In this project, you will select an organization, or a segment of an organization, and interview key employees in order to gather information concerning the organization's critical success factors (CSFs). Be sure to inform your interviewees that any proprietary information included in this project will be kept confidential. You will then develop a SWOT analysis to clarify and aid in the identification of the organization's/segment's CSFs. The written project requires you to prepare and submit the following in order:
Brief description of the organization/segment (1 paragraph)
SWOT analysis in chart form containing the following 4 categories: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Each item must be clearly and concisely stated.
Balanced Scorecard in chart form. Clearly and concisely list CSFs in each of the 4 categories identified in the text. For each CSF, explain in a separate column how the measurement of the CSF will transpire.
A discussion of the CSFs chosen for the organization/segment - Why were these particular factors selected? Why are they important in accessing the success of the company? (2-3 pages)
An evaluation of the organization/segment to determine if it is achieving each of the CSFs. Analyze each CSF and use data from the measures indicated in the Balanced Scorecard as support for the conclusions. (2-3 pages)
Additional guidelines:
The project must be at least 5 pages, excluding the 2 charts.
The project must be written in current APA format.
Avoid using first and second person (e.g., "I," "we," "you," etc.).
You must reference a minimum of your textbooks and 2 additional scholarly sources. Wikipedia, Investopedia, and the like are not considered scholarly sources and should not be used. Any use of these sources will be grounds for a 100-point deduction.
Any personal communication must be cited appropriately within the text; however, citations of personal communication are not needed for the reference section.
The project must include a properly formatted cover page.
An abstract and table of contents are not needed.
If the information within the SWOT chart or the Balanced Scorecard chart needs to be cited, you may deviate from current APA format and use superscripts, with the citations placed underneath the chart. This is the only deviation from the current APA manual that is allowed.