GSTIT
TMGT 632 - Telecommunications management and strategy

Course assignments

Teams should comprise not less than two and not more than four individuals,

Corporate strategy project (25%)

Each team should select an organization of interest to its members. You could choose a well-known organization or one where you think that conventional wisdom does not tell the whole story and where you can add to the understanding. Alternatively, you might want to identify a 'hidden gem', that is a less well-known organization pursuing a particularly interesting strategy. An element of puzzle or surprise can help make the project more exciting. It helps to take sufficient time in the selection of a subject that has sufficient substance to sustain your interest.

The goal of the project is a strategic analysis of the chosen organization. It should have four parts:
  1. A description of the business "landscape" on which the organisation competes
  2. An assessment of its competitive position on that "landscape"
  3. Possible strategies:
  4. Conclusions
The output will be a presentation of not more than fifteen minutes supported by slides (with handout notes), followed by five minutes for questions from class members to be answered by the team. Presentations to be made on the morning of 10 April 2006.

Telecommunications industry assignment (25%)

Similar to the corporate strategy assignment, the team should select an operator, service provider or manufacturer of ICT equipment.

The output will be a presentation of not more than fifteen minutes supported by slides (with handout notes), followed by five minutes for questions from class members to be answered by the team.

The goal of the project is a strategic analysis of the chosen organization. It should have four parts:
Presentations to be made on the morning of 24 April 2006.

Building an information business (25%)

This is the third of three team exercises. The 'deliverable' is a presentation of not more than fifteen minutes with appropriate use of presentation or multimedia software. After the presentation, five minutes will be available for questions and answers from class members.

The project is to create an information-based business.
The delivery platform for your new product or service should be a network or networks of your choice. You can re-package existing or propose new products and services. Customers, whether individuals or corporations, must obtain the service directly from the network.
Your report should identify the customer group, its unmet needs and wants, with the features of the product or service that will provide for those needs and wants. The business plan should provide sufficient financial details to allow a venture capitalist to consider whether to have an initial meeting with your team.

Final projects will be evaluated by members of the class (20%) and the instructor (80%).

Evaluation criteria will include: The class evaluation will take the form of investments. Each student will have $1,000,000 to invest in blocks of $100,000 in other teams, but not their own team. The team which attracts the most investment will automatically be given an A grade.
Presentations to be made on the morning of 8 May 2006.

Be imaginative, challenge assumptions, demolish constraints, be creative, have fun, listen to your friends question your sanity. Tom Peters claims that if it is not crazy it is not a good idea. Here is your opportunity to get rich!

Warnings:

  1. do not go overboard on financial projections
  2. do not get carried away with future technology

Case study write-ups (5 x 5%)

Select five of the case-studies used in the course and submit (by midnight the day before the class) a two-page write-up of the case study.

You may select any cases studies you wish from those taught in the class.

Warning: The longer you wait, the less choice you will have!



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