Assignment:
Strategic Planning in Dynamic Environments
Individual report
Assignment Overview
You have been retained as a strategy consultant to provide advice to a client. Your client has some specific questions for you about their competitive advantage, but they also want you to put your answer in context. What strategic theories will help them understand their position?
What is their environment like, and what is their advantage as a whole?
Write a report as indicated below in 'Assignment details' to help out your client.
Related learning outcomes
This assignment assesses the following unit learning outcomes:
1. comprehend and critique theories of strategy in a fast changing business environment
2. research, identify and utilise relevant strategic management concepts, frameworks, tools and techniques to develop, evaluate and communicate organisational strategies and evaluate their effectiveness
3. analyse an organisation's internal and external environment to understand the nature of competitive advantage at both business unit and corporate level
Assignment Details
Over the past five weeks, you have considered a number of key theories and models. Writing this report will allow you to apply the theories you have studied so far to real-world cases, which in turn will prepare you for making decisions and solving problems in your career.
To complete your report, you will need to:
1. Select for your desired Case study.
2. Conduct research for your report. You should consult books, journal articles, website materials, and your report should show that you have read widely.
3. Prepare a report responding to your prompt and case study.
Note: The report involves, not just directly answering the question, but also setting the answers of your question/s within the context of strategic analysis. This means setting the context in terms of internal/industrial/market/macro environmental considerations as appropriate.
Definitions of all major concepts used are required as part of the exercise. In this report, you are encouraged to:
• present the background of the case and the industry that is mentioned in the given case
• present the strategy and source of competitive advantage, and
• identify the number of key theories or models that could be used to analyse the case.
Readings:
Case Study- The Australian Supermarket Industry
By Paul Evans, University of Melbourne