Final Project

Overview

In your Final Project for the MBA Strategy  and Innovation module, you will, in the hypothetical role of a consultant to senior leadership, prepare and submit a business strategy study to the management of your selected organisation. This study, which will be contained in one document, is composed of two parts: (1) a detailed Business Strategy Report (which you complete first but will present last) and (2) a Strategy Recommendations and Evaluation Summary (which you will complete last but present first).

Your Business Strategy Report will provide an in-depth set of analyses, based on work you have done in Units 1 through 5, of the organisation's current strategic position.  The report will also provide a comprehensive set of recommendations and action plans, with supporting reasoning and evidence.  This cumulative report will be approximately 4000 words.

Your Strategy Recommendations and Evaluation Summary will distil and synthesize your work from your report into a 1000-word summarized version that will focus on calling out your recommendations and that will provide an evaluation of the strategy and its action plan details.

Thus, the Final Project paper will contain two major sections: the Strategy Recommendations and Evaluation Summary should come first, followed by the detailed Business Strategy Report (and its appropriate subsections).  The combined work should be in the range of 5000 words (+/- 10%).  

Throughout this module, you will develop various sections of this report through your work on both Shared Activities and Individual Assignments. You will receive feedback on your Individual Assignment submissions from your Faculty Member. You are expected to incorporate this feedback into the final version of the project paper.

During Unit 6, you will compile these sections and make any refinements based on feedback received. You will also develop the additional sections required to complete and submit the Final Project.

Selecting an Organisation

In selecting this company, you will need to ensure the following:

• Availability of information about the companies' strategy, innovations, products, services and human resources mix
• Availability (with management's permission) of staff members to discuss issues and challenges related to strategy and innovation
• Availability of key executives to provide you with information about the corporate culture and any innovation initiatives undertaken
• Access to the various functional areas of the organisation, including the information technology (IT) department, marketing department, human resources department, research and  development (R&D) department (if existent) and other manufacturing or service departments

Note: You may select a non-profit or a non-governmental organisation (NGO) instead of a publicly listed company. Regardless of the organisation, you will need access to information and key leaders in order to complete the Final Project.

Contents

Your Final Project in this module consists of two parts:

• Part 1: Business strategy report (5,000 words)
  • Section 1: Strategy Recommendations and Evaluation Summary (1,000 words)
  • Section 2: Business Strategy Report (4,000 words)
• Part 2: PPDP Update  

You will prepare a business strategy report that will follow this general outline:

• Section 1: Strategy Recommendations and Evaluation Summary (1,000 words)
  
  In this section, distil and synthesize your work from your detailed business report in Section 2 into a powerful, persuasive version that will focus on calling out your recommendations and that will provide an evaluation of the strategy and its action plan details. Remember, your audience is the senior leadership team and you must write your summary to persuade them to accept your recommendations.

• Section 2: Business Strategy Report (4,000 words from Units 1-5)
  
  Imagine that you are the business consultant of your chosen organisation and you are requested to prepare a comprehensive business strategy report for the top management yeam. Compile your Individual Assignments from Units 1 through 5 into a single business report document. Revise the content based on feedback from your Faculty Member and what you have learned throughout the module.     

• Appendices (New)
  
  Include any supporting documentation that you believe is required in this section. This documentation may include organisational data, historical information, additional information on tools, or any other information that would be pertinent in support of your proposed solution.

• References
  
  Include all references with appropriate formatting in the Harvard Referencing Style.

The assessment criteria (rubrics) for each of the graded elements of the Final Project are available with other module rubrics and can be accessed by clicking the "Rubrics" button at the top of the Module Home page.