Research Information
Review the following resources to further your understanding
of a selected firm to use in your coursework. Use additional resources from the
Capella University Library, Internet, your text case studies, or your own
research, as needed, for completing the course assessments.
Ford
Ford is a complex multinational organization that has
recently focused on strategic initiatives to address production capacity,
supply chain reliability, sustainability, and technological innovation in order
to remain competitive in the rapidly changing automotive industry.
Grant, R. M., and Jordan, J. (2012). Ford and the world
automobile industry in 2012. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley and Sons.
Currie, A., Larsen, P. T. (2011, Jun 7). Ambitious goals for
Ford. The New York Times. Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/business/08views.html?_r=0
Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative. (n.d). Ford Motor Company
manages ethics and social responsibility [PDF]. Retrieved from:
https://danielsethics.mgt.unm.edu/pdf/ford-motor-case.pdf
Henry, J. (2015). One Ford, part two; Tweaking The master
plan. Forbes. Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimhenry/2015/08/30/one-ford-part-two-tweaking-the-master-plan/#3d15b7147333
Miller, D. (2016, April 9).
Dispelling 3 Ford Motor Company shareholder concerns. The Motley Fool.
Retrieved from
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/04/09/dispelling-3-ford-motor-company-concerns.aspx
Complete a SWOT analysis, synthesize the internal and
external analyses of your selected firm, and make recommendations to leadership
through an executive PowerPoint presentation.
As a business professional, you may be asked to complete a
SWOT analysis to report on your key findings and make recommendations to
leadership (often through PowerPoint presentations). This assessment allows you
to practice this type of analysis, summarize your key findings, and present
your recommendations to leadership.
In this assessment, you will focus on recommendations to
address strategic issues. Strategic recommendations include not only
formulating strategy, but approaches to implement, or realize, them.
Grant and Jordan (2015) say that the “primary value of
a formal planning system is creating a mechanism for linking strategy to a
system of implementation that involves operational planning, target setting,
and resource allocation” (p. 310). A key element of a successful strategy
is effective implementation. Aspects of organizational structure, systems, and
culture determine the effectiveness with which strategy is executed and are
fundamental to the effectiveness of strategic management.
As you prepare to complete this assessment, you may want to
think about other related issues to deepen your understanding or broaden your
viewpoint. You are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them
with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of
your professional community. Note that these questions are for your own
development and exploration and do not need to be completed or submitted as
part of your assessment.
Overview
The organizational leadership of your selected firm has
requested that you provide them with an executive PowerPoint presentation
synthesizing your internal and external analyses of the firm, as well as
recommend potential strategic actions the company could take to address the
issues raised by your analyses.
Preparation
If necessary, familiarize yourself with Microsoft’s
PowerPoint program and a SWOT analysis format. Both are required to complete
this assessment.
You will need to include at least five current, scholarly,
or professional resources to support your presentation.
Requirements
Develop a PowerPoint presentation of 8–12 slides (with
speaker’s notes) that synthesizes the internal and external analyses for your
selected firm. Your presentation must include a well-developed SWOT analysis, a
summary of potential strategic actions, and the following:
Summary of SWOT Analysis
Examine the internal resources, capabilities, and
competencies of the selected firm using key strategic management tools and
models such as the VRIO Framework and Value Chain.
Look specifically for capabilities that are required for the
company’s competitive advantage.
Be specific about the firm’s resources (both tangible and
intangible) that seem most strategically important, now and in your vision of
the company’s future strategic development.
Cleary state where firm Strengths and Weaknesses are found.
Analyze the firm’s external environment including its
general environment, industry, and competitive position. Choose a strategic
management model such as PEST analysis or Porter’s Five Forces Model to use in
this analysis. Clearly state where external Opportunities and Threats are
found.
Illustrate the key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and
threats using a SWOT table. You might also develop a SWOT figure that depicts
your findings in a way that allows for more effective integration and synthesis
of your key ideas.
Strategic Actions Based on SWOT Analysis
Relate the SWOT analysis to the key strategic actions the
selected firm could take to further its alignment and long-term success.
How can you relate internal strengths and weaknesses with
opportunities and threats in the external environment? Are there capabilities
that need to be enhanced in order to capitalize on opportunities or reduce
threats? Are there capabilities that can be divested because they are no longer
needed in the current or projected environment?
What are the strategic actions that would align specific
strengths and weaknesses with specific opportunities and threats?
Your presentation should be written clearly and be
communicated effectively to organizational leadership in a business
environment. Keep in mind that the audience is an upper level leadership
audience, so formatting your content to appeal to that audience will help your
presentation be on point.
Additional Requirements
References: Support your PowerPoint presentation with at
least five academic resources from the Capella University Library. You must use
proper APA style and format for citations and references.
Length: 8–10 PowerPoint slides (with speaker’s notes), plus
references.
Written communication: Demonstrate graduate-level writing
skills through accurate communication of thoughts that convey the overall goals
of the analysis and do not detract from the message.
Font: Times New Roman, 12 point.
Note: Faculty may also use the Writing Feedback Tool to
provide feedback on your writing. In the tool, click the linked resources for
helpful writing information.
