project 2nd part

Instructions for Project – Part 2

You will use the company that you introduced in Project Part 1.

This is a research paper and what you write should be backed by facts. If you write about “company growth” or something like that then you need numbers to back up that statement.

Use the following headings to organize your paper: I. Introduction 10 points Discuss the company’s strategic moves over the last 3 years. II. Internal Environmental Analysis 30 points

1) Create a table that includes numbers for the last three years for the following: - Sales, net profits, and year-end stock price - At least 3 ratios (see the text’s Guide to Case Analysis for help). Your ratios must come from 3 different categories (profitability, liquidity, leverage, and activity). You must have comparators for each of your ratios, either industry averages or ratios of a rival. This must be a table you create, not a cut and paste. The table goes in the appendix, while the body of your paper will analyze/discuss what the numbers in your table mean for the company. Analyze, don’t just report the numbers. 2) In addition to your financial analysis, analyze at least 2 of the following functional areas:

• Research and Development • Production • Supply Chain Management • Marketing • Human Resources Management

III. SWOT Analysis 10 points

Using both your external (Project Part 1) and internal analyses, develop a SWOT analysis. Discuss the highlights of your SWOT in this section. The full SWOT, with many entries in each column, should be in the appendix. Do not cut and paste a SWOT you find on-line: Your SWOT will be analyzed to be sure it was built with items from your prior analyses.

IV. Strategic Concerns 10 points

From your SWOT, identify the two biggest concerns for this company going forward and explain your reasoning. These concerns are what you will address in the next section. Concerns can be positive (new opportunities for growth, for example) or negative (problems that need to be fixed). If your concerns are negative, once you have fixed them in Part V be sure to take the company forward from there.

V. Strategy 30 points

- Detail the strategy (singular) and tactics (plural) within that strategy you propose to address the Strategic Concerns. Use at least one of the following generic strategies (you may combine them) and its concepts from the text as a foundation for your discussion/proposal.

Instructions for Project – Part 2

Strategies Business level: Cost leadership (focused or broad), differentiation (focused or broad), or best-cost (focused or broad). International: Global, Multi-domestic, or Transnational. Tactics here would include the entry modes (pp. 192-197). Corporate: Related diversification, unrelated diversification Tactics (Ch. 6) Product development, market expansion, merger, acquisition, internal development, joint venture, strategic alliance, blue ocean, first-mover, late-mover, vertical integration (designate whether forward or backward), etc.

-This is to be a strategic approach the company could take going forward from the point of your internal/external analysis. This is where you are telling the company executives what they should do, not what they’ve already done. The strategy should be fully developed, multi-functional, viable for the company and strong enough to stand on its own. Be sure to highlight the expected benefits to the company of pursuing this option, and any potential pitfalls as well. Examples of how to fully develop your strategy: 1) “They should expand into another country via Global strategy and make an alliance with a company there.” What country and why, what company and why, how will the alliance work (who does what), etc.? When you detail all this THEN it’s fully developed. 2) “They should pursue differentiation through product development.” What products and why, how will they be differentiated, are they able to make these products with current skills, what new rivals/industry does this expose them to and can they handle that, etc.? 3) “They should diversify and acquire Company X.” Is the company able to operate Company X? How does this change the portfolio? How much is X worth and what should be offered? Why? How will this be financed? How will X be handled once purchased – assimilated, left as a subsidiary, etc.? Details!

Writing requirements 10 points - The paper should be 10 pages maximum (appendices do not count in page total), typed double- spaced. This is essay, do not use bullet points. - Use good writing style – headings, introductory/ conclusion sentences for paragraphs, complete sentences, transitions between paragraphs/sections - References – you should have at least 6 references and you should put them at the end of the paper (use whatever style you like on this as long as the references are complete). Be sure you indicate in the body of the paper where the references are used. - Please write in your own words – “borrowing” significant portions of quoted material without attributing it to an author is plagiarism. Having much of your paper being quotes is also bad, it’s not your paper then. If you use your own words but you got the concepts from a source, you still need to reference the material. (NOTE: Papers will be run through a plagiarism program, so be careful to use your own work.) - Put tables in the appendix at the end of the paper and number them. Number them within the body of the paper as shown:

---------------- Table 1 here ----------------