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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

School of Business Administration

BUS 109 – Competitive and Strategic Analysis

WINTER 2017

Dr. Sean D. Jasso

EXAM 2

The following are the questions to prepare for your second exam. On exam day we will randomly select among

the four questions – the quantity of questions will be determined on exam day. Please answer each question

as thoroughly as possible, providing rich detail from our lectures, readings, and discussions. The organization

of your answers, the complexity of your analysis, and the clarity of your critical thinking are the key elements

of your evaluation.

1. On Functional Strategy – Pertaining to your CEO Project Company a. Among the various functional divisions of the firm, identify the most burning issue whereby your

functional strategy (marketing, financial, operational, etc.) impacts the overall corporate AND

business strategies. Explain in detail.

i. More directly, select from two functional areas and discuss the following: 1. Identify the function’s essential goal for 2016 2. What resources must be employed to effectively realize this goal 3. What measures will indicate whether your functional strategy has produced the

required results

2. On Strategic Intent and Strategy Implementation a. First, identify your CEO company’s strategic intent, that is, the ambitious stretch targets that go

beyond corporate vision propelling the firm to win. Pull from the readings to support your response

b. Second, identify and discuss the important components of your strategy’s implementation – mainly the who, what, how:

i. Who are the central players/managers who will carry out your strategic recommendations? ii. What must be done – describe the program that is (or needs to be) in place to carry out your

strategic recommendations?

iii. How will everyone work together – what organizational structure will work best and why?

3. On Evaluation and Control Referring to the Balanced Scorecard’s key measurement concepts, illustrate and discuss the following:

a. Using the traditional model from Kaplan and Norton customize your team company’s BSC model by identifying and completing ONE objective you will ‘measure’ for each scorecard perspective.

Discuss in detail.

b. Lastly, provide a basic, yet customized, illustrative model of your BSC to complement your response.

4. On The Strategist In The Strategist, Cynthia Montgomery challenges you the future leader to confront four basic questions:

what does my organization bring to the world? Does that difference matter? Is something about it scarce

and difficult to imitate? Are we doing today what we need to do in order to matter tomorrow?

i. Please answer these four questions as though you are speaking to the board and they expect you to be candid and concise. Please refer to the CEO company for this response.