Managing Competitive Advantage in an Organization

Managing Competitive Advantage in an Organization

Purpose

This interdisciplinary capstone core course focuses on how to create, identify, and manage competitive advantage within an organization. Each student will be required to prepare a professional report that provides a detailed and thorough strategic analysis of a corporation chosen by the student. The term professional means that it is well written, well sourced and analytical.

Description

The report will be graded on its effective use of strategic management concepts and shall constitute thirty percent (30%) of a student’s final grade. The purpose of the assignment is to provide the student the opportunity to demonstrate an understanding of the process of strategy development and analysis, rather than complete a detailed task list for the assignment. The strategic plan analysis should be around 25 pages.

The strategic plan analysis structure is outlined below and shall include the following:

I.Background

1. Industry – history/description.
2. Your Company – brief description, history, position in industry.
3. Leading Companies in the Industry (2) – brief description, position in industry

II.External Environment Analysis

1. General Environment Forces: Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental
2. Industry Environment – Porter’ Five Forces Model or a Strategic Group Map
3. Competitor Environment – Future Objectives, Current Strategies, Assumptions,
4. Global Segment- Discuss the environmental trends affecting their chose of international strategies

III.Internal Environment Analysis

1. The Organization: Core Competencies, Distinctive Competencies, Value Chain
2. Financials – Key business financial strength statistics (e.g., liquidity); identify any significant trends (5 year; include competitor figures where relevant).
3. Capabilities: Strengths and Weaknesses

IV. Strategic Analysis

1. Identify and assess the current competitive generic strategy of the organization and the conditions that created that strategy (internal and/or external).
2. Identify any changes in strategy that the organization has experienced (including any changes in the scope of operations, vertical or horizontal expansion, and approach to the global economy)

V.Final Report Analysis

1. Key Result Areas (select and describe 8 key items from the SWOT to be strategically addressed)
2. Corporate Level Strategic Recommendations (3)- use at least one strategy given below
3. Decision Criteria (evidence that supports the strategies, g., core competencies, internal/external analyses)
4. Conclusions