Strategic Management Assignment

Length 1500 - 2000 words, 1.5 line spaced, 12 point Times New Roman.

Note: The word count does not include references or appendices

You will workindividuallyto conduct a strategic analysis, and write a report on a real-life business. Please note that this report will focus on business-level strategy.

The assessment will be discussed in the Modules 1 and 2. You are required to conduct strategic analyses for Myer, an Australia's department store group(http://www.myer.com.au/),for this assignment. You are advised to conduct research such as Internet searching for industry and media reports, and browsingthe website and annual reports of Myer and other relevant organisations.

Write a 1500 - 2000 word report, excluding references and appendix. In this report, you are required to perform the following tasks:

1. Describe briefly the background information (strategic context) of the organisation (Myer). This information should be brief and relevant to the discussion of your assignment and thus may include ownership, history, size, business scope, major products/services, and major markets of the organization selected.

2. Conduct a macro-environment analysis for the entireindustry within which the organisationoperates. You should use the analytical framework provided in the textbook. Foci will be placed on the understanding of the purpose of this analysis, the identification ofkey factors and their implicationsin terms of key opportunities and threats, and the discussion of their overall impact on the industry growth in the future.Draw your conclusion based on your macro-environment analysis.

3. Undertake an industry (competitive) analysis using Porter's 5-forces model. You are required to pay attention to the purpose of this analysis, the inter-connectedness of different aspects of the competitive forces, the links between the competitive forces and macro-environment, and their overall impact on the industry and the organization selected in terms of main driving forces in the competitive environment. Draw your conclusions based on your five-force analyses.

4. Identify those resources and competences of the organization that are likely to provide sustainable competitive advantage. Justify why these resources and competences can be regarded as strategic capabilities using the four criteria covered in the textbook.

References should be utilised within this Report to validate the information presented, and should be drawn from academic sources and organisational information such as the website and annual reports. The business press may be used to identify relevant issues.

Learning outcome/s and capability development

This assessment is deliberately designed notonly to test what you know, but also to buildyour lifelong learning skills. The skills thatyou will be developing include:

• cognitive conceptualisation skills
• critical thinking and analysis skills
• creative application skills.

All these are valuable skills you will need in future employment. How well you are ableto demonstrate these skills and knowledges will impact not only on you and your group(in terms of a mark) but also has the potential to influence the future of the case studyorganisation. Your work matters.

Specifically, completing this assignment can help you develop your capabilities in the following areas:

• Understanding of the key concepts, models, theories, and analytical concepts covered from the relevant Modules (1-4) in this Course;

• Developing your ability to apply strategic management concepts and theories to the organisation selected, particularly in analysing its strategic position;

• Enhancing your capability in critical think through evaluating existing strategic concepts, analytical frameworks, and theories; and

• Developing your generic skills for pursuing your professional career in the areas of communication and report writing.

Advisory notes for this assignment

• You should conduct an extensive information search on the organisation selected.

• Companywebsites, annual reports, and media reports are important sources of such information, but their objectives, and thus credibility, should be carefully analysed and evaluated.

• You should use appropriate concepts and analytical tools in your report.

• The report should be written in prose; however limited use of dot points is acceptable.

• This advice should be read in conjunction with RMIT assessment policy and the course guide.

Guide for assignment presentation

Written assignments must be presented in a professional format. Quality of presentation, especially literacy, will be considered in the marking criteria. Written communication skills are an essential component of RMIT University's courses. In line with RMIT policy, all sources of information must be fully referenced using standard Harvard or APA referencing systems. You are encouraged to use referencing software such as Endnote for referencing and formatting. The assignment should be in report format and use Times New Roman font size 12, 1.5 line spacing.