AB3602 Strategic Management Written Assignment EEA | NTU

External Environmental Analysis of an Industry (EEA)

a. Students are to select a company on their own. Public-listed recommended.

b. Students are encouraged to focus on the same company for both the EEA and SAOP projects. In this way, the EEA becomes the external analysis component of the SAOP. This approach facilitates a deeper and more comprehensive analysis, while ensuring that each SAOP team member gains a substantive understanding of the selected company.

c. This assessment aims to develop students’ ability to critically assess the external environment that the selected company operates in.

By applying the frameworks learned in the course, students will:

• Identify environmental trends that shape an industry’s landscape, such as innovation, technology, or ESG (sustainability). Then, assess opportunities and threats affecting the industry.
• Analyse industry forces influencing the attractiveness of an industry. Then, assess the profitability potential of industry incumbents.
• Synthesise external analysis insights relevant to strategic issue identification and strategy formulation for the selected company. No need to discuss the company’s responses to the strategic issue, as this will be addressed in the SAOP project.
• The identified strategic issue may be revised as the team progresses with the SAOP project.
• Present structured, well-supported arguments with real business implications.

d. Structure: Students must submit a structured report (maximum 6 pages, all-inclusive, excluding references)

• Introduction: Provide an overview of the industry. Briefly introduce the strategic analysis frameworks used.
• Analysis: Present key findings based on applied frameworks.
• Discussion: Identify strategic issues and implications for the selected company.
• Conclusion: Summarise key takeaways.

e. The analysis should be supported by credible sources, such as:

• External sources: Industry reports, government records, academic research, published market studies, magazines, and newspapers.
• Internal sources: Annual reports and press releases.

Students will submit a Brief Note for the Strategic Audit Oral Presentation (SAOP) together with the EEA. Again, students are encouraged to work on the same company for both projects; however, selecting two different companies is also acceptable. The brief note includes 2-3 sentences about:

a. Who are your group members?

b. Which company? Public-listed recommended.

c. What is the key strategic issue/decision they are facing? Be specific!

d. The instructor will coordinate across groups to avoid the choice of the same company.

e. Send the brief note to the instructor by email.

Critical Thinking Written Assignment (CTWA)

a. Case: Airbnb, Inc.

b. Questions:

• How effective was Airbnb’s business-level strategy during the pandemic?
• What should Airbnb do next to sustain its competitive advantage?

c. Four pages, including tables, figures, or appendices, excluding references.

d. Accurate, comprehensive, and integrative application of knowledge points

e. The soft copy of this assignment must be submitted through Turnitin

Strategic Audit Oral Presentation

a. Content

• Statement of the strategic issue
• Brief introduction of the company’s background
• External and internal analyses, which lead to the identification of strategic issues and responses.
• Recommend strategic responses (strategy type, implementation approaches, challenges, sustainability concerns…)

b. No more than 20 minutes. Then Q&A and comments.

c. Rubrics

• 20% group: Rubric attached in the outline/syllabus
• 10% individual: Rubric attached in the outline/syllabus

. Groups of 4-6 students

• Feel free to stay with the classroom discussion group or form a new one.

e. Send the PPT to the instructor by email.

Note: Formatting Requirements for All Written Assignments

a. Double-spaced, 1-inch margins on all sides.

b. Font: Times New Roman or Arial, size 12.