1、MGT 411-02/MGT 591-02: New Venture ConsultingSyllabus for Fall 2009Instructor: Neil Tocher, Ph.D.Room & Time: CHE Room 218 on Tuesdays from 6-8:45Office: B.A. Room 436Phone: (208) 282-3588E-Mail: tochneilisu.edu (Preferred method of communication)Office Hours: T-TR from 1:30-2:30 or by appointment W
2、eb Site: http:/cobhomepages.cob.isu.edu/tochneil/Statement on Class Attendance & Effort: MGT 411 is a consulting course in which you will be working with businesses and community organizations. Thus, unless extreme circumstances arise (i.e. you are expecting a child or have a death in the family) AT
3、TENDENCE IS EXPECTED. Further, lack of attendance and failure to prepare for class and meetings with clients will not be tolerated and will result in dramatic grade reductions and or removal from the course. This is not a class to take for an easy “A” and this is not the class in which to fall behin
4、d or miss assignments. Course Objectives: MGT 411 is an experiential learning course in which you will have the opportunity to put a variety of skills you have acquired in other courses to the test in real world projects with real world companies/organizations. While projects will vary, they will al
5、l have aspects of CIS, Accounting, Management, Marketing, and Finance. More importantly, each project will require excellent written and oral communication skills. Hence, prior to the consulting projects, course projects will center around both integrating knowledge learned in business courses and p
6、erfecting communication skills. Grades: A final grade will be based on the following scale A = 93-100% A- = 90-92.9%B+ = 87-89.9% B = 83-86.9% B- = 80-82.9%C+ = 77-79.9% C = 73-76.9% C- = 70-72.9%D+ = 67-69.9% D = 63-66.9 D- = 60-62.9F = 59.9% or lessPoint system: Instead of weighting each assignmen
7、t to be worth a certain percent of the final grade, I use a point system. Thus, each assignment is worth a certain amount of points and you can figure out your average at any time by dividing the points you have earned so far by the total points that could have been earned up to that point in the co
8、urse. Thus, to figure your average at the end of the semester, simply take the total points you have earned and divide by the total points possible of 600. Point allocation Assignment Point Value % of gradeVenture Capital Due Diligence Project 60 points 10%Client Due Diligence project 90 points 15%C
9、ase write ups (1-3) 60 Points (20 each) 10%Consultation Debrief Memos (1 & 2) 60 points 10%Second Consultation deliverable & presentation 120 points 20%Third Consultation Deliverable & presentation 150 Points 25%Student competence grade assessed by interns 60 points 10%Total 600 pointsA = 558-600 A-
10、 = 540-557.9B+ = 522-539.9 B = 498-521.9 B- = 480-497.9C+ = 462-479.9 C = 438-461.9 C- = 420-437.9D+ = 402-419.0 D= 378-401.0 D- = 360-379.9F = 359.9 or less Case Write-ups: We will discuss three cases in the first few weeks of the term which highlight new ventures. Prior to each case discussion day
11、, you will be expected to compose a write up (one page single spaced) analyzing the main problem in the case. Thus, you will need to read the case, determine what you think the main problem or issue is, and critically evaluate how to address this issue.Grading will be based on the following scale We
12、ll written/well prepared for class 20 points Average writing/average discussion points 15 points Poorly written/poor discussion points 10 points Not done or unacceptable work 0 Points Venture Capital Due Diligence Project: Due Diligence is simply a fancy term for basic business research. Thus, befor
13、e purchasing an existing business, an intelligent buyer would perform due diligence to determine whether the firm had a legitimate product, was honestly reporting financial figures, was able to assign its contracts to a new owner, etc. In this class, you will need to perform due diligence to (1) gai
14、n a strong understanding of new ventures and (2) prepare yourself to participate in a consulting project. The venture capital due diligence project will be performed by each student within the first week of class. The assignment is to develop one page write-ups on four separate new ventures detailin
15、g the information the student was able to gather on each firm. The four companies to be researched are Veralight, Lumidigm, Mozy, and Left Hand. Client Due Diligence project: Throughout the term, groups of 3 or 4 students will be assigned to work on a consulting project (which will be coordinated by
16、 an intern) with a local firm. Prior to meeting with the client, each group will perform due diligence on their client. Hence, the Client DD project consists of performing due diligence on your client and preparing your findings in a detailed report which is not to exceed four pages. Each group will
17、 also be required to present their findings to the class in a 15-25 minute presentation. Please note that this report and presentation will contain information on the client and the industry in which the clients business operates. Thus, your report and presentation will likely cover basic industry i
18、nformation and detailed information about the niche your client is trying to fill in that industry. The written report will be worth 60 points and the presentation will be worth 30 points. Consultation Debrief Memos (1 & 2): During your first and second consultations with your client, your group wil
19、l present deliverables and the client will provide feedback on such deliverables. At such consultation meetings, it is critical to document (1) the information the group presented, (2) The reactions of the client to the information that was presented, and (3) the information that the group learned f
20、rom the consultation meeting (i.e. what does the client want the group to prepare as a deliverable?). Therefore, after consultations 1 and 2, each group will need to prepare a brief, but comprehensive report (2 pages maximum) covering the following issues:(1) the information the group presented to t
21、he client(2) the clients reaction to the information (either the proposal or the deliverable) that was presented to the client.(3) The information that the group learned from the consultation meeting (i.e. what does the client want as a deliverable?)Second Consultation deliverable & presentation: Du
22、ring your groups initial consultation, the client will assign your group a task. While tasks will vary depending on the client, examples include developing a marketing plan for a new product or conducting a study to determine how to best commercialize a new product. After this initial consultation,
23、your group will have three weeks to develop whatever deliverable (i.e. marketing plan) the client wants. However, prior to presenting the deliverable to the client, you will be required to turn the written portion into the instructor as well as perform a mock presentation of your deliverable to the
24、class. This will be done one week before you present the deliverable to your client so the instructor can provide the group feedback. Specifically, your written deliverable is worth 80 points and your mock presentation is worth 40 points. Third Consultation Deliverable & presentation: During your se
25、cond client consultation, you will present your deliverable (i.e. marketing plan) to your client. However, at this point, the client will desire for your group to do more research on certain aspects of your deliverable and may want a new section or two added (i.e. if we take X approach to marketing
26、the product will demand change?). Thus, during the second consultation you will present your deliverable and take lots of notes. Does the client like the deliverable? What needs clarification? Did new issues arise? After the second consultation, you will then have four weeks to develop a final deliv
27、erable to the client, which answers the questions brought up by the client during the second consultation. However, before the third consultation meeting (where you will present your final deliverable), we will follow the same practice scenario discussed above. Groups will turn in their final delive
28、rable and perform a mock client presentation in class the week prior to the third consultation. Specifically, your written final deliverable is worth 100 points and your mock presentation is worth 50 points. Student competence grade: Each consulting group project will be coordinated by an MBA studen
29、t who is also serving as an intern for a regional venture capital firm named Epic Ventures. Each group will work extensively with its intern when developing the deliverables for the client. Hence, 10% of each students grade (60 points) will be assessed by the intern. Details about such assessment wi
30、ll be provided as the class progresses, but essentially the intern will assess whether group members were dependable and performed the duties they were asked to perform. Course Policies Email: Email is a university approved form of communication. It is the students responsibility to make sure that t
31、hey receive and respond appropriately to email sent by the professor. Late Assignments: Late work is not acceptable in this course. Late work would mean that you would be providing your deliverables to clients late, which would not be acceptable. Hence, late work in the academic portion of the cours
32、e (i.e. case write ups) will not be tolerated. Proofread: Please carefully proofread all assignments turned in during the term. Proof reading a paper does not mean run the spell check and grammar check in Microsoft Word and then call it good. You need to carefully read through your work to make sure
33、 that it makes sense. For instance, believe it or not, through and though are different words with different meanings. However, Microsofts grammar check will not catch such a mistake. Papers that are poorly proofread will receive a two grade (20 percent) grade reduction. Pre-Requisites: The pre-requ
34、isites for enrolling in MGT 411 are being of senior Standing and having completed MGT 312, FIN 315, and MKG 325. All students not satisfying these pre-requisites must receive a special petition to enroll in the course. Academic Honesty: Each student is expected to perform to the best of his or her o
35、wn ability. The ISU Code of Student Conduct will be strictly enforced. For more information about academic dishonesty, please refer to the Code of Student Conduct at http:/www.isu.edu/references/fs.handbook/part6/6_9/6_9a.html .Disability Accommodation: Any student requesting special accommodation w
36、ho has obtained an Accommodations Memo should meet with the instructor to discuss his or her needs as soon as possible. If you have not obtained an Accommodations Memo but need special accommodation, as provided for under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), to complete course requirements sho
37、uld contact the Program for Students with Disabilities. Course Calendar (SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT NEILS DISCRETION)Date Activity Assignment 8/25/09 Course Introduction Business Librarian demonstrates library databasesWrite up Cases #1 & #2 9/1/09 Surface Logics CaseSlingshot Technologies caseAssign Team
38、s and Interns to ClientsFinalize VCDD project Write up Case #39/8/09 VC DD project dueBob Pothier (Partner in Epic Ventures) Facilitates a discussion on Due Diligence Good To Great Case Write-up due Work on Client DD Project9/15/09 Client DD Project Due and Client DD presentations 9/22/09 Initial Co
39、nsultations Prepare Debriefs9/29/09 Consultation Debrief Memos DueProject Proposals Finalized and communicated to clientFirst Deliverable 10/6/09 Bobs Second presentationWork on DeliverablesFirst Deliverable 10/13/09 Work on Deliverables First deliverable 10/20/09 Deliverables Due to Neil Second Con
40、sultation Presentations to classFinalize Client Deliverable10/27/09 Second Consultations Prepare Debriefs 11/3/09 Consultation Debrief Memos DueFinal project proposals finalized and communicated to clientFinal Deliverable 11/10/09 Bobs Third Presentation Work on Deliverables Final Deliverable 11/17/
41、09 Work on Deliverables Final Deliverable11/24/09 Thanks Giving Break12/1/09 Deliverables Due to Neil Second Consultation Presentations to class Finalize Final Client Deliverable 12/8/09 Final Consultations 12/14/09 - 12/18/09Finals Week Final Evaluation from Interns to students.The professor reserv
42、es the right to make changes in this syllabus. Changes will be announced in class or via class emails. The professor reserves all final grading rights. Thus, 20% of the course grade will be assessed by the interns assessment of student participation and competence. However, the professor reserves the right to adjust this grade.
