operations, marketing and more. To grasp how the individual parts of a business impact the entire organization, nothing beats the experience of running a business in a competitive marketplace. Capstone® provides that experience—without the real-world risk— along with the opportunity to practice the financial, intellectual, and human skills required for successful business management.

Capstone business simulation will be integrated into your course work. You will be graded on your individual as well as team performance, ability to relate theory learned in class with decisions in simulation and most importantly on your takeaways of the exercise that you will present as well as submit in the form of a report.

COURSE OUTLINE

Learning Objectives:

In this course, the student will work to achieve an appreciation for business management as a profession and to understand both the constraints and possibilities for more effectively managing behavior of individuals, groups, and organizations. You will be evaluated on these disciplines.

A. Thinking and Managing Strategically

This part of your course will help you focus on ‘real world’ solutions that will enable you to take a fresh approach to strategy formulation and identify and manage the underlying issues in the planning process.

1. How You Will Benefit:

Determine how to fulfill the mission.

1. Learn to correct problems in the planning process.

2. Identify the people in your organization who will build visionary thinking.

3. ​Assess the viability of the internal/external situation with an environmental analysis.

4. ​Learn how corporate culture/management style can reinforce your company’s strategic direction and success.

2. What You Will Cover:

· Improvements in strategic decision-making, management styles, and integrated planning analysis…How constituencies, missions, and goals drive strategy formulation…Corporate vision as a driving force in competitive strategy…The keys to market segmentation and competitive advantage…The quest for global presence to capitalize on international markets, technology, and competitive pricing.

B. Strategic Planning

In this part of the course, you will learn to improve long-term competitiveness while maintaining a solid profit margin.

1. How You Will Benefit:

· Learn the key steps required in the planning process and see immediate results.

· Conduct a situational/environmental analysis and determine the internal and

· External factors your company needs to consider, to compete effectively.

· Recognize your organization’s true strengths and weakness.

· Translate planning into action.

· Identify areas of opportunity & uncertainty and use them to your advantage.

· Develop strategies that will lead you to achieve and sustain a competitive advantage.

2. What You Will Cover:

· The planning process-outline of the key steps and end results.

· Establishing a “climate” for planning-the human/cultural side of planning.

· Defining the corporate mission.

· Key Performance Measurements (KPMs) that measure business drivers.

· Capitalizing on your company’s critical success factors and developing strategies to exploit them.

· How to conduct situational analysis-internal and external factors.

· Formulating assumptions about your business in the plan period.

· Opportunities and threats.

· Setting objectives.

· How to formulate and apply strategy to the objectives set forth in the plan.

· Implementation of the strategic plan.

C. Strategy implementation (Get your plan off the shelf and into action)

A good planning process, even with well-thought objectives and strategy, does not guarantee results in strategy implementation. This course shows you how to turn all the planning into action and get results from your planning activity.

1. How You Will Benefit:

· Eliminate roadblocks throughout the organization by establishing effective links to action plans.

· Negotiate for better resource allocation-and get people, materials, and the funding you need to implement strategy successfully.

· Use feedback loops and pacing techniques to keep implementation on target, on time and realistic.

2. What You Will Cover:

· Achieving strategy alignment throughout the organization.

· Linking operational and functional relationships through vertical and horizontal integration.

· Fundamental reasons for resistance to change.

· Action planning: how to develop and customize the steps needed to link all areas of your planning.

· Playing to organizational strengths and key success factors that will lead to an effective plan.

· Organizational structure and implementation.

· Using the business plan to evaluate and monitor assumptions-are they still valid?

EVALUATIONS

Participation on Discussion Board – 20%

Course Research Paper – 20%

Group CAPSIM Project Presentation and Simulation Performance – 30% CAPSIM Comprehensive Exam – 30%

An evaluation of you and your team’s overall performance in CAPSIM – CAPSTONE and in your presentation is based on the following for up to 30% of your total grade in the class:

a) Individual effort

Your performance as a member of the team as assessed by your peers and by the instructor.

b) Group effort

The team effort as evidenced by your group’s final stock price .

c) Written analysis of the simulation experience (via Capsim Presentation). You will be graded on your insights of what went right as well as wrong in the decision- making process and correlating your decisions with the theories taught in class. A breakdown of what is required will be provided during class.

d) Powe Point presentation to be used if giving an oral presentation (give online, no presentation required)

· Creativity and organization

· Did you clearly show how your recommendations could be implemented? You need to be specific in all areas. Tell exactly when, how, where, and why your recommendations are appropriate.

· More to come on format and content.

GRADING

Grading Scale: (Based on University Criteria)

Numerical grades are equivalent to:

93 – 100	A	(4.0)
90 – 92	A-	(3.7)
87 – 89	B+	(3.3)
83 – 86	B	(3.0)
80 – 82	B-	(2.7)
77 – 79	C+	(2.3)
73 – 76	C	(2.0)
70 – 72	C-	(1.7)
60 – 69	D	(1.0)
Below 60	F	(0.0)

NOTE: There is NO MAKE-UP for work in the absence of prior notice. You need to have legitimate reasons (along with documentations) to request a make-up for a paper, presentation, etc.

EXPECTATIONS

Class Protocol

Students are expected to participate online by completing assignments.

Blackboard Discussion (Participation)

Students should be familiar with the chapter(s) and any additional assigned readings to be discussed online. Students should be able to demonstrate preparedness through online discussion, response to questions from peers and the instructor, and generally participate as required.

Homework/Quizzes

Each week, students will have homework assignments and quizzes to complete. Assignments are posted by Chapter for the correlating week. Homework will be posted online in BB . Total HW/Quiz score will be based on graded assignments only).

Research Paper

Required for this class is one research paper minimum of 10 to 15 maximum pages. (Separate cover sheet and reference page), written in APA style with a minimum of three – five academic references on topics assigned by the instructor. Further detailed instructions are provided at the end of the syllabus and posted online to the Blackboard Course Room.

Team CAPSIM Presentation

CAPSIM Teams will develop a final PPT based on their learning from the simulation project. Further detailed instructions discussed in class and posted online to the Blackboard Course Room.

CAPSIM Comprehensive Exam

Students will be given a unique comprehensive exam in the CAPSIM Capstone platform that will evaluate individual ability to navigate the business simulation, make strategic decisions about the business and to exhibit individual comprehension of concepts and learning outcomes as defined in this course.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Not Applicable

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EXPECTATIONS ON LEARNING

· Understand the material discussed weekly and recite concepts in class and on exams

· Comprehend and translate key concepts and definitions into you own words – on exams and orally in class

· Apply what was learned in the classroom into real world issues

· Compare and contrast each side of the issues discussed and formulate your own opinion based upon factual information

Disability Students

If there is any student in this class who has special needs because of learning disabilities, or other kinds of disabilities, please feel free to discuss your needs with me. For more information about the ADA and academic accommodations of adjustments, contact the Office of Specialized Services (OSS) at 201-200-3138.

https:// www.njcu.edu/directories/offices-centers/office-specialized-services-and- supplemental-instruction

LEARNING TOOLS

Academic Computing

Public computer labs are available to registered students at NJCU. Software available in the computer labs includes: Microsoft Office Professional (Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint), Internet Access and Web based e-mail using Internet Explorer .

The following labs are for public use: Academic Computing Professional Studies building room P103 Academic Computing Satellite Lab (ACS) Frank Guarini Library, lobby area room L101

BUSINESS POLICY

Spring 2025

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Frank J. Guarini Library Building, multiple student stations/labs

New School of Business Computer Lab 1st floor (when not in use for class)

Library

In addition to the textbook, other assigned readings from time to time, and the books, article and research materials you will access for your assignments, you are strongly encouraged to utilize the Guarini Library as a source for information literacy, research, and online learning.

Writing Center

Tutoring for writing, in the form of one-on-one sessions, is available for all students at the Writing Center.

The information below describes recommended steps for accessing your course for the first time.

Blackboard Learn

Follow the steps below to log into Blackboard Learn 9.1

l. Use your Web browser (e.g., Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, etc) to locate the following URL: http://online.njcu.edu

2. Type in your GothicNet ID in the User name field, and your GothicNet password in the Password field, and click the OK button.

Note: This is the ID and password you use to access the NJCU GothicNet portal to register for classes, check your grades, or access other campus information.

3. All online courses in which you are enrolled appear on your My Web Courses page. To enter a course, click on its name.

Online Course Delivery Systems

All courses utilize Blackboard Learn, a learning management system designed to provide faculty and students with a full range of tools for teaching and learning on the Internet. Since Blackboard Learn is totally web based, you do not need to have any special software installed on your computer to use it. All communication with your professor and classmates (including e-mail) occurs within your Blackboard Learn course which you can access anywhere and anytime you have access to the Internet and a supported Web browser.

Notice of Student Responsibility & Course Access Duration

BUSINESS POLICY

Spring 2025

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Student access to online courses is available only during the official stated semester/session as indicated by the University’s academic calendar. It is the student’s responsibility to retain copies of his/her own work and/or correspondence posted to online courses for any future reference. All course sites, including content, are routinely removed from NJCU servers at the conclusion of each semester/session.

Course Calendar

The course calendar is subject to revision. Additions or changes will be communicated in class and posted online to the Blackboard Course Room. The class is online. All assignments and communications will be in the Blackboard course shell. Please log in regularly.

Week

Date

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