Aim

The purpose of this assignment is to provide you with an opportunity to apply knowledge, theory, frameworks and tools from the early part of the unit to an analysis of the strategy and strategic practices of a real organisation. You will work in teams, since this is what happens in real organisations, in analysing the strategies pursued by Apple since its creation. You will evaluate the strategies and their effectiveness and relate those real-life experiences to relevant research and theory. The aim is to provide experience of strategic analysis and practice and to determine your ability to relate real strategy to theory and research.

The Overall Task

Apple has been at the forefront of technology products and with the release of the Ipod's range and many other products that meet the needs of the technology users both in business and entertainment. Arguably a leader in innovation and inspiration products for everyday use.

Your task in this case analysis is to answer three questions by critically analysing Apple's history, resources and market situation. Please do not just describe events, although you should read Apple's history to understand the background to your analysis. You should use the principles and concepts that you have learned in Topics 1-5 to answer the following three questions:

1. What strategy or strategies has Apple! adopted since it was created? Answer this question by applying one or more of the theoretical approaches discussed in the earlier part of the course e.g. Porter's Five Forces.

2. Does the RBV (resource based view) offer any insights into Apple's success? E.g. assessing the company using the VRIN framework

3. What strategic options can you describe for Apple! if it wishes to remain a successful organisation throughout the next decade? Answer this question based on a SWOT analysis of the circumstances that exist in 2015 and your best forecasts of relevant future industry factors.

These are wide-ranging questions and you should undertake extensive independent research (MUST HAVE 10 JOURNALS - can have other sources as supplements but NOT Wikis, Blogs) into Apple! and its industry. You should explore different aspects of these issues and incorporate them into your report. This is a practical assessment of a real company, but you need to show an understanding of theory and research in your evaluation and suggestions.

Process

1. This is a group project. You will be in a group with 3-4 other students. It is imperative that you work together effectively as a team on this task. In the real world of business almost everything requires team work and you do not get to work just with your friends and those you choose.

2. Begin to gather information about Apple! and its strategies. There are a range of sources you can make use including the companies own corporate website and related publications, academic journals, business press and media, blogs and so on. The quality business press such as Forbes or Business Week or the Economist are in some ways good places to start.

3. However, you need to begin to study relevant course materials (Topic 1 - 5 from study guide, powerpoint - supported by textbook) as the task requires you to analyse and evaluate Apple's strategy in relation to theory, frameworks and research.

4. Consider each of the three questions carefully and begin to relate practice to theory in an attempt to answer each of them. The questions explicitly direct you to specific aspects of the unit material and to specific types of models, tools and theories.
a. The first question asks to you identify the strategy or strategies pursued by Apple! and suggests you might consider this in the light of material from the early part of the unit. For example, you might consider this in relation to Porter's Five Forces model or you might try and determine if Apple! pursued a clear strategic plan or whether you can discern emergent aspects of their strategy. There is latitude here for you to explore things and provide an analysis that you think makes sense. Your analysis should include an assessment of why you think Apple! developed the strategies that they did. This can include, for example, assessment of the environment and industry conditions they confronted.

b. The second question is somewhat more explicit. It asks you to apply a particular theory or approach to strategy known as the Resource Based View. This will be covered in early topics of the course, but there is plenty of material relating to this as it is perhaps the most popular approach to strategy currently. This question does not necessarily imply that you must fit Apple! into the RBV framework - you might take the view that the theory does not fit what they did well...that is fine as long as you can sensibly justify your interpretation. In answering this question you might, for example, consider assessing the company using the VRIN framework.

c. The third question is difficult since it asks you to look forward and to suggest the type of strategy and strategising that Apple! might fruitfully pursue going forward through the rest of this decade. One explicit suggestion is that you use the well known SWOT tool to analyse the situation confronting the company now and as part of the input into determining strategy going forward. However, that

does not preclude you using other tools and frameworks to do an analysis and suggest a strategic path for Apple!.

It should be clear that there is no definitive right answer here. This also mirrors reality, companies are not able to find a single solution

or pathway; they have to make difficult choices from alternatives. In the light of that try to explore different aspects of the three questions - there are no ‘correct' answers and lots of valid arguments for and against all kinds of alternatives. The merits of your argument will depend to a large extent on how much evidence you can cite to support your point of view; that is why this is called a research project.

5. Write up your analysis. This should be in a report format. Here is a suggested structure:

a. Executive Summary

b. 1. Introduction

1.1 Development of Apple

1.2 Scope of report

c. 2. Background to the Company

2.1 Apple formation

2.2 Current challenges

d. 3. Strategic Analysis

3.1 The Nature of Apple's Strategy or Strategies

3.2 An RBV assessment of Apple!

3.3 Strategic Options for Apple!

e. 4. Conclusion

f. References

g. Appendix (Optional)

Ensure that you have related the real conditions of the company to theory and research and that you have read, cited and referenced appropriate academic material as well as more popular sources (which also need to be properly referenced.)

6. Submit the report via the Turnitin Submission Link (under Assessment Details on the Blackboard site)...be fully aware of the plagiarism rules in the School; plagiarism will not be tolerated.

7. Complete peer review and submit via email to relevant tutors/lecturers.

8. You are working in groups and it is your responsibility to manage the group and group processes effectively. If for some reason the group is failing to function properly, or if group members are not making a proper contribution, raise the matter immediately with your tutor/lecturer - do not wait until the end of the session or after you have submitted.

The marking criteria for the assignment can be found on the following page. They are published to give you detailed guidelines about the way in which your mark will be calculated. Please read them carefully. Note that they are a guide, not a definitive formula for allocating marks, and no set of criteria can accurately describe every possible assignment. Your final mark will reflect the application of academic judgement by your marker to your whole assignment.