MBA 700: Strategic Analysis Final Project Guidelines and Grading Guide

Overview

The final project for this course requires students to use concepts from each module, answer questions about their chosen company, and complete a strategic analysis of that company in a variety of areas. Milestone drafts of your answers are assigned in several modules leading to the strategic analysis final project submitted in Module Nine.

You have been hired as a consultant at the company you have been researching. This final report is an in-depth look at the strategy and corporate management based on your detailed research completed throughout the semester. This paper is designed as a full report with recommendations that the executive team will use to enhance the existing strategic management. This project is divided into five milestones, submitted in Modules One, Four, Five, Seven, and Nine (final deliverable).

Main Elements

Your report should include, as a minimum, the following 11 components:

1.Strategy and the Strategic Management Process at your Chosen Company

Describe the industry you a re investigating. Identify the company you are researching along with the mission, vision, values, and strategic plan. Be sure to answer the following questions:

• Describe the industry in which the company operates.

»      What is the company's stated strategy? Is it a winning strategy?

v       How does the company's mission statement compare to those of its competitors?

»       How do the mission, vision, and values support strategic objectives or performance targets of your company?

• What do the mission, vision, and value statements say about the company and its leadership?

2. External Environment  and Competitive Position

Complete an industry analysis and a five forces model analysis including an assessment of the company's closest rival. Be sure to answer the following questions:

+ What are the driving forces of change in the industry in which your company competes? How has your company changed its strategy to address driving forces?

• Where does the company stand within the industry based on the five forces model of competition analysis?
• Which of the five forces exert the most pressure on the company? What has the company done to relieve this pressure? e What are your recommendations to further reducing pressure from these forces?

3. Internal Environment and Competitive Position

Complete a SWOT analysis and a value chain analysis of the company you have chosen. Be sure to answer the folJowing questions:

• How well has the company performed to stated strategic objectives or performance targets? Support your assessment with factual data.
• Compare the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the company to those of its competitors. How do the vision and values affect how the company will respond to each?

»  What is the core competency of the company? How does this affect its standing within the industry? v  How has the company used its value chain activities to improve its competitive position?

• What are your recommendations in regard to the company's competitive position and value chain activities?

4. Competitive Strategy

Summarize the generic strategy employed by the company and how it helps the company achieve sustained competitive advantage.

• Which of the generic competitive strategy options is your company pursuing?
• Explain how your company is pursuing this generic strategy. How does it fit value chain activities specifically to support its generic strategy?
• How does pursuit of this strategy help your company achieve sustained competitive advantage?

v What are your recommendations in regard to the company's pursuit of a generic strategy or how it uses its value chain in this pursuit?

5. Strengthening  Competitive Position

Summarize how the com pany strengthens its generic strategy through complementary strategic moves. Be sure to answer the following questions:

v Outline what the company has done to fit its strategy to the industry and company situation.

• Has your company responded offensively or defensively, or both, to improve its strategic position? How?
• Has your company pursued complementary strategic options? Explain your answer.
• What are your recommendations for y ¢0M(a*Y t qursu future complementary strategic options to strengthen its competitive position?

6. The Global  MarketplaceSummarize company operations in foreign markets and competitive advantage possibilities. Be sure to answer the following questions:

• Describe which method(s) has been used to enter foreign markets.
• How has the company gained competitive advantage through competing internationally?
• What are addition a I actions that the company rould take to gain a competitive advantage in foreign markets?