Topic: Business level Strategy/Generic Strategies
Detailed Question: Detailed Question: Each student will complete an individual written project termed "Company Analysis" which consists of an examination of the strategy of an on-going business enterprise approved by the Professor.
Further guidelines will be provided during the first class meeting. In respect to this course serving as the capstone course, this paper is graded utilizing the Case Study Rubric to ensure the paper satisfied intended learning outcomes for the MBA program.
The grading rubric will be posted in Blackboard during the first week of class. Note: A draft copy of your research paper is due in Week 10 for Peer-to-Peer review.
Students will select a local company to analyze. It is encouraged that students select their own company, but this is not mandatory. The final research analysis will follow the model below.
GUIDELINES FOR COMPANY ANALYSIS:
1) Overview of the Company
2) Define the Business – Mission, philosophy, goals, and vision
3) External Environmental Analysis
a) Porter’s Five Forces Model
b) Strategic Group Map
c) Factor Analysis – social, environmental, etc.
d) Other pertinent analysis
4) Environmental Forecasting
a) Remote Environment
b) Industry Environment
c) Operating Environment
5) Internal Environmental Analysis
a) S.W.O.T. Analysis
b) Situation Analysis (HR,OB,POM, etc.)
c) Key Success Factor Analysis
6) Formulating Long-term objectives and Grand Strategy
7) Strategic Implementation
a) Type (compare and contrast)
8) Strategic Control
NOTE: Include research from the library as a portion of this overview and analysis.
Important Components of the Research Project–The paper must follow APA format; be well organized; and free of spelling, grammatical, and structural errors. Appropriate headings and sub-headings must be used to separate and delineate topic areas. The paper should not read like one long story from beginning to end. The paper must begin with an appropriate introduction which sets the stage and introduces the topic and must end with a summary and conclusions.
The paper should not be merely an assembly of quotations from others or a summary of the work of others. It must include your own thoughts and critical thinking on the subject under discussion. The paper must be sharply focused. The topic chosen must be one that can be adequately handled in the limited time and amount of pages required. It is better to keep the scope of the paper very narrow and give the topic full coverage than it is to try to handle a very broad topic and give it only superficial treatment or overview.
The paper should contain approximately 20 – 25 pages (excluding the title page, abstract, references, and appendix) as described above and should be formatted according to the current edition of the APA Publication Manual. Utilization of the competencies of research ability, initiative, critical thinking, leadership, and effective communications will be required to successfully complete this project.
This company is Costco.