Part 1:

Course project - company selection

The course project is a strategic management plan for an organization of your choosing. Please read the Course Project - Introduction page in this module before attempting this assignment.

Now it's time to select a company that you'd like to use for the course project. It's important that you choose a company that is easily researched. You're going to need to find information on their current business practices and makeup. That can be very hard to do with small local businesses, but easier with larger publicly traded companies. It's also important to choose a company that you're interested in and want to learn about. This will make the project more engaging.

For the assignment this week, write a paper that's at least a page in length and completes the following:

• Identify a company for which you wish to develop a strategic management plan. You may wish to conduct some preliminary research to help you understand a little more about the company you chose.

• Provide a brief description of the company including what they do, what they're known for, and their reputation within the current business environment.

• Provide your reasons for selecting this company. Be thorough and specific with your explanation.

Part 2:

Course project - ethics and creating a mission statement

The next phase of your strategic management plan will require you to research your company's history and existing strategic goals. Before we can make major improvements to the business, we first have to understand where they came from and what they're currently trying to accomplish. Use reliable business sources, the company website, and any traditional appropriate sources to gather as much background information that you can.

For the assignment this week, write a paper that's at least two pages in length and addresses the following:

• Detail the history of the business. Explain how they got their start but focus mostly on how their business has changed over the last 15 years. Provide a picture of how they adapt to change and any major obstacles that they've had to overcome.

• Include some information on the top executives at the company and the role that they've played in those last 15 years.

• Provide the company's existing mission statement and code of ethics. In what way do they articulate their ethical practices through policies and public outreach and why is this important?

• Identify two areas of concern ethically and explain those choices. Make sure to discuss why you feel that are areas of ethical concern. Think critically about where your chosen company has the potential for ethical dilemmas. For example, an accounting firm would be concerned with fraud.

• Rewrite your company's mission statement. The idea is to provide clarity and set the new strategic direction that you think the company should be moving towards. Include a paragraph explaining the changes that you've made and why.