Reference no: EM133485605
Assignment: Strategic Management
Learning Outcomes:
I. Recognize the basic concepts and terminology used in Strategic Management.
II. Describe the different issues related to environmental scanning, strategy formulation, and strategy implementation in diversified organizations.
III. Explain the contribution of functional, business, and corporate strategies to the competitive advantage of the organization.
IV. Distinguish between different types and levels of strategy and strategy implementation.
V. Communicate issues, results, and recommendations coherently, and effectively regarding appropriate strategies for different situations
Section 1: Discussion Questions
Discuss briefly the following questions (maximum 200 words for each question).
Question I. Why has strategic management become so important to today's corporations and how does it typically evolve in a corporation?
Question II. Discuss how a development in a corporation's natural and societal environments can affect the corporation through its task environment.
Question III. How can value-chain analysis help identify a company's strengths and weaknesses?
Question IV. What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a first mover in an industry? Give some examples of first-mover and late-mover firms. Were they successful?
Question V. Why are many strategic alliances temporary?
Section 2: Case study
Read carefully case No 8 from your textbook (entitled ‘iRobot: Finding the Right Market Mix?) and answer briefly the following questions:
Question I. Draw the SWOT matrix of the iRobot company.
Question II. What is the competitive strategy used by iRobot company?
Question III. Use the five forces of the M. Porter matrix to describe the robot-based product industry.
Question IV. Describe the different functional strategies of the iRobot company.
Question V. Describe the relationship of iRobot with its primary stakeholders.
Question VI. Describe the core competency and the outsourcing strategy of iRobot
Question VII. What kind of strategic alliance is used by iRobot? Why does iRobot choose it?
Question VIII. What are the main challenges that iRobot faces?
Question IX. Assess the competitive advantage of iRobot in its market.
Question X. Recommend solutions for iRobot to improve its competitive advantage.