For our marketing class, we were given a take-home final based on a Starbucks case study and a brief article in the Wall Street Journal about McDonalds. I thought it might be illuminating to post the take-home final questions to give a flavor for the type of analysis we’re expected to produce. Here it is:
1) The Starbucks case segments the market into “new” and “established” customers. Analyze and describe the composition of customer value (“benefits” and “costs”) for each segment, highlighting the relevant brand, service, and product components. Compare and contrast the customer value offered by Starbucks and McDonald’s to each of the two customer segments. Which type(s) of customer do you risk losing to McDonald’s, and why?
2) How can Starbucks best respond to the McDonald’s threat? Specifically, what improvements or changes to your brand, service, and product do you need to implement, if any? Explain why, and discuss the implications in terms of delivering advantageous value to “new” and/or “established” customers to counter the McDonald’s threat.
For a deliverable, we’re expected to produce a 3-page single spaced response including any exhibits we deem necessary to back up our argument. While three pages doesn’t sound like a lot, that’s kind of the idea. The professor would like us to put together a concise, well thought out argument that reads like an executive summary. If three pages seems light, that’s because it is. We also have a 10-page paper documenting our marketing simulation as well as a 12-minute presentation due next week. Fun times.
As promised, here is a brief overview of the classes I’ll be taking this semester:
MBA 500 – Managerial and Career Effectiveness: A continuation from last semester, this class will focus on strategies for finding summer internships, contract negotiation and networking techniques. The class only meets once a month on Tuesday mornings which is down from once a week last semester.
MBA 520 – Managerial Finance: No other way to put it, this class looks like a straight bear. It will last all semester and cover everything from stock and bond valuation to financial strategy. Heavy on the math and an emphasis on application in real business settings.
MBA 540 – Operations and Supply Chain Management: This is the first of two module courses, meaning it will last 8 weeks before another class takes its place. The course will give us an overview of basic Operations and SCM with an emphasis on service-oriented businesses. This is an interesting approach considering Ops and SCM is typically considered a manufacturing discipline, but the US economy is now almost 80% service-based, so this should be an interesting way to attack the material.
MBA 541 – Purchasing and Supply Chain Management: Another, more focused SCM course. This is the first elective I will be taking, and it will also last the entire semester. The class will feature the purchasing process as well as sourcing strategies, supplier relationship management, and negotiation techniques. There will be several projects including potential work with companies that are members of the Supply Chain Research Cooperative here at NCSU.
MBA 560 – Marketing Strategy: This is another core course, and the second of two module courses. Marketing will last 8 weeks and is also designed to give us an overview of basic marketing concepts and strategies.
All these classes do share something in common: brilliant professors, interesting material and an emphasis on case-studies and real world applications. The amount of reading has also climbed from last year. In just these first three days of class, I’ve read about 300 textbook pages as well as completing two case studies and a problem set for finance. Judging by the various syllabi, it’s not looking to get any easier.
Halfway through the semester we’ll drop Marketing and Ops/SCM and pick up courses in Global Strategy Management as well as Leadership & Ethics. We’ll also be assigned a group case competition that will fill much of the second half of the semester. More to come on that in the future.
Below, you’ll find a short video I created from our 2008 Holiday Party.
Next week, I’ll be posting a video highlighting our 2009 National Association of Women’s MBA (NAWMBA) leadership team. Enjoy.
We’re now down to studying for our last 2 finals. After going through the studying and review process for what seems like the 10th time, I’ve noticed a trend. Studying for finals is easier this time around. Instead of cramming a semester’s worth of material into three or four days, I feel like I’m simply reviewing concepts that I’ve already learned about and practiced. I’m looking at material that I’ve already looked at two or three times before.
In other words, I went to class this semester. If memory serves, I missed one day (Nov. 4th… hmm wonder how that happened). During my undergraduate days my attendance wasn’t quite at that level, and I suffered for it when finals came around. Why have I gone to class more? I think there’s a few influencing factors:
It’s been an enjoyable semester, and the time has flown. Now looking forward to the Holiday Break!
Here we are, back in the groove of classwork after a nice, five day Fall Break. I thought I’d provide a quick update on the Management of Technology course I mentioned in my last note. The class will be taught by Steve Markham, a person with deep experience in the field of technology management. Here is the course website.
The bulk of the class will revolve around a deep research dive into the upstream operations of a major oil company (i.e. BP, Exxon, Shell, etc.). Each team will investigate aspects of the upstream supply chain: exploration, reservoir management, deep sea drilling and shipping activities, to name a few. Once we have this knowledge in hand, we’ll put together a strategic recommendation for the company’s investment in and use of technology going forward. The project is designed to give us an idea about the concepts and strategy involved in managing technology with energy serving as an introduction from which we can apply what we learn to other industries.
I’m excited about this class and the project because I have an interest in the energy industry, and I’m also keen on the intersection of technology and strategy. It sounds this class will give us a nice dose of both.
On an unrelated note, we registered for next semester’s classes today. I’ll have more on that in the future, but for now, I’ve decided to do a double concentration in Supply Chain and Marketing. In my next post, I’ll elaborate a bit on the different Concentrations NC State offers. If you’re interested now, clink here to do some research on your own.
