Please read the case study and the requirements and prepare business plan report.
Section 1
Your Individual chosen Case Study business plan report
To complete this assignment you are required to produce a business plan report suitable for consideration by the management team of your chosen case study company in the context of the strategic challenges facing the company.
Your report should be between 4,000 words and a maximum of 4,500 words. Penalties apply for exceeding the word count. No formal penalties apply for using fewer than 4,000 words but in so doing you may be penalizing yourself as it is likely to be challenging to respond to the requirement in less than 4,000 words. When combined with Section 2 the total word count should not exceed 6,000 words. State an accurate word count at the end of this Section. Failure to do so will result in a 5 mark penalty.
In producing your business plan report you should:
a) Identify, explore and evaluate alternative strategies for developing the business.
b) In undertaking a) above, research the relevant ‘real world' industry, market and business environment the company is situated in. You should use a combination of relevant real world primary and/or secondary research to provide the basis upon which your strategic choices are made.
c) Arising out of a) and b) above, set out a compelling five year business plan report designed to enhance shareholder value. You may use your own definition of shareholder value but must explain and justify it. The plan may identify a Page 3 of 6 range of strategies for consideration but should ultimately put forward your recommendation with evidenced justification.
d) Identify specific KPIs to assist in measuring to what degree shareholder value is being enhanced.
e) Review your proposed plan, and identify and assess the key risks within it.
You should include graphs, tables and figures within the main body of the report where appropriate. You may also wish to include extracts of your spreadsheet planning model results within your business plan report to strengthen your justifications and evidence.
If you carry out any primary research you should include relevant extracts within an appendix as part of the evidence of carrying out that primary research.
Where you carry out secondary research you should ensure you reference appropriately.
If you submit a business plan report that does not match the choice of case study made by Wednesday 10th May 2017 or allocated to you because you did not select a case, you will receive zero marks for Section 1.
Section 2
Your Individual Reflective piece
This relates to two main areas: the Icarus activity and your final business case study.
The total word count for Section 2 is 1,000 - 1,500 words maximum.
Penalties apply for exceeding the word count. No formal penalties apply for using fewer than 1,000 words but in so doing you may be penalizing yourself as it is likely to be challenging to respond to the requirement in less than 1,000 words. When combined with Section 1 the total word count should not exceed 6,000 words.
State an accurate word count at the end of this Section. Failure to do so will result in a 5 mark penalty.
Context and Requirement
Context
"We do not learn so much from experience as we do from reflecting on our experience." - John Dewey
John Dewey (1859-1952) is considered by some to be one of the most influential thinkers about the philosophy of education in the twentieth century. His writings in Dewey, J. (1933) How We Think. A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process (Revised edn.), Boston: D.C. have inspired many of those involved in the education process - educators and students. His ideas are located in more recent, populist writings, illustratively:
Harry stared at the stone basin. The contents had returned to their original, silvery white state, swirling and rippling beneath his gaze.
" What is it?" Harry asked shakily.
"This? It is called a Pensieve," said Dumbledore. " I sometimes find, and I am sure you know the feeling, that I simply have too many thoughts and memories crammed into my mind."
"Err," said Harry who couldn't truthfully say that he had ever felt anything of the sort.
"At these times" said Dumbledore, indicating the stone basin, " I use the Penseive. One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one's mind, pours them into a basin, and examines them at one's leisure. It becomes easier to spot patterns and links, you understand, when they are in this form.'
Excerpt from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, by J. K. Rowling
(Rowling, J.K., (2000) Harry Potter and the goblet of fire. London, Bloomsbury Publishing.)
Reflection is important within educational experiences. A reflective statement is a statement that captures thoughts about, perceptions of, a past experience, such as that you have experienced in your study of this module. They help us to understand past events and associated experiences and to learn lessons. Having written a reflective statement, it is then possible to analyse it and draw lessons about future decisions, behaviour and actions. Such a statement can focus on the consequences of the educational experience for work-related decisions, behaviour and actions, not least in the arena of confirming or amending professional work practices.
Section 2 Requirement
1. Look back over your Icarus rationale and minutes of meetings and any other correspondence you held with your team mates over the Icarus period (between 27th March and 12th May).
2. Take time to think about what you have learned from the various interactions, research tasks, performance analyses, and teamwork etc. that took place during each of the five rounds of play. Capture and articulate your experience, feelings and evaluation of this in terms of any personal and professional impact upon you.
3. Thereafter extend these applications to include:
a. Your learning and approach to the business plan report (section 1 of this assignment) and
b. ‘real world' situations - past, and/or current, and/or potential - leading you to illustrate how this has already impacted upon or will impact in the future upon your professional practice in your career.
4. Where appropriate, this should include a statement of changes you will have to enact to ensure that your professional practice is enhanced, and how you will set about enacting them.
In responding to this requirement you should, clearly, certainly refer to relevant MPAcc materials as appropriate. You are encouraged to also draw upon other materials, as appropriate, from other sources. Ensure that your response is not just descriptive but also reflects analysis, evaluation, conclusions, and plans. There are a number of sources freely available concerning the art and science of reflection. Feel free to draw upon such sources. Alternatively you may wish to read Appendix A of this document.
Attachment:- Business plan.rar