| Group Selection: | Groups must consist of either three or four people. Groups are self-selected. However, students are cautioned to form groups carefully, ensuring that the members complement each other in analytical, writing, and mathematical skills. |
| Format: | These deliverables are designed to give you a chance to
apply the concepts developed in class to help formulate business strategy.
Each deliverable is of the same form:
Apply the ideas from Chapter X to a real world example. The example can be taken from your own experience in business or from the popular press. Be sure to define the players and rules of the game. Be precise, and use diagrams to illustrate the game where appropriate. Use the tools developed in class to predict the logical outcome of the game. From this analysis, develop strategy advice for one of the players in the game or for a party interested in the outcome, such as an investor trying to predict how the game will unfold. The assignment must be in the form of a memo to a player or interested party. |
| Length | You should turn in a memo of less than 500 words and an executive summary no longer than 100 words. Charts, tables, or figures do not count into these limits. You must also include one or two PowerPoint slides. I may call on groups to discuss their memos. |
| Style | The memo must clearly define the game being played, including
identifying the players, their strategies, and all of the payoffs. The
structure of the game (the "rules") must also be identified.
Motivating the memo is an important part of the
exercise – make sure it is clear why you are writing the memo.
Jargon should be avoided. Write the memo in plain English, and consider
that it may be read by people unfamiliar with game theory. However, since
eventually the memo might work its way up to the top of the organization
(to the Vice President of Game Theory Operations), any game-theoretic
terminology and concepts must be employed correctly.
As professionals, you are all aware of the importance of strong writing skills. Letters, reports, and even short e-mail notes all indicate to others our ability to communicate. People develop opinions about our ability and work ethic based upon our written correspondence. Typographical errors, grammatical errors, misspelled words, or poor diction and writing style dramatically reduce the impact of our work no matter how excellent the content. Thus your ability as a writer, as well as the content of your papers, plays a significant role in the grading process. |
| Grading | Grading criteria:
Assignments must be submitted at the beginning of the class in which they are due. Late assignments will not be accepted. |
| Drafts | I am happy to review drafts of your papers prior to the due date. I encourage students to discuss their ideas with me, and prepare drafts far enough in advance to leave time for me to review them and for the group to incorporate the comments. I will provide advice relative to how far along the draft is. That is, an outline will receive less specific comments than a draft nearing completion. Drafts are not required. You are not assured of any particular grade if I review your paper and make suggestions for improvements. |
| Due Dates | Assignments are due at the beginning of class 5, 8, 11, and 14. Memos and slides may be submitted by e-mail. Both the memo and the slides must be submitted at the beginning of the class in which they are due. Late assignments will not be accepted. |