Assignment: Strategic Analysis and Strategy Evaluation

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2/01/2014

BUSM3200 Strategic Management

Further explanations to the assignment - Strategic Analysis and Strategy Evaluation

Dr Xueli (Charlie) Huang

School of Management

In the assignment , you are required to:

• Write an executive summary

• Provide a relevant and brief information about the organisation selected;

• Conduct external (macro- and industry- environment) and internal environment (strategic capabilities) analyses;

• Identify the business strategy of the organisation; and

• Evaluate the suitability of the business strategy identified

Executive summary

• A good executive summary should have

the following key points

–The objectives of this report

–The brief background information about the

organisation under analysis

–What has been done and how they were done

–What key findings are in the report

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Describe briefly the background information (strategic

context) of the firm (or SBU) assigned. This

information should be brief and relevant to the

discussion of your assignment and thus may include

ownership, history, size, business scope, major

products/services, and major markets of the firm (or

SBU) selected.

2. Conduct a macro-environment analysis for the entire

industry within which the firm (or SBU) operates.

Purpose of this analysis

P E S T E L

P o litic

a l

E c o n o m

S o c ia

T e c h n o lo

g ic

a l

E n v iro

n m

e n t

L e g a l

Conclusion and

implication

Conclusion and

implication C&I C&I C&I C&I

Drivers, overall C&Is (Opp and Threats)

3. Undertake an industry or competitive analysis using

Porter’s 5 forces model.

Purpose of this analysis

5 forces

E n try

T h re

a t

T o

s u b s titu

te s

B P

o w

e r o

s u p p lie

B P

o w

e r o

b u y e rs

R iv

a lry

Conclusion (High,

Medium, Low)

Conclusion (High,

Medium, Low Cs Cs Cs

Overall Conclusions and Implications

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4. Identify those resources and competences of the firm (or SBU)

that are likely to provide sustainable competitive advantage. Justify

why these resources and competences can be regarded as

strategic capabilities using the four criteria covered in the textbook

• Show your understanding about strategic capabilities

• Identify 3-5 major activities as candidates of strategic

capabilities of the organisation, which are potential very

valuable through discussing the organisation’s value

chain and linking these activities to the resources and/or

competences than are used to undertake these activities

• Justify which resources and/or competences can be

valuable through:

–Undertaking activity systems mapping or

–Constructing value chain analysis and evaluating the value

creation for these activities

4. Identify those resources and competences of the firm (or SBU)

that are likely to provide sustainable competitive advantage. (cont’d)

–Concluding which resources and/or competences are very valuable

based on your analysis

–Elaborating if these resources and/or competences identified meet

other three criteria of VRIN.

–Draw your conclusions.

5. Identify and discuss the generic type of business

strategy the firm (or SBU) implements by examining

its strategy statement and/or its value chain activities.

How can we identify an organisation’s business

strategy?

– By reading its key documents, such as strategic plan, annual

reports, or investor presentations

– By spotting the patterns of its value chain through constructing

its value chain activities (Strategy as “patterns of a series of

activities or decisions”)

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6. Evaluate the suitability of the firm’s current business

strategy based on the outcomes of your analysis and

integration above (e.g., the identification of the firm’s

current business strategy and the most significant factors

affecting the firm’s performance, and your understanding of

business strategy).

• What can be regarded as being a “suitable strategy”

–Does the strategy make use of the key opportunities and minimize the threats presented in the environment?

–Does the strategy leverage the organisation’s strategic capabilities and overcome its weaknesses identified?

Assignment references

• References should be utilised within this report to validate the information presented with APA 5th

• Pay attention to the marking criteria, such as:

– Your understanding and knowledge of relevant SM theory, concepts, and analytical tools.

– Your ability to apply what you have learnt in this course

– Your critical thinking about SM theory, concepts, and analytical tools, and their applications

•Read through the assignment guide

before you start doing your

assignment to understand the

assignment requirements!!!

•If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!!

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Assignment

Any Questions