There will be six required decision periods. Unfortunately with our class size, no extensions can be given to the due date of each simulation decision period.
| Simulation Decision Due Dates* | |||||
| Quarter 1 Thur, Sept 14, 6:00am | Quarter 2 Mon, Sept 18, 6:00am | Quarter 3 Thur, Sept 21, 6:00am | Quarter 4 Mon, Sept 25, 6:00am | Quarter 5 Thur, Sept 28, 6:00am | Quarter 6 Mon, Oct 2, 6:00am |
*Each late decision will automatically result in a 5 point deduction from your total; this will turn into a 10-point deduction if that quarter’s decisions are more than a week late
Your simulation performance will be graded based on your actual performance with respect to your cumulative balanced scorecard total (CBS) and your final quarter (Q6) total. I will add your CBS to your Q6 scores to determine your points. I will use the following scale – if you achieve this level of CBS+Q6 points, you will receive at least the following points:
CBS+Q6 > 175 50/50 points
CBS+Q6 > 163 48/50 points
CBS+Q6 > 151 46/50 points
CBS+Q6 > 139 44/50 points
CBS+Q6 > 127 42/50 points
CBS+Q6 > 115 40/50 points
CBS+Q6 > 103 38/50 points
CBS+Q6 > 91 36/50 points
CBS+Q6 > 80 34/50 points
CBS+Q6 > 70 32/50 points
CBS+Q6 > 65 30/50 points
CBS+Q6 > 60 28/50 points
CBS+Q6 > 55 26/50 points
CBS+Q6 > 50 24/50 points
CBS+Q6 > 45 22/50 points
CBS+Q6 > 40 20/50 points
Marketing Simulation Analysis Paper (50 points)
The paper grade will be based on your ability to describe and analyze your strategic decisions from our marketing simulation. These points are independent of your actual simulation results. The paper will be submitted AFTER you’ve completed all six quarters.
Formatting Instructions:
NONE – This paper is meant to capture your thoughts as to how you are proceeding with the simulation as well as reflecting back upon your actions so that we may learn from any mistakes. I do not care about the format, just the content (FYI, headings throughout the paper make it much easier to read). Type size, type font, margins single-/double-spaced are all irrelevant to me, as I am grading solely on the quality of your explanations of your decisions.
I don’t have any set page-length in mind but I would argue that for this assignment, if you spent a paragraph or two on every quarter, you probably wouldn’t be supplying me with an *extensive* analysis of your simulation decisions/results. For comparison, decent papers average 12 pages, double-spaced.
For each of the six quarters you need to extensively address the following:
1. Major decisions made for this quarter (what did you do?) and most importantly a thorough explanation as to why each decision was made (why did you do it?)
2. After you receive the simulation results for each quarter, describe your company’s results in depth (how did it turn out?) – I want you to analyze to find opportunities in your performance with respect to:
a) Brand/ad/price judgments for each product
b) Number of sales force per market per product
c) Number of ads per product per market
d) Major Competitors’ results for the above
e) Balanced scorecard results
So, reflecting upon your strategy, detail the changes you would make to your strategic decisions and explain why this would improve your strategy and results (what did you learn from these results and how can you improve your decision making strategies for next quarter?).
We will combine Q1 and Q2 since there are no results to discuss for Q1. Therefore your paper should have five sections to it (Q1+Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6). Each of these sections will constitute 10 of the 50 points.
Papers covering all six quarters are due Wednesday, October 4th, 2017 at 11:59pm.
Papers will automatically lose 10 points per hour past the deadline
(1-60 minutes late = 10 point penalty).
Papers must be turned in through our MKT 300 Blackboard site. Near the end of the class, I will post a link for the assignment on Blackboard. To turn in the assignment, go to Blackboard and then “Course Documents.” There you’ll see a link to the Simulation Paper assignment. Click this. You’ll see “1. Assignment Information.” Next is “2. Assignment Materials” – scroll down to “Attach File.” Click “Browse My Computer” to attach your Word document. After your file is attached, scroll down to “3. Submit.” Then make sure you click submit.
Helpful Hints:
1. Picture yourself in front of a board of directors to explain how you’re spending their money. They want in-depth explanations of *why* you’re doing what you’re doing. SO DO I. You need to sell me on your strategic thought process.
2. Failure to thoroughly discuss how your competitors’ actions affect your actions will kill your score.
3. Write your paper as you go! This will generate a much stronger paper…
All paper submissions will analyzed for plagiarism by the SafeAssign software through Blackboard. FYI, my SafeAssign database has thousands of papers. If yours is determined to be plagiarized in any way, this will not result in a 0/50 for the paper, but rather a penalty up to and including a grade of XE for the entire course, regardless of your exam performance. Plus you will get to meet with the Dean of Academic Affairs; he will be handling all academic improprieties as this will be out of my hands. In short, you are far better off not turning in a paper and taking a zero than turning in a paper that in any way has borrowed from a different source. I cannot be clearer about this.