The Project

Each project team will develop and present an analysis of an industry or market segment impacted by electronic commerce.  You are to consider the current and future impact of e-commerce on your chosen industry or market segment - how the industry is changing/evolving & what this means for the players involved.  An Excel spreadsheet containing grading criteria for the project has been posted online.  The exercise will mimic an activity that many of you will perform during your careers.  If done well, this project should be one that you learn a great deal from, are proud of, and are eager to discuss during job interviews.  Some of you may even be inspired to seek employment in the segments that you study.

Choosing a Topic

Groups will select one industry/market segment to analyze per group. Suggested industries/market segments are provided below.  You are also welcome to suggest your own industry/market segment topic.  Groups are advised to make project topic requests to me quickly, as I will award topics on a first-come, first-served basis and will not allow more than one group to work on the same topic (teams in separate sections can not work on the same topic).  I will only accept topic requests via e-mail submission.  One e-mail submission should be made per group.  Other group members should be cc'd on the e-mail and you should include your course name so that you are not confused with other classes that I teach.  You may want to submit multiple topics in case your first choice is already taken by the time I receive your e-mail.  You may switch topics at a later date provided that your new topic isn't already taken, however if you switch to a new topic, your old topic is then considered 'open' and may be taken by another group.

Possible list of topics includes:


Consumer mobile services (e.g. any of the following: games, micropayments, locatio-based advertising)
Business/enterprise mobile services
Interactive television services
Automotive computing (i.e. telematics)
Auto sales
Motion picture industry
Television networks
The recording industry (e.g. music)
The telephone industry (e.g. local & long distance service)
Event ticket sales
Sports industries (e.g. sports media, professional sports teams, sports merchandising)
Advertising
Auctions
Book retailing
Electronics retailing
Travel retailing
Recruiting and career services
Online Dating
Pharmaceutical industry
Education
Photography and photo processing
Gourmet/specialty food retailing
Package shipping
Retail brokerage services (e.g. stocks & mutual funds)
Consumer banking (e.g. savings, checking, loans, mortgage)
Investment banking
Currency trading systems (for corporate & institutional markets)
Business to business marketplaces
Smart cards & cash alternatives
The video game industry
Casino & gaming industries (i.e. gambling)

Executive Summary and Presentation

Your group project grade will largely be based on a presentation made to the class that will be graded (in part) and ranked by your other class members.  Grading criteria have been posted online.  Format for the presentation is deliberately left open to allow each group increased flexibility, but be aware that you will be evaluated using the posted grading criteria.  By the last scheduled date of regular class time (see Readings/Schedule), your group will post a three-page executive summary of your analysis to your group's web site.  Your peers and instructor will read the executive summary prior to your presentation.  Presentations are to be no more than 15 minutes in length, followed by a brief question & answer period.  Presentations will be scheduled for the class exam time (to be posted). Everyone must attend their section's presentation.

The body of the web-posted summary must not exceed three printed pages (it is, after all, an executive summary).  You may also include additional supporting material if appropriate. Additional material is not required, nor are student graders required to investigate beyond the 3 page executive summary, however some groups have provided additional material on their web sites in order to create a more persuasive argument for their analysis. Bibliographic references must be posted in a separate web-based document on your index page.  The bibliography should include at least 15 links (most of you will cite many more) to articles or web sites that you used in your research along with the name of the article, source, and date.  Since your presentations are meant to provide additional information to your classmates (and to me), I want you to draw our attention to the best reads so that those who are interested can pursue more information on their own.  Each cited link should be followed by a rating next to the articles on a 1-10 scale (10=must read & should be included in readings for future classes, 5=some interesting background info, 1=included because we cited a quote or fact and that's all).  An example of a citation is included below:
 

Now In Bankruptcy, Kmart Struggled With Supply Chain , Information Week, Jan. 2, 2002. [rating = 8]


All material used for your presentation must be cited.  This includes citations for interviews (include the name of the person interviewed, position, firm, and date of conversation).  Any direct quotations should be indicated in posted materials by enclosing it in quotation marks and indicating the source of the quote. Presentation materials such as PowerPoint slides should be posted to the group's web site within 24 hrs. of the presentation.

Evaluations

Grading criteria have been posted online.  Everyone is required to submit one confidential evaluation of each of the other teams.  On the day of project presentations, everyone will be given a grading booklet that contains a form similar to the one posted online – one for each group presenting.  You are to evaluate all groups other than your own and you are to provide useful, civil feedback and commentary regarding the group's ability or inability to meet assessment criteria.  Within two hours of making your presentation, you will hand in the fully completed grading booklet given to you on the day of the presentations .  This material will be used, along with my own scores, to determine final project grades and group rankings.  Evaluating groups is to be done anonymously and without consulting your classmates.  You should provide a rigorous criteria so that only the very best groups receive high grades.  While your numerical grades may seem low, I will apply an appropriate curve if necessary.  While you will write your name on the front of your grading booklet so that I can ensure that you've handed the booklet back, I will remove your name and separate the grade sheets into a packet for each group so that each group receives a detailed set of anonymous comments from everyone in class not in that group.  Final scores will be combined with my own to determine your group's final project grade.

Also, each member of the project team will be asked to submit a brief performance review of the other team members.  Using these evaluations, a weight will be assigned to each individual's team grade.  Dysfunctional teams and poorly participating team members will suffer lower grades.  Non-participative group members will receive a zero grade.

A Note on Academic Integrity

Collusion in the evaluation process or misrepresentation of one's identity (in written or electronic form) will be considered cheating.  Cheating, copying the work of others, plagiarism, or any other breach of academic or computing policy will be pursued with the utmost seriousness. These actions will result in a grade of 'F' and referral to the Integrity Board of the Carroll School of Management for further action.