Required Texts and Readings:
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Wheelen, T. and Hunger, J. (2004). Strategic management and business policy (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Weiss, C. H. (1998). Evaluation (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall.
Note: Your instructor may require you to purchase one or more case
studies for use in this course from the Harvard Business School or the Kennedy School of Government at a cost of approximately $2.95 per case.
Both of these sources are available on the Internet. You will be
given complete instructions should these additional case studies be
required in your section.
Text used in multiple courses:
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington DC: Author.
Supplementary Readings:
The standard for papers in the graduate program is the APA style. All participants in this course and all graduate INSS, MGMT, PUAD, and ECON courses should have a copy of the style guide:
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th edi.). Washington DC: Author.
All graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online library. The library contains a large number of full text academic journals that are free of charge and immediately available. The library homepage also contains a number of links related to improving students' research and writing skills. | |
Recommended Journals:
| Publications of the various professional societies (such as ACM -- the Association for Computing Machinery, the IEEE Computing Society, and the various management professional societies) are strongly recommended. In addition, there are many trade journals (such as eWEEK) that MIS professionals should become familiar with, many of these being published both weekly and on-line. | |
Course Description:
| 3 semester hours credit. Prerequisites: All undergraduate prerequisites and INSS 540, or permission of the Program Director. Examines the issue of linking business performance with information systems technology. Alternative structures for matching the information system organization with the overall organization are discussed and evaluated. Planning mechanisms and strategies are examined. Behavior and legal issues that relate to information systems management are addressed. Case studies are used to expose students to information systems policy issues. Students in the public administration program are not eligible for INSS 620. | |
Course Goals:
As a required, advanced, course in the Master of Science in MIS, this course builds on previous coursework and professional experience to focus on high level strategic and policy decisions. Upon completion of the course, participants should have an understanding of:
- Principles of strategic management,
- Strategy formulation and environmental scanning,
- Analysis required for policy decisions or recommendations, and
- The processes involved with policy implementation and evaluation.
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Course Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course the student will be able to:
- Develop an understanding of concepts, research, and theories concerning strategic management.
- Develop and apply a framework of analysis for practical problem solving.
- Synthesize and practice conceptual skills integrating management issues in public and commercial organizations, with special focus on applications to information technology.
- Develop an appreciation for problems associated with globalization that affect strategic policy planning and implementation.
- Practice and apply the abilities to analyze, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the performance of people responsible for strategic decisions.
- Improve research capabilities and critical thinking required for strategic policy formulation and evaluation.
- Recognize and apply appropriate ethical standards as part of the strategic management process.
- Appreciate issues in globalization that affect strategic policy planning and implementation.
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Grading Information:
Grades for this course will be assigned as follows:
A 90% and above
B 80% up to 90%
C 70% up to 80%
F Below 70%
Please note that Bowie State University does not use "D" for graduate students. The grade F(a) is used to designate academic failure. F(n) is used to designate failure for non-completion. Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC-Europe policies. For further details, please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog, available online at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/general_info/publications/catalogs or in your local Education Center. | |
Course Requirements:
Graduate school at the masters level focuses on helping students obtain the education needed for success as professionals in their chosen fields. Thus, UMUC-Europe Graduate Programs and Bowie State University share the common goals of promoting excellence in academic scholarship through thoughtful inquiry and the skillful application of knowledge and theory for the betterment of society. In order to maximize your graduate educational experience in general and this course in particular, you are required to:
Participate in classroom discussions............10%
Write and present graduate level case studies...50%
Complete two written examinations...............40% | |
Description of Course Requirements:
Successful graduate students in American universities dedicate approximately three hours of preparation/study time for every hour spent in the face-to-face classroom. Thus, the following course requirements were developed on the assumption that students would be prepared to spend approximately 150 hours of their own time working on them. In an 8-week term, that is the equivalent of a half-time job. Most 14-week graduate distance education courses require at least 10 hours per week of dedicated time, plus time spent in the virtual classroom.
Participate in classroom discussions: You are expected to come to class prepared to engage in all discussions in a professional and informed manner.
Write graduate level papers or case studies: Successful written assignments in this class must be the student's own, original work. Good scholarship includes details such as reference lists and citing sources
for direct quotations and paraphrases. Anything else is possible plagiarism and will be dealt with in accordance with UMUC policy as noted elsewhere in this syllabus. Resubmission of a student's own, original work from previous classes is acceptable in this class as long as the submission completely fills the requirements for this class. Experience has shown that most papers written for other venues do not meet requirements unique to this class and earn a poor grade because of
that.
Orally/visually present prepared material: You are required to present your research in a professional manner. In a face-to-face course, this typically means an oral presentation accompanied by appropriate visual material. In a DE class, this means creating a visual/textual presentation for your instructor and classmates.
Project descriptions: Much class attention will be focused on the development of critical thinking in the process of strategic management through case study analysis. Each student will be assigned case studies for individual and/or group presentation. Both group and individual assignments constitute formal written work and will require the application of both qualitative and quantitative analysis.
Complete written examinations: The examination process in this class will assist you in developing the writing and critical thinking skills necessary to successfully passing the comprehensive exam required of all graduate students. Some questions used for this course will either be taken directly from past comprehensive exams or written as though to be included on a comprehensive exam. | |
Course Schedule:
This schedule presents 16 units or modules, with each unit corresponding to a regular three-hour weekday meeting, a half-day on weekends, or a full week of DE.
Initial meeting:
Introductions
Review of syllabus
Clarification of goals, objectives and requirements
Orientation to subject
Reading Assignment: W&H Chap 1
Second meeting:
Reading Assignment: W&H Chap 14
Third meeting:
Reading Assignment: W&H Chaps 2
Fourth meeting:
Reading Assignment: W&H Chap 3, Weiss Chap 1
Fifth meeting:
Reading Assignment: W&H Chap 4, Weiss Chap 2
Individual case (1) assignment due
Sixth meeting:
Reading Assignment: W&H Chap 5
Seventh meeting:
Reading Assignment: W&H Chap 6, Weiss Chap 6
Eighth meeting:
Midterm exam covering W&H Chaps 1-6&14, Weiss Chaps 1-2
Ninth meeting:
Reading Assignment: W&H Chap 7
Group or individual case (2) assignment due
Tenth meeting:
Reading Assignment: W&H Chap 8, Weiss Chap 11
Eleventh meeting:
Reading Assignment: W&H Chap 9
Twelfth meeting:
Reading Assignment: W&H Chap 10, Weiss Chap 12
Thirteenth meeting:
Reading Assignment: W&H Chap 11
Fourteenth meeting:
Course evaluations
Reading Assignment: W&H Chap 12
Fifteenth meeting:
Reading Assignment: W&H Chap 13
Individual case (3) due
Sixteenth meeting:
Final comprehensive examination | |
Academic Policies:
The University has a license agreement with Turnitin.com, a service that helps prevent plagiarism from internet resources. I may be using this service in this class by either requiring students to submit their papers electronically to Turnitin.com or by submitting questionable text on behalf of a student. If you or I submit part or all of your paper, it will be stored by Turnitin.com in their database throughout the term of the University's contract with Turnitin.com. If you object to this temporary storage of your paper, you must let me know no later than two weeks after the start of this class. Please Note: If you object to the storage of your paper on Turnitin.com, I may utilize other services to check your work for plagiarismThe official university policy on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty can be found at http://www.umuc.edu/policy/aa15025.shtml. Section I.C. states: "Faculty may determine if the resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC), partially or in its entirety, is acceptable when assigning a grade on that piece of course work. Faculty must provide this information in their written syllabi. If the resubmission of course work is deemed to be unacceptable, a charge may not be brought under this Policy and will be handled as indicated in the written syllabi."
Please refer to Description of Course Requirements for specific information on how resubmissions will be treated in this course and to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog for information on the following:
Academic Integrity
Course Load
Exception to Policy
Grade Appeal Process
Make-up Examinations
Nondiscrimination
Students with Disabilities
Hard copies of the catalog are available at your local Education Center. | |
Faculty Bio:
William G. Stewart, Ph.D. Collegiate Professor of Business and Management
Bill Stewart completed his doctoral work in Organizational Leadership at the University of Oklahoma, writing a dissertation on perceptions of leadership and management in the Armed Forces of the United States. He received the M.B.A. from the University of South Dakota and the B.A. in International Relations and German from Brigham Young University. He joined the University of Maryland University College--Europe faculty in 1990, after retiring from the U.S. Air Force with service in ICBM operations, as a pilot, and in international politico-military affairs for Germany and the United Kingdom. | |
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