Strategic Analysis Project
Students can work on this project individually or in a group:
Students individually or in groups (3-4 students) will prepare a strategic analysis report on a hospitality and tourism organization. Students are required to select one organization in the hospitality and tourism industry on which contemporary published information is widely available. Where possible, students may approach this company to interview their managers and executives.
If possible, you should choose a company for which you are currently working, have worked for in the past or you know the company and managers personally. The following companies and their brands under these corporations cannot be chosen for group projects: Rosen Hotels, Universal, Walt Disney, Sea World, Southwest Airlines, Hilton Hotels, Marriott Hotels and Resorts (including Ritz Carlton and Starwood Hotels), InterContinental Hotels, Hyatt Hotels, Darden Restaurants and Starbucks. NO TWO GROUPS SHOULD WORK ON THE SAME COMPANY.
Therefore, as soon as you choose your company, inform the professor. The following issues should be covered in your project:
Executive summary, introduction and methodology Company’s history, vision, and mission.
Analysis of the company’s macro (general) environment (PEST analysis)
Analysis of the micro (industry) environment (Porter’s Five Forces Framework)
Analysis of the internal environment (operations, marketing, HRM, finance, IT)
Distinctive competencies, competitive advantage of the company and its sustainability
Overall strategy and strategic direction of the company
Conclusions emerging from your report
Recommendations for this company
Your learning from this project
Structure of the Project:
Front page: This page should include the following: The University and the College names, course title, name of all team members, name of the professor, submission date.
Executive summary: One-page summary briefly explaining the aim(s) of the project, methodology, key findings of the project, emerging conclusions, and recommendations.
Table of contents: This should show the main sections and their page numbers.
Introduction and methodology: This section should introduce the project aims and sub-sections. Concerning the methodology, you should explain how you collected the data about this company.
The history of the company, its mission, vision, values, and goals: In this section, you should explain the company’s history, mission, vision, values, and goals. You should also critique the company’s history, mission, vision, values, and goals.
Analysis of the general environment: In this section, you should clearly present your PESTE analysis findings. In other words, you should be able to explain and evaluate how developments in the general environment may now and in the future influence the company. In this section, you should be able to list and discuss the main opportunities and threats to this company.
Front page: This page should include the following: The University and the College names, course title, name of all team members, name of the professor, submission date.
Executive summary: One-page summary briefly explaining aim(s) of the project, methodology, key findings of the project, emerging conclusions and recommendations.
Table of contents: This should show main sections and their page numbers.
Introduction and methodology: This section should introduce the project aims and sub-sections. Concerning the methodology, you should explain how you collected the data about this company.
The history of the company, its mission, vision, values and goals: In this section, you should explain the company’s history, mission, vision, values and goals. You should also critique the company’s history, mission, vision, values and goals.
Analysis of the general environment: In this section, you should clearly present your PESTE analysis’ findings. In other words, you should be able to explain and evaluate how developments in the general environment may now and in the future influence the company. In this section, you should be able to list and discuss main opportunities and threats to this company.
Analysis of the task environment: In this section, you should clearly present Porter’s Industry Structure analysis findings. In other words, you should be able to explain and evaluate how developments in the task (industry) environment (competitors, suppliers, buyers-customers, substitutes and new comers) may impact the company. Overall, in this section, you should be able to list and discuss main opportunities and threats to this company from the task environment.
Analysis of the internal environment: In this section, you should explain and evaluate the internal environment of the company. In particular, you should discuss strengths and weaknesses of the company in terms of operations, marketing, HRM, finance and IT. In this section, you should discuss main strengths and weaknesses of this company.
The company’s resources, competencies, distinctive competencies, competitive advantage (if any!), and its sustainability: In this section, you should explain the company’s strategic resources, competencies, and distinctive competencies. Finally, you should be able to identify and discuss whether the company has any competitive advantage and whether it is sustainable.
The company’s overall strategy, its strategic direction, leadership, main problems, and challenges: In this section, you should explain what the company’s overall generic corporate, business, and functional strategies (where appropriate) are and explain the company’s overall strategic direction and leadership. Here you should also discuss and evaluate strategic problems and challenges that the company currently faces or may face in the future.
Conclusions and Recommendations: In this section, you should draw several conclusions from your project, and based on your conclusions you should provide specific tactical and strategic recommendations for the company. If you suggest specific recommendations, you should provide suggestions about potential challenges and barriers when implementing such recommendations.
Your learning from this project: This section is more personal. You may explain what you have learned when preparing this project. Some examples may include your learning about leadership and strategic management theories and concepts, your learning about applying these theories and concepts into practice, providing recommendations for strategic change, working in a group, time management, preparing a business report, and impact of this project on your career plans (if any). Each member of your team can write about her/his learning separately or all members of your team can write your learning as a team from this project.
References: Please list here all those reports, articles, books, and other material you have used when preparing this report. You should show your references in the report either using footnotes, endnotes, or APA style. Let me know if you need help for this.
Appendices: In this section, you should include minutes of your (weekly) face to face or online meetings, interview notes and documents you collected from the company. You may also include here your detailed SWOT, PEST, Industry Structure and Internal Environment Analyses.
Your project should be about 3000 to 5000 words excluding appendices. Please submit your project electronically by the due date: (Sunday, April 14, 2024)
Suggestions:
Be careful when choosing your team members and forming your team.
Start working on your project as early as possible (start today)
Choose a company on which published information is available.
Have regular face-to-face or online meetings (weekly)
You must get along well with your teammates.
Be critical, creative, and precise.
Apply strategic management theories and models into practice.
Each report should be about 3000 to 5000 words.
Have several drafts before you submit: Project Check #1 (Sun. 2/4) & Project Check #2 (Sun. 3/3)
Each report should be submitted on time.
