Online Management Simulation

TERM PAPER GUIDANCE

You will write a term paper in the form of a Report to the Board of Directors (of your company). This paper is based on your experience over all the quarters played in the simulation, and as the CEO of your company, you will write objectively, and with candor. The Board of Directors of your company is comprised of top executives, whose expectations are for an excellent report, with substantiated facts, and no “fluff.” Use as many examples as you can to show the logic which underpinned your decisions. Be sure you analyze, discuss and detail to explain both the “Why” and the “How”. Data should be used to back up your statements wherever necessary, e.g. market share, fixed capacity, balanced scorecard, sales compensation, financial statements etc. Points will be deducted if you don’t substantiate your assertions with data.

BACKGROUND:

The simulation course is designed to expose students to managing an integrated, multifunctional business in a highly competitive global industry.  Having gone through 6 quarters of the simulation experience, you used your strategic, analytical and critical thinking skills, to run a ‘real’ business with all the complexities involved.  You ‘learned by doing’ and developed expertise, creating various scenarios. 

You gained experience by working in a team, in a challenging global environment, in an intense competitive environment.  You had businesses successes and failures, both of which provided valuable learnings, which you incorporated into your strategies and decisions going forward.

ASSIGNMENT:

You will write a term paper in the form of a Report to the Board of Directors (of your company).  This paper is based on your experience over all the quarters played in the simulation, and as the CEO of your company, you will write objectively, and with candor.  The Board of Directors of your company is comprised of top executives, whose expectations are for an excellent report, with substantiated facts, and no “fluff.”

Use as many examples as you can to show the logic which underpinned your decisions. Be sure you analyze, discuss and detail to explain both the “Why” and the “How”.  Data should be used to back up your statements wherever necessary, e.g. market share, fixed capacity, balanced scorecard, sales compensation, financial statements etc.  Points will be deducted if you don’t substantiate your assertions with data.  

Discuss your total experience, responding to the following questions and components:

The Report to the Board should include the following components:

Review your financial and market performance since the start of your firm

Highlight the key features of your firm’s strategy and how they evolved over the course of the past six quarters

Overall corporate strategy

Marketing strategy

Sales Channel strategy

Human Resource strategy

Manufacturing strategy

Financial strategy

Assess your current situation, including the market, competition and your firm’s strengths and weaknesses?

Summarize how you have prepared your firm to compete in the future.

What were the top three lessons learned?

REQUIRED PARAMETERS:

1. 10-12 pages, double spaced, typed, 12 pt. font, 1” margins.
2. APA format for any sources that you cite. Should you require help in properly citing your sources in APA format, the ASC is a resource that you may want to use.
3. Research materials should be high-quality sources such as those available through the College Library’s Online Databases.
4. The paper should be well organized and address the questions above thoroughly, in detail and in depth.