Present a critical strategic analysis of the current Strategic Change within the following case: Post Holdings buying Weetabix You are required to cover the following topics covered in the module:  S

Task

Present a critical strategic analysis of the current Strategic Change within the following case:

Post Holdings buying Weetabix

You are required to cover the following topics covered in the module:

 Strategic Position of the company

 Stakeholder Analysis

 External Analysis

 Industry Analysis

News & Web Links

The links below provide some starting points but students MUST add their own detailed research to develop the analysis:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39625715 https://www.weetabixfoodcompany.co.uk/press/news-archive/post-holdings-completesacquisition-of-weetabix https://www.postholdings.com/about/ https://www.ft.com/content/1c98e144-23aa-11e7-8691-d5f7e0cd0a16

The following structure is required for the submitted report:

 Introduction to the report

 An evaluation of the relevant levels of strategy

 A critical evaluation of the key stakeholders

 External Analysis – using PESTEL to identify and explore key trends

 Industry Analysis – using 5 Forces to critically analyse the relevant industry factors

 Conclusion

The coursework is an individual piece of work. It will be 3,000 words, inclusive of appendices (+/- 10%). Please note that text in diagrams or tables will count towards the word count.

It is important that attention be focused on a strategic appraisal of the company as opposed to providing lots of interesting facts over what interests you or what you find on the internet. Assessment will focus on students’ abilities in applying strategic models and frameworks in a coherent manner that enables them to develop a clear strategic view of the strategic position being studied. You do not need to reference many academic sources in this element of the assessment, but you must reference sources of company or market information. Furthermore, you must reference sources for any theoretical background that you decide to include.

Marking criteria are:

Indicative Percentage

Criteria

30% Application of Frameworks and models The required frameworks and models introduced in the assignment task should be applied correctly to identify the key issues emerging relevant to the business example selected. 60% Depth of Strategic Evaluation. Key strategic factors should be critically evaluated to develop the required depth of analysis of the business example selected. A strong analysis needs to be evidence based rather than appear to be personal opinion so must draw on relevant sources e.g. news & media, industry publications, company web pages and documentation 10% Clarity of Structure and Presentation The report is well organised and logically constructed, following the layout indicated in the assignment task. The quality of writing, spell checking, grammar and referencing need to demonstrate accuracy to ensure the reader can focus on the analysis provided

(The marks for each criterion are to illustrate where the main effort should be spent)

Please remember that an assignment is not meant to DESCRIBE what you have found. Analysis means commenting on your findings and EXPLAINING what the evidence suggests about the company.

Marking Criteria

 Introduce the case event

a. Provide a brief overview of the case to set the key themes to be explored

b. Avoid an overlong description of the company

 An evaluation of the levels of strategy relevant to this case i.e. Corporate, SBU a. Students should identify the generic position that guides the company activity b. Use Bowman’s clock (using products/services to illustrate the way the strategy is being met) to structure the analysis of strategic position c. Come to a clear understanding of the company’s position. They need to clearly determine how and why a differentiation strategy has been developed d. Use rivals sparingly to clarify the strategic intent of the company. Should avoid overcomplicating models e. Link to the Industry analysis that is to follow

 An evaluation of the key stakeholders a. Identify and consider the relevance of a range of stakeholders that are impacted by the case study b. Map the positions of main stakeholders and analyse the impact on the company

 A critical analysis of the main external factors driving the strategy/ ies being explored a. Need to do a PEST or variation first then 5 Forces b. Analysis should focus on the KEY drivers of change rather than cover every issue found c. The PEST must not focus on what the company is doing but identify trends in the environment d. Models will probably contain more examples than the analysis explores. This is fine as long as the analysis has picked on the main themes

 A critical analysis of the industry factors impacting on the competitive position of the company a. There should be an awareness of how the PEST and 5 Forces are linked b. Draw out and analyse the key themes that are impacting on the varied forces c. Avoid just listing a series of bullet points that offer no discussion of impact d. Develop the competitive advantage analysis with an understanding of group mapping e. Provide examples of competitive characteristics that illustrate the nature of the competitive position

 Conclusions & Recommendations a. Draw the main aspects of the analysis together b. Set out key points considered for strategic development

For completing this assignment successfully, you must read carefully the assignment brief to ensure that you address all of the requirements of the assignment.

A strong assignment submission must include the following:

 Relevance

 Good Portion of Knowledge

 Consistent Analysis

 Argument Structure

 Critical Evaluation

 Good Presentation

 Reference to Literature

In order to complete this activity you need to consider the following:

(1) Utilise academic research using literature from journals, books, Google Scholar, etc. – Do not use unreliable sources such as Wikipedia, Investopedia, blogs or other non-professional or non-refereed articles. At this level of study it is expected that you use a wide-range of sources to support your discussion and analysis.

(2) Undertake a critical evaluation making effective use of evidence and sources

(3) Present findings in an appropriate format (ensure that Harvard referencing is used)