ASAP

The purpose of these postings is to have you step back and formulate a summary view of the 

material and link the course material to current events. Doing so will allow you to practice applying 

strategy constructs to real-world situations. You should become masterful at relating strategic 

management theory, concepts and frameworks to current events while understanding the 

implications of these events for business practice.

There are two parts of the short write-up:

First: ask THREE questions based upon the reading (text, supplementary materials) and client 

projects, focusing on “what”, “why” and “how”. You don’t need to be exhaustive, but your 

questions need to be coherent and thoughtful. Each question is about 2-3 sentences.

(1) For the “what” question, focus on a concept, an argument, a phenomenon or a finding from this 

week’s reading that is interesting, provocative, or surprising to you. 

(2) For the “why” question, explain why the topic identified in your “what” question is important to 

the strategic analysis of the firm. 

(3) For the “how” question, critically think how the answers to your “what” and “why” questions 

are relevant to the client project you are working with. 

Second, in a short paragraph, reflect on how either a) the reading for this week’s text OR b) our class 

discussions OR c) your client work over the previous week relates to some/all of the 5 Course Goals. 

If you or your team encountered challenges pertaining to any of the goals, explain how you worked 

through them.

(1) Making a difference in the community; 

(2) Appreciation of the diversity of human experience; 

(3) Social/ethical responsibility;

(4) Effective communication; and 

(5) Critical thinking. 

As requested, I am posting a good example of the weekly write-up: the first part, or the three questions. You don't need to follow exactly, but try to get an idea of how to proceed with your own writing.

####start of the example###

What is the triple bottom line?

The triple bottom line consists of three dimensions: economic, social, and ecological.  It works as a metric for companies to grade their performance, and takes a holistic approach in determining the company’s performance.  By equally pursuing all three dimensions, the company should be creating a sustainable business strategy.

Why do companies use the triple bottom line?

By pursuing more than just economic performance, a company is working to create a sustainable business.  If you only pursue economic return, in the short run your company will survive, but it is not a long-term approach to running a business.  By focusing on social and ecological problems, a company can create a competitive advantage for themselves, and a sustainable strategy for the company.  Interface is an example of a sustainable strategy paying off and creating a competitive advantage for a company.  Mr. Anderson, the owner of Interface, stated in 2009 that, “Sustainability has given my company a competitive edge in more ways than one.  It has proven to be the most powerful marketplace differentiator I have known in my long career.”

How can xxx (the client's name) use the triple bottom line to enhance their business?

I feel that xxx is working towards a triple bottom line approach, as it uses all natural local products when they can and also use all biodegradable products, but needs to continually work towards creating more ecologically friendly products and services.  For the economic aspect, I feel that xxx’s is working in the right direction, but needs to focus more on now is the social aspect.  I don’t feel like they have made a presence in the communities that they operate in.  By getting evolved in the community, I feel that xxx will see a higher return on their profits by the entrance of new customers.