Homework: Business Strategy
Competency
You will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies:
I. Competency I: Assess the importance of strategic management for supporting long term success and sustained competitive advantage.
i. Analyze the key components of the AFI strategic planning framework, assessing the value of using a strategic planning framework for sustained competitive advantage.
ii. Explain the role of leadership in the strategic planning process.
II. Competency II: Apply strategic thinking approaches to resolve business-related challenges.
i. Recommend a course of action based on an internal and external environmental analysis.
III. Competency III: Analyze the internal and external environments of an organization in order to formulate and implement successful strategies.
i. Analyze the internal environment of an organization.
ii. Analyze the external environment of an organization.
IV. Competency IV: Communicate business needs, opportunities, and strategies with multiple stakeholders.
i. Address homework purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences.
ii. Apply the standard writing conventions for the discipline, including structure, voice, person, and tone.
Complete a VRIO or Value Chain analysis, a PESTLE analysis, and a Five Forces model for an organization. Prepare a 3 to 6 pages executive report that analyzes the internal and external environments of the organization and recommends a course of action based on the analysis.
Introduction
AFI, VRIO, and value chain are just three concepts you need to understand as a business strategist. This homework focuses on these important facets of business analysis.
Introduction
For this homework, you will analyze the internal and external factors that shape and influence an organization's strategy. Your work on this homework will demonstrate your understanding of industry forces and how an organization can leverage its strengths to its advantage. This portfolio work project asks you to analyze the strategic process using the AFI framework. This analysis will clearly demonstrate your ability to think critically and strategically, and to use evidence to support your thinking.
Scenario
The vice president of strategy has asked you to prepare an objective analysis of the internal and external environments of the organization. She is hoping that your insight can be used to plan for the future direction of the company.
Your Role
You are a strategic analyst for the company you have selected to use in this course. The company has recently started the strategic planning process and needs to analyze the current internal and external environments.
Task
To complete this homework, be sure you understand the AFI framework as presented in your text. Conduct your own research to find recent articles on the value of strategic planning and the role of leadership in the strategic planning process. (Note that the Strategic Management Process Map on pages 30 and 31 of the course text will be very helpful in completing this homework.)
For this homework, you will need to complete a VRIO or Value Chain analysis, a PESTLE analysis based on research of the organization (not conjecture or opinion), and a Five Forces model (pay attention to the relationships of elements from both PESTLE and Five Forces). Your prior discussion work should help here. These must be included as appendices in the document you submit. You should also research the industry your company is in, as well as the company's website for information and supporting evidence. Once you have this research completed, prepare an executive briefing report that will be distributed to senior executive leadership. In your report, address the following:
I. Analyze the key components of the AFI strategic planning framework. Assess the value of using a strategic planning framework for long-term success and sustained competitive advantage.
II. Analyze the internal environment of the organization.
i. What are the key findings from your VRIO or Value Chain analysis?
ii. How well does the organization leverage its strengths to execute the business strategy?
iii. How effective is the organizational structure and management system design?
III. Analyze the external environment of the organization.
i. What are the key findings from your PESTLE analysis?
ii. What are the key findings from your Five Forces analysis?
iii. How can the organization respond to these forces to better position itself?
IV. Explain the role of leadership in the strategic planning process. Be sure to address the ethical responsibilities of leaders in the strategic planning process.
V. Recommend a course of action for leadership based on your analysis.
Format your homework according to the following formatting requirements:
i) The answer should be typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides.
ii) The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
iii) Also include a reference page. The Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.