For more details on either simulation, please consult

Section 2 of the Instructor’s Manual accompanying this text or register as an instructor at the simulation websites (www.bsg-online.com and www.glo-bus.com) to access even more comprehensive information. You should also consider signing up for one of the webinars that the simulation authors conduct several times each month (sometimes several times weekly) to demonstrate how the software works, walk you through the various features and menu options, and answer any questions. You have an open invitation to call the senior author of this text at (205) 722-9145 to arrange a personal demonstration or talk about how one of the simulations might work in one of your courses. We think you’ll be quite impressed with the cutting-edge capabilities that have been programmed into The Business Strategy Game and GLO-BUS, the simplicity with which both simulations can be administered, and their exceptionally tight connection to the text chapters, core concepts, and standard analytical tools.

RESOURCES AND SUPPORT MATERIALS FOR THE 23RD EDITION For Students

Key Points Summaries At the end of each chapter is a synopsis of the core concepts, analytical tools, and other key points discussed in the chapter. These chapter-end synopses, along with the core concept

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definitions and margin notes scattered throughout each chapter, help students focus on basic strategy principles, digest the messages of each chapter, and prepare for tests.

Two Sets of Chapter-End Exercises Each chapter concludes with two sets of exercises. The Assurance of Learning Exercises are useful for helping students prepare for class discussion and to gauge their understanding of the material. The Exercises for Simulation Participants are designed expressly for use in class which incorporate the use of a simulation. These exercises explicitly connect the chapter content to the simulation company the students are running. Even if they are not assigned by the instructor, they can provide helpful practice for students as a study aid.

Connect™ The 23rd edition takes full advantage of Connect™, a personalized teaching and learning tool. The Connect™ package for this edition includes several robust and valuable features that simplify the task of assigning and grading three types of exercises for students:

Autograded chapter quizzes that students can take to measure their grasp of the material presented in each of the 12 chapters. A variety of interactive exercises for each of the 12 chapters that drill students in the use and application of the concepts and tools of strategic analysis, including selected Assurance of Learning Exercises and newly integrated Exercises for Simulation Participants. Case Exercises for 14 of the 27 cases in this edition that require students to work through answers to a select number of the assignment questions for the case. These exercises have multiple components and are tailored to match the circumstances presented in each case, calling upon students to do whatever strategic thinking and strategic analysis are called for to arrive at pragmatic, analysis-based action recommendations for improving company performance.

All Connect™ exercises are automatically graded (with the exception of a few select Exercises for Simulation Participants that entail answers in the form of short essays), thereby simplifying the task of evaluating each class

member’s performance and monitoring the learning outcomes. The progress-tracking function built into Connect™ enables you to

View scored work immediately and track individual or group performance with assignment and grade reports. Access an instant view of student or class performance relative to learning objectives. Collect data and generate reports required by many accreditation organizations, such as AACSB International.

SmartBook 2.0® SmartBook 2.0 is the first and only adaptive reading experience designed to change the way students read and learn. It creates a personalized reading experience by highlighting the most impactful concepts a student needs to learn at that moment in time. As a student engages with SmartBook, the reading experience continuously adapts by highlighting content based on what the student knows and doesn’t know. This ensures that the focus is on the content he or she needs to learn, while simultaneously promoting long-term retention of material. Use SmartBook’s real-time reports to quickly identify the concepts that require more attention from individual students–or the entire class. The end result? Students are more engaged with course content, can better prioritize their time, and come to class ready to participate.

For Instructors

Assurance of Learning Aids Each chapter begins with a set of Learning Objectives, which are tied directly to the material in the text meant to address these objectives with helpful signposts. At the conclusion of each chapter, there is a set of Assurance of Learning Exercises that can be used as the basis for class discussion, oral presentation assignments, short written reports, and substitutes for case assignments. Similarly, there is a set of Exercises for Simulation Participants that are designed expressly for use by adopters who have incorporated use of a simulation and want to go a step further in tightly and explicitly connecting the chapter content to the simulation company their students are running. New to this edition is

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the incorporation of these assignable Exercises for Simulation Participants within Connect. The questions in both sets of exercises (along with those Illustration Capsules that qualify as “mini-cases”) can be used to round out the rest of a 75- minute class period should your lecture on a chapter last for only 50 minutes.

Instructor Library The Connect Instructor Library is your repository for additional resources to improve student engagement in and out of class. You can select and use any asset that enhances your lecture.

Instructor’s Manual The accompanying IM contains: A section on suggestions for organizing and structuring your course. Sample syllabi and course outlines. A set of lecture notes on each chapter. Answers to the chapter-end Assurance of Learning Exercises. A test bank for all 12 chapters. A comprehensive case teaching note for each of the 27 cases. These teaching notes are filled with suggestions for using the case effectively, have very thorough, analysis-based answers to the suggested assignment questions for the case, and contain an epilogue detailing any important developments since the case was written.

Test Builder The accompanying Test Bank, which contains over 900 multiple choice and short answer/essay questions, is available in Connect™ via Test Builder.

Test Builder is a cloud-based tool that enables instructors to format tests that can be printed or administered within an LMS. Test Builder offers a modern, streamlined interface for easy content configuration that matches course needs, without requiring a download. Test Builder provides a secure interface for better protection of content and allows for just-in-time updates to flow directly into assessments.

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PowerPoint Slides To facilitate delivery preparation of your lectures and to serve as chapter outlines, you’ll have access to approximately 500 colorful and professional-looking slides displaying core concepts, analytical procedures, key points, and all the figures in the text chapters.

CREATE™ is McGraw-Hill’s custom-publishing program where you can access full-length readings and cases that accompany Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for a Competitive Advantage (http://create.mheducation.com/thompson). Through Create™, you will be able to select from 30 readings that go specifically with this textbook. These include cases and readings from Harvard, MIT, and much more! You can assemble your own course and select the chapters, cases, and readings that work best for you. Also, you can choose from several ready-to-go, author-recommended complete course solutions. Among the pre-loaded solutions, you’ll find options for undergrad, MBA, accelerated, and other strategy courses.

The Business Strategy Game and GLO-BUS Online Simulations Using one of the two companion simulations is a powerful and constructive way of emotionally connecting students to the subject matter of the course. We know of no more effective way to arouse the competitive energy of students and prepare them for the challenges of real-world business decision making than to have them match strategic wits with classmates in running a company in head-to-head competition for global market leadership.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We heartily acknowledge the contributions of the case researchers whose case-writing efforts appear herein and the companies whose cooperation made the cases possible. To each one goes a very special thank-you. We cannot overstate the importance of timely, carefully researched

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cases in contributing to a substantive study of strategic management issues and practices.

A great number of colleagues and students at various universities, business acquaintances, and people at McGraw-Hill provided inspiration, encouragement, and counsel during the course of this project. Like all text authors in the strategy field, we are intellectually indebted to the many academics whose research and writing have blazed new trails and advanced the discipline of strategic management. In addition, we’d like to thank the following reviewers who provided seasoned advice and splendid suggestions over the years for improving the chapters: