Week 2 Discussions and Required ResourcesAssignment: This is a two-part assignment. Each part must be at least 200 words unless otherwise noted. Please read all attachments and follow ALL instructions

Assignment: This is a two-part assignment. Each part must be at least 200 words unless otherwise noted. Please read all attachments and follow ALL instructions.

To receive full credit you must include at least 2 citations of scholarly support to your answers for each discussion post (i.e. Discussion One - 2 citations, Discussion Two - 2 citations). Citations should be within your post and include (Author, year, page number) if you are using a quote, page number is not required if you are paraphrasing. Just listing references and not using them in your post does not count as a citation or support. You can use your textbook as scholarly support and remember to include a reference for the support cited.

Part 1: Strategy in Action

Consider the Greener Venue video entitled The Assist – link to video in Required Resources below

Using the Green-to-Gold Plays discussed in this week’s reading assignment, identify one “downside” (chapter 4) that is being managed and one “upside” (chapter 5) that is being built by the businesses portrayed in this video. (See helpful summary chart on page 104). Explain why you believe that this video is successful or not successful in addressing the “downside” and the “upside” that you have identified.

Considering the Green to Gold plays, which strategic task (pp. 103-104) do you believe this video addresses or attempts to address?

If this video were made widely available to the public and to other businesses, do you think that it would affect consumer expectations and behavior related to entertainment and sports venues? Do you think it would affect the behavior of other sports venues and businesses that were not part of this video’s production? How might consumer expectations and behavior impact the competitive advantage of the sports venues and businesses that developed this video? Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

Part 2: Managing the Downside & Building the Upside

Imagine a company that wishes to immediately move towards securing an eco-advantage in the marketplace. Is building the upside more important or less important than managing the downside in the short-term? What about in the long-term? Why? Provide one example of a company that is not discussed in this week’s reading that seems to have adopted your position on this matter. Explain.

Required Resources

Text

Esty, D.C., & Winston, A.S. (2009). Green to gold: How smart companies use environmental strategy to innovate, create value, and build competitive advantage. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

· Chapter 4: Managing the Downside

· Chapter 5: Building the Upside

Multimedia

United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2013). The assist [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/region8/greenervenues/GreenContestPromoLong.wmv/

Website

International Institute for Sustainable Development. (2010). Eco-plays framework Retrieved from http://www.eco-advantage.com/downloads.php

· This site supports the Eco-Plays Framework assignment for this week.

Recommended Resources

Articles

Jervis, R. (2009, March 12). Exploring new energy strategies. USA Today. Retrieved from the EBSCOhost database.

· The full-text version of this article can be accessed through the EBSCOhost database in the Ashford University Library. This article, discussing why oil companies are going green, supports the chapter readings for this week.

Rooney, S. (2007). The value of a truly sustainable business strategy. Ecos, (138), 27-28. Retrieved from the EBSCOhost database.

· The full-text version of this article can be accessed through the EBSCOhost database in the Ashford University Library. This brief article discusses two Australian companies that have gained a competitive advantage over competitors by engaging in sustainable business strategy and supports the chapter readings for this week.