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Section 1

Task 1

An analysis of the industry structure and forces in strategy context. External analysis.

Systematically identify and critically discuss:

a) Growth Opportunities and current emerging Threats in the chosen industry environment. Apply PESTEL model to identify and discuss a number of important external strategic issues each concluded as an Opportunity (O) or a Threat (T). Use appropriately referenced data (figures, charts etc.) to support your arguments.

b) Industry attractiveness (including competition pressures in the industry in setting). Apply 5 Forces model to discuss industry attractiveness (each force should be concluded as High, Moderate or Low and industry attractiveness should be assessed having these forces in mind.

Section 2

Task 2

Outline issues of environmental or social sustainability in the chosen industry and reflect, which ethical dilemmas society and governments are imposing on the strategy, if any.

Section 3

Internal analysis. Address the following:

a) Identify and discuss a number of unique resources (human, physical and intangible) for the organisation (approximately 5-6). Discuss financial resources by calculating financial ratios (ROCE, Current, Gearing and Interest Cover) for the last two years and interpreting these (year on year performance).

b) Use the Value Chain concept to map and discuss company’s activities (construct a Value Chain for the organisation and list 5 -10 activities within). The emphasis should be on distinctive (rather than threshold) competences.

c) Use the VRIO concept to identify their core competences: Select the most important 5 activities from the Value Chain and copy these to the VRIO table (testing each for all 4 criteria – V, R, I and O). Select two distinctive activities (competences) of the 5 listed in VRIO and discuss these two in detail (explain the activity and your reasoning behind V, R and I – assume that all competences have organisational support). Identify and discuss dynamic capabilities the company possesses.

While addressing Dynamic capabilities remind yourself that dynamic capabilities are about a company’s capacity to purposefully create, extend, or modify its resource base. According to Teece, that means companies have to be agile and, when necessary, reconfigure the business enterprise’s intangible and tangible assets. Thus please provide a dynamic analysis looking into the future and highlighting the development and further growth of the company through strategy. A good assignment will not just describe concepts and it will use real facts, figures and data where available.

d) Discuss the generic strategy and strategic group the company would typically chose based on this preliminary analysis (use either Porter’s model or Bowman’s strategy clock). You may attach a SWOT matrix as Appendix. Please note for marking purposes that a SWOT matrix is only a summary of company’s strengths and weaknesses and does not substitute for an in-depth discussion of dynamic capabilities.

Section 4

Task 4 (40%) Address the following tasks:

a) Recommend a set of new strategic options (at least TWO) for the organisation from 2021– 2026. Construct a TOWS matrix (populate fully outer sections – all Os and Ts from Task 1 (Q1) should be listed in O and T sections of TOWS; all unique resources and distinctive competences/activities discussed in Task 3 (Q3) and identified as Ss and Ws should be listed in S and W section of TOWS; two or more strategic recommendations should be placed in one or more of the four inner sections of TOWS – each recommendation should be made as a combination of external and internal issues – e.g. a recommendation made in S-O intersection should clearly indicate what S or Ss were combined with what O or Os). The idea is to take external and internal issues into account while making strategic recommendations (proposed recommendations need to make sense).

b) Then choose one of the new strategic options (clearly state the option you are evaluating) and evaluate it using SAFe criteria. While making suggestions name a new option/strategy in terms of a direction and a method (no need to produce an analysis or discussion, just state the direction and method). Steps a) and b) address Suitability (recommending a strategy that makes sense). It is important to apply all 3 criteria (S, F and A) to the same strategic recommendation.  Acceptability is concerned with 3Rs. Reactions – stakeholder reactions: construct a Power/Interest matrix and list a number of relevant stakeholders in it, then select 3 that may be greatly affected by your recommendation and for each state if the recommendation is acceptable or not and why; Return should be addressed by commenting on ROCE year on year performance; Risk should be addressed by commenting on Current Ratio year on year performance (for risk and return refer to your financial ration analysis).

Feasibility is concerned with identifying issues that may affect strategy implementation (funds and skills). Financial aspects should be addressed by looking at Gearing ratio and Interest cover discussing organisation’s ability to borrow more if necessary. Think about any skills that are required but the organisation does not have and how these may be obtained.

Note: While justifying your recommendations (evaluating the strategy), make references to findings from Task 1 (reflect upon identified Opportunities and Threats) and Task 3 (reflect upon what resources/asset and competences/activities the company should utilise). That is why using TOWS matrix is very important (if used properly it will guarantee that this aspect is addressed well).

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