Assignment
Mini Case I: Apple
Examine Apple's evolution from near bankruptcy in 1997 to being the first company to cross the $1 trillion valuation threshold (in 2018):
1. What products (goods & services) did Apple provide and who were its main competitors in 1997?
2. What competitive challenges did Steve Jobs identify for Apple's computer business at that time?
3. What guiding policy did he create to address the challenges with the computer product line and to create "the next big thing"?
4. What set of actions followed, guided by this policy? How have Apple's product offerings evolved over the past two decades? Who are its main competitors today?
Mini Case II: BlackBerry
1. How did BlackBerry gain its leadership position in the smartphone industry (early 2000s to 2008)?
2. What PESTEL factors contributed to BlackBerry's initial success?
3. What external factors caused BlackBerry to lose it competitive advantage between 2008 and 2012?
4. What threats and opportunities did BlackBerry's management fail to see?
5. What role did PESTEL factors play? o What role did Porter's Five Forces play?
Mini Case III: Tesla
1. What was Elon Musk's vision/mission for Tesla? How has it evolved?
2. What was the Master Plan that Musk disclosed in 2006? How well has Tesla implemented it?
3. What competitive challenges did Tesla identify?
4. What guiding policy or approach did Tesla formulate to address these challenges?
5. What set of actions did Tesla take to implement the policy?
6. What is Tesla's 2016 Master Plan (Part Deux/2)?
7. What did Tesla identify as its competitive challenges going forward, in 2016?
8. What guiding policy or approach did Tesla formulate to address these challenges?
9. What set of actions is Tesla taking to implement the policy?