Case Study: A Strategic Management Seminar
Assignment Description: This assignment is not intended to be a full analysis of all the factors and conditions in the case or a list of all the facts and issues in the case. It is not a description, summary, or overview of the case. Instead, it is a concise analysis of one important underlying strategic factor (USF) that helps to understand or explain the circumstances in the case. You are to identify and analyze one (or a few related) factor(s) that you think is most important in the case, extract from the case the information relating to the factor, and use the methods of strategic management to analyze the issue and discuss its implications for the case. Everything in your analysis should be directed at this USF. You have to extract from the case the information relating to the particular factor(s) you identified, and exclude information not needed to analyze or understand the issue. This likely means that there will be information, activities, or events that are described in the case that you will leave out. Through the analysis you will demonstrate your understanding of a case, your judgment in identifying the core strategic issues that are important in a case, and your ability to apply the methods and concepts discussed in class to explain the circumstance in the case.
The key to a good case analysis is identifying the relevant underlying strategic factor(s). This goes beyond describing the conditions, or symptoms, presented in the case, and focuses on underlying issues that lead to the symptoms. A symptom is an indication that there is a problem in a company - low productivity, for example. You may be tempted to focus on the symptom, perhaps by increasing compensation, instead of looking for an underlying cause, such as an unproductive organizational culture. However, the symptoms usually cannot be addressed directly and the factors creating the symptoms are often not directly observable. Therefore, your case analysis must look beyond the obvious facts and circumstances described in the case and must examine the more fundamental issues. The observable symptoms must be explained by examining their underlying strategic causes. Think of yourself as an "organizational doctor." A good doctor does not just treat a symptom - a headache - the doctor tries to identify the cause of the pain - trauma, brain tumor, hangover - and treats the underlying disease. Just as a doctor has diagnostic procedures, you will have methods and procedures to examine a case, but it will depend on your judgment to determine which methods and models are useful, and to apply these conceptual tools using the appropriate information from the case.
Not all cases present problems. Many descriptive cases are about firms that have faced strategic issues and created and implemented strategies to maintain competitive advantage. In these cases the USF will not relate to a problem but instead will relate to some aspect of the strategy that has been implemented by the firm. Your analysis should examine how and why the strategy was/not successful and whether it will lead to sustainable competitive advantage.
Limit your analysis to the period of the case. Do not update the case or take advantage of knowledge of events subsequent to the ending date of the case. Any information you use from outside sources must be properly referenced, except information from the case itself, from class lectures, or from the textbook. These you can take to be common knowledge. Do not waste space summarizing the basic facts in the case. You can assume that I have read the case and am familiar with the basic facts, so you do not have to repeat large pieces of factual information. You should only include the facts, data, and circumstances that are necessary to support your analysis and conclusions.
The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate your understanding of the concepts and theories discussed in the class, your ability to apply these systematically to a particular business situation, and your ability to convey the results. The use of appropriate "strategy language" is important. It demonstrates your grasp of fundamental concepts and provides confidence in your analysis and recommendations. Avoid flowery language (a thesaurus can provide impressive words, but they aren't always appropriate) and unsupported opinions. Do not use phrases like "I think . . . ," "I feel . . . ," "I believe . . .," "It is obvious . . .," etc. Instead, you should be able to state "My analysis shows . . . .," or "My assessment of the situation described is . . . ." This demonstrates the rational and logical process you have used to develop your arguments and reach your recommendations or conclusions.
The case factor analysis is to be written as a formal business report that communicates clearly and concisely your analysis and recommendations. It is to be between ten pages in length, double spaced, twelve point font, one inch margins on all four edges of your paper. You may add a cover page and an additional page for graphs, charts, tables, figures, or references. Use major and sub-headings to clearly identify sections of the paper. Papers that are longer than twelve pages or that do not conform to the specified format will not be accepted. All papers are due at the beginning of class on the assigned date. No late or make-up work will be accepted.
Information related to above question is enclosed below:
Attachment:- ConsoliCaseAnalysisSummer2018.rar