External and Global Environments with Internal Analysis
• Discuss rationales for why the workplace environments of today are changing. What are some new workplace trends? Discuss how you feel about these trends. Do you know someone who lost a job or went through significant job alterations because of these trends? Explain
• Discuss in scholarly detail concept of outsourcing. What are advantages associated with this trend? What are disadvantages of outsourcing? How do you feel about this concept? Explain?
• Discuss in scholarly detail environmental factors that affect the performance of a firm.
• Discuss in scholarly detail some proactive and reactive reasons for a firm going global.
• Discuss in scholarly detail a differentiation between foreign branching, equity investment and wholly owned subsidiaries. In addition, what are some risks firms face with a foreign subsidiary strategy? Explain?
• Discuss in scholarly detail elements of SWOT analysis and what are the limits to its effectiveness and why?
Long Term Objectives and Business Strategies
• How does low-cost leadership differ from a differentiation strategy and a focus strategy? Is one better than another, in your opinion? Is one more ethical than another, in your viewpoint? Explain.
Discuss in scholarly detail what is meant by an organization's external and internal environments and how the external and internal environments of an organization can influence or impact both long term objectives and business strategies.
• What strategy is being used when the firm acquires other firms that supply it with inputs or are customers for its outputs? Describe the reasons for choosing this strategy in scholarly detail.
• To achieve long-term prosperity, strategic planners commonly establish long-term objectives in many different areas. Describe some of these areas in scholarly detail.
• Discuss in scholarly detail concepts behind differentiation and evaluate a business's differentiation opportunities using skills, resources and organizational requirements. In addition and expanding on these concepts, what potential risks must managers take into account as they evaluate differentiation based advantages?
• Discuss in scholarly detail the model of Grand Strategy Clusters.