Conduct a strategic analysis, and write a report on a real-life business (MYER) . This report will focus on business-level strategy. You will work individually to conduct a strategic analysis, and write a report on a real-life business. Please note that this report will focus on business-level strategy.
The assessment will be discussed in the Modules 1 and 2. You are required to conduct strategic analyses for Myer, an Australia's department store group (http://www.myer.com.au/), for this assignment. You are advised to conduct research such as Internet searching for industry and media reports, and browsing the website and annual reports of Myer and other relevant organisations.
Myer's Website
http://www.myer.com.au/p/about-myer/
It contains information about its brief history and current business operations
Its "Investor" link has a detailed information about its strategic context (Annual reports, corporate governance, market announcement) and its recent strategic change and implementation.
Other information sources:
The Internet
Media (online newspapers, such as The Australian, Australian Financial Review)
Library: Database such as industry report
Write a 1500 - 2000 word report, excluding references and appendix. In this report, you are required to perform the following tasks:
1. Describe briefly the background information (strategic context) of the organisation (Myer). This information should be brief and relevant to the discussion of your assignment and thus may include ownership, history, size, business scope, major products/services, and major markets of the organization selected.
2. Conduct a macro-environment analysis for the entire industry within which the organisation operates. You should use the analytical framework provided in the textbook. Foci will be placed on the understanding of the purpose of this analysis, the identification of key factors and their implications in terms of key opportunities and threats, and the discussion of their overall impact on the industry growth in the future. Draw your conclusion based on your macro-environment analysis.
3. Undertake an industry (competitive) analysis using Porter's 5-forces model. You are required to pay attention to the purpose of this analysis, the inter-connectedness of different aspects of the competitive forces, the links between the competitive forces and macro-environment, and their overall impact on the industry and the organization selected in terms of main driving forces in the competitive environment. Draw your conclusions based on your five-force analyses.
4. Identify those resources and competences of the organization that are likely to provide sustainable competitive advantage. Justify why these resources and competences can be regarded as strategic capabilities using the four criteria covered in the textbook.
References should be utilised within this Report to validate the information presented, and should be drawn from academic sources and organisational information such as the website and annual reports. The business press may be used to identify relevant issues.
You are required to submit your assignment online. It should be attached with a coversheet, which can be downloaded from the Course Blackboard and signed. Please submit it via the course Blackboard and note:
Submit your assignment into Turnitin first to check the authenticity of your report.