Final Exam Prep-F23

GENTECH 4FT3 Strategic Management

Final Exam Administrative Details
• Date: Friday, December 15, 2022
• Time: 9:00 – 11:30AM (EST) online
• Worth: 30% (total of 75 marks)
• Note: Must achieve a passing mark on the final exam assessment
to pass the course.
• If you need a quiet place to write the online exam, the
following rooms have been reserved on campus:
• JHE/376
• TSH/B128
• These are drop-in and are open between 8:00AM-10:00PM
• NOTE: you must supply your own laptop (remember to bring a
long power cord)
Exam Preparation Assets
• eTextbook Chapter Readings • Supplemental Readings
• Topic Course Notes • Supplemental Videos
• Self-Directed Video Lectures • 1on1 GLO-BUS Status Meeting Discussions

Permitted/Required:
• There are no restrictions on the use of course resources (assets) when writing the exam.

• You are NOT REQUIRED to enable any online proctoring software (i.e., Respondus) or have
Zoom open during this final exam. (There will be a specific zoom link available on A2L if you
need to contact the instructor during the scheduled exam period)

• Completing the exam in Avenue to Learn is considered a signed acknowledgment that you
have read and understood the McMaster Academic Integrity Policy, and all work submitted
for the final exam is your own.
• NOTE – All written response questions will be submitted to associated drop-boxes on Avenue to Learn with
Turnitin® plagiarism software enabled. Any collaboration between students or other sources on exam material
submission will be enforced to the full extent (ZERO TOLERANCE) of McMaster's Academic Integrity Policy.
Exam Format
Part 1: Written Response Scenarios Questions (30 marks)
• Choose three (3) scenarios from the four (4) choices available and be prepared to
scrutinize the associated course concept themes listed.
• Be prepared on the final exam; you will be required to answer specific questions related to
the theme areas identified that will guide your connection of the management principles
topic area to the scenario's context.
• Each written response scenario is worth a total of 10 marks
• The specific questions will be given on the Submission Sheets during the exam.
Exam Format (cont.)
Part 2: GLO-BUS Written Response Scenario (10 marks)
• One written response scenario related to the GLO-BUS Simulation

Part 3: Case Analysis Written Response (25 marks)

• There will be a one-page case on the final exam in which you will be required
to perform an analysis using the Diamond-E framework elements

Part 4: Written Response Reflection Question (10 marks)

• Must choose and answer one (1) written response reflection question from
the three (3) choices available and reflect on the concepts that have been
examined in the course
PART 1: SCENARIO QUESTIONS
Scenario Questions - Important Details
• Choose three (3) scenarios from the four (4) options on exam and scrutinize the associated course
concepts themes listed.
• Be prepared on the exam to answer specific question's related to the topic theme that will guide your
connection of the strategic management topic area to the scenario's context.
• The specific topic questions will be given on the Submission Sheets during the exam and will not be
available in advance.
• You are expected to connect the course concepts to the situation explicitly. Meaning you cannot
provide a generic response answer; it must be related and informed by the scenario description.
• The Scenario Written Response Questions answer MUST BE completed using the supplied formatted
Submission Sheets and uploaded to the associated drop-box on Avenue to Learn.
• Links are provided on the homepage during the exam for easy navigation.
• Responses must be TYPED into the Submission Sheet and uploaded to the designated dropbox in either Word or
PDF format. DO NOT handwrite or screenshot your written responses for uploading to dropbox.
Scenario 1
Terry Klein is President of Klein Holdings Inc. QUESTION THEMES TO BE EXPLORED
(KHI), a large company with many different RELATED TO SCENARIO 1:
companies in various industries. KHI has sales of
$7 billion annually and operates in five (5) 1. Strategy Framework
sectors (automotive manufacturing, robotics, 2. Organizational Design
biofuel, retail clothing, and regional freight
trucking). Terry is looking for cost savings across 3. Organizational Culture
all his companies and is considering merging
several firms together between industries. At
the moment, he is considering connecting all
automotive companies with all the robotics
companies to have one large company with
sales of $3 billion.
Scenario 2
Khoah Kim Electrical Equipment Ltd (KKE) in QUESTION THEMES TO BE EXPLORED RELATED TO
Vietnam manufactures high-quality electric SCENARIO 2:
accessories such as power bars, extension cords
and LED bulbs. They want to expand into the North 1. Strategy Components
American market but realize they have no brand 2. Bases of Differentiation
strength. KKE has approached Noma Inc., a
company specializing in re-branding electrical 3. VRIO Framework
accessory products under their Noma name. Noma
does not buy, sell or distribute any products from
any manufacturer. Noma's business model is to
license their trusted name (for a royalty) to
manufacturers who require brand awareness in a
market. If Noma licensed their name for KKE
products, Noma would assign a "Noma" product
number code to each of KKE's products and
provide access to North American distribution
channels.
Scenario 3
Blockbuster Video started in 1985 and was a QUESTION THEMES TO BE EXPLORED RELATED
chain of American-based DVD rental shops. At TO SCENARIO 3:
its peak in 2004, Blockbuster consisted of 9,094 1. Strategy Components
stores and employed approximately 84,300
people: 58,500 in the United States and 25,800 2. Environment Analysis
in other countries. However, in 2010 it declared 3. Strategic Choice
bankruptcy, and by 2014 all the company stores
were closed worldwide. Netflix started just over
ten years later, in 1997, as a DVD rental service
and used the post office to distribute DVDs to
its customers. However, Netflix has continued to
evolve and prosper over the years, especially
compared to its early rival, Blockbuster. In 2020,
Netflix became the largest entertainment and
media company by market capitalization
globally.
Scenario 4
Walmart has a cost strategy and adds a slight QUESTION THEMES TO BE EXPLORED RELATED
differentiation in the form of online grocery TO SCENARIO 4:
shopping with free curbside pickup, which was 1. GM Perspective
initially piloted in Denver in 2013. The company
has expanded this offering and plans to reach 2. Strategy Frameworks
customers near its 3,100 stores by the end of 3. Environmental Analysis
2020 with its free Grocery Pickup service. A
company managing a cost strategy has
distinctive challenges from a company doing a
differentiation strategy, so Walmart appears to
be taking a gradual scaling approach with its
grocery service.
To prepare for the Scenario Written Response section of the final
exam, I would suggest preparing summary notes on the chosen
theme areas identified. This way, you will be more equipped to
answer the specific question on the exam.

For an exemplar Scenario Written

Response Question – see pages 7-9 of
the Final Exam Information document
PART 2:
GLO-BUS SCENARIO
GLO-BUS Scenario Question - Important Details
• One written response application-focused scenario related to your GLO-BUS Simulation.
• Be prepared to answer specific questions related to strategic management topic areas within the context of
the GLO-BUS Simulation with some connections to the Diamond-E framework. Specific questions will be
given on the Submission Sheet during the exam.
• The GLO-BUS Written Response Scenario answer MUST BE completed using the supplied formatted
Submission Sheet and uploaded to the associated drop-box on Avenue to Learn.
• Links are provided on the homepage during the exam for easy navigation.
• Responses must be TYPED into the Submission Sheet and uploaded to the designated dropbox in either Word or
PDF format. DO NOT handwrite or screenshot your written responses for uploading to dropbox.
• For a GLO-BUS Scenario Question exemplar – see pages 9-10 of the Final Exam Information document.
PART 3: CASE ANALYSIS
Case Analysis - Important Details
• There will be a one-page case on the final exam in which you will be required to perform an analysis
using the Diamond-E framework elements. The case WILL NOT be revealed until the final exam.
• The Diamond-E assessment topics and sub-topics provided on the practice case worksheets WILL NOT
be provided on the final exam Submission Sheet.
• You are expected to know all the components (nodes) of Environment (E), Resources (R), Management Preference (MP), and
Organizational Capabilities (C).
• For your analysis, assume the role of an arms-length industry analyst who judges whether the strategy is a
good idea or not. DO NOT perform your analysis from the point of view of an employee or manager in the
company.
• Discuss ALL the Diamond-E links. Even though your analysis may conclude that the strategy is not feasible at (say) the
Management Preferences link, and therefore the analysis stops, you must discuss ALL the links for the final exam.
To prepare for the Case Analysis section of the final exam, make sure
your familiar with the sub-topic elements for all the Diamond-E nodes.

For example: For E, you need to know that E involves the assessment of
PEST + Porter’s 5-Forces subtopic elements.

Hint: Be familiar with case analysis

worksheet elements
PART 4: REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Reflection Question - Important Details
• Choose and answer ONE (1) Reflection Question from the three (3) options provided for the exam
• To ensure that you relate your response to the course material, and carefully consider the topics and content
covered this semester.
• When crafting your answer, consider what a reflection IS NOT:
1. It is not just conveying information,
2. It is not pure description, though there may be descriptive elements and
3. It is not straightforward judgment (e.g. about whether something is right or wrong, good or bad). You need to go
beyond the experience and look to make sense of what happened in the context of other relevant events from
school or work.
• A 250-word minimum and 500 maximum word response is required for your chosen reflection question
answer.
• The Reflection Question answer MUST BE completed using the supplied formatted Submission Sheet and
uploaded to the associated drop-box on Avenue to Learn during the exam.
• Links are provided on the homepage during the exam for easy navigation.
• Responses must be TYPED into the Submission Sheet and uploaded to the designated dropbox in either Word or
PDF format. DO NOT handwrite or screenshot your written responses for uploading to dropbox.
 Reflection Question Options (choose 1 out of 3)
1. Persistence
Struggling is a normal part of the learning process. Describe an occasion in this course where you struggled with a
model or concept and initially had the wrong idea but later realized your error. In this instance, in what ways was a
struggle or the mistake valuable to your eventual understanding? Also, discuss whether struggling built aspects of
character in you, such as endurance, self-confidence, grit, competence to solve new problems, etc. and how these
virtues might benefit you in future professional endeavours.

2. Disposition toward beauty

Consider one idea or concept from the course that you have found beautiful, and explain why it is beautiful to you.
Your answer should: (1) explain the idea or concept in a way that could be understood by a classmate who has not yet
taken this course, and (2) address how this beauty is similar or different from other kinds of beauty that human
beings encounter.

3. Enjoyment
What three (3) ideas/concepts did you most enjoy from the course, and why? Choose one idea/concept of moderate
difficulty and reconstruct how you would explain it to others using real-world examples or an analogy.
Reflection Question
Final Exam Rubric
To prepare for the Reflection Written Response section of the
final exam, I would strongly recommend you complete your
reflection question answer in advance.

You can then just cut and paste your response into the required
submission sheet during the final exam and upload it to the
associated drop-box on A2L.
Approach to Writing the Exam (150mins)
• Step 1: Reflection Question (3mins during the pre-exam 10min early opening availability period)
• Prepare your Reflection Question in advance then just cut & paste it into the submission form and upload to
associated dropbox at the start of the exam.

• Step 2: Case Analysis (70mins)

• Read through the entire case once first.
• Read the case again, highlighting material relating to the D-E.
• Now complete your case analysis using the D-E framework within the submission sheet (made sure you provide
heading/sub-headings to assist with the flow of your answer)

• Step 3: Answering Topic Scenario Questions (60mins)

• Read through all questions, listed for each scenario and then decide which three (3) scenarios you are most
comfortable with answering based on your pre-preparation theme summary notes
• Type your answer responses into the supplied submission forms and uploaded to the associated drop-box on A2L

• Step 4: Answering GLO-BUS Question (20mins)

• Type your answer responses into the supplied submission
forms and uploaded to the associated drop-box on A2L
Let’s review an example…
Written Response Scenario Exemplar
Some Final Thoughts to Wrap-Up
• M5C3 Case Analysis Worksheet: Due Mon, Dec 04, 2023 @ 11:59PM

• GLO-BUS Peer Evaluation: Due Tue, Dec 06, 2023 @ 11:59PM

• Peer Evaluation is accessed through GLO-BUS "Corporate Lobby" under the "Assignments" tab
• Failure to complete a peer evaluation for ALL your co-managers will result in a ZERO grade on your peer evaluation.

• McMaster Term-End Online Course Evaluation

• Deadline: Wednesday, December 6, 2023 @ 11:59PM

• Please stay connected by email: lasmith@mcmaster.ca