MBA 599 – Strategic Management Case Project

 

Phase 1 – Modules 1-3(Outline for Strategic Management Case)

 

· Introduction of the company (limit to a maximum of three single-spaced pages).oDescription of the firm and its products

 

oCompany history (brief history, critical events, competitors, leadership), including strategicelements of its history

 

o Vision and mission statement

o Assessment of mission and vision

· External assessment

o EFE and CPM with strategic implications

o Analysis of competitive position, opportunities, and threats

 

· Internal assessment

 

o IFE with strategic implications

 

oFinancial ratio analysis with key conclusions and implications for strategic choice oOverall analysis of internal capabilities and implications for your strategic decisions

 

Module 1: Select company and secure instructor approval. Once approved, create plan outline, insert current mission and vision.

 

Module 2: Complete an EFE and CPM for your company (including analysis and conclusions) and insert in your working draft which you will hold until you submit Phase 1 during Module 3. .

 

Module 3: Complete an IFE and calculate financial ratios (including analysis and conclusions) for your company and insert in your plan to submit at the end of Module 3.

 

Submit all of Phase 1 to the Dropbox no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EST of Module 3. (This Dropbox basket is linked to Turnitin.)

 

Phase 2 – Modules 4-6(includes revisions to Phase 1 based on the instructor’s feedback)

 

· Internal assessment (continued from Phase 1—include IFE and financial ratios)

 

o Current strategy (brief description of the firm’s current strategies), including current use of technology

 

o SWOT matrix with strategic implications for the company oBCG matrix with strategic implications for the company

 

o Space or other matrices with strategic implications for the company oPossible strategic alternatives

o Evaluation of current organizational structure

 

o Recommendation changes (if needed) to the structure, culture (including values), processes, rewards, or technology

 

Module 4: Integrate instructor feedback from Phase 1.

 

Module 5: Develop SWOT, BCG, SPACE, and IE matrices with strategic implications for the company.

 

Module 6: Develop alternative strategies for your company with strengths and weaknesses of each.

 

Submit all of Phase 2 to the Dropbox no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EST of Module 6. (This Dropbox basket is linked to Turnitin.)

Phase 3 – Modules 7-8(includes revisions to Phase 2 based on the instructor’s feedback)

 

· Strategic analysis, choices, impact, and measurementoProduct-positioning map

 

o Evaluation of strategies and objectives to achieve most favorable market position oDescription of how you would implement your strategies

o Milestones (steps for each major initiative with their timelines

 

o Specific results you want to achieve including market, financial, and product or service goals oFinancial projection (minimum three years)

o Presentation with audio – see below

o Executive summary – see below

 

Presentation with audio

 

The final submission for your project includes developing a PowerPoint presentation with embedded audio files. Each slide must contain an audio file in which you offer insight to the material in the slide and key points the professor should take away from the visual information in the PowerPoint. You should minimize repeating points made in the slide other than emphasizing important components. To put this simply, please do not read the slides verbatim but make sure to add value to what is presented on the slide to improve the understanding of your work. The presentation with audio is a significant component of the final submission, so please makes sure to offer your best work, speak clearly, emphasize the strategic implications of your work, and engage the viewer.

 

Executive summary(compiled with concise and critical elements from the detailed work)

 

While done as a last step, this goes in front of the report, after the index.A final and all-encompassing analysis is presented, along with the recommendations that you would make to the firm’s board of directors. This includes identifying what you recommend, and briefly outlining alternatives considered, key implementation steps, and the impact of the implementation on the company’s performance and competitive position.

 

Module 7: Develop a product-positioning map with strategic implications for the company.

 

Conduct final evaluation of alternative strategies and detailed description of selected strategy.

 

Module 8: Develop detailed implementation and assessment plan. Complete financial projections.

Create presentation with audio.

 

Complete the executive summary and insert into the plan.

 

Complete all editing, verification, and citing of all sources, and insert graphs and illustrations.

 

Submit all of Phase 3 to the Dropbox no later than Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EST of Module 8. (This Dropbox basket is linked to Turnitin.)

 

 

Tips for Completing the Project

 

You should expect to build up a large mass of analyses before you can put together a coherent case. In the end, a great case will always look “simple” relative to the countless hours going down many different paths in order to build understanding. The volume of material generated can distract from the creative part of the process. The following suggestions are designed to serve as a reminder for things not identified distinctly in the assignments, the syllabus, or the textbook Plan preparation guidelines.

 

1. Company and industry background

 

Use your own judgment to determine the amount of background to include. Over-detailed company history is usually irrelevant and rarely improves the report. On the other hand, a history of strategic moves and competitive reactions might be very illustrative. Decide what to include based on whether that information is important to understanding the future environment and strategic choices. Market share, financial strength, brand image, and the like are always relevant strategically.

 

1. Address uncertainty

 

In your strategic analysis, make sure to state any assumptions related to your business. If you believe there is going to be high risk, describe contingency plans or alternate scenarios.

 

1. Discuss the things that create organizational culture and behavior necessary to support the strategy

 

a. What operational and motivational processes create the culture (acting your way into a new way of thinking, identity orientation, incentives, etc.)?

 

b. What organizational structure fits the mission/vision, the operational approach, and the need for adaptability or stability?

c. Make sure to delineate your ethics standards including values the company lives by.

 

1. Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and internal/external (IE) matrices

 

Some of you may think that the BCG and IE matrices are not relevant to your project since your organization only reports one business segment. First, these exhibits are important to think through and are required even if they only have one product line. Second, there are often more segments in any organization than meets the eye. The reason to break up the business into component parts is to shed some light on the strategic positioning and future potential. Ask yourself, are there segments that behave differently (different customers, competitors, growth rates, success factors, etc.)? You can be sure that Wal-Mart is looking at grocery, clothing, pharmacy, electronics, toys, garden, and automotive all separately, and possibly even separating seasonal items. For purposes of this class, approximations can be used whenever necessary to separate a subunit. Pushing the analysis down to a more detailed level forces you to recognize what you know and what you do not know. I am more concerned with strategic thinking than with availability of detailed data. You can put estimated numbers in your plans as long as a note is added explaining the basis, reasoning, and level of uncertainty.

 

1. Implementation

 

Your implementation strategy must show how it is aligned with your strategic objectives. The strategic-level implementation questions are mainly resource-related (where the money/people

 

come from) and timing issues (when are initiatives expected to happen). In addition, if there is something specific mentioned in the analysis (e.g., a trend, a weakness, concerns about the competitive response) that affects implementation, then you need to include the relevant part of the implementation approach mentioned as part of the strategy. If there is not anything notable in these kinds of areas, then specific content is not required in the report.

 

1. Overall assessment of the strategy

 

As you prepare your strategies, it will be helpful to review Rumelt’s four criteria:

 

a. Consistency

i. Strategy should not present inconsistent goals and policies.

 

ii. All of the pieces of your overall strategic approach should be aligned.

 

b. Consonance

 

i. Strategy should examine sets of trends.

 

c. Feasibility

 

d. Advantage

i. Strategy should include creation or maintenance of competitive advantage.

 

1. Sources

 

Follow APA style guide to write the case. Cite within the body of your case and include a reference list. This is particularly true for any source data that will come from financial reports and corporate websites.

 

Project Grading (See detailed grading rubric at end of these instructions)

 

Eighty percent (80%) of the course grade will be determined based on the Strategic Management Case as distributed below:

 

1. Phase 1: Proposal and initial analysis (20% of course grade)

 

1. Phase 2: Substantive draft (20% of course grade)

 

1. Phase 3: Final Case (40% of course grade)

 

Example Outline and Structure for the Strategic Plan (Headings)

 

The outline below is an example and should be modified to adapt to your company. The primary headings are good ways to organize your work into logical sections (e.g., internal analysis, external analysis, etc.).

 

Cover Page

 

Index

 

Executive Overview

 

Introduction of the Company

Description of the firm

 

Company history

Vision and mission statement

 

Strategic elements of the history

 

Overall assessment

 

External Assessment

 

EFE and CPM

Analysis of competitive position, opportunities, and threats

 

Internal Assessment

 

Financial ratio analysis IFE

 

Analysis of internal capabilities and implications for your strategic decisions to follow Current strategy, including current use of technology

 

Possible alternatives SWOT matrix

 

BCG matrix

Space or other matrices

 

Description of core values you would use to create the desired culture Evaluation of current organizational structure

 

Recommendation changes (if needed) to the structure, processes, rewards, or technology

 

Strategic Analysis, Choices, Impact, and Measurement Product-positioning map

 

Evaluation of strategies and objectives to achieve most favorable market position Description of how you would implement your strategies

 

Milestones (steps for each major initiative with their timelines

 

Specific results you want to achieve including market, financial, and product or service goals, and how and when they will be measured

 

Financial projection (minimum three years) Presentation with audio

Grading Rubric

Component

No submission

Novice

Basic

Proficient

Exceptional

MBA 599.01; MBA 599.04; & MBA 599.06

0

< 15

15-16

17-18

19-20

Program Outcome #1 –Apply key knowledge of core

business management functions (management,

marketing, accounting, and finance)

Description of the firm (brief history, critical strategic events,

competitors, leadership, etc.). If there are any general

situational assumptions or limitations on the scope of the

analysis, these should also be specified here. This section

should be limited to a maximum of five pages. Note: Some

students may select a new business venture for a firm they

would seriously consider starting. For these students, this

section will focus on a research based history, critical strategic

events, emerging competition, and industry leaders.

MBA 599.02 & MBA 599.03

0

< 15

15-16

17-18

19-20

Outcome #5 – Recognize and effectively analyze complex

business problems using critical thinking skills

The strategic analysis of the firm. The results of each strategic

tool are presented along with a discussion of importance and

implications. Also required are sections for financial analysis

and assumptions, although the specific contents of these

sections may vary considerably.

· Discussion on external opportunities and threats

· Discussion on internal strength and weaknesses

· Subsection for each model (CPM, EFE, IFE, SWOT,

SPACE, BCG, IE, QSPM) on the firm, analysis and

strategic implications

· Specific strategic strategies and long-term objectives

MBA 599.07 & MBA 599.09

0

< 1515-16 17-18 19-20

 

Outcome #6 –Make ethical business decisions within thecontext of a diverse set of stakeholders and in an economically responsible manner

 

Financial strategic assessment. This section should integrate the findings from all of the analytical exercises employed in Phase 2 (strategic analysis of the firm). A final and all-encompassing analysis is presented, along with recommendations that you would make to the firm’s board of directors. This would include identifying what you would and would not do, and outlining any relevant alternate scenario plans or contingency plans. Be sure to address any potential competitive reaction.

 

· Revenue, cost, and financial implications. (Note: you should prepare five-year financial statements)

 

· Project timeline, key milestones, and specific annual objectives

 

· Method for reviewing and evaluating strategy implementation

 

MBA 599.10

0

< 1515-16 17-18 19-20

 

Outcome #4– Apply widely used technology to
management issues
The plan should discuss current use of technology,
consideration of any new technology solutions or potential for
improvements in the use of technology.
Internal Assessment
· Current Strategy (brief description of the firm’s
current strategies), be sure to discuss current use of
technology
· Recommendation changes (if needed) to the
structure, culture (including values), processes,
rewards and technology
MBA 599.08A	0	< 7	7-8	9	10
Outcome #2A– Exhibit clear and concise written
business communication skills

Written communication:

 

· Grammar

 

· Spelling

 

· Cover page

 

· Table of contents

 

· Use of appropriate business language and terms

 

· Consistency, clarity, and logical progression of analysis and conclusions

 

Outcome #2B– Exhibit clear and concise oral business communication skills

 

1. Use of Media.

· Visual aids are used are:

 

oAppropriate and professional. oEasy to read.

 

oContribute to the overall effectiveness of thepresentation.

 

2. Delivery

 

· Language choices are appropriate and enhance the effectiveness of the presentation.

 

· Delivery techniques make the presentation compelling.

· Presenter sound polished and confident.

 

· Presenter engages the audience.

 

· Presenters stays within the allotted time limit

 

Total points (maximum 100 points):

 

 

 

Examine the five mission statements by completing Learning Exercise B on p. 59 in your text. Using the “Characteristics of a Mission Statement” identified in Table 3, identify (1) what you believe is the best of the five mission statements and (2) the one you find most inspiring and why. Post your response to the Discussion Board no later than Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT. 

By Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT, find two fellow students’ posts that selected different “best” mission statements and discuss why you agree or disagree using David’s assessment criteria.

 

Prepare EFE and CPM matrixes for Disney’s Parks and Resorts division. Use Universal Studios and Six Flags for competitors in the CPM. 

Using the EFE and CPM data, as well as your own analysis, describe how Disney is responding to its external environment, including its direct competitors. Make sure to use important details of from your EFE and CPM results and your critical reflections to draw conclusions. Post your analysis and conclusions in narrative form no later than Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT. 

Find at least two students whose conclusions bring new levels of understanding to your view on Disney’s external responsiveness or conclusions where you might disagree. Post a response to two students including an explanation of the value of their contribution to your understanding or where you would “respectfully” disagree no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT.

 

Prepare IFE and Financial Ratios for Disney’s Parks and Resorts division. For the Financial Ratios make sure to use the revenue statement and balance sheet in the exercise portion of the chapter. 

Using the IFE and Financial Ratios, as well as your own analysis, describe how Disney is performing internally. Make sure to use important details from your IFE and Financial Ratio results and your critical reflections to draw conclusions. Post your analysis and conclusions in narrative form no later than Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT. Make sure to include key data from your exercises. 

Find at least two students whose conclusions bring new levels of understanding to your view on Disney’s internal performance or conclusions where you might disagree. Post a response to two students including an explanation of the value of their contribution to your understanding or where you would “respectfully” disagree no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT.

Complete Learning Exercise E on p. 177. 

Post your results no later than Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT. 

Review your classmates’ answers and find two answers that differ from yours on any of the company examples. Post a response to those classmates as to why their or your answer is more accurate or may need to be reconsidered no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT.

You will begin by creating a SWOT and BCG matrix. For the SWOT, follow Steps 1-2 of Learning Exercise A on pp. 215-216 in your text. Then, prepare a SWOT matrix for Disney’s Parks and Resorts Division. For the BCG, use the information in exercise E on p. 217 in your text to prepare a BCG matrix for Disney locating each division where you believe it represents its position relative to market share and growth. 

When complete with both exercises, write a short narrative (one page or less, single space) of your key conclusions from (1) your SWOT analysis of Disney, (2) your BCG work on Disney. In addition, include your conclusions on the Parks and Resorts division of Disney as a result of its position in the BCG and the results of SWOT. Make clear recommendations for Disney’s Parks and Resorts based on integrating the work from the above models.

Post your analysis and conclusions in narrative form to the Discussion Board no later than Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT. 

Review your classmates’ posts and find two whose conclusions bring new levels of understanding to your view on Disney’s external responsiveness, or conclusions where you might disagree. Post a response to those classmates including an explanation of the value of their contribution to your understanding or where you would “respectfully” disagree no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT.

 

Complete Learning Exercise D on p. 349 in your textbook. When complete, select the one ethical choice/example (from the list) that you struggled with in terms of determining whether it is ethical or not. Write a short narrative stating which scenario was the most difficult to decide, how you made you final decision. 

Post your narrative to the Discussion Board no later than Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT. 

Review your classmates’ answers and find two with which you do not agree. Explain how these classmates might revisit their ethical determination based on your perspective no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT. Monitor their responses to see if (a) they changed your mind or (b) you still respectfully disagree.

 

 

Complete Exercise A, Steps 1-3, on pp. 297-298 of your text. Create a product positioning map only for the “Parks and Resorts” division of Disney. Using information from the case, the PPM, and your research, write a brief narrative to state your strategic recommendations for Disney relative to the competitors in this segment of Disney’s business. Post your narrative to the Discussion Board no later than Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT. 

Examine fellow student’s posts and find two that added to your insight on Disney’s position or included conclusions you may not agree with. Respond to those posts no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT.

 

Complete the executive overview for your case. This should be limited to no more than two single-spaced pages. Post to the Discussion Board no later than Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT. 

Read your classmates’ executive overviews. Find one for which you completely understood the challenges for that company and the recommended strategy. Post what you saw valuable in terms of that student’s work. For your second post, find an executive overview for which you did not entirely understand the conclusions or strategic direction for the company. Ask a question or make a suggestion to your classmate on how to improve his or her overview. Post both responses no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT. 
Note to students: While Thursday and Sunday are deadlines for this work, the earlier in the module you participate the more you have to gain from learning from each other.