Strategic Management, Research Paper

1; An individual research paper dealing with a particular firm or corporation related to Strategic Management.

2; This paper should focus on the strategic factors and policies of the firm, with an emphasis on decision making. The length of the paper should not exceed 15 pages, excluding tables.

3; A research proposal should included. This proposal should contain the name of the company, the type of business it is involved in, and statement of mission, and the reason for selecting the firm for the research, along with other relevant information. Also, included should be references to two relevant sources from which the paper will draw from. The research proposal should not exceed one page.

4; The research paper should have an executive summary, and APA format.

The proposal will be in a separate page.

Strategic Management Guidelines for Research Project.

Your Research will not include all the topics/key points listed below. However, you need to apply all that will be impactful in your analysis of the company. The Research Project will use the same format you have used in your weekly case analysis, however with an expanded format.

· Identifying and critiquing a company's business strategy.

· Assessing the effectiveness of managerial oversight as well as the oversight of the company's board of directors.

· Drawing a strategic group map and assessing the potions of the companies/strategic groups.

· Determine the strength of a low cost provider strategy and gain command of the major avenues for securing a cost based advantage.

· Evaluating the advantage and disadvantages of extending the company's scope of operations.

· Assessing the Merits of utilizing strategic alliances to enter and compete in international markets.

· Evaluating the strategic fit potential among the value chain activities of a diversified company's lineup of business.

· Assessing how companies balance duties to engage in socially responsible and sustainable business practices with economic responsibilities to shareholders.

· Identifying and critiquing the policies, principles, and approaches management is using to implement and execute the company's strategy.

· Determining if and why a company's system of incentives and rewards promotes adept strategy execution and operating excellence.

· Identifying the key features of a company's corporate culture and assessing if and why a company's culture aids in the drive for proficient strategy execution and operating excellence.

· Doing a five force analysis

· Identifying driving forces and evaluating their impact.

· Identifying key success factors

· Doing a competitive strength analysis

· Assessing whether a company's stated core values are cosmetic or genuine.

· Identifying the strategic issues/problems that company management needs to address. Proposing action recommendations.