Business Management Case Analysis Report(3-4 pages)
BUS 405 Final Case Analysis Guidelines: I will assign each group a case from the case book
Case Analysis Guidelines - 1: Your case analysis should include the following sections.
Your group will be assigned a case. You may use outside sources in addition to the information given in the case. Groups will work as different companies. Assume each group resembles a company. You will be doing case analysis and take strategic decisions as you own the company assigned to you. Make sure to develop competitive advantage for your groups by doing excellent analysis, apply and demonstrate learning and do good presentations. Each group can have their own strategies to develop competitive advantage for their presentations and written case analysis. You can be creative in doing presentations. Be professional in presenting.
Case analysis has two parts: All are group activities
Case analysis presentation: 15 minute presentation and 5 minute Q & A session. Presentation can have the sections (such as PESTLD analysis, Porters five forces, Industry analysis, internal analysis, value chain analysis etc.) as your written report.
Case analysis written report: maximum 8 -10 pages in addition to cover page, content page, appendices and references. Must organize the paper with major headings and subheadings, at least 1” margins, double spaced, keep white space between headings. Must have in-text citations and references as per APA guidelines.
In your written case analysis report you may include the following sections and analysis. I encourage you all to be creative.
Introduction to the company. It should have a brief summary of what the company is, products, markets, profitability and a brief history and leadership competencies.
Analyze the strategic leadership and how does it impact on company’s success or failure?
Analyze the vision and a mission statement. If needed recommend a new mission statement for the future. Justify why do you need to improve.
Conduct a critical analysis of the company’s current strategies. Are they at what level? (corporate, business, functional or international)
Perform a SWOT Analysis and apply the concepts you learn. The following concepts are examples. I will give you more detailed guidelines for case analysis during my lectures.
Conduct a Thorough External Analysis. The following are essential components
3.1 General Environment (PESTLD) analysis to identify opportunities and threats (as available)
Physical
Economic
Sociocultural
Technological
Legal/Political
Demographic
3.2 Industry Environment Analysis - Industry analysis: Apply Porter’s five forces model. You may also add the 6th force component as well.
Level of Rivalry
Power of Buyers
Power of Suppliers
Threat of Substitution
Barriers to Entry & Exit
Competitor analysis
Complementary companies
Industry Life Cycle Analysis
Competitor analysis
Summary of opportunities and threats that you will aim to formulate new strategies.
Internal Analysis
Conduct an Internal Organizational Analysis to identify strengths and weak areas to formulate strategies. You may analyze internal resources, competencies and capabilities of the company (Use the following models and concepts)
3.5 Analyze and discuss the current competitive advantages of the company.
3.6 Use resource based approach to analyze resources, core-competencies and capabilities including organizational culture.
3.7 Conduct a Value Chain Analysis - identify functional areas that need to improve through proposed functional level strategies and strong areas that can further develop to create competitive advantage.
3.8 Perform ratio analysis of the company performance and compare and contrast with competitors’ performance.
Identify key issues that need to address through new strategies. You will have the opportunity to develop new strategies at various levels for a company. Apply key concepts such as Porter’s generic strategies.
4.Proposed Strategies
Identify key areas to formulate strategies at various levels. You may use Porter’s generic strategy model to select the best strategy. Select corporate level, business level, functional level, and global /international level strategies as appropriate. Strategies can also be various forms of Porter’s generic strategy model. Differentiation, low price cost leadership, diversification, related/unrelated, entry modes to new markets/local/global.
Competitive Advantage
5. Discuss how your proposed strategies will create competitive advantage and growth of the company. You may use four pillars of competitive advantage. Discuss your rationale and support with good examples from the case. Compare and contrast with competitor analysis.
6. Recommendations; identify strategies at different levels. You may also add recommendations for other areas such as leadership, structure and so on.
7. Lastly have a strong conclusion.
References
Appendices: Use appendices to give illustrations, data analysis, summary tables and graphics to support your analysis, arguments and rationale.
Note: Overall, I expect high level of critical thinking and analysis. Your report must present in an appealing manner with consistent margins with white space. Report should well organize with major headings and sub headings. Once you completed the report, please check language, grammar, fonts, and appearance. It should be double spaced. Overall, readability is important.
A sample report template will be uploaded to the Blackboard.
Grading Criteria – Case Analysis: Case Analysis consists of an oral presentation and a written report. Please give printed copies of both presentation and written report to the professor before your presentation.
Oral Presentation: Oral Presentation: Approx. 15 minutes plus 5 minute Q &A. Deliver a paper copy of visual aids to the Professor before starting the presentation. Higher level of professionalism is expected in presentations.
Demonstrate mastery of application of concepts presented in the course. Follow assignment guidelines as presented in class. Case analysis should include deeper analysis of the issues/problems of the company. It contains an external analysis: PESTLD analysis, Industry life cycle analysis, apply Porter’s five force model and competitor analysis. Internal analysis of the organization must include resource based approach, value chain analysis, and ratio analysis. Thus, identify major threats, opportunities from external environment and strengths and weaknesses of internal functional areas of an organization that need changes. Once you identify areas that need strategies, recommend strategies at functional, business, corporate, global or international levels as appropriate. Discus how proposed strategies create competitive advantages and your conclusion. (See 405 Oral Communication Rubric at the end of this syllabus).
Written Paper: Demonstrate mastery and application of concepts presented in the course. Follow assignment guidelines as presented in class. Written Analysis (Maximum 8-10 pages double spaced plus 5 pages of exhibits). Exhibits provide detailed support for your statements in the body of the paper. Exhibits should be referenced in the appropriate section of the body of the paper. (See 405 Written Communication Rubrics). Paper should be about 8-10 pages except cover page, content, reference page and appendices. Case analysis guidelines will be discussed in class.
NOTE: Please read the end of this syllabus to learn other class policies such as attendance and participation.
