Eastern Oregon University
School of Education and Business
Course Syllabus
BA 407 - Sun Tzu and Business Strategy:
How to defeat your enemy and make him happy about it.
2 credits
Course Information:
- Course: BA 407-SunTzu and Business Strategy
- Course Type: Weekend Seminar
- Instructor: Dr. Robert Larison
- Phone: (541) 962-3558
- E-mail: blarison@eou.edu
- Fax: (541) 962-3701
- Land Mail Address:
- School of Education and Business
- Eastern Oregon University
- 1 University Boulevard
- La Grande, Oregon 97850
About the course: The objective of the course is to introduce the student with some level of direct or academic experience with management theory and practice as applied in American companies to some fundamentally different concepts of strategic and tactical planning. The course structure will allow students to explore the ideas of Sun Tzu, a noted Chinese philosopher, and his perspectives on overcoming opponents while keeping them entire. Students will develop a strategic plan based on his principles. This will be an interesting process for experienced students as we will be operating within a different ethical base than the western one to which we are accustomed. Sun Tzu would tell us to:
"Use anger to throw them into disarray, use humility to make them haughty.
Tire them by flight, cause division among them.
Attack when they are unprepared, make your move when they do not expect it.
Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness;
Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness;
Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate."
Prerequisites: Junior standing--some level of experience in the managerial world would make the experience richer.
Objectives:
- To be introduced to some of the works of Sun Tzu.
- To contrast western concepts of leadership with eastern concepts.
- To apply the concepts in the course to a work environment.
- To integrate personal experience with a new theoretical framework.
Text: The Art of Strategy by R.L. Wing ISBN 0-385-23784-7
Evaluation and grading: Grading based on participation and a set of two papers.
- Paper 1: In class we will develop a strategy that will deal with a problem with another individual. That strategy is the topic for your first paper. Using a minimum of five verses from Sun Tzu, detail and explain the strategy your group used to solve the non-negotiable problem they chose. Explain how the strategy will work, step by step, applying the concepts from Sun Tzu. Remember that you are seeking a solution that Sun Tzu would approve of--not necessarily one that a western strategist would.
- Paper 2: In this paper you will develop a strategy for a non-negotiable conflict within yourself, with another person, or with an organization. Pick a real problem and use this opportunity to attempt to develop a strategy that will truly solve your problem. As in the first paper, use a minimum of five verses from Sun Tzu to structure your strategy. Explain, step by step, how your strategy will work--in detail. Do not generalize.
- Paper requirements: Papers will be a minimum of five pages not including endnotes and a bibliography page. References will be cited using footnotes or endnotes, and a bibliography page will be included.
Pre-session assignment: Read the first 10 parables in the Wing book. Then consider what you have read. (short assignment!!)
Last updated by RDL on 03/10/00.
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