DDBA
8161 Business Strategy and Innovation for Competitive Advantage
DDBA8161
Week 1 Discussion Strategic Planning for Walmart
To
prepare for this Discussion, review “Case 01: Walmart Stores” on pages C-2 to
C-11 in Dyer, Godfrey, Jensen, and Bryce (2016) and consider the fundamental
principles of strategic planning. Be sure to consider strategies for leveraging
competitive advantage within a crowded industry.
Post
an analysis of the role of strategic planning in establishing competitive
advantage. Your analysis should include the following:
·
An
assessment of the phase of the strategic planning cycle that might be the most
useful for Walmart’s competitive advantage
·
An
explanation of competitive differentiation as it relates to Walmart and similar
retailers like Target and Dollar Tree. Be sure to address how Walmart’s choice
of market focus contributes to its competitive advantage.
·
An
assessment of Walmart’s value proposition, including why customers choose
Walmart and whether advertised low prices are accurate
Be
sure to support your work with a minimum of two specific citations from this
week’s Learning Resources and at least one additional scholarly source.
DDBA 8161
Week 1 Assignment: Foundations of Strategic
Planning
To prepare for this Assignment, consider the
need for and importance of strategic planning in an organization. Further,
consider any potential ramifications of strategic planning, including both
minor and major organizational changes. Be sure to consider your experience as
a business practitioner and independent scholar in developing your perspective.
Submit
a 3- to 5-page evaluation of the benefits and challenges of implementing
strategic planning within an organization. Your evaluation should include the
following:
·
What
are the steps of the strategic planning cycle? Be sure to include a condensed
description of the value of each step to a professional organization.
·
What
are the long-term business benefits of strategic planning?
·
What
are the unique hurdles that companies need to be aware of when implementing the
foundations of strategic planning? Explain with specific examples from
scholarly sources.
·
Based
on your research and/or personal experience, would there ever be a reason why
an organization would benefit from not utilizing strategic planning? Provide a
rationale for your answer with specific examples from scholarly sources.
Note:
Be sure to use the APA Course Paper Template (6th ed.), found in this week’s
Learning
Resources, to complete this Assignment. Also, refer
to the Week 1 Assignment Rubric for specific grading elements and criteria.
Your Instructor will use this rubric to assess your work. Please Note: For each
page of your paper, you must include a minimum of two APA-formatted scholarly
citations
