During this course, you will be analyzing a series of cases based on specific entrepreneurial business situations. In each module, except Module 8, you will be given two cases. You must select one of the cases and complete it by the end of the module in which they appear. You may come across particular cases which deal with issues or concepts that you have not yet reached in the textbook. In that situation, you are expected to research the textual materials to develop your analysis. Analyzing these cases will help you to develop your ability to identify, explain, and provide solutions for issues associated with entrepreneurial ventures.

For more information on how to analyze a case, download and read the attachment on general instructions for analyzing case studies.

For this assignment, select and analyze any one of the following cases from your textbook:

Read Case : A. Monroe Lock and Security Systems and respond to the following questions:

How would you describe Ray Monroe's overall attitude toward his business?

How would you describe the industry and the competitive environment?

Develop a marketing strategy for AMLSS. Include some projections for sales revenues for the next twelve months.

Or

Read Case : Beijing and respond to the following questions:

Why do you think Goodman is having a difficult time finding employees who can perform up to his expectations? How can he teach them to perform better?

Do you believe Goodman is being unrealistic in his expectations of bringing quality Western service to China?

What are the key success factors for Beijing Sammies? What are its strengths and weaknesses?

What should Goodman do to build the business moving forward? How should he approach future fundraising efforts?

Each case analysis should be in not more than 600 words. Exceeding the word count limit will result in deductions to the assignment score.

Your work should be submitted in a Word document, typed in double-space, in 10- or 12-point Arial or Times New Roman font. The page margins on the top, bottom, left side, and right side should be 1 inch each. You should use the APA guidelines for writing and citations.

General Instructions for Case Studies

A case study is a short description of a real business situation. Analyzing case studies gives you the opportunity to apply those concepts to real business problems. Cases are generally written for several types of analysis. Usually, there is not a "right or wrong" answer. Rather, cases provide a vehicle for you to demonstrate your understanding and ability to apply course concepts. You must use appropriate sources (properly cited) to support your position. Check your analysis by assessing how well it demonstrates your subject knowledge. If your answer relies on your impressions of the topic prior to taking this course, it is likely that the analysis is not your best effort.

Simply answering the questions which are part of the case is not enough; consider the questions to be clues to the important concepts and facts. You are strongly encouraged to use the following outline so that your analysis is organized appropriately:

1.Identify both the key issues and the underlying issues. In identifying the issues, you should be able to connect them to the business principles which apply to this situation.

2.Discuss the facts which affect these issues. The case may have too much information. In your discussion, you should filter the information and discuss those facts which are pertinent to the issues identified above.

3.Discuss your tentative solution to the problem and how you would implement your solution. What actions would you propose to correct the situation, based on the knowledge you have gained in this course? Be sure to support your recommendation by citing references in the text and in the supplementary readings. You should also draw on other references such as business periodicals and relevant journals.

Remember that an ANALYSIS is more than simply a SUMMARY of the Case Study.

4.Discuss follow-up and contingency plans. How will the organization know that your proposed solution is working? What should they do if it does not work? It may be helpful for you to "role-play" this assignment. Your presentation should cover the points listed above. By "role-playing" the situation, using the questions at the end of the case as hints, and by using this guide, you should be able to develop an action-oriented analysis with a recommended course of action.

Your analysis of each case study should be a minimum of 4 pages and written in APA format.

Evaluation Criteria:

• Have you identified the critical issues/problems in the case and analyzed the key facts related to the issues/problems?

• Have you discussed a tentative solution that addresses the issues/problems and how you would implement your solution?

• Is information from the textbook and other sources integrated into your analysis appropriately? For all sources, you must provide complete citations. 

• Is the paper professionally presented? Remember your audience. It is important to present your information as clearly and succinctly as possible. (Do not sacrifice thoroughness for mere brevity.)

• Please proofread carefully for grammar and spelling errors.