BUS7C1 Corporate Strategy and International Management Portfolio Assignment Brief | WU

BUS7C1 Module Outcomes Assessed

• Critically analyse and apply relevant international business theories and models within an international context.
• Critically appraise strategic and operational decision-making processes within a relevant business context and their complexity within the wider international business environment.
• Critically evaluate corporate challenges that impact the strategic business environment across national and global business landscapes and provide frameworks and solutions for implementation at the management and operational level.
• Critically appraise global practices and their impact on individuals and the organisation.

Assessment task details - describe the task

Ensure that you choose one organisation for the portfolio from the five below and submit this as one-word document on Turnitin, apart from the news report, which will need to be submitted on a different link. This is an individual assignment.

Village Bakery
Money Penny
Marks and Spencer’s
Toyota
Subway

Portfolio task 1 – Report (1500 words)

Choose an international organisation of your choice from the five given and write a report to including the following key points.

• Critically analyse and apply relevant international business theories and models within an international context.
• Critically appraise global practices and their impact on individuals and the organisation.

Portfolio Task 2 – Excel spreadsheet (1000 words)

Using the information from the report, produce an Excel spreadsheet outlining an implementation plan for the strategies you discussed.  Your outline should include a timeline, who is responsible for managing that process and the budget needed, answering the following learning outcome: 

Critically appraise strategic and operational decision-making processes within a relevant business context and their complexity within the wider international business environment.

Portfolio Task 3 – recorded news report (1000 words)

Using the same organisation, produce a recorded news report answering the following learning outcome:

• Critically evaluate corporate challenges that impact the strategic business environment across national and global business landscapes and provide frameworks and solutions for implementation at the management and operational level.

Portfolio task 4 – justification of study (500 words)

You need to produce a justification for your study. Why did you choose the company? 

Portfolio Assignment Templates

Task 1 – report

Layout of report: Your report should have the following structure:

Title page

This should normally include the title, your name and the name of the tutor to whom it is being submitted, date of submission, your course/department, and if applicable, the name of the person and/or organisation who has commissioned the report. Avoid “fancy” fonts and effects, and do not include any clipart.

Contents page

A clear, well-formatted list of all the sections and sub-sections of the report. Do not forget to put the page numbers! If applicable, there should be a separate list of tables, figures, illustrations and/or appendices after the main index. Make sure that the headings in this list correspond exactly with those in your main body. It is best to do your list of contents right at the end.

Introduction

This should show that you have fully understood the task/brief and that you are going to cover everything required. Indicate the basic structure of the report. You should include just a little background/context and indicate the reasons for writing the report. This is where you set the scene, introduce your chosen organisation and the purpose of the report.

Main Analysis

This is the substance of your report, with headings and subheadings used to clearly indicate the different sections (unlike an essay).                                   A "situation>problem>solution>evaluation" approach may be appropriate. It is not sufficient to simply describe a situation. We will be looking for analysis and for a critical approach, application of project management theory, when appropriate, charts, diagrams, tables and appropriate Harvard referencing style can be used to reinforce your arguments, although sometimes it may be better to include these as an appendix. Do not include opinions, conclusions, or recommendations in this section. Think about focusing on the following areas discussed in your lectures. Focus on the following concepts about your chosen organisation and the global business environment.

• Company's Strategic Approach: A Comparative Analysis
• Resource-Based View (RBV) and Key Resources
• Core Ideas, Values, and Differentiation

As well as a critical analysis of the following, based on the literature discussed in the lectures and wider reading

• Recent Performance and Changes
• Business Model and Competitive Advantage
• Internationalisation and Innovation

Conclusion

Your conclusion should draw out the implications of your findings, with deductions based on the facts described in your main body. Do not include any new material here.

Recommendation

These should follow on logically from your conclusion and be specific, measurable, and achievable. They should propose how the situation/problem could be improved by suggesting actions to be taken for your implementation plan. A statement of cost should be included if you are recommending changes that have financial implications. Recommendations can be numbered if you wish.

Think about the following

Make recommendations on enhancing the company's strategic approach and maintaining its competitive advantage.

Bibliography/Reference list

This is a list giving the full details of all the sources to which you have referred within your text. The recommended style is the Harvard method.

Appendices

An appendix (plural=appendices) is detailed documentation of points you outline in your findings, for example, technical data, questionnaires, letters sent, tables, sketches, charts, leaflets, etc. It is supplementary information that you consider to be too long or complicated or not quite relevant enough to include in your main body, but which still should be of interest to your reader. Each appendix should be referred to in your text. You should not include something as an appendix if it is not discussed in the main body.

Additional Guidance 

• Ensure the report is well-organised and follows a logical structure.
• Use clear and concise language.
• Avoid grammatical and spelling errors.
• Utilise headings and subheadings to enhance readability.
• Evidence of critical thinking and analysis throughout. 

Task 2 – Excel spreadsheet

Your Excel spreadsheet will need to reflect the key aspects of your strategies. Here’s how to structure it:

1. Worksheet Title and Header Rows

• Title the worksheet: "Implementation Plan for Strategic and Operational Decisions".
• Use headers in Row 1 to clearly define the components:
• Strategy: The specific strategy or initiative to be implemented.
• Action Items: Key tasks required to execute the strategy.
• Timeline: The start and end dates for each action item.
• Responsible Person/Team: The individual(s) or department(s) accountable for completing the task.
• Budget (in $): The allocated financial resources for each action item.
• Expected Outcome: Briefly describe what success looks like for each task.

2. Add Rows for Each Strategy

• For each strategy, break it down into actionable tasks. Each row should contain:
• Strategy Name: Summarise the strategy in a few words.
• Action Items: List all necessary steps to achieve the strategy.
• Timeline: Assign realistic start and completion dates.
• Responsible Person/Team: Ensure roles are clear to avoid confusion.
• Budget: Provide detailed costs for resources, labour, or materials.
• Expected Outcome: Define measurable results, such as KPIs or benchmarks.

3. Include a Summary Section KPIS

• At the bottom of the spreadsheet, add a Summary Row to:
• Calculate the Total Budget using a sum formula.
• Provide a Completion Date Range based on timelines.
• Summarise key outcomes in a single row.