Management Question

Capstone Assignment: Goal Tree Analysis

Course: Business Capstone

Assignment Title: Goal Tree Development for Container-Grown Barley Production and Sales

Industry Focus: Controlled-Environment Agriculture & Equestrian Feed Market

Location Context: Wellington, Florida

1. Assignment Overview

Strategic planning requires breaking down complex goals into actionable components. One tool for doing this is the Goal Tree, which visually and logically links an end goal to the objectives required to reach it and the conditions or prerequisites that must be satisfied for each objective.

In this assignment, you will develop a Goal Tree for a company that manufactures and/or sells barley grown in shipping containers for the equestrian community in Wellington, Florida. Your analysis must focus on either:

• The manufacturing/production process,
• The selling and distribution process,
• Or an integrated model that includes both.

You must also provide a written explanation demonstrating your understanding of how the Goal Tree functions as a planning and decision-making tool.

2. Learning Objectives

By completing this assignment, students will be able to:

1. Apply the Goal Tree framework to a real-world business scenario
2. Distinguish between goals, objectives, and conditions
3. Identify operational and market-based constraints
4. Demonstrate systems thinking in manufacturing and sales planning

3. Company Scenario

You are advising or designing a startup that:

Produces barley using container-based growing systems and sells the product to the equestrian community in Wellington, Florida.

You may define:

• The form of barley (grain, fodder, sprouted feed, specialty feed)
• Whether the focus is on manufacturing efficiency, market penetration, or both
• The scale (pilot operation or early commercial scale)

Assume realistic operational and market constraints.

4. Required Deliverables

Deliverable 1: Goal Tree Diagram (Visual)

Students must submit a Goal Tree diagram that includes:

• One clear End Goal
• 36 Objectives that directly support the goal
• 25 Conditions per objective that must be satisfied for success

Structure Requirements:

• End Goal at the top
• Objectives in the middle layer
• Conditions at the bottom layer
• Logical cause-and-effect relationships

Format Options:

• One-page Word Document or image
• Diagram created using PowerPoint, Lucidchart, Miro, Visio, or similar tools

Deliverable 2: Written Explanation (750-1,000 words)

Students must submit a written analysis that explains both:

1. The content of their Goal Tree, and
2. Understanding of the Goal Tree methodology itself

5. Goal Tree Framework (Guidance for Students)

End Goal

• What is the ultimate outcome the company is trying to achieve?
• Example: Establish a profitable and reliable container-grown barley supply for Wellingtons equestrian market.

Objectives

Objectives should:

• Be necessary to achieve the end goal
• Be measurable or observable
• Represent major strategic or operational milestones

Examples:

• Achieve consistent barley yield and quality
• Secure long-term sales contracts with equestrian clients
• Maintain cost-efficient container operations

Conditions (Necessary Conditions)

Conditions represent:

• Resources, constraints, or requirements
• Things that must be true for the objective to be achieved
• Operational, regulatory, technical, or market-related factors

Examples:

• Reliable power and water supply
• Skilled labor for controlled-environment systems
• Compliance with feed safety standards
• Customer willingness to pay premium prices

6. Written Explanation Requirements

(Demonstrating Understanding of the Goal Tree Concept)

Your written submission must address the following:

A. Explanation of the Goal Tree Concept

• What is a Goal Tree?
• How does it differ from a to-do list or simple hierarchy?
• Why is it useful in business planning and decision-making?

B. Explanation of Your End Goal

• Why was this end goal selected?
• How does it relate to manufacturing and/or selling barley?

C. Explanation of Objectives

• Why each objective is necessary
• How objectives collectively support the end goal
• Trade-offs or prioritization among objectives

D. Explanation of Conditions

• Why each condition is required
• Risks if conditions are not met
• Which conditions are within management control vs. external

E. Systems Thinking

• How failure at the condition level impacts objectives and the end goal
• Interdependencies among objectives (if applicable)

Strong submissions will clearly demonstrate cause-and-effect reasoning and not simply describe the diagram.

7. Grading Rubric (100 Points)

1. Goal Tree Structure & Accuracy (30 points)

Criteria	Points
Clear and appropriate end goal	10
Objectives logically support the goal	10
Conditions are necessary and relevant	10

2. Strategic Relevance to Barley Manufacturing/Sales (20 points)

Criteria	Points
Focus on production and/or selling processes	10
Appropriate use of industry and market context	10

3. Written Explanation & Conceptual Understanding (30 points)

Criteria	Points
Clear explanation of Goal Tree methodology	15
Demonstrates systems thinking and causality	15

4. Critical Thinking & Justification (15 points)

Criteria	Points
Justification of objectives and conditions	10
Identification of risks, constraints, or assumptions	5

5. Professionalism & Presentation (5 points)

Criteria	Points
Clarity, organization, grammar, formatting	5

8. Submission Instructions

• Submit the Goal Tree diagram and written explanation as a single PDF or two clearly labeled files.
• Diagrams must be readable and professionally formatted.
• All work must be original and properly cited if external sources are used.

WRITE MY PAPER