Business Strategy Assignment
Overview
The vice president of corporate strategy at the headquarters of your selected firm (Virgin Group) has requested that you provide a business analysis of your key findings regarding the firm's business strategy:
• An overview of the generic strategy that seems to best describe the company's strategic approach,
• A discussion of key elements in the overall business strategy, and
• A review of the most important components of the company's business model.
Assignment Context
By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in these course competencies and assignment criteria:
• Competency 1 - Apply strategic theories, models, and best practices to understand and explain an organization's strategy.
o Explain the generic business strategies, including cost, differentiation, and focus or hybrid information, for the selected firm.
o Analyze what business strategies the firm is using in their marketplace approach. Provide examples of how they use the strategy to position itself in a competitive environment.
• Competency 2 - Analyze the fit of the internal elements (resources, capabilities, goals, structures, systems, and values) with the organizational strategy.
o Analyze the firm's business model.
• Competency 4 - Communicate in a manner that is professional and consistent with expectations for members of the business professions.
o Write coherently to support a central idea, and use current APA style and correct grammar, usage, and mechanics, as expected of a business professional.
Assignment Preparation
For this assignment, focus on the firm you selected in the Unit 1 study (Ford, Procter & Gamble, Virgin Group, or Build-Your-Own firm). As noted in that study, you will use this same firm for all of the assignments and activities in this course.
Use the Capella University Library, the Internet, your textbook case studies, or resources provided in Firm Research Information (linked in Resources) to find at least four current, scholarly, or professional resources that provide the information you need to complete this assignment.
Assignment Requirements
In 4-6 pages, provide a business analysis of the firm you selected. Your analysis should do all of the following:
• Explain the generic business strategies, including cost, differentiation, and focus or hybrid information, for the selected firm.
• Analyze what business strategies the firm is using in their marketplace approach. Provide examples of how they use the strategy to position itself in a competitive environment.
• Analyze the firm's business model. What are their core products? How does the firm make money? What is the customer value proposition? What is the profit proposition?
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.