Unit 7 Assignment: Comprehensive Strategic Management Analysis

Purpose

To evaluate your ability to synthesize cross-functional knowledge from throughout the course by conducting a comprehensive strategic analysis that integrates external and internal assessments, evaluates strategic alternatives, and creates detailed recommendations with implementation considerations.

Associated Skills

• Synthesize cross-functional knowledge to formulate comprehensive strategic solutions.
• Apply multiple strategic frameworks to analyze complex business situations.
• Develop strategic recommendations that account for global competitive pressures.
• Demonstrate professional judgment.
• Value systems thinking.

Evidence Statements:

• Synthesize cross-functional knowledge from throughout the course by conducting a comprehensive situation analysis that integrates external environmental assessment, internal capability evaluation, and competitive positioning using multiple strategic frameworks to formulate holistic strategic solutions.
• Evaluate strategic alternatives and current competitive advantage by applying appropriate analytical models to assess organizational strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats while considering ethical implications and global competitive dynamics in strategic decision-making.
• Create detailed strategic recommendations with implementation considerations that demonstrate integration of sustainability principles, ethical reasoning, and global market factors while exhibiting professional judgment and systems thinking in complex multi-faceted business situations.

Instructions

Part 1 Professional ePortfolio Development

Develop a professional ePortfolio using Google Sites (sites.google.com) that showcases your strategic management knowledge and skills. This ePortfolio will serve as a professional representation of your capabilities to potential employers or stakeholders.

Your ePortfolio should:

• Have a professional design and navigation structure
• Include an “About Me” section highlighting your professional background and strategic management expertise
• Contain artifacts from this course that demonstrate your strategic analysis capabilities
• Feature the strategic analysis you will create in Part 2 of this assignment
• Include any additional relevant work samples that showcase your strategic thinking

Part 2 Comprehensive Strategic Analysis

Analyze an organization’s strategic position and develop recommendations for implementation. The organization can be one you work for or the same organization you reviewed in your Unit 4 assignment.

Your analysis must include:

• Comprehensive Situation Analysis (One to two12 pages)
• External environmental assessment using frameworks such as PESTEL, Porter’s Five Forces, or industry analysis
• Internal capability evaluation examining resources, competencies, and value chain activities
• Competitive positioning analysis identifying the organization’s strategic group and competitive advantage
• Strategic Position Evaluation (One to two pages)
• Assessment of current generic strategy (cost leadership, differentiation, focus)
• Evaluation of diversification strategy (if applicable)
• Analysis of international or growth strategies
• Examination of the organization’s competitive advantage sustainability
• Strategic Alternatives Assessment (One to two pages)
• Identification of two to three viable strategic alternatives
• Evaluation of each alternative using appropriate criteria (feasibility, suitability, acceptability)
• Analysis of risks and opportunities associated with each alternative
• Strategic Recommendations (One to two pages)
• Detailed recommendations with clear rationale
• Implementation considerations including:
• Organizational structure alignment
• Resource allocation requirements
• Timeline for implementation
• Key performance indicators for measuring success
• Discussion of potential implementation challenges and mitigation strategies
• Ethical and Sustainability Considerations (One page)
• Analysis of ethical implications of recommended strategies
• Integration of sustainability principles into strategic recommendations
• Consideration of stakeholder impacts
• Global Competitive Factors (One page)
• Analysis of how global competitive dynamics affect strategic choices
• Consideration of international market factors relevant to recommendations
• Executive Summary (1 page)
• Concise overview of key findings and recommendations

Submission Guidelines / Criteria for Success

• Submit a link to your completed ePortfolio containing your strategic analysis
• The strategic analysis document should be six to eight pages (excluding references), professionally formatted with appropriate headings and subheadings
• Use proper format for citations and references
• Include at least five credible sources to support your analysis
• Apply appropriate strategic frameworks and models from throughout the course
• Demonstrate critical thinking and professional judgment in your recommendations
• Ensure your analysis reflects systems thinking by considering interconnections between different strategic elements