General Annnouncements

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USF students of Heiman are expected to check in to this site twice per week.

Here is a link to my Syllabi for this semester, Spring, 2002: 

Flash! Here's a new link to the bibliographies (in PDF file format for downloading) for Global Trends (MBA 670):
Bibliographies-Global trends Spring 2002

NOTE: The web address of this page was incorrect in the syllabus (really wrong): in the address, the word "classes" was incorrectly spelled "clases." Oops. This information does not do you a lot of good if you are already here at this page, and it is no help at all if you are still lookinz for the page.

NEW! Link to EMAIL Bruce Heiman (bheiman59@yahoo.com) with comments on the class, this web page, or other stuff, like questions.

Announcements/Tips/Hints/Tricks/Administrative Stuff
  in Chronological Order (oldest first).
  Want the NEWEST information? Click here.

23 January: 401 Sections 4 and 5 (meeting on Tues AND Thurs):

There will be a meeting this thurs., 24 January!! We will select groups for the project-based efforts in class. Be there. Aloha.

If you missed class on Tues., please come on thurs.! This assumes you are correctly registered for this class. I'm not signing any transfer requests at this time (for people wanting to get into section 4 or 5). If you have a problem with attending any section (mainly the problem is that you are not enrolled properly) then see the Undergrad Bus. Program office--Cheryl Barker's people. They have promised to help you out big time. I trust them--they have done good work for several students with this issue so far. Thanks.

23 January: ALL 401 Students:

Section 6 was well-subscribed. This is good, because it balances the student-load in the other 2 sections. Thanks to those who switched on request. I really can't see accepting any more students in ANY of the current sections, (4,5,6) unless people start dropping. Stay tuned.

28 January: 401 students--Got some questions on participation and content of "Part 2" presentations.

Here is an edited, elaborated excerpt of the reply:

J & F-

The current plan sounds good. Can you now find some CURRENT (or recent past) examples of some or all the stuff the articles talk about in the business press? Have you looked over Financial Times, Economist, NY Times, Bus. Week, etc.? Are the stories in your (SMJ) articles good enough for the class? Part 2- is about anchoring the theory in reality using cases, examples, stories, whatever it takes.

Regarding enhancing participation of the audience when you are leading the class--

Read the last 2 pages of the syllabus. There are many suggestions there (actually the last page, I think). The best thing is that the subject is so compelling (as you present it) that the other students are drawn into the conversation naturally with questions and comments.

This is hard to achieve, and most people like to think up some structure around their activity to help achieve the desired participation. This is where you can add value. "Be creative," is the best advice I can offer you. Hope this helps.

30 january- Groups and Presentations-Strategic Management

Click here to view who is in which groups

Click Here to see which groups are presenting when.

Problems? Questions?
email Heiman--bheiman59@yahoo.com

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30 january-LATE UPDATE--Re: Strategic Management--The Textbook

The 401 book, Strategy: Process, Content, Context, by De Wit & Meyer is now avialable on reserve in the library!!! This can save you about $ 50 (less duplicating fees, if any).

30 january-670 GLOBAL TRENDS STUDENTS--

Mitch dropped the class, but we picked up two new students, Carmen Ching, and a nice-sounding guy whose name escapes me at the moment. They will be the only team (so far ). Their in-class presentation topic is International Law, for Feb. 7. Hint on that reading-try to understand the games. Play it one step at a time.

New folks-READ THE SYLABUS CAREFULLY PLEASE. Thanks.

30 january- FLASH! ROOM CHANGES!

401 Section 5 (meets T TH 3:10-4:35pm) the class is now in Ed 103! Moved from LM 346a. This room has internet and carpet (for decreased noise levels).

401 Section 6 (meets Tues. 6:30pm-9:10pm)--We're out of the Physics Lab (Hr 143) and into LM 251! This room has internet and is hopefully large enough so that all 34 (!) of us can circle the desks.

31 january- More News! My TA, Rishi Popli will have NEW OFFICE HOURS.

This is in support of BOTH 670 (Global Trends) and 401 (Strategic Mgt).

Ask him to help you research your projects. Ask him about the readings. Ask him about anything you want.

"When is all this?" I hear you cry! FRIDAYS 11-2 in M209 (my office).

This is on a trial basis, and if enough students show up, we'll keep this feature of the class. The FIRST OFFICE HRS are TOMORROW--Friday, 1 February 2002!!! Be there. Aloha.

2 Feb.-Strategic Mgt Section 6 (T 6:30-9:10) ONLY--:

401-6 Strategic Mgt--Concerning the meeting of Feb 5-Tuesday, Section 6-

I sent you all an email stating this, but for completeness, here it is on the web too:

Class meets 25 minutes later than usual (T 6:55). Will end on time. Option to come to U. Ctr. & see Heiman give speech on MBA pgm. to prospective MBA students at USF at 6:25pm.

401-6 students--Correction on the Place of the talk on MBA Pgm for 2/5/02)

MBA Open House 6:00pm tues., 2/05/02, in Maraschi Room, Xavier Hall.

401-6 students--

Tim Felix and Chris Walton gave bad emails (or at least unreadable) on the sign-up sheet, so I could not reach them. If you know either of them, please give them the message regarding the time change for 5 Feb (see above).

Don't forget--NEW ROOM: LM 251 (401-6 only)!!

 

5 Feb. - ALL STUDENTS--I have been asked about policy on "excused" absences. Here is my policy:

You need to be aware that you will get a "0" for participation when you do not come to class. I will, however, excuse 2 of these (or your 2 lowest participation grades) when calculating the grades for the semester. The implication is exactly what I said the first day of class--try not to miss more than 2 classes or your participation grade will suffer, which could affect your overall grade. My policy is consistent for all cases, excused or not. Dire circumstances are different (injury, severe illness, family emergency, etc.). These are handled on a case-by-case basis. Though this sounds "tough" to some of you, remember that that fraction of participation that is affected represents only 15% of your total grade.

FLASH! 21 February 2002-

ATTENTION ALL GLOBAL TRENDS AND STRATEGIC MGT (Sec. 4,5,6) STUDENTS:

The Guest Speaker Schedule has changed a bit--NOTE WELL:

The Global trends Guest Speaker for 28 February--Topic:Entrepreneurship (Alan Davis, Pres. KDS International) is re-scheduled for 21 March. 401 (sec. 4,5,6) students are invited to attend.

The original topic for 21 March (Topic: Alliances, no guest) is switched to 28 February.

Global trends Students- READ THE CORRECT MATERIALS FOR NEXT WEEK (ALLIANCES). Iker's Entrepreneurship presentation is also switched to 21 March, and Pari's talk on alliances is moved to 28 February. So, read Heiman, Ch. 2 for next week. No guest speaker.

As long as we're on the subject of guest speakers--a reminder:

PLEASE DON'T WEAR JEANS, SPORTS SHORTS, OR SWEATPANTS to a session if there is a guest speaker coming. Thanks.

For those interested in Heiman's activities (research, publications, education, etc.), check out my new faculty page at USF (you get a new window--this one stays around):

http://www.usfca.edu/sobam/Faculty/heiman.htm

Participation Hints:

Does the discussion "really takes off after your comment?" is the best way
to judge if you are likely getting a good evaluation in participation. I
am interested in how well you stimulate others to make cogent
comments-something you can observe directly. Additionally, I am often
trying to direct the discussion in a particular direction (usually related
to the reading). Lots of people make comments that don't reflect much
close listening to the discussion or much use of the reading. These
comments are marked much lower.

Come to my office hrs T 11-1 if you want to know more about your individual situation. Please DO NOT ask in or just before or after class.

 

15 March, 2002
FINALLY! A Web Page Update! For ALL students: All this has been announced in class, so there should be no problems.

1. Critical Notes: In general, I have found that the "best" notes are those that focus on ONE aspect of ONE article in a given chapter. Discuss this aspect of the article you choose critically. The point you critique should be a major theme of the article. Do NOT discuss the "whole chapter" in an overview (umbrella) mode and offer a very general critique. That is not a good formula. Use of examples (outside the book) will be rewarded. I will either post some examples of excellent criical notes on the web soon, or a collection of examples will be available in my office. Stay tuned.

2. Guest Speakers and Critical Notes: You are now allowed to write up to 2 critical notes on the guest speakers in Global Trends (MBA 670).This offfer is good for both 401 and 670 students. These notes are due (if you choose to go this way) by the start of the last class of the semester. Cool, but no late submissions will be accepted. Other rules around Critical Notes remain in effect, notably that you need to submit 6 of them over the course of the semester.

3. Global Trends Speakers are:

_{Alan Davis, President KDS International (Entrepreneurship) on 21 March,}

_{Stu Weiss, Chief Scientist, (Science & Tech. I: Local Eco-Environment) on 4 April,}

_{Alicia Torregrosa, Decision Support Program Manager, Physical Scientist, USGS (Science & Tech. II: Geographical Information Systems) on 11 April, and}

_{Cynthia Benjamin, Strategic Decisions Group (Science & Tech. III: Biotechnology) on 18 April.}

4. Additionally, you can write a ctirical note on the Global Trends meeting of 25 April, which will entail viewing a video (in-class) called "Secrets of Silicon Valley," a superb story (true) of modern labor relations in silicon valley (HP and Manpower figure prominently). Video last about an hour, with discussion to follow.

5. IMPORTANT NOTE: As regards coming to see the guest speakers in person: PLEASE DO!!! There will be videos available (I hope) of all guest speakers, BUT I cannot promise good sound quality, given the nature of our classroom (echoes, noise, etc.). So come in-person to these activities for your own benefit (it can be really painful to listen to the sound on a video which does not have good sound).

Pre-Presentation review of materials with Instructor:

It is now required to visit me (Heiman) BEFORE your in-class presentation to review your plans. So far, this has been a big success--The in-class presentations and discussions have improved, and the presentations are more "on-target" as to the learning messages. I have increased my office hours a lot to help you in scheduling meetings (ofice hrs have been crowded since the change). Here's the latest:

Tuesday 11-1 (often available until 3). This is the best time to drop by. I ALWAYS try to be there during these, my official office hours.

Less certain, but so far pretty consistent:
Wednesday (times vary--next week I will be in from 2-5, maybe earlier)
Thursday usually 11-3, subject to change.

For Wed. and Thurs. meetings it is always nest to call or email to confirm my availability. Tues, you can just drop by.

Availability during Spring Break:

During Spring Break, I will be on travel, but available by email. I may take a few days to respond because I will only be checking every 3-4 days.

 Adjustments to courses

Per student feedback on mid-course evaluations the following adjustments have been made to the course:

Required review of presentations with Heiman BEFORE class (details above).

I will intervene more often to keep the discussion on-track.

When I intervene, I will try to be more "gentle" and less intimidating. 

Thanks for all the feedback (about 200 pages to read altogether). I am open to further input, but so far, I think your comments and my resulting actions have already improved things substantially!

EMAIL Bruce Heiman (bheiman59@yahoo.com) with comments on the class, this web page, or other stuff, like substantive questions regarding your project.

 

18 March, 2002--BREAKING NEWS! More GOOD NEWS for ALL students!

In direct response to student feedback, and to show that I AM listening, the number of Critical notes you are required to submit is reduced from 6 to 5 (five). This applies to all 401 (sections 4,5,6) and 670 (MBA) students. Enjoy.

 

Have a nice (safe, yet fun) Spring Break.
See you on 2 April (my bext office hrs and teaching day). Contact me by email (bheiman59@yahoo.com) if needed. My TA is around during the break. Email him at popli_rishi@hotmail.com.

Here's a note from Sheryl barker, Director of the Undergraduate Program in Business to ALL 401 students. This is an opportunity to shape the future of the class via participating in a focus group. Think about. Do it. Make a difference. -bh

Below is an email I've sent out to students in MW BUS 401 and BUS 306 sections re a call for students to participate in a Focus Group to discuss the Version A & B proposals for the UG Business curriculum. Could you also pass the word on in your classes, especially to students who you feel would be interested in actively and effectively participating? We are looking for ~20 students to participate.

Sheryl

Seniors:

The McLaren College of Business is reviewing our Business curriculum and is considering making changes to our current program. We would very much like to receive the input of our 'experienced' students changes you would suggest, what you think about some proposals which the faculty have suggested, etc.

If you are interested in providing input during a 'Focus Group' discussion to be led by Professor Dayle Smith, on Wednesday, April 3rd, 12:30 - 1:30 (lunch provided), please RSVP to me via email or sign-up in our office, McL 202.

Hope to see you there,

Sheryl Barker
Director Undergraduate Program
McLaren College of Business

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4 April--LOTS of updates and re-organization of the page--scroll to the botom for the latest!!!

4 April, 2002: FLASH! Don't forget Tonight's Guest Speaker, Stuart B. Weiss, Chief Scientist, Creekside Center for Earth Observations.

1830 hrs LM 344. Be There. It promises to be great! Stu will speak on eco-friendly business and specifically, projects on which he consults for such important firms as Cisco and Calpine in Silicon Valley. This is the future, so come be part of it.

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4 April, 2002: ALL the advice on the Final Case Project for 401 Students in One Place--Right Here:

Final Case Project (401 students only)

On the topic of the final case project, something will be coming soon that will give some information (likely an in-class discussion), but have you looked over the syllabus? The specification and requirements in there are what I work from when elaborating. Do you have a specific question about the project I can answer now? Come to office hrs. The last page of the syl. has more detail in case you missed it--this is in addition to the section "Evaluation" a few pages earlier.

401 Students: Here is the a link to a page of links that might help you with 2 tasks that are important to the final case project you are (hopefully) already thinking about:

(1) Ideas for 401 (strategic Mgt) final case project.

(2) Data sources for the final case project.

These links are NOT definitive. You are likely to need multiple other sources to do this project. Come and chat with me (Heiman) or my TA (Rishi Popli) for more detail on this important part of the class. There is (again, hopefully) more to come, so keep an eye on this page to update announcements to these links.

The page of HELPFUL LINKS FOR YOUR FINAL CASE PROJECTS has been updated! Check it out.
More organization. More coherence. More links. Still not perfect, a lot better than the first version and the refinement continues! Stay tuned. More IS coming.

Regarding the final case project--Choice of firm for the case you are developing:

Some questions arose as to what is a "good" firm to choose.

It is not so much big vs. small firms, but rather over-studied-in-class versus not. I have ALSO separately observed that often the most interestingstories come from students who take the time to do primary research at small or medium-sized enterprises. These often make the basis of compelling cases and in-class presentations that support your ideas and add huge value to students' (in the audience) learning experiences.

Regarding the structure, first SEE THE SYLLABUS (section on evaluation and the last page). THEN digest this (it's a supplement to what is in the syll.):

I want ONE CASE (one story of one firm). This may involve an industry analysis, however, which discusses several or many firms. Minimum requirements: TWO PERSPECTIVES (each chapter has one perspective). So the minimum is to use two chapters' materials in your analysis (not two different ends of a continuum from the samechapter--that counts as one perspective). Three perspectives will be used in the really excellent papers. For example: Perspective P1 (say, Porter's 5 forces from Ch 5) is used to describe a situation at your firm. There are problems though--identify them, and suggest another perspective (P2 from a different chapter, say embedded perspective from one of the readings in Ch. 8) that adds value (either by replacing or augmenting the ideas of P1. P3 (from yet another chapter), if used could either further refine your take on the situation, adding to P2, OR if P2 is really also inadequate (but it looked good at first) then P3 may be the best approach. In any case, the question should be answered "what should the strategy be and why?" If you go for this last approach, P2 must not be a "straw man;" that is, DON'T pick a perspective because you need one that is obviously wrong that does not fit the case story so you can trash it and go to P3. P2 must seem reasonable or have subtle flaws. The 3-perspective approach IS more challenging on purpose.

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More on 4 April, 2002: The TA, Rishi Popli will be in office hrs tomorrow, 5 April, 2002 from 11-3.

More Still on 4 April, 2002: I know the videos are going into the collection in the basement of Cowell, but what's the quality like? Would someone who has looked at a guest speaker video let me know how they are? Email or talk to me. Thanks.

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9 April, 2002: ALL STUDENTS: I've mentioned this in class, but here is the text announcement: You MAY write a critical note on the movie and discussion for Global Trends on 25 April. REMINDER: ALL of these "extra opportunity" critical notes are due at the start of class on the last day of class or earlier. The total required critical notes (see previous announcement, above) is 5. You may submit up to 8 notes, however, and I will count only the 5 highest.

11 April, 2002: ALL STUDENTS: Reminder: Rishi Popli, T.A. for 670 and 401, will have office hrs tomorrow (Fri. 12 April) 11-2.

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21 April, 2002: The home stretch for 401 students. Some free advice: Finish up your critical notes now! The only remaining sources for writing critical notes are the videos in Cowell basement, or the movie that we will screen at Global Trends this Thursday, 25 April--Secrets of Silicon Valley--VERY SPECIAL FILM--be there (LM 344 6:30 pm). This is also 401 students' final chance to visit an MBA class (and a "good one" at that--or so I hope). No more critical notes (401 students only) will be accepted on chapters from the textbook.

MORE FREE ADVICE: Put some serious effort into understanding what the final project assignment (401) is all about. THEN put some serious time into the paper and the presentation.

"What will be most highly rewarded in the final presentations?"  I hear you cry...

Be convincing (make solid, logical arguments with examples), use the perspectives as instructed, and (perhaps most importantly) lead the students in your audience into participating in a meaningful manner.

STILL MORE ADVICE: A Great short presentation typically gets a better grade than a merely good long presentation. Be concise. If you don't have a great exercise (takes an extra 10 min. max.), then DO NOT try to pull one off--you'll simply mess up the timing (i.e., put more pressure on the next group). Thanks for your cooperation with this--remember: 10 minute presentation, 5 min. of Q&A, + possible (optional) exercise (10 min. max. all-in).

THANKS to all the 401 students who showed up at Cynthia Benjamin's talk last thursday. This guest speaker was a huge success (at least as far as I see it). Good questions, meaningful dialogue.

FINAL FREE ADVICE: I have been telling a lot of student visitors to my office hrs who want to know how to help their grades that the best way is to participate heavily during the final presentations. These presentations are a KEY aspect to the learning experience of this course. ALSO (in the same spirit) DO NOT MISS THE FINAL PRESENTATIONS. Plan to attend ALL 4 meetings (or 2 for sec. 6). Of course, it would also help to score high on the final presentation and paper (each being 20% of the final grade). Stay tuned. More later.

 

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