- Select a book on Strategic Management topics (or related topics) or a book on the history of a company. See the booklist posted on Blackboard for appropriate titles. Please get approval from me if the book you wish to read is not on the list.
- (a) Summarize the book in your own words (minimum 5 pages).
- (b)To analyze a strategic planning book the discussion might include: how a company or your firm might (or already does) implement the ideas presented in the book, the effects of the ideas on businesses, employees, customers, etc. (minimum 2 pages). To analyze a company book the discussion might include: how the company’s competitive advantages have changed over time, how you think its history has affected its current position; its strengths/weaknesses; how CEO’s have influenced the values, philosophy, corporate culture of the company; leadership characteristics of the founder/CEO; lessons learned from reading the book; implications of topics discussed; how the ideas could be implemented at your company, etc. (minimum 2 pages).
- (c) Include a discussion about how course information applies to the book content; how the book ideas support text concepts or how book ideas disagree or vary from text concepts; or compare/contrast book concepts and information with class text concepts. Be sure to identify specific course topics/concepts (minimum 3 pages).
Writing assignment instructions
- Students are required to select from the following list of options a combination of assignments that they wish to complete. Each assignment can only be done once with the exception of journal articles. Text and class cases cannot be used to complete an assignment. The purpose is to allow students the ability to select assignments that most interest them. Students must complete a combination of assignments so that the total maximum possible is 100 points. NOTE: Any assignments that are e-mailed to me will be acknowledged when I have received them.
- Why? To apply course concepts, to engage in critical thinking, and to better understand strategic planning.
- Paper Format: 1″ margins, 10 or 12 font, Headings for each section of the paper, single or double spacing, excellent writing skills. Please APA or MLA Bibliography format/style. Internet references must include the author, title, date, and web address – Wikipedia is an inappropriate source. Minimum page suggestions are based on double spacing. Written assignments are a reflection of an individual so the presentation of a written paper is very important. Use of excellent writing skills is expected. Cite sources of facts in the body of the paper via footnotes or author’s name in parentheses. It is expected that all written assignments are original work prepared by students in the class. Extensive ‘cutting and pasting’, even if properly cited will result in a failing grade.
BOOK LIST
Strategic Management Books:
Leaders Eat Last, by Simon Sinek
Bold, by Peter H. Diamandis& Steven Kotler
Great by Choice by Jim Collins& Morten Hansen
The End of Competitive Advantage: How to keep your strategy moving as fast as your business, Rita Gunther McGrath
Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works, A.G., Lafley& Roger Martin
The Best Practices Enterprise: A Guide to achieving Sustainable World-Class Performance, by James Kerr
Being Strategic, by Erika Anderson
The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership
Why good companies go bad and how great managers remake them
Winning Behavior – What the smartest most successful companies do differently
The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization
Blue Ocean Strategy, by Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne
Company Books:
Shoe Dog: A memoir by the Creator of Nike, by Phil Knight
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, by Ashlee Vance
Tails from the Bark Side, by Heidi Ganahl
Netflixed: The Epic Battle for America’s Eyeballs, by Gina Keating
Brick by Brick (Lego), by D. Robertson & B. Breen
One-Click: Jeff Bezos and the Rise of Amazon.com, by Richard Brandt
The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company that is Connecting the World, by D. Kirkpatrick
Hallmark: A Century of Caring
The Steve Jobs Way: iLeadership for a New Generation, by Jay Elliot
Start Something That Matters (TOMS shoes), by Blake Mycoskie
Display of Power: How FUBU Changed A World of Fashion, by Daymond John
I’m Feeling Lucky: The Confessions of Google Employee No. 59, by Douglas Edwards
Ask Papa Jack: Wisdom of the World’s Oldest CEO, by Steven Weil
Everything I know about business I learned at McDonald’s
The HP Way: How Bill Hewlett & I built our Company
Onward: How Starbucks Fought for its Life without Losing Its Soul, by Howard Schultz
Starbucked: A Double Tall Tale of Caffeine, Commerce and Culture
Patagonia: Let my people go surfing
Blue Streak: Inside JetBlue, the upstart that rocked an industry
On Target: How the World’s Hottest retailer hit a bulls-eye
What I learned from Sam Walton: How to Compete and Thrive in a Wal-Mart World
Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from Life at Disney
Winning (GE), by Jack Welch
The Nordstrom Way: The Inside Story of America’s #1 Customer Service Company
Inside Out: Microsoft – In Our Own Words
The Emperor of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars
Secret Recipe Why KFC is still cooking after 50 years (KFC)
Direct from Dell: Strategies that Revolutionized an Industry
The Real Thing – Truth and Power of the Coca-Cola Company
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration, Ed Catmull
P(5.u)
Prime Essay Services , written from scratch, delivered on time, at affordable rates!