4 page paper need to be done in 24 hours. information is in the files. please reada it and write.

This is a 4-5 page Individual strategic analysis of an actual company using a firm's IPO .

1) Find a company that has filed an Initial Public Offering (IPO): you can get the name of a company rom either http://www.ipomonitor.com/pages/ipo-filings.html (best - it gives a bit of a description of what industry the company is in) or you can go to http://ipo.findthecompany.com/ and choose a name from there. You MUST have the approval of the instructor for the company you choose : companies cannot be analysed by more than one student. Failure to have your company approved will result in a failing grade for the assignment.

2) Go to http://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html This is the SEC database for filings on public companies.  Just search on the company name. Your search may produce a list of companies that meet your search terms: if so, choose the specific company you want to use for this assignment. In the results, click on the link under “Filings’ for either form S-1v (original IPO filing) or S-1A (updated IPO filing). This is the prospectus for the company. The prospectus can be quite long  but students only need to read through the section called “Business” and this is usually only 12-14 pages, the same length as a typical case. The prospectus provides basic and detailed financials as well. Attach a copy of the “Business” section (and/or other relevant sections) of the IPO as an appendix to your paper.

Submit your assignment via the course D2L electronic drop box. Late assignments will be penalised 20% per day / part day late as per the course outline. Ensure that your file is identifiable – use your name or student number in the file name: I will not spend time trying to figure out whose paper is whose I will simply assume that the assignment was not submitted and assign a grade of zero (“0”) to students whose assignments are missing. Similarly, your papers are to be of professional report quality so marks will be deducted for spelling, grammar, writing/editing and other, similar errors.

Some ideas for types of analysis, analytical tools and/or questions to consider in your paper are provided below. A typical paper would follow the kind of analysis we have done in the seminar sessions BUT you are free to devise your own approach.

The guiding principal for this assignment is for you to demonstrate that you understand the issues surrounding successful strategic management. There is no “correct” answer to this: students will be graded on depth of thought and analysis. Do not, however, simply answer the questions in the sample, below. You will be graded on depth of thought and analysis!!

This is intended to be an individual assignment: be warned that evidence of collusion, collaboration or plagiarism will be dealt with harshly as academic misconduct.

As with all work submitted to Faculty of Management courses, plagiarism and other instances of academic misconduct will not be tolerated.

Management 496: Strategic Management Issues

SAMPLE INDIVIDUAL CASE ASSIGNMENT:

EXAMPLE ONLY

<Company Name>

By: <Student Name>

Student ID#: <5555555>

Assessment of Industry & Competitive Conditions

1) What is the focal industry and what are the industry’s dominant economic traits?

The industry is …

The relevant dominant economic characteristics for the <xxxx> industry are:

2) What is the competition like and how strong are the competitive forces?

Competitive Force of Rivalry among Competing Sellers

Competitive Force of New Entrants

Substitute Products Competitive Force

Supplier Force

Buyers

Strategic Implications of Porter’s Five Forces

3) What forces are driving changes in industry conditions and what are the possible consequences of these forces?

4) What does it take to succeed in this industry and what are the implications of these success factors?

5) Is the industry attractive and what are the prospects for above-average profitability in the industry?

Company Analysis

1) What is the company’s generic strategy?

2) What do the strategic and financial indicators tell us about how well the firm’s strategy is working?

3) What are the key elements of the Company’s Value Chain?

4) What are the firm’s resources, capabilities, and core competencies?

5) Considering the firm’s resources, capabilities and core competencies, is the firm well-positioned compared to its known rivals and the industry’s key success factors?

6) What are the key strategic issues for this company?

Conclusion

This section should present your evaluation of the IPO as a strategic plan/strategic planning document based on the evaluation you have done so far. Your evaluation should consider things like: Is this a good plan/planning document? Why or why not? Is the strategy realistic/achievable? Why or why not? This is your chance to “grade” a strategic plan/planning document and demonstrate your learning by applying the course concepts to a “real” document.

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