Reference no: EM132311806 , Length: word count:2500

Strategic Management Assignment - An Environmental Analysis Critique

Learning outcomes -

1. Critically analyse an organisation's existing competitive position, internally and externally, using a range of models and tools.

2. Research and design strategies to help an organisation achieve a sustainable competitive advantage consistent with its values and vision

For this course you need to choose an organisation which you will use for the first two assessments.

Choose a business you know well and are able to access the necessary information required to complete the assessment successfully. Please confirm your choice with me.

For Assessment - You are to write a report on your chosen business which gives examines the key trends and "dimensions of the external and internal contexts in which both the strategy ... and the strategy process are embedded' (Okumus, F., Altinay, L. And Chathoth, P. K. (2010) p. 39).

Your report will include:

A strategic position review (500 words) which

• Introduces the business by giving a brief background (key points of the history of organisation, an overview of its structure, the scope of the organisation and any other relevant information).
• Describes the strategies the business has currently.
• Outline the company's Mission and Vision.

An environmental analysis (750 words) which focuses on the environmental factors that affect the strategic aspects of the business. In this analysis you need to both identify the factors and explain their significance to the business.

External Environment

• Macro external environment (including using PEST tool)
• Industry competitive environment (including using 5 forces)
• Competitor Analysis

Internal Environment

• Internal environment (resources, capabilities and core competencies)
• The value chain

Recommend any strategies or tools that they could implement that could increase its competitive advantage (750 words) e.g. Closed market strategies, Strategic forecasting etc.

An Executive Summary (250 words) which summaries the essence of the report to highlight the key issues and conclusions of the report.

Conclusion (250 words) which Identifies the major strategic issues in the environmental analysis, and explains the implications of these issues in terms of strategy development.

You may also include appendices. Appendices contain extra or supplementary material which gives extra information which is too detailed to be put in the main report but you think will help illustrate some aspect of the report. Appendices need to organised, number with a letter or a number, referred to within the report and presented in professional manner.

Information sources - You will need to find some up to date information. This information can be found in:

• Annual reports (look on the company website)
• Business magazines and newspapers
• Academic books and journals (particularly for generic information about the retail sector)

Format of the report - Your report should be written in business form layout.

Title Page

Executive summary

Contents Page

Strategic Position review

• Background to the business
• Strategic position

External Environmental analysis

• Macro external environment
• Industry
• Competitor analysis

Internal Environmental analysis

• Resources, capabilities, competencies
• Value Chain

Recommendations

Conclusions

Appendices and References

For guidance on report writing see: Emerson, L. (2005). Writing guidelines for business students (3rd ed.). Victoria, Australia: Cengage Learning Australia Pty Limited.