GROUP PROJECT REPORT (60 points)
Your written report must include (but is not limited to) the following components:
1. Executive Summary (5%)
This section should include an overview of the entire report and highlight the important findings.
2. External Analysis (Industry Analysis) (20%)
You may use analytical tools such as Porter’s Five Forces (required), industry life cycle, and strategic group analysis. Exemplar questions may include:
• Who are the competitors and what are their market shares?
• What products or services are produced in this industry?
• How have demographic, social, or technological trends influenced this industry?
• What key opportunities exist for this industry? Which company (or companies) is most likely to take advantage of these opportunities? Why?
• What key threats (in terms of new entrants, product life cycle, product obsolescence, substitute products, etc.) exist for this industry?
3. Internal Analysis, including assessment of firm’s strengths and weaknesses (20%)
You may discuss in greater details here about the firm’s history, products, markets, culture, vision, and so on. Some specific questions may include:
• Which functional areas within the firm are particularly strong and which are particularly weak? Why?
• Are any of the firm’s resources sources of competitive advantage? Are those advantages sustainable? What are the firm’s core competences?
• What do the firm’s financial statements say about its health? Trends? Comparison to competitors?
• What has the firm’s non-financial performance (employment stability/growth, innovation, customer relations, etc.) been like over the past three to five years?
4. Analysis of business-level strategy used by the firm (20%)
You may include questions such as:
• What is the generic strategy used by the firm in its primary market(s)?
• What customer needs do the firm’s products/services satisfy? What market segment does the firm serve? How does the firm use its distinctive competencies to serve the customer needs?
• How is (or is not) the business-level strategy supported by its functional strategies?
• How does the firm use its organizational structure, control systems, or organizational culture to pursue the business-level strategy for competitive advantage?
5. Analysis of the corporate-level strategy of the firm (20%)
• Identify the businesses the firm is in (or is considering entering), how they are related (or unrelated), and whether and how they create additional value in their combination. Be specific and detailed. If it is unclear that value is created, try to assess why the firm might have chosen to enter those businesses.
• Identify the global strategy used by the firm (if it is a multinational company) and the rationale of using that global strategy. What entry modes did the firm use to enter those countries? Were the methods of entry used (or proposed) the best choice given the firm’s objectives, environment, strengths, weaknesses, and strategy? Be sure to include any appropriate financial analysis to support your assessment.
• Identify and analyze the firm’s organizational structure, control systems, or organizational culture used to support its corporate-level strategy and/or global strategy.
