Introduction to provide an overview of the chosen business and the task at hand.
What is business strategy and what is meant by ‘the strategic context’.
Context analysis is a method to analyse the environment in which a business operates. Strategic context analysis considers the entire business, its internal and external environment.
Report should include:
a) Company Profile (in brief)
b) Mission statement (where organisation is and is going)
c) Aims, goals and objectives
d) Core Competencies?
e) Strategic intent – what is its overall strategic objective
This should be in general and then use your chosen business to illustrate your points
Explain the role of strategy to achieve mission, business objectives, goals, strategic intent and strategic direction.
Explain the strategy planning techniques (Boston Matrix) and apply to your business.
LO1: Analytical frameworks of the macro environment (P1)
Explain the appropriate frameworks used to analyse the macro environment (and apply them to your business)
Environmental Analysis: (PESTLE)
Stakeholder Analysis: (Stakeholder grid and stakeholder mapping)
Competitor Analysis (Porter’s Five Forces Model)
Strategic Positioning: (Ansoff’s Matrix)
Organisational Audit: (Benchmarking)
For M1 Critically analyse how the macro environment determines and informs your organisation’s strategic management decisions.
Remember Distinction (D1) criteria will be done as a separate piece of work to be completed at the end of Assignment 2 in order to incorporate all learning outcomes (LO1 – LO4).
LO2
Explain the internal environment, what are strategic capabilities and what are the key components of strategic capabilities (P2)
Explain and apply the appropriate frameworks (including SWOT, McKinsey’s 7S model, VRIO/VRIN framework, value chain analysis and cost benefit analysis) to analyse the internal environment and capabilities of your chosen organisation (P2).
Critically analyse how the internal environment assesses the strengths & weaknesses of your chosen organisation’s internal capabilities, structure and skill set (M2)
General
Assignment 1 is basically completing an external (P1) and internal (P2) analysis that provides a basis for strategic planning in general and applying it to your organisation.
Merit criteria requires you to critically analyse how the external environment informs your organisation’s strategic management decisions (M1) and critically analyse how the internal environment can have an impact on your chosen organisation’s capabilities etc. (M2)
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Assignment 2 (LO3 & LO4) requires you to devise a strategic plan based on your earlier environmental analysis and strategic positioning.
Evaluate the different types of strategic direction available to your organisation
Justify and recommend the most appropriate action and strategies
Produce a strategic management plan with strategies, objectives and tactics.