MB609 Capstone: Strategic Management
Ashworth College
Ashworth
Semester Exam MB609 Capston
Post
Cereal has agreed to donate up to a specified amount of money to the Boys &
Girls Club of America. To trigger the donations, Post Cereal consumers must
collect and submit proofs of purchase from specially marked boxes. Post Cereal
is hoping that this _______ marketing will increase its cereal sales.
integrated
societal
social-response
cause-related
When cell phone providers joined forces with satellite television producers to
bring TV to the telephone, they were using a distribution method called a/an
conventional marketing channel.
corporate VMS.
retailer cooperative
horizontal marketing system.
Peterson Research uncovers the following facts in a recent survey of women: the
majority of women do some physical exercise, value the family, attend a
religious service regularly, engage in social drinking, hold mostly
conservative attitudes, and eat out with the family at least once a week.
Peterson Research has just conducted a __________ analysis.
demographic
lifestyle
attitudinal
psychological
A stock trading company that had its offices in the World Trade Center in 2001
could have used a/an _______ to make different assumptions about market events
such as future bull markets, bear markets, day trader legislation, dot-com
companies driving the market, etc. There is little chance that it would have
assumed a deadly terrorist attack.
SWOT analysis
societal audit
industry forecast
scenario analysis
A person who is imaginative, responsible, outgoing, and confident, but sometimes
aloof and easily irritated is described as being low in which of the Big Five
personality dimensions?
Openness to experience
Conscientiousness
Emotional Stability
Agreeableness
To demonstrate leadership, one must
maintain the status quo.
place planning and administration concerns above followers' concerns.
influence others to create mutually desirable changes.
develop high public visibility.
promoting diversity makes sense because
it's the best way to balance the fact that white male workers still dominate
the US workforce.
diverse employees can build better relationships with customers, among many
other reasons.
a diverse group tends to reach agreement on decisions more quickly than a
homogenous group.
workers from other nations need to get in step with how the US does things.
The storming stage of team development is characterized by
conflict and disagreement.
orientation.
establishment of order and cohesion.
cooperation and problem solving.
Affirmative action is illegal
under Title VII.
unless the employer is a government contractor.
if it involves a quota.
unless part of a court order for remedying past discrimination.
Robert, an African-American employee, applies for a promotion, but is passed
over in favor of a white employee who has less experience and lower performance
ratings. Robert may have a claim for
disparate impact.
disparate treatment.
disparate impact and disparate treatment.
retaliation.
MB609F
Stand-Alone Project - Strategic Audit (2022)
STAND-ALONE
PROJECT
MB609
Capstone: Strategic Management
Stand-Alone
Project: Strategic Audit (200 points)
You should begin working on the Stand-Alone
Project early in the course. Each lesson provides a
benchmark for completing the Stand-Alone Project in a timely manner while
working through the course. You will find this information in the
"Stand-Alone Project Benchmark" section of each lesson. (200 points)
(A 10-page response is required for the
combination of Parts A, B, and C.)
Instructions: The Stand-Alone Project requires you to perform an
in-depth strategic audit of American Airlines, Inc. The strategic audit
is comprised of six (6) parts. Use the following instructions to guide
your research and writing. Your Stand-Alone Project responses should be
both grammatically and mechanically correct and formatted in the same fashion
as the project itself. If there is a Part A, your response should
identify a Part A, etc. In addition, you must appropriately cite all
resources used in your response and document in a bibliography using APA
style. (200 points) (A 20-page double-spaced response is required for the
combination of Parts A, B, C, D, and E.)
These
past several years have been troubling times for the airline
industry. Jet fuel prices alone have risen 110% from January 2001 to December 2006, and 133% from
January 2007 to July 2008. Each
of the largest U.S. airlines including United/Continental and Delta/Northwest,
have filed for bankruptcy at least once. American Airlines (AA) was the
only major airline that managed to stay away from bankruptcy for many
years. Despite not having turned a profit in 2004 or the first half of
2005, the company hoped its turnaround plan would start yielding results and
put it back on the road to profitability and increased market share.
Unfortunately, American Airlines filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on November 29,
2011, helping to hold off creditors, renegotiate union and labor contracts,
pass on pension burdens to the government, etc. On February 9, 2012, Reuters
reported that American
Airlines'
creditors' committee wanted a merger explored, contrary to American Airlines management's goal to stay independent.
American Airlines ultimately merged with US Airways in December 2013.
You
are required to take on the role of a strategic analyst hired before the final
merger decision was made. You must suggest ways by which American Airlines
could reinvent itself and compete effectively in an industry where the rules of
the game changed drastically. Based on your own research on American
Airlines and the domestic airline industry, prepare a strategic audit using the
format outlined below.
The
following steps are suggested in preparing your strategic audit.
1. Read all of the instructions
below and then perform research on American Airlines. Make notes of the
information that you will need to use in writing your strategic audit as well
as notes that you think will be helpful in making decisions and
recommendations.
2. Obtain the information you need
(regarding the organization, specific industry, and recent events and changes)
using the following resources.
a. The American Airlines website
b. Hoover's (This can be accessed through
ProQuest: Use American Airlines as your search term and limit your search
to within the Hoover database.)
c. Articles on ProQuest that are specifically
related to the industry or current events regarding the company, including:
Conaway, D., Esq. (2012). American airlines:
Who's flying the plane? Business
Credit, 114(5), 34-37. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1016478509?accountid=45844
d. Other sources of research, which are
recommended (but not required), include newspapers, business magazines, news
programs, trade journals, etc.
3. Based on the information and insights obtained
from your research, apply your knowledge of the concepts and techniques in the
textbook, your professional and personal experiences, and your analytical and
reasoning skills to critically evaluate the strategic performance of the
company (at the corporate, business, and functional levels) and suggest
recommendations for future strategic initiatives.
4. In addition, read the Stand-Alone Project
Benchmarks in each Assignment to get an idea of how to progress in this strategic
audit as you work through the course.
Part
A Situation: Discuss the
following issues related to American Airlines' situation in 2013.
1. Performance: How has the
company performed over the last several years in terms of revenues,
profitability, and market share?
2. Strategic Posture
a. Mission: What is the company's
vision/mission statement?
b. Objectives: What are the corporate,
business, and functional objectives? Are they consistent with each other and
with the mission?
c. Strategies: What strategies has the
company employed in order to be able to meet these objectives? Are these
strategies consistent with each other and with the overall mission?
3. Corporate
Governance
a. Directors: Who are the directors?
Are they internal or external? What do they contribute to the corporation
in terms of knowledge, skills, and background?
b. Top Management: What persons or groups
constitute top management? How suited is the management team to the
achievement of corporate objectives?
Part
B External Analysis
1. Porter Analysis: Perform
an in-depth analysis of the firm's task environment using Porter's Approach to
Industry Analysis. Analyze the importance and impact of the following
five (5) forces.
a. Threat of New Entrants
b. Bargaining Power of Buyers
c. Bargaining Power of Suppliers
d. Rivalry Among Competing Firms
e. Threat of Substitute Products or Services
2. Other Characteristics:
Describe at least three (3) other industry characteristics that you think are
important and that affect the performance of firms in this industry.
3. Opportunities: Discuss at
least five (5) opportunities available to the firm based on the industry
analysis.
4. Threats: Discuss at least
five (5) threats facing the firm based on the industry analysis.
5. External Factors Analysis
Summary: Develop an External Factors
Analysis Summary (EFAS Table) for American Airlines listing the five (5)
opportunities and five (5) threats described above. Discuss why you
consider these external factors to be important.
Part
C Internal Analysis
1. Core Competencies
a. Description: Describe at least two (2)
core competencies that the firm possesses or can develop.
b. Distinctiveness: Are these distinctive
competencies? Explain.
2. Competitive
Position
a. Current Position: What is the firm's
current competitive position? Discuss.
b. Competitive Advantage: Does the firm
possess a significant competitive advantage over other firms in the
industry? Explain.
c. Sustainability: Can the firm sustain its
competitive advantage over the long term? Explain.
3. Strengths: Discuss at least
five (5) strengths of the firm based on the competitive analysis.
4. Weaknesses: Describe at
least five (5) weaknesses of the firm based on the competitive analysis.
5. Internal Factors Analysis
Summary: Develop an Internal Factors Analysis Summary (IFAS Table) for
American Airlines listing the five (5) strengths and five (5) weaknesses
described above. Discuss why you consider these internal factors to be
important.
Part
D Analysis of Strategic Factors
(SWOT)
1. Situational Analysis:
What are the most important internal and external strategic factors (Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) that strongly affect the company's
present and future performance? List 12 strategic factors (3 each of the
opportunities, threats, strengths, and weaknesses) and discuss the
relevance/importance of each to the strategic planning process.
2. Strategic Factors Analysis
Summary: Develop a Strategic Factor Analysis Summary (SFAS) Matrix for
American Airlines using the strategic factors described above.
3. Review of Mission and
Objectives: Are the company's mission and objectives relevant in light of
the above external and internal strategic factors? Explain.
4. TOWS Matrix and
Strategies
a. Matrix: Develop a TOWS Matrix for
American Airlines, listing three (3) opportunities, three (3) threats, three
(3) strengths, and three (3) weaknesses.
b. Strategies: For each category (SO
Strategies, WO Strategies, ST Strategies, and WT Strategies), develop at least
two (2) alternative strategies based on these factors; this is a total of eight
(8) strategies.
Part
E Strategic Alternatives and
Recommended Strategies
1. Strategic Alternatives: What are the
major feasible alternative strategies available to the company? Select
and describe the top four (4) strategies that you think upper management should
consider as part of the strategic planning process.
2. Recommended Strategies: Which of the
above strategic alternatives do you recommend for the organization? You
must make at least two (2) comprehensive recommendations that describe the
strategic direction you think the firm should take based on its current
situation and issues. Your recommendations can include corporate,
business, or functional strategies based on the facts of the case and your
analysis of the firm. Number your recommendations and group them as
applicable (for instance, if you recommend a low-cost business strategy, list
any functional strategies that lead to it as sub points).
NOTE: There is no right or wrong choice;
however, you need to justify your recommendations in terms of their impact on
the profitability and long-term competitive position of the firm.
3. Justification: Justify your recommendations
in terms of their impact on the profitability and long-term competitive
position of the firm. Use the following criteria to guide each of your
recommendations.
a. Relevance: How does the recommendation
deal effectively with the strategic issues facing the organization?
b. Sustainability: How does the
recommendation lead to a competitive advantage that is sustainable over the
long term?
4. Commentary: Read the following article
and comment on the final decision made by American Airlines in 2013. Why do you
feel this was a good/bad strategic decision?
Arnold,
K. (2013, Dec 22). No. 1 business story of 2013: American airlines
merger. McClatchy –
Tribune Business News Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1470294132?accountid=45844
MB609F
Discussion Question 1-1
DISCUSSION
QUESTION 1-1
MB609
Capstone: Case and Industry Analysis
Lesson 1: An
Overview of Small Business Economics
Upon
completion of the Required Readings, write a thorough, well-planned narrative
answer to the following discussion question. Rely on your Required
Readings and the Lecture and Research Update for specific information to answer
the discussion question, but turn to your original thoughts when asked to
apply, evaluate, analyze, or synthesize the information. Your Discussion
Question response should be both grammatically and mechanically correct, and
formatted in the same fashion as the question itself. If there is a Part
A, your response should identify a Part A, etc. In addition, you must
appropriately cite all resources used in your responses and document in a
bibliography using APA style.
Discussion Question 1 (50 points)
Two
(2) key factors in determining the cost-effectiveness and potential
profitability of bringing any product or service to market are supply and
demand and price determination. After reviewing your Required Readings,
address the following issues. (50 points) (A 2-page response is required.)
a.
What is learned from a well-formulated supply
and demand curve analysis and how does this information help determine optimum
production rates for maximum profitability?
b.
What is
the correlation between employee benefits and return on investment assets,
return on equity, and return on sales?
c. How can the inability to compete profitably on
price be overcome?
MB609
Discussion Question 1_02
DISCUSSION QUESTION 1-2
MB609 Capstone: Case and Industry Analysis
Lesson 1: An
Overview of Small Business Economics
Upon completion of the
Required Readings, write a thorough, well-planned narrative answer to the
following discussion question. Rely on your Required Readings and the
Lecture and Research Update for specific information to answer the discussion
question, but turn to your original thoughts when asked to apply, evaluate,
analyze, or synthesize the information. Your Discussion Question response
should be both grammatically and mechanically correct, and formatted in the
same fashion as the question itself. If there is a Part A, your response
should identify a Part A, etc. In addition, you must appropriately cite
all resources used in your responses and document in a bibliography using APA
style.
Discussion Question
2 (50 points)
Having
successfully brought a new product to market, you are now ready to take your
company public. Discuss how each of the following economic indicators may
affect the environment for the launching of your initial public offering
(IPO). Overall, how soon should you launch a public offering given the
cyclic nature of the economy? (50 points) (A 2-page response is
required.)
1. Nominal Gross Domestic Product (NGDP): The nominal gross
domestic product is increasing at the rate of 2.6% annually, while the Real
Gross National Product (RGNP) is rising only 2.3%.
2. Consumer Price Index (CPI): The Consumer Price Index has been
rising at a fraction of a percent per quarter for each of the last four (4)
quarters.
3. Discount Rate: The Federal Reserve has announced a reduction
in the discount rate of 0.5% and hinted that further cuts may be forthcoming.
4. Unemployment Rate: The rate of unemployment is holding steady,
although the rate of new claims is declining somewhat.
MB609
Discussion Question 2-1
DISCUSSION
QUESTION 2-1
MB609
Capstone: Case and Industry Analysis
Lesson 2:
Strategy Implementation, Staffing, and Directing
Upon
completion of the Required Readings, write a thorough, well-planned narrative
answer to the following discussion question. Rely on your Required
Readings and the Lecture and Research Update for specific information to answer
the discussion question, but turn to your original thoughts when asked to
apply, evaluate, analyze, or synthesize the information. Your Discussion
Question response should be both grammatically and mechanically correct, and
formatted in the same fashion as the question itself. If there is a Part
A, your response should identify a Part A, etc. In addition, you must
appropriately cite all resources used in your responses and document in a
bibliography using APA style.
Discussion Question 1 (50 points)
Describe the three (3) basic types of
organizational structures and the challenges/crises faced by the organization
as it moves through each stage of corporate development. In addition,
describe the matrix and network organizational structures. Discuss when
their use is appropriate. (50 points) (A 2-page response is
required.)
MB609
Discussion Question 2-2
DISCUSSION
QUESTION 2-2
MB609
Capstone: Case and Industry Analysis
Lesson 2:
Strategy Implementation, Staffing, and Directing
Upon
completion of the Required Readings, write a thorough, well-planned narrative
answer to the following discussion question. Rely on your Required
Readings and the Lecture and Research Update for specific information to answer
the discussion question, but turn to your original thoughts when asked to
apply, evaluate, analyze, or synthesize the information. Your Discussion
Question response should be both grammatically and mechanically correct, and
formatted in the same fashion as the question itself. If there is a Part
A, your response should identify a Part A, etc. In addition, you must
appropriately cite all resources used in your responses and document in a
bibliography using APA style.
Discussion Question 2 (50 points)
Briefly discuss twelve (12) reasons why
strategy implementation can fail and twelve (12) safeguards that can prevent
implementation from failing. An APA-formatted bibliography is
required. (50 points) (A 2-page response is required.)
MB609
Discussion Question 3-1
DISCUSSION
QUESTION 3-1
MB609
Capstone: Case and Industry Analysis
Lesson 3:
Strategic Evaluation and Control
Upon
completion of the Required Readings, write a thorough, well-planned narrative
answer to the following discussion question. Rely on your Required
Readings and the Lecture and Research Update for specific information to answer
the discussion question, but turn to your original thoughts when asked to
apply, evaluate, analyze, or synthesize the information. Your Discussion
Question response should be both grammatically and mechanically correct, and
formatted in the same fashion as the question itself. If there is a Part
A, your response should identify a Part A, etc. In addition, you must
appropriately cite all resources used in your responses and document in a
bibliography using APA style.
Discussion Question 1 (50 points)
Define benchmarking and
describe the six (6) steps involved in evaluating performance using this
method. What are the benefits of benchmarking? (50 points) (A
2-page response is required.)
MB609
Discussion Question 3-2 (2022)
DISCUSSION
QUESTION 3-2
MB609
Capstone: Case and Industry Analysis
Lesson 3: Strategic
Evaluation and Control
Upon
completion of the Required Readings, write a thorough, well-planned narrative
answer to the following discussion question. Rely on your Required
Readings and the Lecture and Research Update for specific information to answer
the discussion question, but turn to your original thoughts when asked to
apply, evaluate, analyze, or synthesize the information. Your Discussion
Question response should be both grammatically and mechanically correct, and
formatted in the same fashion as the question itself. If there is a Part
A, your response should identify a Part A, etc. In addition, you must
appropriately cite all resources used in your responses and document in a
bibliography using APA style.
Discussion Question 2 (50 points)
Respond to each of the items below. (50
points) (A 2-page response is required.)
a. List the five (5) basic steps in financial
analysis.
b. Why do you believe these steps would be important when
conducting a financial analysis?
c. Provide two (2) examples of liquidity ratios and two (2)
examples of profitability ratios. For each, include their meaning and how
they are expressed.
MB609
Activity 4 Technology and Innovation (2022)
ACTIVITY
4
MB609
Capstone: Case & Industry Analysis
Lesson 4:
Strategic Management of Innovation and Technology
Activity 4: Technology and Innovation
The
increasingly important role of technology and innovation in modern strategic
management emphasizes that strategic managers have an obligation not only
to encourage new product and process development, but also to develop a system
to ensure that technology is being used most effectively to result in useful
innovations. The chapter also describes key issues and techniques under
the headings of environmental scanning, strategy formulation, strategy
implementation, and evaluation and control. To demonstrate your
understanding of these concepts, respond to the following. Cite any sources you
use in an APA-formatted bibliography. Your Activity responses should be both
grammatically and mechanically correct and formatted in the same fashion as the
Activity itself. If there is a Part A, your response should identify a
Part A, etc. In addition, you must appropriately cite all resources used
in your response and document them in a bibliography using APA style.
(100 points) (A 4-page response is required.)
Part
A How should a corporation scan the
external environment for new technological developments? Who should be
responsible?
Part
B What is technology research and how
does it differ from market research?
Part
C What is the importance of product
and process R&D to competitive strategy?
Part
D What factors help determine whether
a company should outsource a technology?
Part
E How can a company develop an
entrepreneurial culture?
Grading Rubric
Please refer to the rubric on the following page for the
grading criteria for this assignment.
MB609F
Activity 5 Nonprofit Organizations
ACTIVITY
5
MB609
Capstone: Case & Industry Analysis
Lesson 5:
Nonprofit Organizations
Activity 5: Nonprofit Organizations (100
points)
Select a nonprofit organization of your
choice. Using the Internet, journal articles, and other sources of
information, provide the following information and address the following issues
related to the organization. An APA-formatted bibliography is required.
Your Activity responses should be both grammatically and mechanically correct
and formatted in the same fashion as the Activity itself. If there is a
Part A, your response should identify a Part A, etc. In addition, you
must appropriately cite all resources used in your response and document them
in a bibliography using APA style. (100 points) (A 4-page response
is required for the combination of
Parts A, B, C, D, and E.)
Part A Provide
an overview of the organization's history and purpose.
Part B Discuss
the organization's financial and performance fluctuation.
Part C Evaluate
Corporate Governance and the Board of Directors.
Part D Discuss
the internal environment (corporate structure, culture, and resources).
Part E Explain
whether you think the organization has made the correct strategic decisions and
if you feel that they are or are not poised for future success.
MB609
Activity 6 Small Businesses and Entrepreneurial Ventures
ACTIVITY
6
MB609
Capstone: Case & Industry Analysis
Lesson 6:
Competitive Intelligence
Activity 6: Small Businesses and
Entrepreneurial Ventures (100
points)
Although
many small companies have a number of reasons for not using strategic
management practices, strategic management is being used successfully by a
growing number of them. This Activity asks you to discuss the important
issues for small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures under the headings of
strategy formulation, strategy implementation, and evaluation and
control. To demonstrate your understanding of these concepts, respond to
the following. Cite any sources you use in an APA-formatted bibliography. Your
Activity responses should be both grammatically and mechanically correct and
formatted in the same fashion as the Activity itself. If there is a Part
A, your response should identify a Part A, etc. In addition, you must
appropriately cite all resources used in your response and document them in a
bibliography using APA style. (100 points) (A 4-page response is
required.)
Part
A In terms of strategic management,
how does a new venture's situation differ from that of an ongoing small
company?
Part
B How should a small company engage
in environmental scanning? To what aspects of the environment should
management pay most attention?
Part
C What considerations should
small-business entrepreneurs keep in mind when they are deciding whether a
company should follow a growth or a stability strategy?
Part
D How does being family-owned (as
compared to being publicly owned) affect a firm's strategic management?
Part
E If the owner/manager of a small
company asked you for some advice concerning the introduction of strategic
planning, what would you tell her?
No comments:
Post a Comment