Strategic Management

Administration

last revised September 19, 2005

Sessions

Wednesdays 8:30 am  - 10:00 am (Section 1) and

Wednesdays Section 2 (same content)  11:00 am - 12:30
Gund Hall Room 517

Harvard Design School
48 Quincy Street 
Cambridge, MA 02138

Staff

Text

Michael E. Porter, Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance, New York, NY: The Free Press, 1998 [ISBN: 0-684-84146-0], hardbound.   At MIT or Harvard COOP and elsewhere in regular Business Books section.     Recommend buying used from Amazon.com or other.

Web Sites

http://web.mit.edu/1.46/www/Harvard_Strategy.htm - Public information, calendar, assignments

BuildingVision Library     -    Public documents and supplemental readings

Course Packet/
Handouts:

Course packet ordering:   This course is listed online at Harvard Business Online:

http://www.hbsp.com/relay.jhtml?name=cp&c=c45573

Orders are fulfilled via that website, as paper or as electronic download.   You will be asked to register with Harvard Business Online.  This is a division of Harvard Business School Press.

Other handouts available in class periodically. 

Assignments

One problem set and two 5-page papers. 

Group A = Family Name A - L; Group B = M - Z

Assignments are done individually and due with your appropriate group.

Grading

The course is taught on a case study basis, relying also on readings and current articles. The class meets weekly on Wednesdays. Grading is based on class participation and on papers and problem sets, with no final exam. There are no prerequisite courses. 

30% Class Participation,  10% Problem Set #1, 20% Paper #1, 40% Paper #2

Guidelines
for Papers

1. Papers are due at the beginning of class on the days indicated in the course outline. 

2. Papers are to be physically handed in, printed and collated, and not submitted electronically.
3. Papers may not exceed the indicated length including text and exhibits. Typed, double spaced. 
4. Charts and exhibits using the models are strongly encouraged;   Charts can be drawn by hand. 
6. Papers will be graded on the quality of your analysis of the case situation.

Guidelines for
Class Participation

1. For many of you, this is your first business course ever.  That's OK!

2. Prepare the material and come to class ready to talk about the strategic issues which you see. 
3. We learn from each other; active participation is encouraged. 
4. Any question or comment is acceptable in this low-risk learning environment. 
5. Comments which advance the discussion or provide new insights are encouraged. 
6. You may challenge the instructor all you want, with no penalty. 

7. The Class Participation grade is a subjective judgment based on how much your overall participation furthers the learning process and collective experience of the class.  Speak up: often a seemingly basic question or a highly contrary opinion does a great deal to enhance the overall experience.

8. These business problems are difficult and there seldom is a single right or wrong answer.