Instructions for assessment
This assignment is focused on the selected organisation, its industry and business
environment. By week 2 you will be given a list of organisations (cases) to choose
from. Please choose one case (featuring an organisation) for the purposes of this
assignment.
Formative work in weekly seminars will guide students through analytical techniques
and processes required to complete the task.
The Strategic Report should address the following:
1) Carry out external analysis (business environment and industry) to identify
a set of Opportunities and Threats and assess industry attractiveness. (30%)
2) Analyse the resources and key competences of the organisation to identify
a set of Strengths and Weaknesses and identify core competences (key
factors that may give the company its competitive advantage). (30%)
3) Evaluate the given strategy (as per chosen case) using SAFe criteria.
(30%)
A further 10% is available for clarity, structure, grammar, correct Harvard referencing
and overall professional presentation showing clear report style.
Please note that the emphasis is on application! This assignment is not about
general (or critical) discussion of strategic models. You are asked to apply these
models to the case chosen. Appropriately referenced data should be used in support
of your arguments and discussion.
The report should not exceed 3,000 words + 10%. Appendices are allowed outside
this limit but NO MORE than 6 pages.
How will we support you with your assessment?
There will be weekly references to the assessment task in seminars and weekly
activities in those seminars will be helpful in creating “scaffolding” for eventual
submission.
The formative mini-casework in seminars will be of direct help in the application of
relevant strategic tools. There will be regular Q&A sessions linked to the assessment
report and in the final weeks of teaching there will be an opportunity to review and
reflect upon work from previous cohorts.
How will your work be assessed?
Your work will be assessed by a subject expert who will use the marking scheme
indicated below. Feedback will be given in the Turnitin/Grademark system with script
comments plus overall points. When you access your marked work it is important
that you reflect on the feedback so that you can use it to improve future
assignments.
In this Strategic Report, high marks come from using strategic concepts and analysis
from the module clearly applied to the organisation. Harvard referencing, a
professional report style plus appropriate diagrams/tables are also required. Outline
marking expectations are as follows:
Q1: (30%) External analysis.
Discuss the business environment and identify a number of Opportunities – Os
and Threats – Ts (we expect 6 issues from business environment to be
discussed in total each of which concluded as an O or a T). Please note that
there is no need to address each factor (if for example there are no important
legal or technological issues do not discuss these factors). Your task is to
identify and discuss 6 most important issues in your opinion. Demonstrate
how an issue is an Opportunity or a Threat.
Industry analysis (5 Forces) should be applied to assess industry
attractiveness (each force should be discussed and assessed as High,
Moderate or Low and industry attractiveness should be assessed having
these forces in mind).
Please make sure that you use appropriately referenced data (charts, figures,
quotes etc) to support your arguments. Also, note that this is an external
analysis so it is not about the firm but about issues in that industry (in
context).
Q2: (30%) Internal analysis.
Identify and discuss organisation’s unique resources & distinctive capabilities
(at least 6 Strengths and Weaknesses should be covered in total). Discuss
resources (what a company has) and competences (activities) separately.
While addressing unique resources (physical – e.g. retail outlets,
manufacturing facilities, products etc.; human – e.g. people and teams crucial
for successful strategic development; intangible – e.g. brands, links to
external stakeholders etc. and possibly financial) make sure that each is
discussed separately and concluded as an S or a W.
While discussing distinctive competences construct Value Chain for the
organisation and within list a number of specific and distinctive activities for
your organisation. Demonstrate how unique capabilities link to competitive
advantage (each distinctive competence from Value Chain should be
“pushed” through VRIO to identify Core Competences for the organisation).
Once you identify one (or two at most) core competence provide a discussion
about these below Value Chain or VRIO (what is the activity and how does it
contribute to firm’s competitive advantage). Note that all competences listed n
value chain (and VRIO) should be company’s Strengths (Weaknesses could
be discussed in a descriptive fashion separately). Again, use properly
referenced data to support your arguments. This question is about the
company (internal analysis).
Q3: (30%) Strategy Evaluation
Evaluate the given strategy – please see “Cases for the assignment” on
moodle) using the three SAFe tests:
Construct TOWS populating Os, Ts, Ss and Ws fully (all Os and Ts obtained
from Q1, all Ss and Ws obtained from Q2). Place the strategy you are
evaluating in one of the inner sections and try to associate it to one or more
internal and one or more external items while addressing Suitability (e.g. if
you place a strategy in S-O quadrant identify appropriate S or Ss combined
with O or Os while contemplating this strategy).
Construct Power/Interest matrix with a number of relevant stakeholders, then
choose two stakeholder groups that will be affected with the strategy and for
each discuss if the strategy you are evaluating is acceptable not and why.
While addressing Feasibility, comment on financial resources and skills
required for implementation of the strategy being evaluated.
Note that it is a specific strategy that is evaluated!
PRESENTATION: (10%) We expect a professional report with clear report
style (not an essay) e.g. frontsheet, contents, clear sections, tables &
diagrams and relevant Harvard referencing. The word count should not be
exceeded by more than 10%.
(In addition to marker feedback, a full marking rubric will be available within the
Turnitin submission system for student consideration.)