Your final paper consists of TWO(2) parts:
Part 1: should be a strategic analysis of the firm using course concepts and terminology. This should build upon the progress reports and address (but not necessarily be limited to) the following points:
A) Introduction to your selected company, covering aspects such as its history, important locations, and major products. Evaluate the adequacy/strength of its current mission, vision, and strategic objectives.
B)Using appropriate quantitative and qualitative metrics, provide an assessment of the company’s performance over the last five years or so. Be sure to interpret what these numbers mean!
C) Evaluate different aspects of the broad external environment of the company (i.e., general environmental analysis) and assess the attractiveness of the main industries the company competes in (i.e., 5* Forces). Interpret this (such as by linking to your evaluation of company performance).
D) Assess the internal environment of the company. Specifically evaluate the core competencies/sources of competitive advantage, and the sustainability of any advantages. The analysis should leverage the tools covered in class (i.e., value chain, VRIN, etc.). Once again – don’t forget to interpret!
E) Analyze the company’s business-level, corporate-level, and international strategies. This should include an assessment of the generic business-level strategies the company is using in their lines of business, the extent and relatedness of diversification, the modes (e.g., M&A, alliances, internal development) of implementing recent diversification or international expansion initiatives, and the type of international strategy implemented in various global markets. Evaluate whether these strategies fit with the company’s organizational goals, and external and internal environments and suggest changes wherever thought to be necessary.
F)Assess the company’s organizational design, strategic leadership and governance: This should include descriiption of the organizational structure and culture, and how these help or impede implementation of the different types of strategies. The analysis should leverage the tools covered in class to assess how leaders and the Board of Directors play a role in the strategic success of the organization.
Based on Part 1, Part 2 should then highlight one serious problem that the company is either facing currently or could face in the near future (this is possible even for relatively successful firms). The problem identification must build on the analysis in the first part of the report (for example, the problem might be related to some industry forces becoming stronger, the company’s core competencies becoming weaker, or inappropriate implementation of diversification initiatives, among others). The team should then provide one recommendation that the company could pursue to address this problem, along with at least two related actions towards its implementation. The logic for the problem identification and suggestions must be explained using theoretical concepts and tools from this course, and potential risks should be recognized with some thought on how these can be avoided.
The entire Company Final Report should not exceed 20 pages of typed material (Times New Roman, 12pt font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins), excluding title page, tables of content, citations, exhibits or appendices. The report should incorporate any feedback received during the team oral presentation which is based on similar analysis of the same company and will happen during the last few classes of the term.
