Module 1 discussion
Evaluate three mission statements by completing Learning
Exercise 2B of your text. Using the “Characteristics of a Mission
Statement” identified in the table, identify (1) what you believe is the
best of the three mission statements and (2) the one you find most inspiring
and why.
Module 2 discussion
Prepare EFE and CPM matrixes for Hershey Company. Use Mars
and Nestle for competitors in the CPM. Using the EFE and CPM data, as well as
your own analysis, describe how Hershey is responding to its external
environment, including its direct competitors. Make sure to use important
details of from your EFE and CPM results and your critical reflections to draw
conclusions
Module 3 discussion
Prepare IFE and Financial Ratios for Hershey’s Company. For
the Financial Ratios make sure to use the revenue statement and balance sheet
in the exercise portion of the chapter.
Using the IFE and Financial Ratios, as well as your own
analysis, describe how Hershey is performing internally. Make sure to use
important details from your IFE and Financial Ratio results and your critical
reflections to draw conclusions
Module 4 discussion
Complete the Strategies in Action; Assurance of Learning
Exercise E of your text
Module 5 discussion
You will begin by creating a SWOT and a BCG matrix. For the
SWOT, follow Steps 1-2 of the Learning Exercise in your text. Then, prepare a
SWOT Matrix for Hershey’s Company. For the BCG, use the information in the
Learning Exercise in your text to prepare a BCG matrix for Hershey locating
each division where you believe it represents its position relative to market
share and growth.
When complete with
both exercises, write a short narrative (one page or less, double space) of
your key conclusions from (1) your SWOT analysis of Hershey, (2) your BCG work
on Hershey. In addition, include your conclusions on the Hershey’s Company as a
result of its position in the BCG and the results of SWOT. Make clear
recommendations for Hershey’s Company based on integrating the work from the
above models.
Module 6 discussion
Complete the Assurance of Learning Exercise of your text;
“Ethics of Spying on Competitors.”
When complete, select
the one ethical choice/example (from the list) that you struggled with in terms
of determining whether it is ethical or not. Write a short narrative stating
which scenario was the most difficult to decide, how you made you final
decision.
Module 7 discussion
Complete the Assurance of Learning Exercise A Steps 1-3 of
your text. Create a product positioning map only for the “Hershey’s
company. Using information from the case, the PPM, and your research, write a
brief narrative to state your strategic recommendations for Hersey relative to
the competitors in this segment of Hershey’s business.
Module 8 discussion
Complete the executive overview for your case. This should
be limited to no more than two single-spaced pages
Module 3 Strategic
Management Case Project
In this module, prepare a Financial Ratio Analysis and IFE
for the company you selected for your Strategic Management Case. Prepare a
written analysis of the company’s internal capabilities and implications for
your strategic decisions to follow. Integrate this with your work from Modules
1-2 (see below) and submit to the Phase 1 Assignment box by Sunday 11:59 PM
EST/EDT. (This Assignment box may be linked to Turnitin.)
In addition to the work required for this module, the Phase
I report should include the following from Modules 1 and 2:
From Module 1
Outline for Strategic Management Case
Company history
Vision and mission statement
Strategic elements of the history
Assessment of mission and vision
Module 6 Strategic
Management Case Project
In this module, describe the core values you would use to
create the desired culture in your organization. Evaluate your organization’s
current structure and, if needed, recommend changes to the structure, processes, rewards, or
technology. Integrate the work from Modules 1-5; polish, edit, and improve your
writing and illustrations. Be sure to include the changes suggested from Phase
1. Turnitin.com will be used by faculty to review student work for academic
honesty.
Add this to your Strategic Management Case and submit the
Phase 2 components to the Assignment box no later than Sunday 11:59 PM EST/EDT.
(This Assignment box may be linked to Turnitin.)
(An outline of what should be included as part of the Phase
2 submission is included on the following page.)
In addition to the work required for this module, the Phase
2 report should include the following from previous modules:
(From Module 3)
Your entire Phase I report with modifications based on the
instructor’s feedback
(From Module 4)
Current strategy (including current use of technology)
Possible alternatives
(From Module 5)
SWOT matrix
BCG matrix
SPACE or other matrices
Module 8 Strategic
Management Case Project
This capstone course requires each student to construct a
detailed and well-thought-out analysis of a business employing all the relevant
strategic analysis tools studied in the course. This project will take the full
term to complete. It is our sincere hope that you will find this project to be
the most rewarding effort in your educational career.
Project Overview
This course is designed to help you develop strategic skills
that can be used in management. The process of strategic planning is an
iterative cycle of research and analysis, ending with a series of choices about
what will be attempted and how it will be approached. The most tangible output
is the strategic planning document. The most important output is the increased
understanding that the participants acquire. Accordingly, the assessment of the
final project will be heavily dependent on the quality of the strategic
thinking inside that polished report. Students that focus on the expeditious
completion of the steps may find that they have shortchanged the important and
time-consuming exploration and thinking that is necessary to create a quality
strategic case. Since not all tools can tell the planner which factors and
alternatives are important to consider, the planner should pull in as much diverse
information and perspectives as possible. Additionally, you should put
yourselves in the competitor’s shoes and consider how the “game” will play out.
Your homework and subsequent improvements are intended to become a primary
basis for the exploration and questioning that drives your strategic
understanding and creative ideas. In addition, it is important to test your
strategic thinking and your use of analytical tools in preparation for your
final project.
Tips for Selecting an Organization
As you select an organization for your class project, it is
important that you select one that is interesting, possibly useful to you in
your career, industry, or interests, and allows you to explore strategic
challenges in a meaningful way. If you select the industry in which you
currently work, you must address two critical issues: (1) integrating and
clearly citing existing information. (You will need to delineate work you’ve
contributed as opposed to pre-existing information), and (2) succinctly
presenting existing information while adding new insight, analysis, and plans
that substantially add to strategy development, implementation, and/or
assessment of the organization. An organization or industry you are interested
in should give you better access to information although you need to pay
careful attention to the points made above.
Do not underestimate the degree to which you will need to be
an expert in the selected industry and related areas. It is impossible to
create a strategy without understanding the terms, technologies, market
changes, and so forth in great depth. As soon as you select a topic, you should
establish (or monitor) news feeds from several major sources of business news
to keep abreast of actions in your industry.
Public companies are preferred for these plans as SEC
filings and investment analyses are available through research. Some of the
firm’s main competitors will likely be public so that you can research them as
well. Large, diversified, companies can be difficult for purposes of this
course (unless their diversification is relatively narrow, and largely in one
“solutions space”). Large organizations (e.g. GE) may file consolidated
reports, and you may not have access to dis-aggregated information on the
division that you are analyzing. Additionally, it’s better to select a
company/industry under “duress” or at least struggling. The reason is its very
difficult to add new strategic ideas for a company that is doing well.
You may select any form of organization including profit,
non-profit, and government organizations. However, please take into
consideration that within these various organizations, the strategic thinking
can be quite different and some can pose challenges for the planner. Most
organizations have some type of customer base and opportunities for
improvement. Charitable organizations compete against other nonprofits for time
and money. Educational organizations compete for students. Regulated utilities
compete for customers among themselves (e.g., gas versus electric) and in
conjunction with governments to attract new industry. Units of governmental
entities may be the most difficult, but even those organizations have customers
who can choose to live in a different locality or elect government officials
Phase 3 – Modules 7-8 (includes revisions to Phase 2 based
on the instructor’s feedback)
• Strategic analysis, choices, impact, and measurement o
Product-positioning map
o Evaluation of strategies and objectives to achieve most
favorable market position o Description of how you would implement your
strategies
o Milestones
(steps for each major initiative with their timelines
o Specific results you want to achieve including market,
financial, and product or service goals o Financial projection (minimum three
years)
o Presentation
with audio – see below
o Executive
summary – see below
Presentation with audio
The final submission for your project includes developing a
PowerPoint presentation with embedded audio files. Each slide must contain an
audio file in which you offer insight to the material in the slide and key
points the professor should take away from the visual information in the
PowerPoint. You should minimize repeating points made in the slide other than
emphasizing important components. To put this simply, please do not read the
slides verbatim but make sure to add value to what is presented on the slide to
improve the understanding of your work. The presentation with audio is a
significant component of the final submission, so please makes sure to offer
your best work, speak clearly, emphasize the strategic implications of your
work, and engage the viewer.
Executive summary (compiled with concise and critical
elements from the detailed work)
While done as a last step, this goes in front of the report,
after the index. A final and all-encompassing analysis is presented, along with
the recommendations that you would make to the firm’s board of directors. This
includes identifying what you recommend, and briefly outlining alternatives
considered, key implementation steps, and the impact of the implementation on
the company’s performance and competitive position.
Module 7: Develop a
product-positioning map with strategic implications for the company.
Conduct final evaluation of alternative strategies and
detailed description of selected strategy.
Module 8: Develop detailed implementation and assessment
plan. Complete financial projections.
Create presentation with audio.
Complete the executive summary and insert into the plan.
Complete all editing, verification, and citing of all
sources, and insert graphs and illustrations.
Submit all of Phase 3 to the Dropbox no later than Thursday
11:59 PM EST/EST of Module 8. (This Dropbox basket is linked to Turnitin.)
Project Submission
Please do not jeopardize completing your MBA! Before you
begin, read the plagiarism policy in the syllabus and catalogue. There is zero
tolerance for plagiarism in this course. Any case of plagiarism will be taken
seriously. All assignments will be submitted to Turnitin and be subject to
additional validation by the professor. Work from prior classes cannot be used
in this course without prior, written permission from the professor.
Project Evaluation
All sections of the plan are evaluated based on:
1. Correctness
and completeness: models/matrices used in the case are reasonably
sound/accurate and thorough.
2. Strategic
analysis and conclusions: points made are insightful and clear with relative
importance distinguished (not just a “rehash” of the facts).
3. Logical
sequence and continuity of writing: the reader can seamlessly move from
paragraph to paragraph or section without losing his or her train of thought.
4. Grammar,
punctuation, spelling, sentence structure are at the graduate level.
5. External
sources: the ability to integrate and interpret external sources of
information. As a capstone class, the external research is extensive, relevant,
and informative to the company’s direction, its competition, industry, and
choices.
6. Language:
the effective use of standard business terms especially those emphasized in the
David text and prior business courses.
See the full grading rubric at the conclusion of this
document.
Tips for Completing the Project
You should expect to build up a large mass of analyses
before you can put together a coherent case. In the end, a great case will
always look “simple” relative to the countless hours going down many different
paths in order to build understanding. The volume of material generated can
distract from the creative part of the process. The following suggestions are
designed to serve as a reminder for things not identified distinctly in the
assignments, the syllabus, or the textbook Plan preparation guidelines.
1. Company
and industry background
Use your own judgment to determine the amount of background
to include. Over-detailed company history is usually irrelevant and rarely
improves the report. On the other hand, a history of strategic moves and
competitive reactions might be very illustrative. Decide what to include based
on whether that information is important to understanding the future environment
and strategic choices. Market share, financial strength, brand image, and the
like are always relevant strategically.
2. Address
uncertainty
In your strategic analysis, make sure to state any
assumptions related to your business. If you believe there is going to be high
risk, describe contingency plans or alternate scenarios.
3. Discuss
the things that create organizational culture and behavior necessary to support
the strategy
a. What
operational and motivational processes create the culture (acting your way into
a new way of thinking, identity orientation, incentives, etc.)?
b. What
organizational structure fits the mission/vision, the operational approach, and
the need for adaptability or stability?
c. Make
sure to delineate your ethics standards including values the company lives by.
4. Boston
Consulting Group (BCG) and internal/external (IE) matrices
Some of you may think that the BCG and IE matrices are not
relevant to your project since your organization only reports one business
segment. First, these exhibits are important to think through and are required
even if they only have one product line. Second, there are often more segments
in any organization than meets the eye. The reason to break up the business
into component parts is to shed some light on the strategic positioning and
future potential. Ask yourself, are there segments that behave differently
(different customers, competitors, growth rates, success factors, etc.)? You
can be sure that Wal-Mart is looking at grocery, clothing, pharmacy,
electronics, toys, garden, and automotive all separately, and possibly even
separating seasonal items. For purposes of this class, approximations can be
used whenever necessary to separate a subunit. Pushing the analysis down to a
more detailed level forces you to recognize what you know and what you do not
know. I am more concerned with strategic thinking than with availability of
detailed data. You can put estimated numbers in your plans as long as a note is
added explaining the basis, reasoning, and level of uncertainty.
5. Implementation
Your implementation strategy must show how it is aligned
with your strategic objectives. The strategic-level implementation questions
are mainly resource-related (where the money/people
come from) and timing issues (when are initiatives expected
to happen). In addition, if there is something specific mentioned in the
analysis (e.g., a trend, a weakness, concerns about the competitive response)
that affects implementation, then you need to include the relevant part of the
implementation approach mentioned as part of the strategy. If there is not
anything notable in these kinds of areas, then specific content is not required
in the report.
6. Overall
assessment of the strategy
As you prepare your strategies, it will be helpful to review
Rumelt’s four criteria:
a. Consistency
i. Strategy
should not present inconsistent goals and policies.
ii. All of
the pieces of your overall strategic approach should be aligned.
b. Consonance
i. Strategy
should examine sets of trends.
c. Feasibility
d. Advantage
i. Strategy
should include creation or maintenance of competitive advantage.
7. Sources
Follow APA style guide to write the case. Cite within the
body of your case and include a reference list. This is particularly true for
any source data that will come from financial reports and corporate websites.
Project Grading (See detailed grading rubric at end of these
instructions)
Eighty percent (80%) of the course grade will be determined
based on the Strategic Management Case as distributed below:
1. Phase 1:
Proposal and initial analysis (20% of course grade)
2. Phase 2:
Substantive draft (20% of course grade)
3. Phase 3:
Final Case (40% of course grade)
Example Outline and Structure for the Strategic Plan
(Headings)
The outline below is an example and should be modified to
adapt to your company. The primary headings are good ways to organize your work
into logical sections (e.g., internal analysis, external analysis, etc.).
Cover Page
Index
Executive Overview
Introduction of the Company
Description of the firm
Company history
Vision and mission statement
Strategic elements of the history
Overall assessment
External Assessment
EFE and CPM
Analysis of competitive position, opportunities, and threats
Internal Assessment
Financial ratio analysis IFE
Analysis of internal capabilities and implications for your
strategic decisions to follow Current strategy, including current use of
technology
Possible alternatives SWOT matrix
BCG matrix
Space or other matrices
Description of core values you would use to create the
desired culture Evaluation of current organizational structure
Recommendation changes (if needed) to the structure, processes,
rewards, or technology
Strategic Analysis, Choices, Impact, and Measurement
Product-positioning map
Evaluation of strategies and objectives to achieve most
favorable market position Description of how you would implement your
strategies
Milestones (steps for each major initiative with their
timelines
Specific results you want to achieve including market,
financial, and product or service goals, and how and when they will be measured
Financial projection (minimum three years) Presentation with
audio
