Reference no: EM133685031

Managing Strategy, Operations and Partnerships

Strategic Report with supportive quizzes

Assignment Brief

Background
This assignment gives you the opportunity to think strategically and apply your understanding critically to the operations of a real-world organisation facing a changing contemporary environment. For Task 1, you will undertake a series of quizzes during the module seminars and based on previous weeks' learning. The knowledge you acquire during this process will support you in the substantial Task 2 assignment of producing a strategic report. The knowledge, application, problem-solving and strategic thinking acquired in this module are relevant to the current graduate job market.

ASSESSMENT TASKS

You will complete two different assignment tasks. You will carry out the tasks throughout the term and finally you will submit these as one piece of coursework.

Task: A Strategic Report

Taking the role of a strategy consultant, hired to help a given organisation achieve sustainable competitive advantage, produce a succinct and compelling report for the attention of the CEO.

Read the consultant's brief (will be provided in week 3) and identify the strategic problem of the organisation.

Using appropriate models and frameworks analyse the company's external environment. This includes understanding the company's industry, competitors, and macroeconomic environment.

Evaluate the company's core competencies. These are the resources and capabilities that give the company a sustainable competitive advantage.

Based on your analysis develop a set of strategic options that the company can pursue to achieve sustainable competitive advantage.

Evaluate strategic options in terms of feasibility, attractiveness, and risk.

Based on your evaluation, recommend a set of realistic and evidence-based options that the company should pursue.

Write a report for the CEO that outlines your analysis and recommendations. Your recommendations should be logical and feasible, and they should be supported by the evidence.

You will have the opportunity of getting feedback multiple times from your tutor. So, always bring your work to the seminar sessions.

Finally, in week 10, you will have to submit a brief 500-word abstract of your proposed evaluation. The abstract should detail the following:

The nature of the external forces that will be analysed.
The strategic frameworks that will be deployed.
The operational resources that will be evaluated.

Your tentative recommendations.