BA 495A - Strategic Management - Spring 2021

In the folder above are two articles, Kenyan Tea Brews a Market at Home and Walmart Retreats Around the Globe that you must read and analyze. You may use any resource that you wish when completing this portion of the exam except another person. 

Note: Each article is worth 15 points, not 20 points as listed in the articles. 

Your answers should be typed, double-spaced, with a heading for each article. Post your paper here before 11 o'clock on Wednesday, March 24. 

Cecil the Lion

25 points

During our class discussion on the culture of countries, we talked about the need for managers to be mindful of the cultures of other countries when conducting international business. We learned that there were three perspectives that one might take concerning the sensitivity shown to other cultures: parochialism, ethnocentrism and geocentrism.

About six years ago there was a controversy that erupted in the United States and other countries around the world about the killing of an African lion affectionately known as Cecil. Google "Cecil the Lion" to learn more about this incident and see just how widespread this controversy was at that time.

During a later class discussion on ethics, we defined business ethics as the moral thinking and analyses by corporate decision-makers regarding the motives and consequences of their decisions and actions. We then provided a number of different perspectives that are useful for managers as a guide when making ethical decisions. 

Many times, organizational cultures and ethics collide. Read the article (found in the file above) After the Killing of Cecil the Lion, Delta takes Action, to learn about one American based company that presumably believed it was acting in an ethical, socially responsible manner.

Next read the articles Don’t Cry for Cecil the Lion and Six Lions found Dead in Ugandan National Park (note the photo credit in the second article).

Critically evaluate the controversy over the killing of Cecil within the context of what you have learned about international culture, ethics and social responsibility. What is your view about the actions taken by Delta (and other American companies) to try and discourage big game trophy hunting in Africa? Support your arguments using the principles we’ve discussed in class.

Submit your paper as a word document before 11 a.m. on Friday, April 23.

See the three files provided below (Milton Friedman and The Business Roundtable; The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board's Reaction; Stakeholder Capitalism – One Year Later). 

Write a paper that summarizes your thoughts of the articles that are contained within each file. You'll be writing three papers, each one focusing on the issues raised within that group.  Where appropriate, apply the various theories and perspectives that we have discussed in class both this semester and last fall in BA 400. 

Each paper should be no longer than two pages, double-spaced with a heading at the top of each paper (so no more than six pages total).

Let me know if you have questions. 

Online Friday Assignment – February 5

Watch the YouTube video (see link below), Why International Business? Write a brief commentary on why you think it is (or is not!) important to take a course on international business. Feel free to look ahead to the Chapter 8, Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson (next week’s assignment) if you feel you need some additional context.

Your paper should be typed, single-spaced, no longer than one page, including a heading and your name. Submit your paper, saved as a word document below no later than noon, Tuesday, February 9.

https://www.youtube.com/watch/lMdhfBQUhtI

Online Friday Assignment – February 12

Read the two articles from The Wall Street Journal linked above. Both of these articles address the issue of price gouging. Most, if not all states, have laws that protect the consumer against price gouging, especially during natural disasters. Following disasters, the popular press typically includes reports of much higher than normal prices for such things as gasoline, hotel rooms, bottle water and other supplies.

Think critically! What are your thoughts on price gouging? Should it be allowed? Why or why not? Provide evidence to support your arguments.

Your paper should be typed, double-spaced, no longer than three pages, including a heading and your name. Submit your paper below, saved as a word document, no later than noon, Monday, February 15.

Watch about 10 minutes of the Wal-Mart video (see Video tab on Moodle) beginning at about the 47 minute and 15 seconds mark. Write a paper, not to exceed three pages, that is double spaced. Discuss this video segment within the context of our class discussion this week on International Strategy.

Be sure to consider the following questions:

• What international corporate-level strategy is Wal-Mart following?
• What do you think motivates (e.g. provides incentives for) Wal-Mart’s international strategy? 
• What do you think are its benefits? 
• What cultural challenges did Wal-Mart face when moving into the Chinese market?
  

Read the five articles provided in the file above and follow the instructions. Post your individual paper in the assignments tab below no later than noon Tuesday, March 16. 

Use headings to identify the article you are writing about. Your paper should be no longer than three pages, single spaced. Do not put each article on a separate page. Instead, this should be viewed as one paper with five different sections. Be sure to include your name on your paper.

Organizational Culture

Paper Assignment

Write a paper on the topic of organizational culture based on the video The Long Gray Line: The Spirit of West Point (you will find the video under the video tab on Moodle). In addition to the video, the source for this paper will be the information about organizational culture that we discussed in class. In other words, you should relate the course material on organizational culture to the elements of culture that you can identify from the video.

Your paper should typed, double spaced, using a 12 point font, with one inch margins on all sides. The paper may not be longer than three pages.

Submit your paper here no later than noon on Tuesday, March 30.

Ethics and The Firm

Your assignment is to write a short paper based on the portrayals in the movie The Firm (the movie can be found under the Moodle Video tab). This paper should reflect your thoughts about the ethical issues presented in the movie and should be grounded in our class discussions. At a minimum, you should discuss societal ethics, occupational ethics, individual ethics and organizational ethics relate each of these to portrayals in the movie.

Your paper must be typed, double spaced, using a 12-point font, with one inch margins on all sides with a heading and your name at the top. The paper may not be longer than four pages, excluding the title page.

Your paper is due by noon on Tuesday, April 13.

Your individual international culture paper is due by midnight on Friday, April 30th. You should submit it here saved as a word document. Late papers are not accepted. 

See the syllabus for information about the paper's content and format. Let me know if you have questions.