Module 1 - Case: STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PROCESS/VISION, MISSION, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Assignment Overview
The Case is an ongoing exercise, meaning that we will be thoroughly reviewing one company throughout our four modules. This session, we will be conducting a strategic analysis of the Coca-Cola Company.
Most companies have something that resembles a vision, mission, or set of values; or stated goals/objectives that define who the company is and how the company plans to do business. However, organizations may not always label these statements properly -calling a vision a mission, or calling their values a set of beliefs. Sometimes, companies do not have a mission statement at all, operating instead on a set of goals.
Required Reading
Hammonds, K. (2001). Michael Porter's big ideas, Fast Company, 44.
Case Assignment
In this assignment, you will be critically evaluating the vision, values, mission statement, and goals/objectives of the Coca-Cola Company.
Keys to the Assignment
After studying the background materials and completing the SLP, you are in an excellent position to evaluate a company's published mission, vision, values, and objectives/goals. This Case asks you to begin your strategic analysis of the Coca-Cola Company by evaluating the company's mission, vision, values, and goals. To do this, observe the following procedure:
• Step 1: Visit the official website of the Coca-Cola Company and identify the company's vision, mission, values, and goals. (Hint: You'll need to do some exploring and a certain amount of speculation-as the terms "vision" and "mission" (and sometimes even the term "company goals") are used interchangeably. Explore the "Our Company" and "Investors" links. Also, be sure that you look closely at the most recent Annual Reports.
• Step 2: Critically evaluate the mission, vision, values, and goals (again, you'll likely need to make decisions as to which is which). Use the criteria in the background materials to support your assessment of the quality of the company's mission, vision, values, and goals.
• Step 3: Determine which (if any) of the elements consider the goals and needs of specific stakeholder groups. Write down any examples.
• Step 4: Consider what changes are needed to improve the vision statement, the mission statement, the statement of company values, and the company's objectives and goals.
• Step 5: Write a 6-7 page paper addressing the above requirements. You must meet minimum length requirements, by responding to each step above with precision and with depth of critical thinking.
NOTE THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS AS WELL:
1. Use of proper APA style is required in this course. Therefore, prepare your Case with proper documentation of sources, using in-text citations and a complete end reference list. Refer to the Well-Written Papers. guide if you are not familiar with APA style.
2. Consider the Case as a formal business report that you are developing for the Board of Directors and CEO as the Coca-Cola Company consultant. This is a professional document. Follow the format below:
3. Note: You must use section headings to respond to all major requirements in all papers. Your section headings should appear similar to the following:
o Executive summary: This is a synopsis of the main points, conclusions, and recommendations made in the longer report. If you have never written an executive summary before, or would like a refresher, check this link: https://www.csun.edu/~vcecn006/summary.html
o Introduction: State the main purpose of the paper (thesis statement), what you hope to accomplish, and how you will go about doing it.
o Main Body: The "meat" of the paper. Emphasize analysis, not just description. Don't just give me facts - interpret them! Delineate separate topics or sections with appropriate use of headings.
• Executive Summary
• Introduction
• Company's Mission Statement and Analysis
• Company's Vision and Analysis
• Company's Values and Analysis
• Alignment of Company's Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals with Stakeholders' Interests
• Recommended Changes
• Conclusion
Assignment Expectations
Your paper will be evaluated using the grading rubric.
Tips and Suggestions
Note the following tips and suggestions:
• Business school case-study assignments are meant to offer practice opportunities for future businesspeople who are earning their MBA degrees. Consider yourself a consultant hired by the company to make these critical assessments. There are no right or wrong answers to the Case question, so long as your position is well-defended.
• Study the theoretical concepts provided in the Background materials section of the module, and identify main strategy concepts.
• Analyze the vision, mission statement, etc. according to the criteria presented in the Background materials. Be critical and do not let yourself be influenced by a company's "spin."
• Do not hesitate to criticize the current statements. In many instances, you may not be able to find information on the company's website. Many companies do not get this right.
• Include a cover page and reference page, in addition to the 6-7 pages of analysis described above.
• Include appropriate section headings.
• Cite and reference all sources, including those that you paraphrase. This means include citations and quotation marks for direct quotes of more than five words, and citations for information you have "borrowed" or paraphrased from other sources.
• Follow TUI Guidelines for Well-Written Papers.
• Submit your analysis by the end of this module.
Module 1 - SLP: STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PROCESS/VISION, MISSION, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Simulation
To begin the MGT599 SLP sequence, you first need to first run the simulation using the Default Decisions. In other words, use the prices and R&D percentages that are already there (do not change any decisions made by Joe Thomas).
Capture or collect the results for each product (X5, X6, and X7) for each year that you run the simulation. Copy (using Excel, by hand, or some other method) the financial results and marketing results, as well as the information provided by your Advisor.
REQUIRED READING:
Read the following scenario carefully before you proceed:
SCENARIO
It is December 15, 2015. Joe Thomas, the VP of Marketing at Clipboard Tablet Co., is smugly patting himself on the back for how well he has done with pricing and product development on the three products, X5, X6, and X7. Of course, Joe knows his strategy was not creative at all - i.e., he did not change any prices or R&D allocations over the four-year period (actually six years, counting 2010 and 2011). But he is certain that he really did not need to change anything anyway, and that his overall performance is proof of his good work.
Sally Smothers, the CEO of Clipboard Tablet Co., knows better, and she fires Joe (but why did she wait so long?).
You are hired to replace Joe. And now, here you are, on Dec. 15, 2015, as the V.P. of Marketing of the Clipboard Tablet Co. You are ready to move the company ahead into 2016. Your boss, Sally Smothers, expects you to make intelligent and informed product development and pricing decisions (after all, you are an MBA).
Session Long Project
Write a 6- to 7-page paper (not including cover and reference pages), using Sally's instructions, which follow:
Sally asks you to review the past four to six years to see what was going on in terms of product development, sales, pricing, and performance. You collect all of the data and write a report (your report is due on Sally's desk by January 2, 2016).
Using the default decisions (i.e., make no changes within the simulation), analyze Joe Thomas's decisions and results, and then write the report that Sally is requesting. Access the simulation site and collect the data for each year (or you can download a copy of it - see below). Determine where you believe Joe went wrong, and propose a new strategy. Support your revised strategy using financial analysis and relevant business theories.
KEYS TO THE ASSIGNMENT:
The key aspects to this assignment that are required to be covered in your paper include:
1. A review of each product - X5, X6, and X7 - its life cycle, and how each product stacks up in terms of price and performance.
2. Financial review for each product - X5, X6, and X7 - sales, costs, profitability, prices, unit margins, etc.
3. Market review: New Sales, Repeat Sales, Market Saturation, etc.
4. Propose an alternate strategy: A general idea of how you might do better with these products: what pricing and R&D allocations, etc., you would have put in place over the last four years, 2012 - 2015. In short, what would you have done differently than Joe Thomas at each decision point? Be specific!
SLP Assignment Expectations
Your paper will be evaluated using the grading rubric.
TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS:
Please note the following tips and suggestions:
• Include a cover page and reference page, in addition to the 6-7 pages of written analysis described above.
• Use section headings as appropriate. Use graphs, charts, or figures strategically - but do not use these as "space fillers." Include large tables or graphics in an Appendix instead.
• Cite and reference all sources that you use in your work, including those that you paraphrase. This means include citations and quotation marks for direct quotes, and citations for that information which you have "borrowed" or paraphrased from other sources.
• Follow TUI Guidelines for well-written papers.
NOTE: Throughout the SLP sequence, you will be asked to make business decisions under conditions of incomplete information and uncertainty. To do so effectively, you will need to make assumptions based on what you have learned throughout the MBA program as it relates to the ways in which markets operate. To this extent, you need to rely on models, financial analysis, and theories from such classes as Organization Behavior, Economics, Finance, Accounting, and Marketing. In addition, the simulation will give you some additional market information as you progress.
Be sure that you draw explicitly on concepts and theories from the courses you have taken throughout the MBA program. That means you must "think like an MBA" and use the various data you are given. You will have to crunch the numbers and present your data analysis professionally by creating some simple tables, charts, and graphs.