1. (a) What are the three stages in strategic management? Which stage is more analytical? Which relies most on empowerment to be successful? Which relies most on statistics? Justify your answers.
(b) Discuss the extent to which strategic-planning concepts would be applicable to managing and making decisions in your life.
2. (a) Identify a case in which a U.S. company expanded its business beyond local boundaries. Discuss the global challenges that the firm faced and explain why this might be a strategic issue.
(b) Compare and contrast American business culture vs. another culture that you are familiar with; explain why this might be a strategic issue.