Strategic Management

350 PART 6 . STRATEGIC-MANAGEMENT CASE ANALYS|S

recommendations to the class without fear of disapproval. Respect the ideas of others, but be willing to gtl against the majority opinion when you canjustify a betrer position.

Case analysis gives you the opportunity to learn more about yourself, your collea-eues, strategic management, and the decision-making process in organizarions. 'fhe rewarcls ol this cxpericnce will depcnd on the e{1brt you put forth. Discussing cascs in class is cxciting and cirallenging. Expect vicws countcr to thosc you prescnt. Difl'erent students will placc empha- sis on different aspects of an organization's situation and submit diff'erent recommendationi for- scrutiny and rehuttal. Cross-examination discussions commonly arise, just as they occur in a real business organization. Avoid being a silent observer.

In aildition to asking you to prepare a case ftrr class discussion, your professor couid ask you to prellare a written case analysis. Written reports ale generally more structured and more detailed than an oral presentation. Always avoid using jargon, vague or redundant ,,vords, acro- nyms, abbreviations, sexist language, and elhnic or racial slurs. And watch your spellingl Use short sentcnces and paragraphs and sirrple words and plrrases. [Jse quite a few subheadings. Arrangc issues and idcas frotn thc most important to thc lcasi important. Usc the active voicc rather than thc passivc voicc for all vcrbs; lor example, say ''Our tcanl recolnmcn<is that the company divcrsify" rathcr than "It is rccommcniled by our team to divcrsify." Use many cxam- ples to add specificity and clarity. Tables, tigures. pie charts, bar charts. timelines, ancl other kinds of exhihits help communicate important points and ideas. Sometimes a picture ls worth a thousand words.

Your professor could ask you to focus the written case analysis on a particular aspect ofthe stra- tegic-mana-eement process, such as (l) to identify and evaluate the organization,s existing vision. mission. objcctivcs, and strategics; or (2) to propose and dofcnd specific recommcndalions lor thc company; or (3) to develop an industry analysis by dcscribing the competitors, products, selling techniqucs, and markct conditions in a givcn inclustry. Thesc typcs of writtcn reports arc sometimes called e-recutive sumntaries. An erecutive summary usuall,v ranges lrom three to live pages of text in length, plus exhibits.

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Ii askcd to develop a contltrehen,sive v,-ritten analysis. picture yourself as a consultant who has been asked by a company to conduct a study of its external and internal environment and to make specific recommendations for its future. Prepare exhibits to support your recommenda- tions. Flighlight cxhihits with discussion in thc papcr. Comprehc.nsive writtcn analyscs arc usu- ally ahout 20 pages in length. plus 20 cxhihits. Throughout your wrirten analysis, emphasizc how your proposcd stratcgies will enablc thc tirm to gain and sustain compctitivc advantagc. Visit w\r!,w. strategyclub.com for examples.

::1i.:'iil!. r.r i:'Lfi:l1,i,iiijl.lj 13 {-.i.i11i11il;aliiliii,fr.:. {'i.jfi}-ii.lii r.,,,ll,tii.1:u-,il; In preparing a u,rilten case analysis, you should follow the sleps outlined here, which correlate to the stages in the strategic-management process and the chapters in this text. (Note-More detailed steps, including a minute-by-minute breakdown, are -eiven later in this

part 6.)

Identify the firm's existing vision, mission, objectives, and stratcgies. Develop vision and mission statements lor the organization. Identify the organization's extemal opporlunities and threats. Construct a Competitive profile Matrix (CpM). Construct an Extcmal Facror Evaluation (EFE) Matrix. Identily the organization's internal strcngths and weaknesses. Constr-nct an Internal fractor Evaluation (IFE) Matrix,

stratesic Manasement: A competitive Advantase Approach, concepts and cases, sixreenth Edirion, by Fred R. David ,"tffi,x.?11 liB5l,liltS,lljll!.r 1i".