Strategic Management

****There is an discussion question due ASAP and a homework assignment due 1/17/17 at 6:00pm EST****

TEXTBOOK INFORMATION

Title: Strategy: A View from the Top

Edition: 4th (2011)

Author: Cornelis A. DeKluyver John A. Pearce

Publisher: Pearson

Book ISBN: 978-0-13-214562-6

Title: Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant

Edition: 1st (2005)

Author: W. Chan Kim Renee Mauborgne Publisher: Harvard Business School Book

ISBN: 1-59139-619-0

Discussion Question:

For Units 1–3, you will be choosing a company’s product or service to analyze. Please use the same company for each of these Discussions.

Consider focus, divergence, and a compelling tagline (pp. 39–41 Blue Ocean Strategy) and Figure 1–3 (p. 7 Strategy: A View from the Top). Choose a well-known company and one of its products or services and analyze how well you believe they have employed these three concepts in the strategy for the product or service (You will be discussing this same company in Units 1–5, so choose wisely.). For example, if you believe they have focused adequately, explain why. If you believe they lack adequate focus, recommend changes that you believe will improve the strategy, and explain why.

Avoid “company speak” as you develop your response to this question. Your task is to analyze what the company has developed and why, as well as to critically analyze the effectiveness of this part of their strategy. Please include outside sources in your text that are not limited to the company’s website.

Assignment:

The Unit 1 and Unit 2 Assignments will help you build a personal strategic plan. This plan is intended to be on your personal and/or professional life, but not a business, even if you own it. These two units serve as practice for developing a strategic plan for a business, which you will be doing in teams in Units 4 and 5. The personal strategic plan you create in these two units will be a guide for you to follow (and revise if necessary) in the next 3–5 years.

SEE ATTACHED RUBRIC- Rubric contains instructions for units 1 & 2 assignments. Only Unit 1 is required right now.