Conduct a strategic
analysis and strategy evaluation, and write a report on a real-life business.
Please note that this report will focus on business-level strategy.
You are required to
select a real-life organisation (or a strategic business unit (SBU)) for this
assignment. You are advised to conduct a preliminary research (e.g., browse
organisation websites and annual reports) prior to deciding which organisation
(or its SBU) will be selected for your assignment so as to make an informed
choice.
Write a 2500 - 3000
word report, including 200 words of an executive summary, but excluding
references and appendix. In this report, you are required to perform the
following tasks:
1. Describe briefly
the background information (strategic context) of the firm (or SBU) you
have selected. This information should be brief and relevant
to the discussion of your assignment and thus may include ownership,
history, size, business scope, major products/services, and major markets of
the firm (or SBU) selected.
2. Conduct a
macro-environment analysis for the entire industry within which the firm
(or SBU) operates. You should use the analytical framework provided in the
textbook. Foci will be placed on the understanding of the purpose of
this analysis, the identification of key factors and their implications
in terms of key opportunities and threats, and the discussion of their
overall impact on the industry growth in the future. Draw your conclusion
based on your macro-environment analysis.
3. Undertake an
industry (competitive) analysis using Porter’s 5-forces model. You are required
to pay attention to the purpose of this analysis, the inter-connectedness
of different aspects of the competitive forces, the links between
the competitive forces and macro-environment, and their overall impact on
the industry and the organization selected in terms of main driving forces in
the competitive environment. Draw your conclusions based on your five-force
analyses.
4. Identify those resources and competences of
the firm (or SBU) that are likely to provide sustainable competitive advantage.
Justify why these resources and competences can be regarded as strategic
capabilities using the four criteria covered in the textbook.
5. Identify and
discuss the generic type of business strategy the firm (or SBU) implements by
examining its strategy statement and/or its value chain activities.
6. Evaluate the suitability
of the firm’s current business strategy based on the outcomes of your
analysis and integration above (e.g., the identification of the firm’s current
business strategy and the most significant factors affecting the firm’s
performance, and your understanding of business strategy).
References should be
utilised within this Report to validate the information presented, and should
be drawn from academic sources and organisational information such as the
website and annual reports. The business press may be used sparingly to
identify relevant issues.
Advisory notes
for this assignment
• You should conduct an extensive information search on the
organisation selected.
• Company websites, annual reports, and media reports are important
sources of such information, but their objectives, and thus credibility, should
be carefully analysed and evaluated.
• You should use appropriate concepts and analytical tools in your
report.
• The report should be written in prose; however limited use of dot
points is acceptable.
• This advice should
be read in conjunction with RMIT assessment policy and the course guide.
Guide for
assignment presentation
Written assignments must be presented in a
professional format. Quality of presentation, especially literacy, will be
considered in the marking criteria. Written communication skills are an
essential component of RMIT University’s courses. In line with RMIT policy, all
sources of information must be fully referenced using standard Harvard or APA
referencing systems. You are encouraged to use referencing software such as
Endnote for referencing and formatting. The assignment should be in report
format and use Times New Roman font size 12, double line spacing.
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