Assignment: Case Study
Read the case titled 'Home Pharmaceuticals' in the assignment. This case is applicable to both Case Study Assignment and the examination. You are required to analyse this case and answer the questions below.
After reading and analysing the case Home Pharmaceuticals carefully, please respond to the following questions. Use the headings and subheadings as shown below to present your answers.
Title page
The USQ Cover sheet should not be included. The first page of your assignment must be a title page where the following information must be included:
- Assignment title
- Full name and student number
- Actual word count (not the required word count but the actual number of words in your assignment (excluding the title page, List of References, and words in tables/figures).
- Email address or contact phone number (If there is a problem with your assignment, it is useful to have your details so that I can contact you directly).
Please present the title page as a separate page.
1. Summarise the Industry and Market Information (300 words)
Based on the information provided in the case, summarise the industry and market background for Home Pharmaceuticals. Present this in your own words and outline aspects such as the industry in general, current industry trends, competition in the industry, the state of the global market, state of the Australian market, and any other fact that might be relevant background that can be used in preparing future strategies.
2. Industry analysis: PESTEL Analysis (+/- 400 words)
2.1 Introduction
Explain what the PESTEL tool is used for and how it assists in strategy development. Use theory to support your explanations. Use your text but also other theory sources to add depth to your explanation. It is important that you explain the link to strategy development here.
2.2 Figure 1: PESTEL analysis
Draw the PESTEL framework as presented in your text, (Grant et al. 2014, p.115) and populate each block with data from the case, using bullet points. The six elements as well as the middle block, the industry environment, must be populated. Make sure that the reader understands what the case study fact is that you are identifying, one word in a bullet point may not be sufficient. For instance, for the element 'Political conditions', you have to ask yourself what the political situation in the country is and how this affects the pharmaceutical industry. Australia is a politically stable country that directly transpires to ease of doing business, government support as well as low levels of corruption. Australia's government is based on federal parliamentary democracy, with religious tolerance, freedom of speech and association. How do these facts affect the pharmaceutical industry? Bullet points in the Political conditions block can include, for instance: '*stable political situation supporting businesses'. As you can see, more than one word in the bullet point is presented to clarify the point.
For each element, identify a number of issues. The level of analysis of your case will be demonstrated in the population of each of the blocks.
Remember that the number of words included in the framework are not included in the word count. Here you can demonstrate the depth of your case analysis by including as many as possible relevant bullet points. I strongly suggest that you make good use of the frameworks!
2.3 Element narrative
From the bullet points identified for each of the elements in the framework, identify the top three (3) issues/environmental conditions that impact on the organisation. These three can include individual bullet points or a combination of the bullet points from one or more elements.
Explain how these environmental conditions might influence the organisation (Home Pharmaceuticals) in future and impact on future strategic planning. Also note the impact of these environmental conditions on suppliers, competitors and customers and how this impacts on future strategic planning.
Here you need to add theory to support your views (please see Point C & D above in the 'Important Instructions section). Make sure that you use your theory component to integrate the views and arguments of other authors (journal articles) with your own views rather than using theory only for definitions of elements.
3. Industry Analysis: Porter's Five Forces (+/- 400 words)
3.1 Introduction
Explain what Porter's Five Forces Framework is used for and how it assists in strategy development. Use theory to support your explanations. Use your text but also other theory sources to add depth to your discussion.
3.2 Figure 2: Porter's five forces framework (extended version)
Draw 'Porter's Five Forces Framework Extended with Complements' as presented in your text, (Grant et al. 2014, p.134) and populate each block with data from the case, using bullet points. Make sure that the reader understands what the case study fact is that you are identifying, one word in a bullet point may not be sufficient. Don't forget the Complements block!
Read Grant et al. (2014, pp. 121 - 134) for information about what each force entails. Note that the case study facts should be included here. It is very important that you are specific about the case study here, applying the theory to the case. Identify in the framework who the potential entrants, buyer and suppliers are, also what the substitutes are. You need to consider here the bargaining power of suppliers and buyers, the switching costs for suppliers, buyers and substitutes but also the threat of new entrants and substitutes.
Remember that the number of words included in the framework are not included in the word count. Here you can demonstrate the depth of your case analysis by including as many as possible relevant bullet points. I strongly suggest that you make good use of the frameworks!
3.3 Forces narrative
From the bullet points identified for each of the factors in the framework, identify the top three (3) issues/industry conditions that impact on the organisation. These three can include individual bullet points or a combination of the bullet points from one or more of the factors.
Explain how the micro environmental conditions (industry conditions) might influence the organisation (Home Pharmaceuticals) in future and impact on future strategic planning. Here you need to add theory to support your views (please see Point C & D above in the 'Important Instructions' section). Make sure that you use your theory component to integrate the views and arguments of other authors (journal articles) with your own views rather than using theory only for definitions of elements.
4. Industry Analysis: Key Success Factors (KSFs) (+/- 400 words)
4.1 Table 1: Key Success Factors
Draw up a KSF Table similar to Table 4.2 (Grant et al. 2014, p.145) for the pharmaceutical industry. Identify the external forces impacting on the pharmaceutical industry, list the likely industry responses as a whole (how the whole industry is currently responding to these forces) and then list Key Success Factors for the industry. Pay special attention to how you formulate these success factors (see Table 4.2 for examples) as they will be carried over and used in the examination to develop a range of strategies going forward.
4.2 KSF narrative
Theory discussion: Explain what KSFs are, how KSFs are identified for an industry, and how they are used in strategy development. Use theory to support your explanations. Your text (Grant et al. 2014, pp.143-4) explains the basic principles about how key success factors are identified. Do not copy Figure 4.8 (Grant et al. 2014, p.144) or the information from the text into your discussion. Here you need to add theory from at least three (3) journal articles to provide depth to your discussion.
5. Discuss the value of the rational models (such as PESTEL, Five Forces and KSFs) in contemporary strategic planning. (+/- 500 words)
Theory discussion: The Module 2 Readings address the use of strategic tools in modern strategic planning. In this section, discuss the value and role of rational models in practice. Conclude with your personal view about the issue, whether these strategic tools should be used or not in strategy development.
In Section 2.3.2 Strategic Tools and their Use in Practice of your Study Book (Module 2, p.11) the use of 'technical rational' models is addressed. Please do not copy information from the study book into your answer in this section. It is important that you read the views of the authors of the readings (Module 2 Readings) and develop your own opinion about the usefulness of these models in practice. In this section, additional theory sources are not required, only the relevant Module 2 readings should be used as theory to support your discussion. Remember to apply in-text referencing of these readings (and of course full references in the List of References) when you present the views obtained from these sources.
6. List of References
Include here a list of full references of all the in-text references that you included in your discussions. The case study should not be referenced here but your text and readings that you referenced should appear here. Only list those sources that you referred to in your written work. Make sure that you follow the correct Harvard AGPS method of referencing.
Attachment:- Assignment Files.rar