Write a business paper

Aims of the Module/Assessment:

- Develop a critical awareness and understanding of strategy and its relevance and application to different contexts

The learning outcomes assessed in this assignment include the student's ability to:

- Demonstrate a critical understanding of fundamental, contemporary strategic theories and concepts
- Critically evaluate and apply appropriate concepts of strategy to practice, across a range of organisational contexts
- Assess alternative approaches to strategy and justify particular courses of action
- Evaluate the implications of strategic decisions within different organisational and cultural contexts.

Assignment Question:

Diet One:

Complete a detailed, structured strategic evaluation of an organisation and consider how well the organisation's current strategic plans and commitments, address the identified opportunities, threats and risks.

Your evaluation should address the following four sections.

- Introduction to report, organisation and structure

- Develop a comprehensive strategic profile and environmental context analysis of your chosen organisation. This should position;vision, strategy, objectives, assets and finances. You are also expected to apply a variety of models, frameworks and concepts in developing your analysis of the wider organisation, and its internal and external environments.

- From your analysis in the previous section, choose a ‘theme' that you feel has a critical importance for the future strategy of the organisation, and through this theme, develop a critical discussion of itsimportance. The discussion should draw from your profile and analysis, and focus on the implications for the organisations current and future strategies. This should by implication link the organisations current strategy, their competition and key market characteristics. The focus the theme should be discussed with your seminar tutor.

- Draw some specific conclusions about the strength of the organisation and its strategic position for supporting the competitiveness of their products and services in the future. Your conclusions should firmly reflect and synthesis your analysis within the previous sections.

Indicative Answer & Structure

An effective answer should consider the following:

In selecting the organisation students should consider choosing one that will have extensive information relating to it freely and readily available, for example, in the business/financial press, company reports, industry/market surveys and other such sources. The assignment might be focused at the organisational level (e.g. Sony, Hilton, Nokia), or at a division/strategic business unit level of the organisation (e.g. Sony's Games Division). If a smaller business is selected, be aware that information relating to it may not be as extensive or publicly available; you must still ensure that a comparable range of data is accessible, via other sources, which can be utilised and referenced within the report. Please note, that you should agree the organisation that you are going to focus on with your seminar tutor.

The structure and indicative content of the report should be based upon the following main sections:

- Title Page - Matriculation number, title of the report, date and word count.

- Table of Contents - List of main section headings, sub-headings and page numbers.

- Introduction - Specifying the precise focus, purpose and structure of the report.

- Strategic Profile & Context Analysis - A detailed profile of the organisation outlining the nature and scope of the business and its activities. Should consider such areas as: the organisation's vision/mission, values, objectives, strategy development, stakeholders, market share, share value / other performance. Application of frameworks to position and analyse, internal and external environments (resources, capabilities, SWOT, PEST, value chain, life cycles, 5 Forces, industry KFS, Boston etc.).

- Critical Theme - From a comprehensive strategic analysis of the organisation's internal and external environment, develop a critical discussion and analysis of your theme. The analysis should be guided by formal strategic terminology, concepts and frameworks and the strategic implications of each for the organisation and its strategy should be specifically commented upon.

- Conclusion - In this section you are to distill your analysis into a set of focused conclusions. Your conclusions should reflect the issues that relate most to the organisations strategic position and competitiveness

- References - A full listing of all academic citations and other sources of information, presented in the Harvard system of referencing.

- Appendices - Additional pages in support of information detailed within the main text of the report.

Your report MUST make extensive use and application of appropriate strategic management concepts and frameworks considered within the module (not just confined to those suggested within the indicative content above) and from associated reading of the subject (both textbooks and academic journals). There should also be significant evidence of secondary based research in relation to the organisation and its related strategic context. Full reference details must be included in respect to the academic literature and all other sources of information used (reference to and use of material from such sites as Wikipedia are NOT acceptable).

The management report should be presented in an appropriate and professional style with a coherent structure, logic and connected line of analysis, evaluation and reasoning.

I. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Apple's background
1.2 Apple's legacy
1.3 Apple's Perspective on Strategy (Porter's Structure perspective)
1.4 Apple's Time Horizon Framework (Horizon 2)
1.5 Apple's Financial
1.6 Apple's Purpose (mission vision and value)

II. Strategic Perspective
2.1 Apple's PESTEL (choose 3)
2.2 Apple's SWOT
2.3 Porter's Five Forces of Apple
2.4 Strategic clock
2.5 Apple's Ansof Matrix
2.6 Apple's BCG Model

III. Theme (Technology)

(From your analysis in the previous section, choose a ‘theme' that you feel has a critical importance for the future strategy of the organization, and through this theme, develop a critical discussion of its importance. The discussion should draw from your profile and analysis, and focus on the implications for the organizations current and future strategies. This should by implication link the organizations current strategy, their competition and key market characteristics. The focus the theme should be discussed with your seminar tutor)

IV. Conclusion

4.1 Apple's VRIO Framework
4.2 Competitive Advantage (resources, capabilities and competences)