Final Written Case Analysis: You are to prepare a written analysis of a case about an organization that you choose

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Final Written Case Analysis: You are to prepare a written analysis of a case about an organization that you choose. You will be expected to carefully analyze the case (organization) using the models from class (with the exception of a SWOT analysis) and develop sound conclusions and recommendations. You should demonstrate through the analysis your ability to apply the concepts from the class to a real business situation. I am most interested in your application of critical thinking skills, the preparation of sound recommendations, and the support of those recommendations with compelling data.

Additional guidelines will be available on the course website. The analysis should be no longer than eight pages, double spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins. You may add a cover page and additional pages for graphs, charts, tables, figures, or references.

The paper will be worth 30 points. The paper will be graded on content (i.e., concepts from the book and other sources); analysis (critically examining the strategy); recommendations; and grammar/organization. Introduction and problem statement is worth 5 points; Analysis is worth 10 points, Recommendations is worth 10 points, and grammar/organization is worth 5 points. Please see detailed criteria in the rubric.

Analyzing Strategic Management Cases chapter 13 Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education . Strategic Case Analysis 13-2 ? Why do some firms succeed and others fail? ? Why are some companies higher performers than others? ? What information is needed in the strategic planning process? ? How do competing values and beliefs affect strategic decision-making? ? What skills and capabilities are needed to implement a strategy effectively? Strategic Case Analysis 13-3 ? Strategic management cases include ?A detailed description of the challenging situation faced by an organization ? Usually includes a chronology of events ? Can include financial statements, product lists, interviews with employees ? Strategic ? An case analysis requires ability to evaluate business situations ? Go beyond the textbook & root out essential issues and causes of a company’s problems Strategic Case Analysis: Skills 13-4 ? Strategic skills needed include the ability to differentiate: ? Evaluate many different elements of the situation at once ? Differentiate between the factors that are influencing the situation ? Understand that problems are often complex & multilayered ? Need to dig deep ? Don’t be too quick to accept an easy solution Strategic Case Analysis: Skills 13-5 ? Strategic skills also include the ability to speculate: ? Envision an explanation that might not readily be apparent ? Imagine different scenarios ? Contemplate the outcome of the decision ? Deal with uncertainty & incomplete knowledge ? Data may be missing ? Information may be contradictory ? Details & consequences may be unknown Strategic Case Analysis: Skills 13-6 ? Strategic skills also include the ability to integrate: ? Consider the impact of various decisions & environmental influences on all parts of the organization ? Create one set of recommendations that affect the whole company ? Realize that changes made in one part of the company will affect other parts ? Need to adopt a holistic perspective Example: Preparing a Business Plan 13-7 ? Preparing a case analysis is like crafting a business plan. Here are some questions you should be able to answer: ? What is the competitive advantage? ? Is it in a growth market? ? What will customers pay for it? (How will the business make money?) ? How will the business be staffed? ? Is the product innovative? ? Are the plans and goals realistic? Conducting a Case Analysis 13-8 ? Identify ? Some problems cases have more than one problem to solve ? Avoid getting hung up on the case symptoms ? Try to articulate the case problems ? Sometimes writing down a problem statement gives you a reference point ? Some problems will not be apparent until after you do the case analysis Conducting a Case Analysis 13-9 ? Conduct strategic analyses ? Determine which strategic issues are involved ? Use strategic tools to conduct the analysis ? Five Forces analysis ? Value chain analysis ? Contingency frameworks ? Financial analysis – Financial Ratio Analysis ? Test your own assumptions about the case Conducting a Case Analysis 13-10 ? Propose alternative solutions ? Develop a list of options ? Evaluate the alternatives ? Can the company afford it? ? How will competitors respond? ? Will employees accept the change? ? How will it affect other stakeholders? ? How does it fit with the vision, mission & objectives? ? Will the culture or values of the company change? Conducting a Case Analysis 13-11 ? Make recommendations ? Make a set of recommendations supported by your analysis ? Describe exactly what needs to be done ? Explain why this course of action will solve the problem ? Indicate how best to implement the proposed solution ? Note: the solution you propose must solve the problem you identified Conducting a Case Analysis 13-12 ? Paper ? Be Format thorough ? Provide support for your arguments ? Reference specific case materials or other facts ? Present information graphically ? Exercise quality control, be professional ? Good grammar, spelling, consistent style throughout Case Analysis Decision-Making Techniques 13-13 Exhibit 13.4 Integrative Thinking: The Process of Thinking and Deciding Source: Reprinted by permission of Harvard Business School Press from R. L. Martin. The Opposable Mind, 2007. Copyright 2007 by the Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation; all rights reserved. Strategic Case Analysis Process 13-14 ? Analyzing ? Has organizational goals & objectives the company developed short-term objectives that are inconsistent with its longterm mission? ? Has the company considered all of its stakeholders equally in making critical decisions? ? Is the company being faced with an issue that conflicts with one of its long-standing policies? Strategic Case Analysis Process 13-15 ? Analyzing ? Does the external environment the company follow trends and events in the general environment? ? Is the company effectively scanning and monitoring the competitive environment? ? Has the company correctly analyzed the impact of the competitive forces in its industry on profitability? Strategic Case Analysis Process 13-16 ? Analyzing ? Does the internal environment the company know how the various components of its value chain are adding value to the firm? ? Has the company accurately analyzed the source and vitality of its resources? ? Is the company’s financial performance as good as or better than that of its close competitors? Strategic Case Analysis Process 13-17 ? Assessing ? Does a firm’s intellectual assets the company have underutilized human capital? ? Is the company missing opportunities to forge strategic alliances? ? Has the company developed knowledgemanagement systems to capture what it learns? Strategic Case Analysis Process 13-18 ? Formulating ? Has business-level strategies the company chosen the correct competitive strategy given its industry environment and competitive situation? ? Does the company use combination strategies effectively? ? Is the company using a strategy that is appropriate for the industry life cycle in which it is competing? Strategic Case Analysis Process 13-19 ? Formulating ? Is corporate-level strategies the company competing in the right businesses given the opportunities and threats that are present in the environment? ? Is the corporation managing its portfolio of businesses in a way that creates synergies among the businesses? ? Are the motives of the top corporate executives who are pushing diversification strategies appropriate? Strategic Case Analysis Process 13-20 ? Formulating ? Is international-level strategies the company’s entry into an international marketplace threatened by the actions of local competitors? ? Has the company made the appropriate choices between cost reduction and local adaption to foreign markets? ? Can the company improve its effectiveness by embracing one international strategy over another? Strategic Case Analysis Process 13-21 ? Formulating ? Is entrepreneurial strategies the company engaged in an ongoing process of opportunity recognition? ? Do the entrepreneurs who are launching new ventures have vision, dedication & drive, and a commitment to excellence? ? Have strategic principles and tools such as five-forces analysis & value-chain analysis been used in the process of developing strategies to pursue the entrepreneurial opportunity? Strategic Case Analysis Process 13-22 ? Achieving ? Is effective strategic control the company employing the appropriate informational control systems? ? Does the company have a strong and effective culture that aligns its values & rewards system with its goals & objectives? ? Has the company implemented control systems that match its strategies? Strategic Case Analysis Process 13-23 ? Creating ? Has effective organizational designs the company implemented organizational structures that are suited to the type of business it is in? ? Has the company employed boundaryless organizational designs where appropriate, & do senior managers maintain appropriate control of lower-level employees? ? Does the company use outsourcing to achieve the best possible results? Strategic Case Analysis Process 13-24 ? Creating a learning organization and an ethical organization ? Do company leaders promote excellence as part of the overall culture? ? Is the company committed to being a learning organization and does it capitalize on the individual & collective talents of organizational members? ? Have company leaders exhibited an ethical attitude in their own behavior?