Project Assignment: Guidelines

Overview

The final project for this course is the creation of a global strategic analysis that provides a strategic plan for the internationalization of a firm. The final project for this course requires students to select an international publicly held company and complete a strategic analysis of that company in a variety of areas pertaining to global strategic management.

The scenario: You have been hired as a consultant at the company you have been researching. This final report is an in-depth look at the 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. The final product represents an authentic demonstration of competency because the analysis represents the pragmatic application of concepts and tools used in formation of corporate-level global strategic planning. The project is divided into four milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two, Four, Eight, and Ten.

Main Elements

Your analysis should include, at a minimum, the following eight components:

1. MNE Overview and Key Strategic Background

i. Characterize the chosen firm (e.g., firm's scale, strategic business units, scope of products and markets, diversification type, current financial and strategic performance trends (5-year max) with a brief comparison to industry trends, market shares, etc.)

ii. Describe the current international operations of the firm (e.g., geographic distribution of operations and their contributions to firm performance)

iii. What are the recent strategic initiatives (and their motivations) of the firm?

iv. Briefly analyze the MNE's domestic and international rivals (a representative top challenger for each is fine)

2. Strategy Tripod Part One: Industry Conditions (Opportunities and Threats)

i. What are the top five foreign markets for the MNE's industry?

ii. Compare and contrast the five forces affecting the MNE's industry. Note critical factors to each and critical differences in the MNE's domestic and foreign markets.

iii. Which functions in the industry value chain are key to competitiveness for your MNE? How well do they address the industry's key success factors and key drivers of change?

iv. Assess the strategic fit of the MNE's generic competitive strategy with industry conditions.

3. Strategy Tripod Part Two: Internal Resources and Capabilities (Strengths and Weaknesses)

i. Analyze the value, rarity, imitability, and organizational (VRIO) aspects of the firm's core resources and capabilities within its value chain functions. Do any competencies reach the "core" or "distinctive" level over rivals?

ii. How well do these capabilities and resources support the MNE's generic strategy choice?

iii. What resources and capabilities should the firm augment or develop to improve its future global competitiveness?

iv. Should the firm acquire, outsource, or build these resources internally?

4. Strategy Tripod Part Three: Institutional and Cultural Conditions

i. How are formal and informal institutions setting the "rules of the game" for the MNE's direct and indirect international operations?

ii. Using Hofstede's five dimensions of national culture, how will the MNE's domestic cultural norms compare to those of its foreign partners or subsidiaries?

iii. Which is currently a greater concern-cultural or institutional distance?

iv. What are your recommendations for the firm's future IBS to leverage its exposure to these various "rules of the game"?

5. Entrepreneurship and Internationalizing the Firm

i. How effectively has the firm managed the five "entrepreneurial strategies" in its growth?
ii. Are there institutional or industry-based conditions affecting entrepreneurship opportunities?

6. Internationalization: Where, When, Why, and How

i. From the institution-based and resource-based views, does the firm possess "overwhelming resources and capabilities to offset its liability of foreignness"?

ii. How do the firm's strategic goals align with the location-specific advantages of its global footprint?

iii. Assess the advantages and disadvantages of management's entry mode choices and entry timing.

iv. Which diversification strategies have been used? Have they contributed to performance?

v. Has performance benefited from international acquisitions or collaborative strategies?

vi. What are your recommendations for the MNE to pursue future complementary strategic options?

7. Internationalization: Strategy, Structure, and Learning

i. Which of the four strategy/structure configurations is used?

ii. Considering the three legs of the strategy tripod, evaluate the "strategic fit" of the MNE's strategy/structure configuration to its IBS goals.
Does this approach offer any innovation or learning advantages over the approaches of the MNE's top rivals?

iii. Has the firm internalized any knowledge management or learning capabilities that maybe leveraged between developed and emerging economies?

8. Strategizing Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility

i. Has the MNE developed firm-specific capabilities to differentiate on corporate governance dimensions?

ii. From the stakeholder-based view, what is a CSR initiative that will directly impact the competitiveness of the MNE?

Milestones

Milestone One: Research Proposal

In task 2-2, you will submit your research proposal. Your final project entails developing a full strategic analysis on a publicly held multinational enterprise (MNE). It must be public because of the depth and transparency of data you will need to adequately complete the project. This MNE may be in any industry, based in any international location, and held in any public market. A number of MNEs in less developed economies are publicly listed in foreign equity markets. If you have difficulty determining this, contact your instructor. It is strongly suggested that highly diversified MNEs (conglomerates) be avoided due to the added complexity in completing your final project. This milestone must be submitted and accepted by your instructor before continuing on or it will not be accepted. This milestone is submitted as pass/fail. Your proposal should be 2-3 pages in length.

The research proposal should present a concise and rigorous case for studying your proposed firm in light of global strategic management. It should consider the following:

• Corporate overview (basic description of MNE, its operations, market position, leadership, etc.)
• Financial performance overview (briefly review revenues, net income, profit ratios, balance sheet, equity trends)
• Business segments (divisions or SBUs [strategic business units] with performance contributions)
• Subsidiary/parent-child structure (corporate hierarchy with performance contributions)
• Geographic segmentation (current with performance contribution)
• Recent strategic initiatives/stated strategic objective
• Important negative events or challenges
• Domestic/foreign industry summary (includes industry name and the primary and secondary NAICS and SIC codes)
• Brief key competitors overview (minimum two domestic and two foreign, using salient aspects listed above)
• Reason for your interest in the MNE

Milestone Two: Current Research Summary and Annotated Bibliography

In task 4-2, you will submit your current research summary and annotated bibliography. Your summary should be 1-2 paragraphs in length, detailing the research involved to date. The annotated bibliography should be an annotated list of the major sources you intend to use or consult for your final paper.

Milestone Three: Peer Review of Rough Draft

In task 8-2, you will submit your rough draft of final project through the Discussion Forum for peer review. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. You will conduct one peer review for another student's rough draft. You will submit your peer review through the Discussion Forum. Use the Final Product Rubric (below) to assist you with completing the peer review.

Reading- The FDI Report 2017- Global Greenfield investment Trends.

Attachment:- Unilever-Global-Strategic-Analysis-Draft.rar