Annecy: Semester 2

For the academic year 2007/2009 the type of exams were as follow:

• Business to Business;
• Business Negotiation;
• Cross Cultural Communication;
• International Project Management;
• Market Research;
• Eurosurvey;
  
• Logistic 1;
• Logistic 2;
• Leadership skills;
• Purchasing Management;
  
• Internship;

Business to Business

The exam was an individual test of 90 minutes.
Here was the topic:
Mark Müller an industrial salesperson from Trumpf Machine Tool, will visit one of his customer this afternoon, ABC systems Ltd. It is a manufacturer of components which are sold to the computer industry. Mark has been servicing this customer for the past three years. Yesterday they told him that they have to delay the order of a machine with a volume of 500,000 euro for six months and they want to talk to him.

1. Please explain the basic differences between consumer-goods and business marketing. (25 minutes);
2. Explain the meaning of "derived demand" and why could it be the reason for the delay of the order of the machine? (5 minutes)
3. Which forces influence the organizational buying behavior? Please give examples why they could be the reason for the delay. (25 minutes)
4. Please explain the concept of the buying center. Which functional units are likely to be represented in the buying center of ABC Systems? (20 minutes)
5. After the meeting with ABC Systems Mark has to visit a new customer, Kraus Toy Company. What steps can Mark take to identify the influential members of the buying center? (15 minutes)
   

Business negotiation

This course is mainly based on oral presentations without Powerpoint assistance. If I remember well a report made in group has to be handle for the last exam but I cannot find it back sorry.

Cross Cultural Communication

Once more one gave us an oral examination about how to manage a specific day to to day business situation including cultural communication issues.

International Project Management

Here we were evaluated at each practical workshop we got, around 3. The final examination was resulting in an oral presentation where we presented an interview we made of a project manager. I unfortunately did not keep any trace of it.

Market research

An individual test was given for this exam which was regarding the content of the course. This test has to be done within one hour, here are the questions:

1. To get an importance-performance matrix, there are three methods to measure the attributes importance. Which one would you recommend to a company? Why? Give an example.
2. Give one major advantage of conjoint analysis in comparison with importance-performance matrix.
3. Explain what is the "gap analysis" in the Servqual approach. Give an example.
4. Considering the IP matrix below, give this enterprise some recommendations for the development of their new ski boots:

Another work could be handled but was optional, here it is:

Study case context and mission:

Grévin & cie, is leader on the market and is France's largest and one of Europe's premier operators of amusement facilities. It hosted over 5,5 millions visits in 2004.
Grévin & cie has the project to invest for developing a new theme park in the region of Annecy.
This region has several assets that may attract the investors for such a project:
- A dynamic touristy region. Almost 35 million of nights in a year (56% in winter) in Haute Savoie, the province of Annecy
- A local dynamic demography and economy with an unemployment rate reaching only 6%. Because of the proximity to Switzerland, because of the micro mechanics industry, but also tourism, agriculture, information technologies and sports industry, the Haute Savoie province is one of the "richest" areas in the country.
But this leasure business is very risky, made of both big successes and great flops. You are junior consultants for a national marketing research agency and you are asked to study the feasability of the project.
The local authorities would like to develop a project with cultural or regional aspects but the first market research studies recommend an entertainment park:

1. On the basis of your research, write your suggestions about the theme park positioning (1 page)
2. Design a draft for the general map of the theme park (1 page)
3. Design a draft for a promotion leaflet of the park with name, logotype and slogan (1 page)

A 6-page report was expected with an oral presentation.
Here is an example of such a report:
http://www.slideshare.net/EMBS2007/marketing-research-example
Another compulsory examination was expected to be made in group. It was regarding a marketing study students had to do, here is an example of it:
http://www.slideshare.net/EMBS2007/final-report-example

Eurosurvey

The Eurosurvey is a yearly marketing research activity where students from 11 different universities around Europe are gathered in order to work for a specific company. Normally the rank you will have at the end of this seminar will be taken into consideration in your average.
The Eurosurvey was composed of three evaluations: making a survey(20% of the final grade), making a final report of 20 pages(40% of the grade), an oral presentation ( 40% of the grade)

Logistic 1

It may be possible that the courses of logistic are split up in two: Logistic 1 & 2. For one the examination was composed of an individual quizz of 24 questions and the duration was one hour.
You had also the possibility to make an oral presentation (5 minutes) regarding the logistic chain of a specific product.
Here is one example:
http://www.slideshare.net/EMBS2007/coal-supply-chain-example

Logistic 2

For the examination of Logistic 2 it was asked us to answer a specific case study.
I unfortunately do not have the topic of the exam which was a document of 30 pages. I can give you the two other documents which are the answers, hoping it can help:
http://www.slideshare.net/EMBS2007/logistics-case-answer-example
http://www.slideshare.net/EMBS2007/logistics-offer

Leadership skills

In one hour within a group of 5 students we had to answer to five questions.
Here they are:
Q1: What is the role of a manager/Leader?. Could you explain the "Pillars of Leadership" and the "Keystone concept"?
Q2: What are the 4 leadership styles? What is the meaning of "Readiness"?Which style for which readiness and why?
Q3: What is the advised structure for a "negative feedback" interview? ( Please explain each step)
Q4: Why a performance appraisal concept in a company?How to run this kind of interview and why? (Please,develop your reflexion)
Q5: Why the change management is a major stake for a manager? How do you have to approach it?

Purchasing Management

Internship

The internship was of a lenght of 4 months from June to September. We had in order to fill in the requirements of the examination to make a report of it.For privacy reasons I am not going to put the report here.