Assignment 2: Strategy Analysis and Selection (Week 6)

Purpose: This assignment is the second of three assignments. Students will use the tools and concepts learned in the course and in previous business courses to develop an understanding of how organizations develop and manage strategies to establish, safeguard and sustain its position in a competitive market.

In this assignment, students will 1) assess long-term objectives, 2) identify and evaluate alternative strategies and 3) recommend strategies for a company to pursue.

Students will use the company used in Assignment 1 (Spirit Airlines)

Instructions:

In completing the assignment, students will perform research on the company provided, answer the questions below in narrative form and will follow the steps provided below:

Step 1: Create a double-spaced, 12-point font Word or Rich Text Format (RTF) document. The final product will be between 4-5 pages in length excluding the title page, exhibits and reference page.

Step 2: Review assignment grading rubric.

Step 3: Follow this format:

• Title page with title, your name, the course, the instructor's name;

• Executive Summary;

• Comprehensive Written Analysis:

Step 4: In writing the analysis, the writing is in the third person. What this means is that there are no words such as "I, me, my, we, or us" (first person writing), nor is there use of "you or your" (second person writing). If uncertain how to write in the third person, view this link: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/first-second-and-third-person

Step 5: In writing this assignment, students are asked to support the reasoning using in-text citations and a reference list. A reference within a reference list cannot exist without an associated in-text citation and vice versa. View the sample APA paper under Week 4 content and How to Cite and Reference, also under Week 4 content.

Step 6: In writing this assignment, students are expected to paraphrase and not use direct quotes unless citing the mission statement of a company. Learn to paraphrase by reviewing this link: https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/QPA_paraphrase2.html

Step 7: Read all course material for weeks 1 and 2 and perform independent research to provide a comprehensive internal environmental analysis.

Step 8: Jot down or highlight key facts from the scenario. Consider making an outline to capture key points in the paper.

Step 9: In your paper, respond to the following:

Use the tools, concepts and information from your own research to perform a strategic analysis and selection of strategies.

• Develop a BCG Matrix for selected company;

• Develop a Grand Strategy matrix;

• Develop a QSPM for selected company;

• Analyze and discuss possible strategies;

• Discuss cultural factors that should be considered in analyzing and choosing among the alternative strategies;

• Recommend the best strategies among the alternative strategies and explain why these strategies are the best;

Step 10: Create an introductory paragraph. The Introduction should clearly and concisely convey the main points of the assignment's requirements. Review the following website to learn how to write an introductory paragraph:

http://www.writing.ucsb.edu/faculty/donelan/intro.html

Step 11: Write a summary paragraph. A summary paragraph restates the main idea(s) of the essay. Make sure to leave a reader with a sense that the essay is complete. The summary paragraph is the last paragraph of a paper.

Step 12: Using the grading rubric as a comparison, read through the paper to ensure all required elements are presented.

Step 13: Proofread the paper for spelling and grammatical issues, and third person writing.

• Use the spell and grammar check in Word as a first measure;

• Have someone who has excellent English skills to proof the paper;