Task
You are required to produce a 2,000 word report analysing the strategic situation of a company of your choice.
You have a free choice as to the organisation you use as the basis for this assignment, with the proviso that it CANNOT be the one you have been studying for your Strategy Context report in Autumn Semester 2020, NOR any of the banned sectors from the original Strategy Context report brief for the same semester.
So you CANNOT select firms in any of the following sectors – grocery (e.g. Tesco), airlines (e.g. RyanAir), cars (e.g. Ford), mobile phones (e.g. Nokia), cappucino bars (e.g. Starbucks), Fast Food (e.g. McDonalds), Watches (e.g. Rolex) or computers (e.g. Dell), as well as your original strategy company sector
Please also make sure that you include your name and team name (e.g. “STG5A3CW1 – Fred Smith – Amber1”) on the report cover and as the filename.
Please note that you do this assessment as an individual (not in your original group), and while it covers much of the same territory this is in a different format than the original report.
This report must contain the following elements:
Part 1 – individual analysis – 400 words
Conduct ONE of the following analyses on the organisation or its sector
a) Porter’s 5 forces analysis of the sector OR
b) Porter’s Value Chain analysis of the company OR
c) Resources/Competence matrix analysis of the company
Part 2 – issues – 800 words
Evaluate the main strategic issues (both external and internal) facing the organisation, using appropriate module tools and techniques to explain why these are the main strategic issues the organisation faces
Part 3 – options – 800 words
Identify four strategic options to resolve as many of the above strategic issues as you believe is practicable, and then evaluate these options using Suitability, Feasibility and Acceptability criteria, identifying your preferred option(s)
Appropriate use of Strategic tools and techniques, as well as graphical presentation and bullet points is encouraged. All data must be properly referenced. The report should contain your analysis, not refer to the analysis of others.
The word length does NOT include appendices.
Assessment criteria
Content
• The overall picture of the business is conveyed clearly both externally and internally
• Content items have a consistency and logic supporting the overall picture
• Appropriate use is made of strategic tools and techniques enabling the reader to understand the strategy and approach adopted
Communication
• Written in a business-like style to convey economically and precisely the content
• Accompanying visuals, graphs and tables are appropriately designed, placed and referenced in relation to the text
• The main body of the report contains the essential content and is supported by relevant data in the appendices
