Meets: PH 244, CRN 30335 (variable days and times; see course schedule for details)
Instructors: Associate Professors Craig Dunn/Kristi Tyran
Office: PH 206A / PH 331
Office Hours: 1:00 – 2:00 class days, by appointment
Phone: 360-650-2593 / 360-650-2078 (office/voicemail)
E-mail: craig.dunn@wwu.edu / kristi.tyran@wwu.edu
URL: www.dunn.cc

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
MBA 510c MANAGERIAL DECISIONS (16) Prereq: MBA 510b or admission to the Accelerated Full-Time MBA Program. Links managerial decisions with specific functional areas of study such as marketing, operations, accounting, finance, and organizational behavior. The focus of these modules is cross-functional decision making in the context of global competition.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
As a result of successfully completing this three-credit module, students will:

EVALUATION POLICY:
A maximum of 100 points may be accumulated in this course. Point distribution varies as follows (see grading contract at back of syllabus for details):

GRADING STANDARDS:
The following grading standards will be used to determine your final course grade. Students are responsible for monitoring their own progress throughout the term.

PLAGIARISM:
In a section entitled Grades and Intellectual Honesty, the Western Washington University catalog states:

Grades are given for the student’s work and achievement. Fair evaluation of students’ work and helpful instruction are possible only when students submit work which genuinely reflects their own reading, computation, research and thoughts and is their own production, whether in writing or other format(s). Intellectual dishonesty can result in a failing grade and the placement of a note in the student’s permanent record. For the university’s policy on academic dishonesty, see Appendix D.

Students involved in any form of academic dishonesty (including but not limited to plagiarism or `cheating') on any coursework will receive a failing grade for the course.

READINGS:
Rotondo, J. & Rotondo, M. (2001) Presentation Skills for Managers (McGraw Hill); Handy, C. (1998) The Hungry Spirit: Beyond Capitalism: A Quest for Purpose in the Modern World (Broadway Books); and Keirsey Temperament Sorter II. (approximately $15.00) Take the test, available online at http://www.advisorteam.com/user/ktsintro1.asp, and obtain the full temperament report.

Additionally, assigned case studies, reading materials, and course videos will be available on the course schedule. Students are expected to read each assigned reading before the scheduled discussion that reading, and to come prepared to respond to the disucssion questions posted for each class session.

SELF AWARENESS WORKSHEET:
Self Awareness is an essential skill for effective team members, leaders and managers. Developing self-awareness is a lifelong process, and so periodically reflecting on your own values, personality, behaviors, and attitudes can be extremely important to enhancing your own career potential. In addition, as you work in teams in the future, utilizing self-assessment tools will be a necessary method (frequently required by organizations) in increasing self- and other-awareness.

Organizations frequently facilitate employee self-awareness by engaging in teambuilding that helps employees understand themselves and others as they work together. In this class, we use six measures that provide feedback about three personal dimensions: personal values, cognitive style, and attitudes toward change. We use measures of these dimensions to provoke thought about how you interact with others in teams and organizations in general. When analyzing the results of any survey, it is important to be critical. Remember: the objective is reflection and thought-provocation – accuracy of the results is not necessary for you to benefit from the testing experience! It is important to be critical of the results in terms of how you feel they reflect your values, personality, attitude, and interaction style. Further assignment details can be found by clicking here.

SELF ASSESSMENT PROFILE:
After discussing your assessment during our class session on self-assessment, you will be asked to provide a brief, 1-2 page (typed, double-spaced) summary of your perceived skill strengths and weaknesses based on the assessment above. In your summary, you may use bullets if you like. I encourage you to integrate the assessment from this assignment with any other feedback you have received throughout your work and school careers that seems relevant to develop a summary of your strengths and weaknesses that is insightful and useful. Further assignment details can be found by clicking here.

PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT:
The October 1997 Inc. Magazine cover story What Comes Next? is addressed to those individuals who are "seeking a different kind of business life – one richer in meaning, more grounded, more sustainable." In order to fulfill this quest, author Jim Collins suggests that one examine three things: (1) what you stand for, (2) what you're good at, and (3) what people will pay you to do. "Resonance" occurs when one operates at the intersection of these three 'principles.' While Collins outlines this process as one to be applied at the organizational level, it can just as appropriately be applied at the personal/career level. This assignment therefore requires the student to develop a personal mission statement (what you stand for), to articulate individual talents (what you're good at), and to evaluate the job market (what people will pay you to do). As a first step toward developing a statement of what you stand for, Collins recommends making two lists: "one for things that I would continue to do if I woke up tomorrow and discovered I had $20 million and 10 years to live, and another for things that under those circumstances I'd stop doing."

Term projects shall be typed using double-spacing, and submitted electroncially to both craig.dunn@wwu.edu and kristi.tyran@wwu.edu. There is no page length requirement for this assignement. A self-evaluation of this paper (available by clicking here) is to be submitted electronically along with the final paper. Evaluation criteria for this assignment include:

REFLECTIVE JOURNAL:
Each day the class schedule will indicate a 'prompt' for your reflective journal (see course schedule for due dates). This term-long assignment accounts for twenty to thirty percent of your course grade, and is designed to engage you in linking the course content with 'real life' application.

To post a journal entry, students are to 'cut and paste' the 'prompt' from the course schedule into a new thread within their own journal, and then provide their reflections on the 'prompt.' The reflective journal is to be kept in Blackboard. To post an entry, do the following:

Each student has access to only their own journal. Only each individual student, as well as the faculty members, have access to these posts – which are time and date stamped upon submission. Entries are due by midnight of each day a 'prompt' is listed on the course schedule.

GROUP CASE ANALYSIS:
Each student shall participate in a team project, with the primary objective being to link theory and practice:

Analyze a contemporary business case using the principles outlined in lecture and readings.

Each three member team is to prepare both a comprehensive written analysis of a business case to be selected by the course faculty members. This analysis is to include: (1) a statement identifying the case issue(s); (2) listing of alternatives providing resolution of these case issues; (3) analysis of proposed resolutions from the perspective of managerial as well as ethical theory; (4) assessment of both the financial as well as the political viability of the recommended alternative; (5) selection of optimal resolution (with supporting defense from both the managerial and ethical perspectives); as well as (6) suggestions for implementation. Any assumptions made must be clearly identified as such, but do not 'assume away' the issues – resolve them!

Areas considered (in addition to those previously or subsequently mentioned) in grading the team project are listed in the table below.

MIDTERM AND FINAL EXAMINATIONS:
There are no examinations for this course.

CONTRACT:
Outlined above are the course activities available to students. Ranges of possible points have been listed above. Each student is to fill out and return to the instructor a binding contract for work to be completed this term (see below). You are to fill out the number of points desired for each activity. The total number of points must total 100. Points for each activity will range from 10-30% of the course grade, depending upon the individual assignment and weightings. Points must be selected in increments of 5.

For example, a student may choose to maximize the points on the reflective journal and group case analysis by completing all other assignments at the minimum points possible:

In all cases, class participation is mandatory. Failure to attend scheduled class sessions may be reflected in final course grading.

To send your MBA 510C contract, fill out the following form thoroughly and completely. This form must be submitted electronically. A confirmed copy of each contract will be posted to Blackboard by the end of the first week of class.