Strategic Planning
Select one company from the list at the end of this section, undertake the following:
1. Strategic Corporate Development History: Research, describe and give a succinct account of the strategic development history of the company you choose set within the context or the industry to which it belongs over the past 5 to 25 years, choosing the duration of time for the study most appropriate for understanding the recent strategic development of the company. In particular identify the strategy(ies) that the company has been pursuing and any apparent changes in strategy that the company has made during the period under consideration.
2. Current Strategic Situation: Undertake an evaluation and appraisal of the company's current strategic situation at the time of writing, using any research sources appropriate to support your analysis. Pay particular attention to the company's strategic macro, industry and competitive environment, changes and trends in that environment and the company's endowment of internal and external resources, capabilities, structure, organization and stakeholder power. Give a synopsis of the company's strategic situation in a way which is meaningful for the strategic choices the company's senior managers are able to make for the future.
3. Strategic Direction for the future: Based on your research and analysis undertaken for sections 1 and 2 above, explore a limited range of choices available to the company for the future. Evaluate and assess the choices available leading to recommendations for the company of your choice's strategic route forward. Make clear the assumptions you have made and present your recommendations in a way that accommodate uncertainties and changes that might occur to the recommendations in the event of the occurrence of specified contingencies or changes in assumptions.
The Companies you may choose from and for which case studies are available and will be issued to provide a starting point (NOT the finish point) for the study as enumerated under 1 to 3 above are:
Marks and Spencer, the UK and the international multiple outlet retail industry
Starbucks and the international coffee and branded restaurant industry
AirAsia and the international civil aviation industry
Honda and the international motor and combustion engine industry
Additional Requirement
This question ias a part of marketing is about strategic development. From the given list of companies, one company needs to be chosen and its strategic development over the years must be discussed. Marks & Spencer has been chosen for this question and their history, strategy over the years has been discussed in detail in the solution.
Word limit 4260