Teaching Tool-Kit

With the generous support of colleagues and the UW CIBER, I have compiled a portfolio of stand-alone (1) ice-breakers, (2) group break-out exercises and (3) teaching tools, (short in duration � 5 to 30 minutes) that are designed to open sessions, spark discussion and debate, polarize students around certain perspectives to illuminate their biases and strategic blindspots, identify gaps between strategy formulation and implementation, and to otherwise promote ongoing participation in strategy, international business, entrepreneurship, and other organizations courses - (domestic or international), undergraduate, MBA, or executive. A new section, labeled "Games & Simulations," has been added as well to accommodate multi-session and longer experiential exercises. A downloadable version of additional exercises can be found at the bottom of the page.

Below are teaching tools that facilitate the delivery of cases and other course material (and could likely be adapted to many disciplines). Special thanks to those who have contributed to the list -- since this list is "in progress" please keep those suggestions coming!! (send to mcarpenter@bus.wisc.edu).

ICE BREAKERS
The Alaska Gold Mine case is my favorite starter case for undergraduate, MBA, and executive MBA strategy courses. Reprinted here with permission of author Jeffrey Barach along with my PointPoint slides I use to administer the case. Case. PowerPoints. Teaching Note.

Not exactly ice breakers, but some interesting thoughts on opening a course summarized by a top finance professor at Darden. Click here for full text.

This is an elaborate introduction to the Tinker Toy ice-breaker authored by Coff & Hatfield (2003) in JSME. The exercise is also an excellent experiential tool for later in the semester to demonstrate key features of the resource based perspective and first mover advantage. Click here for full PDF text.

"The closest thing I do as an ice-breaker is that I try to memorize the students' names before the first class and then when the students introduce themselves I can connect their names and faces right away. Good teaching in strategic management requires relationship building in order to have any hope of students achieving "double-loop learning" (e.g., questioning underlying goals and assumptions). I try to begin to establish this relationship in the first class."

"Perhaps this qualifies. To assign teams, I use a 5-minute drill that (1) helps the students mix and get to know a few others, and (2) results in heterogeneity on at least one dimension. I have the class line up in a row. The first in line is the person whose home (i.e., parents home, not campus housing) is closest to campus. The last in line is the student whose home is most distant. In mingling to decide where they stand in line, they get to meet lots of people as they work out the logistics. Then, we number off (according to how many groups are necessary) 1-X. I suppose other sorting criteria could be used by schools where most of the students come from the same geographic area. But at a school like ours, they span the globe and it works quite well."

"In my opening graduate class I talk about my objective of getting students to think strategiclly. I put up a slide showing industry performance (any industry will work, although the simpler the better). Last semester I used a slide showing downward stock prices in the four largest bagel companies in the U.S. I ask the students why this is happening. We ramble for a few minutes. I then give a very quick overview of what I think is happening. I then return to the OH in the last class to drive home the message that hopefully, they now have the vocabulary and conceptual knowledge to quickly draw some conclusions on their own."

In classes that have a distinct international bent, I use a simple case-based exercise to kick off the first class. The Ivey Case 9A95G001, "Where have you been: An exercise to assess your exposure to the rest of the world's people," is a fun way to show participants both how diverse the world is, along with how little exposure they've actually had to the rest of the world's people than they previously thought. Case can be obtained from: http://www.ivey.uwo.ca/cases/

"I teach the topic of Strategic Vision at the beginning of the semester in Strategic Management for undergraduates, and was drawing on Collins & Porras' HBR article dealing with this topic (Sept/Oct 1996). They discuss envisioning the future as one aspect of developing a strategic vision for a company. Envisioning the future includes having a long term goal they call a "BHAG" (big, hairy, audacious goal) and writing a vivid narrative description of how things will look when the BHAG is achieved. My senior undergraduate in-class exercise was for them to write their own BHAG for their career 5 years from now, along with a vivid description of what a day in their professional life would be like (as they might describe it to a former classmate in five years). For some of them, this is the first time they thought in concrete terms this far into their professional futures. I got very positive feedback from the class on this exercise and some of them did a remarkably good job with it. I read two of them aloud to the class (anonymously). I sometimes find it difficult to craft meaningful exercises early in the semester before we have gotten into the "meat" of the concepts of Strategic Management, and was glad to get a good response from my students on this one."

"I have the students do an international JV negotiation exercise with the case "Thai Chempest" (available through Prentice Hall's database of cases). One team plays the role of the U.S. company, one team is the local Thai company, and the rest of the class are individual Thai government agencies (their job is to hash out an incentive package to entice the foreign investment--not as easy as it sounds, as each gov't agency has its own set of priorities). This exercise takes 2 hours and the students really get into it."

The BINGO (actually called STRATEGY). This consists of two documents that are attached. First, I created 16 different playing cards by putting on words I expected to use in class. Then, I created a list of additional words that I expected to use. I instructed students to take one of the playing cards and then fill in the blanks with words from the list. By partially completing the card, I saved class time. By having students finish the card themselves, I ensured that each card would be different.

I only used this approach once, but should use it again. The particular topic the day I used it was 'competitive dynamics'. I think the topic was a bit too hard for the students, but they seemed to like the game. The two winners in each section received a $5 Subway gift certificate.

Jeopardy - was used in the final day of class as a way to wrap-up all the topics we used. I would set up the white board with the categories and dollar amounts. I also would have two Daily Doubles and more recently have added a final Jeopardy question. The 'prize' is that the winning team gets the maximum class participation score for that day (basically a double A grade), whereas the losing team gets a regular A.

I update some of the questions year to year. As you can see, they are a mix of course ideas and fun topics. I would read each question to the class with one exception. For the category 'Before and After' (which is the hardest), I would put the question up on an over-head projector so that they could read and think about it.

The attached word documents (5WIS1, 5WIS2, 5WIS3, 5WIS4, 5WIS5) contain the instructions that I distribute to students and the �raw material� strips that I use. The attached PowerPoint file contains a list of what I prepare before class (slide 1) and the slides for class, including discussion and wrap up slides. I go over the directions in detail in class as, unfortunately, students often do not read the directions very carefully; the verbal overview also gets them thinking about setting up a divisional vs. a functional structure for the task. It really is worth stressing the fact that they need to set up a structure.

I choose an external quality control group at the beginning of class � I purposefully pick students who are quick and pay attention to detail for this task, as it will have to be completed in a short period of time.

Overall, what tends to happen is that both groups improve from trial 1 to trial 2, however the functional group improves by a much greater amount and generally has fewer QC errors (i.e. words used repeatedly). Often, their sentences are much more entertaining as well; I have the QC group read out some of their favorite sentences. ** In my smaller classes, I never get this clear a story � both groups are about equally productive and their structures look pretty similar, as there is only so much that you can do organizationally with 5-8 students per team. It takes teams of about 15+ students to see the difference**

I have not used the exercise to talk about learning curves, but you could extend it to do that in a relatively straightforward manner � although it would be nice to be able to run 3 trials to show the learning curve effects (you�d need a longer class session for that).

I run this exercise in an 80 minute class session � it works, but time is tight, so you have to keep the groups on schedule (particularly the QC group).

GROUP BREAK-OUTS
I developed a number (39!) of mini-cases to demonstrate a range of strategy topics. I usually use the cases and their attached questions at the beginning of a lecture or part way through to break up the pace. I find that they provide a strong, shared basis for talking about particular subjects in strategy, and can be used to promote debate and discussion. These are found in the Test Bank accompanying the Hitt, Ireland, Hoskisson Strategic Management textbook, Fifth Edition (2003).

At the 2003 SMS Conference, Mason Carpenter (me), Amy Hillman, W. Gerry Sanders, & Gerry Keim presented a program on challenges and opportunities of teaching extended session strategy classes. The hand-out with several of the pertinent suggestions are provided in the attached handout. Click here to download PDF.

"One colleague constantly reminds me that we (BPS folks) should know, but generally don�t design for the numerous, "manageable" conditions discouraging students from participating. First, in terms of group dynamics, individuals are more likely to participate when they are in small groups; or if in a larger group, have some smaller group of individuals that they identify with. Second, students participate when they have taken a position, and have some reasoning behind that position. Third, like many behaviors, participation is a habit so there is a need to ingrain and exercise the "participation-habit" up front. Thus, this BPS instructor recommends that we exploit such knowledge of participation by building a foundation for active class participation in the very first student encounter. Thus, before talking about anything other than confirming this is the right class (i.e., are you in BPS 670?), hand out a brief (five-minute read or less) WSJ article that has strategic implications. In the next minute or so have each reader write down the answer one specific question about the article (i.e., Is this a good strategic move for firm X?). Next break class into small groups of 3 or 4 and have them identify the answer they agree is best. The class regroups to share their conclusions and the discussion is used to illustrate how the course will provide them with the tools to answer this question in greater detail, and with the confidence they are approaching the problem in a rigorous, informed fashion. This also may be more rewarding to the instructor than simply defaulting to the "review-the-syllabus-mode" in the first session (make the syllabus one of their first reading assignments)."

Managing change exercise - "I use a very simple exercise: I have students change places in the room. There are three rules for the change: (1) everyone must move, (2) they must not sit by anyone they're currently adjacent to, and (3) they must move at least a "knight's move," up 1/over 2. This will be their new seat for the rest of the term. I learned long ago in my undergrad sociology classes - and have confirmed it through many years of observation - that students **always** take the same seats, obviating the need by professors to assign seats. After the first class, they enter the room & sit in exactly the same place each time. (People also do this in church.) It's a breach of classroom etiquette to take the seat of another. After they finish the move, I ask them to list what's wrong or right. They usually have a long list, "I can't see as well," "I'm uncomfortable," "But I always sit in that spot in a room," etc. I then combine those things into the standard Resistance to Change categories. We then talk about ways that this could have been less "painful." This brings out the ideas that change is upsetting and, sometimes, there's no way to make it less upsetting. By the way, the students are even more upset when they come into the following class session & I make them take their New seats! They thought that it was just another exercise. We get to discuss change again. Then, at the end of the term, I have them talk about the net results of change: how long did it take to become adapted, etc."

Cooperative and experiential learning have many definitions and faces. The five basic elements are 1) positive interdependence among group members in a class, 2) face-to-face interaction among students, 3) individual accountability and personal responsibility, 4) collaborative or team skills are developed. and 5) group processing of learning achievement. In practice, it means putting the emphasis on active learning instead of teaching, by making students more responsible for their own learning. Here are three favorite exercises (think-pair-share, structured debate, & jigsaw analysis):

The blue chip game - Teaching objective is to introduce the concepts of game theory, cooperation, collusion, opportunism, and to reinforce learning about framing and boundaries. Click here for full text.

"The following exercise is great for looking at the establishment of top team compensation structures in start-ups. It can help an entrepreneur devise a reward system for a new venture. In proceeding with the exercise, it is helpful to pretend to look at these issues from an investor�s point of view and to imagine that the venture is in the process of seeking capital from an investor group to which a presentation was made several weeks ago and which is favorably impressed by the team and its plan for the new venture. Imagine then that this investor group would like a brief presentation (of 10 to 15 minutes) about how the team plans to reward its members and other key contributors. Click on the mouse icon below to download this exercise in Word for Windows"

"Class Breakout I -- You have a case that presents the opportunity to create a simple strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats (SWOT) analysis, as the basis for recommending some change in strategy. Half the class, in small groups of 3 to 5, develop strengths and opportunities, while the other half develop weaknesses and threats. We next share this SWOT analysis to build a shared understanding of their meanings. Next, groups must develop opposing arguments for their positions � e.g., why is this specific strength actually a weakness. This teaches the need to recognize that most attributes of the firm and its environment are double-edged swords. A similar exercise involves splitting the group along internal and external dimensions and then regrouping to discuss, for example, how an "opportunity" is truly such in light an actual firm "strength." This exercise reinforces the need to align internal capabilities with external realities on an ongoing basis � as well as highlighting the potential follies arising from a disconnect between the two."

"Class Breakout II - You have a case presents the acquisition of one firm by another (e.g., Glaxo�s merger with Wellcome). Based on the data presented in the case, and then a show of hands by those favoring or against the merger, the class is broken up into two groups representing opposing management teams (if the class is very large then perhaps other significant stakeholder groups can be formed). In ten minutes or so, those on the acquiring team develop and discuss the deal�s plusses, while those managers being acquired develop and list its drawbacks. We then regroup and begin a point � counter-point discussion of these issues between the teams. Both management teams vote again � if the deal is a go, we then use the list of conflicting items to develop an implementation plan that will help it succeed (i.e., some plan to retain the acquired managers, to integrate R&D or distribution capabilities,�etc.). If the deal is quashed, we revisit the discussion to identify those leverage points that turned the tide."

"STAKEHOLDER CHESS Stakeholder management is a vital aspect of the strategic management process. The board game of chess can be a useful devise for helping students to conceptualize and visualize the complexities of stakeholder management. Each piece on the board has a prescribed function that can either enable or impede success. The key is to effectively orchestrate enabling pieces to successfully negotiate the impeding pieces. The vast number of possible moves and responses requires a systematic approach to tracking the intentions and positions of each piece, i.e., stakeholder.

The exercise begins with a basic introduction to the game. (Chess is used as the example here, because of its classic design. However, other games with a similar design could also be used.) After reviewing the purpose of the game--capturing the king--and the rules that each piece must operate within to accomplish that purpose, students are given the opportunity to experience the game. Depending on the number of students and the availability of chess sets, students could compete as an individual or a group. (The availability of multimedia in the classroom could enable projection of a computer-based chess set that would allow the entire class to view a single board.) As with all experiential exercises, the most critical part of the experience comes with the debriefing. Several lessons about stakeholder managent are most evident: 1) Despite the efforts of opposing stakeholders, it is difficult to organize supportive stakeholders. 2) All stakeholders are not equal. Because of differences in "maneuverability," some stakeholders are more powerful and, therefore, either more potent allies or more dangerous adversaries. 3) Knowing when (not) to pick battles is essential. Winning the game sometimes requires losing a battle.

Of course, critical examination of the exercise itself is a valuable experience. All analogies have their limitations. The chess analogy of stakeholder managent is no exception. Several limitations can be identified: 1) The "rules" by which stakeholders operate are rarely as well defined and absolute as in chess. 2) The chess pieces do not act independantly, as stakeholders would. Although each chess piece has a distinctive stake based on its designated degree of maneuverability, the actual positioning of each piece is determined by a single mindset--the competing player. (This issue could be addressed by forming groups and assigning a separate decision maker for each grouping of chess pieces, e.g., pawns, knights, bishops, etc. This formation would require negotiation among members of the same group as to which piece could be moved and would reduce the "single-mindset" issue.

"I have found several very useful experiential learning exercises that can be used or adapted to Business Policy classes at the on-line version of "Classroom Expernomics" which can be found at:

"One that I have used in class to illustrate the power of sunk costs in influencing strategic decisions in an economically irrational manner is the dollar bill auction. In this exercise, the instructor informs the students in advance to bring plenty of change to the next class session because he/she will be auctioning off dollar bills. The auction begins with the instructor explaining that he/she will be auctioning dollar bills to the highest bidder. The only rule is that once a bid is made, the bidder is obligated to pay the amount of his/her bid even if he/she is not the winning bidder. As the auction progresses, the bids get closer to $1 and finally, someone always bids over $1. This result holds even if the instructor leaves the room and allows the class to plan strategy together before the next auction. The exercise can be used to illustrative competitive dynamics in building over capacity and the difficulty of creating a monopoly cartel, among other things."

TEACHING TOOLS
"Try this one. This is good for a group of students who typically know one another, but you don't know them and would like to get to know them better. Ask the students to tell the class one thing about themselves that almost no one in the room knows about them. There are very interesting people out there, who lead fascinating lives and this leads to some fun discussion in the first day of class."

Thanks to Dr. Eugene Salorio for this suggestion. This INSEAD case series can be used to develop an idea of an industry then have teams of students take of roles as top team members of competing firms. We spend from one to two hours breaking down the industry structure, then in the remaining time I assign students one of the mini B cases on a particular player in the industry. Since there are 10 B cases there is an ample number for larger classes. I give each team 30 minutes to come up with a strategy for their firm given what they know about it and the Chinese beer industry. Use whatever strategy framework you like � I use the Hambrick & Fredrickson five diamonds � Solario asks students to address ownership strategy (JV, etc.), production strategy, branding strategy, distribution strategy, distribution outlets, location strategy, and business strategy. Obviously there is much leeway in how you approach the second part, which makes it easily adaptable to many courses. The note that outlines this approach was published in the Spring 2002 ECCH Newsletter. Click Here for Teaching Note in PDF.

"Toolkit item � Sometimes there is a need to break up a lecture or case discussion. One relevant toolkit item is "think-pair-share" (also detailed under Group Breakouts). This exercise involves asking each student to jot down their answer to a specific question in 3 minutes or less (about the chapter or case � for example, do stock ownership and stock options serve the same role as governance mechanisms?). Next, have the students get together in groups of 3 or 4, and take eight minutes or less to compare their answer, and write out a group answer to the question. (Let them know that you want them to write their group members� names on the answer sheet and that you will collect it � this tends to get clearer answers and forces students to make stronger arguments � you can then make brief written comments about their suggestions and return them the next class). Regroup and use their conclusions as a springboard for the next discussion."

"We should at least mention the use of computer simulations here. Most of the major college publishers have some form of strategy simulation on the market these days though I don't know if they can be run in only a couple of class sessions -- or as an hour out of a two to three-hour session. I have used the Foodcorp International simulation very successfully but this one takes a FULL two and a half days to run and is both labor and $$ intensive to implement."

"One article I love is on Continental Airlines (HBR article). Great for culture, mission setting, and even controls."

GAMES & SIMULATIONS
I've been using simulations to tie together segments in my class and to give students a better experience with the process of strategy. It is important to allocate a good chunk of time -- from one to three hours -- to fully debrief the sim. This debrief includes some sharing of emotions, since simulations can result in conflict and anxiety -- I've had teams explode and almost come to blows. It is useful to point out to participants that although this is a simulation, part of the results are a reflection of the individual themselves, along with their particular role, and the context provided by the simulation. Three readings that may be helpful regarding sims are (Also see Brian Boyd's website for additional resources below under OTHER TOOLS & LINKS:

Keys, J. Bernard, Robert M. Fulmer, and Stephen A. Stumpf. 1996. Microworlds and simuworlds: Practice fields for the learning organization, Organizational Dynamics, Spring.

Orbanes, Phil. 2002. Everything I know about business I learned from Monopoly, Harvard Business Review, March.

Stumpf, Stephen A. and Jane E. Dutton. 1990. The dynamics of learning through management simulations: Let's dance, Journal of Management Development, 9(2) 7-15.

"Bafa Bafa has been around for decades but it still is the best exercise for communicating cross-cultural issues -- at all levels, undergraduate, MBA, and executive MBA. This exercise works best when you have a three-hour block of time devoted to it."

"In my experience, Bafa Bafa is the richest of the cross-cultural simulations. However, for your purposes of cultural exposure, Ecotonos may be a better fit. While Bafa Bafa follows a set script, Ecotonos is easily customized for a particular audience and for particular issues. I think you could use your knowledge of your target audience to develop a very rich and appropriate Ecotonos simulation for them.

"Acquire is a box game that is easy to learn and can be played in about an hour by four players. I bought a dozen games and break the class up into teams and link the game to cases on rivalry, competition, and acquisitions. It does a great job of putting students in the position to see how serendipity and strategy interact, and how your wins are a function of others' actions, intentions and hubris. The first site below actually has a couple of free and simple DOS versions of the game that students can use for practice and familiarization."

Other Resources

ABSEL (Association for Business Simulation and Experiential Learning) http://www.absel.org

Short and full-class games with multiple applications (see Triangle Game for structure/strategy dialogue) http://www.thiagi.com/

I added this new section to tap into the online community of video and websites that can be brought into the classroom on an as-needed basis and short notice.

CLASS CLOSERS
"On the first day of class I choose a simple, one-page Fortune article that seems to cover many complex strategy issues. I have students attempt to summarize and describe the strategy and its merits and limitations to the class. In the closing session, I bring out the article again and repeat the exercise. I use this to dramatize how much the students have learned."

"I close the class by outlining the different aspects of business and corporate strategy in a general framework and then ask for students to explain how the class has helped them to make sense of each aspect. Its pretty exciting to see them show how much they have learned and helps me to re-tool the class for the next time I teach it."

"I close the class by taking the basic strategy tenets and apply them at the level of the individual -- to show how the students can use what they have learned to further their own interests, in addition to those of the firms for which they will work."

If you are looking from M&A mini articles, A great one is from WSJ Sept 30-1994 (page B1) which discussed, in very positive terms, Viacom's acquisition of Blockbuster. This article provides very specific/tangible points of synergy that were to take place (but most never did) between the 2 entities. Others are "They Shopped-Now They've Dropped," Businessweek, 2/25/2002, pp. 36-38. "From Niche Player to Goliath," Businessweek, 3/12/2001, pp. 94-96. "The Most Aggressive CEO," Businessweek, 5/28/2001, pp. 69-77. (this one is about Dennis Kozlowski and Tyco- and is about diversification strategy in general, and has kind of a positive though ominous tone) I have found these types articles by going on Lexis Nexis. Your school library probably has that database on-line. When you select business news and type in the names of the two companies that merged, you will get the ones that concern the merger. Then, just go to the earliest article that came out, which is usually the announcement article (or try a couple that were printed around that same time). If you have trouble identifying M&As, you can check out the SDC (Security Data Corporation) files if your school has that database. Alternatively, the website of Mergerstat (www.mergerstat.com) can give you some names. [From BPS-Net V1 #577)

Acadia University has a great set of on-line cases related to a variety of disciplines. The cases are free to students and if you register as an instructor, there are instructional notes available. :: Welcome to the Acadia Institute of Case Studies ::

Click HERE to download a package of experiential exercises compiled by Russ Coff and Don Hatfield for a special session at the 1998 AOM -- Once you have downloaded it, click on the self-extracting file and you can open the word document (experien.doc). Please note that the Builderific construction set (referred to in one of the exercises) can be comprised of any basic materials that you choose. Strips of cardboard, cloth, wood and tape are a good starting point. Use your imagination to expand on the basic ingredients. Enjoy!