Stand-Alone Project: Industry Analysis

Each assignment in this course focuses on a different portion of an industry analysis. The activities and discussion questions serve as an introduction to the process of critically evaluating a corporation, one of its direct competitors, and the industry as a whole which constitute a thorough and complete industry analysis. Your MB609 Capstone Project will be a complete industry analysis including a publicly traded company, its industry, and two of its competitors. (Be sure that you keep your textbook from this course as well as all of the projects you write.)

This Industry Analysis project (MB601) is an introductory project to prepare you for the Capstone Project (MB609). At this time you will only analyze a publicly traded company and its industry (none of its competitors will be analyzed). To begin this project, select a publicly traded corporation to study. In other words, you should be able to purchase stock in the corporation you select. The corporation must be large enough for the business and trade press to have written about it, but not so large that the amount of available information is overwhelming making your ability to suggest innovative recommendations for the corporation's survival and success. Consequently, make sure that you do not choose one in which any and all potential strategies and recommendations have been discussed at length in the press. A table of contents and a bibliography listing only those works that you cited in your analysis is required. Your Stand-Alone Project responses should be both grammatically and mechanically correct, and formatted in the same fashion as the project itself. If there is a Part A, your response should identify a Part A, etc. In addition, you must appropriately cite all resources used in your response and document in a bibliography using APA style. (300 points) (A 20-page response is required for the combination of Parts A through H.)

First, collect the following documents and information.

The corporation's annual report

At least 15 business or trade articles concerning the current status of your corporation and predictions of its future success

Information on your corporation's CEO and Board of Directors

Information about the industry in general, including major players, consumers, trends, etc.

Next, thoroughly read the information and documents you collected on your company and its industry. As you read, make notes on the topics listed below, synthesize the information, and analyze the current state of the corporation and its industry. This synthesis and analysis process is essential to build your conceptual skills which are to be further developed as you proceed through the MBA Program. It is the goal of an MBA program to build your conceptual skills which are required for management positions which oversee a variety of departments, specialists, and projects.

Following the outline below, write your analysis of your corporation and its industry.

Part A CEO Profile and Assessment of Effectiveness

1. Profile your CEO's qualifications (experience, education, etc.) as well as why this person was selected and the circumstances that created the CEO vacancy.

2. Students should relate the CEO's qualifications as it applies to the type of strategy the company has elected to follow and the type of CEO that typically is success in achieving that strategy.

3. Discuss the impact that the CEO has made on the organization thus far and why.

Part B Board of Directors Profile and Analysis: This section includes a wealth of information regarding the role that the Board of Directors plays in your organization.

1. You should discuss the manner in which the Board of Directors is nominated and selected, the way in which the Board is organized and why, and the way in which the Board utilizes or matches the trends in corporate governance that are listed in the text.

2. You should evaluate and identify the strengths and weakness of the Board of Director's composition with respect to their affiliation (who they really work for and that company's relationship to your corporation), diversity, experience in the industry and the company, insiders/outsiders, etc.

3. Also, evaluate the changes in members to the Board in the last five years. If there have been changes, do those changes (new board members with different attributes and affiliations) suggest a change in your corporation's strategy, target markets, etc.? Are these changes in any way indicative of a new strategic move?

Part C Industry Assessment

1. Evaluate your corporation's competitive position within its industry using Porter's model: threat of new entrants, suppliers, buyers, rivalry, substitutes, and other stakeholders.

2. You should include a discussion of the other factors considered crucial to the industry's survival. Suggestions include industry dynamics, industry structure, life cycle, strategic groups, and other elements as necessary.

Part D Direct and Indirect Competition: Using the information provided in your text related to competitive intensity and the types of competitor information available, identify the competition with respect to your corporation. Identify the nature of their competitive relationship - similarity in products, strategy, etc. At least two (2) competitors for each category should be discussed.

Part E Internal Strengths and Weakness: Evaluate your corporation using the VRIO provided in your textbook.

Part F External Opportunities and Threats: Evaluate your corporation's competitive environment for opportunities and threats using the TOWS matrix.

Part G Overall Competitive Position: Briefly evaluate the state of your corporation's competitive position within its industry.

Part H Recommendations

1. Make two (2) recommendations for increasing your corporation's shareholder wealth in the future. This includes ensuring long term survival as well as meeting and exceeding your shareholders expectations for the generation of their wealth in the short term and the long term.

2. Your two (2) recommendations should be well supported by information contained in your written analysis and your supporting information should be specifically identified in this section to justify your recommendations.

3. Your two (2) recommendations should be accompanied by your expectations for your corporation and its industry if your recommendations were adopted. Your expectations should include the impact to the industry structure, the likely response of competitors, and both positive and negative consequence should be identified.