Assignment:
At the conclusion of Baidu's final strategic planning session, Robin Li (Cofounder, Chairman, and CEO) assigned you to prepare a written report and announcement that would be presented to the company's shareholders and included in a public statement. The purpose of the report is to summarize the strategic direction for Baidu moving forward and to highlight key decisions made to exploit the company's capabilities, address competitive realities, maximize performance, and secure a long-term position for the company.
Your report should address the following key strategic issues:
• Summarize Baidu's current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT).
• Define the company's strategic goals.
• Discuss the characteristics of Baidu's competitive landscape and the need for strategic flexibility.
• Considering the company's current situation, summarize the strategic direction Li has decided to pursue.
• Explain how this strategy will stand up against the competition and conditions in the industry.
• Discuss the uncertainties and risks of doing business in different regions throughout the world.
• Discuss the elements and objectives of Baidu's cooperative strategy. What potential risks can interfere with achievement of immediate and long-term strategic goals? How should Baidu protect itself to sustain success?
Review a Case Study: United Airlines
Make a 3- to 4-page report in a Microsoft Word document
As the industry watches to see how United Airlines' strategy performs against American Airlines' strategy, management at United Airlines is anxiously monitoring market signs to determine its next competitive move. It has underestimated American Airlines in the past, and despite the fact that with billions of dollars invested and strategies that cannot be easily abandoned, United Airlines needs to be prepared to respond to changing industry needs as quickly as they are detected.
You have been asked to join a strategic planning discussion, and hoping to contribute to the meeting, you decide to take one more look at United Airlines' situation to see if you can formulate some insight that could give the company an edge against American Airlines.
Your analysis should include the following elements:
• Compare the two competitor's strategies. Based on your knowledge of the industry, what conclusions can you draw?
• Outline a rough competitor analysis. What does the level of interdependence between the rivals reveal about competitive behavior that can be expected from American Airlines?
• Evaluate the pros and cons of United Airlines outsourcing strategy. Do you agree with the company's decision to offloadparts production?
• Review United Airlines cooperative strategy. What are the risks of its partnership arrangements?
• Discuss the ways in which United Airlines can improve international strategy.
• Identify and describe some of the near-term and long-term results you anticipate in the airplane production industry.
You must Support your responses with examples.
You must Cite any sources in APA format.