Assignment task: Last discussion, we covered uncertainties facing organizations, and collectively the class identified a lot of great uncertainties. Recent class readings from Schwartz highlighted how assumptions about the future can be challenged, and you may also have had your own assumptions challenged through the mini scenario planning exercise we did. With all this as a backdrop, this week you will choose the organization you'll study this semester, and discuss what assumptions you think it might be making about the future, and you will take a shot at developing a focal question for your assignment (I will give you feedback to help you finalize your focal question). To enter the discussion, choose an organization to study, and briefly answer the following questions:
1. What is your chosen organization? It can be a for-profit or non-profit, and may be an organization you know very well (e.g work for, volunteer for, or is a family business or your own business), or an organization you don't know at all (in which case it should be a publicly traded company so you can access sufficient information in annual reports and other public disclosure documents). If you are not currently working, consider choosing an organization you want to know more about.
2. What is one assumption the organization seems to be making about the future? Previous students have identified assumptions like:
- "[Big Bank] seems to assume that diversity is something it is already good at. As a Business Analyst at the organization, I have observed that the company still has a lot to learn. I have seen talented and hard-working people in minority groups being passed over."
- "One big assumption [Hotel Chain] appears to be making from its 2019 10-K is that its current business model of renting out generic cookie-cutter hotel rooms will continue to work as-is into the future."
- "The assumption [Biotech Company] is making is that mRNA vaccines are the technology of the future over traditional vaccines."
3. What is your focal question and time horizon? Your time horizon must be at least 10 years. Previous focal questions have included:
- "What could affect the adoption of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives by banking/finance firms in the next 15 years, and what should [Big Bank] do to prepare?"
- "What could affect [Hotel Chain's] position in the hospitality industry over the next 15 years, and what should it do to prepare?"
- "What could affect the need for mRNA vaccines over the next 10 years, and what should [Biotech Company] do to prepare?"