MBA7002 Strategic Management Assignment 1 Brief Semester 1 2024-25 | CMU

MBA7002 Task/assessment brief:

1.  Portfolio (60%): 

Task: 

Assume you are working for the same top consulting firm (as in PRES1) and have been asked by your Senior Partner to analyse a potential client’s strategic performance over the last decade. You may use the company you have previously presented on (PRES1) or choose another case company if you prefer.

The report you provide is a prerequisite for the Senior Partner to submit a proposal for a consulting assignment with this client. The organisation under study should have multiple Strategic Business Units (SBUs) across the globe (Global MNC). 

Choose one of their Strategic Business Units (SBUs) that contributes significantly to its revenues and analyse how the company strategically positions itself, leverages the opportunities, adds value and has thwarted the threats due to the dynamic changes in the external environment. You will therefore need to do an industry analysis to assess the industry attractiveness and profitability. You are required to comprehensively analyse and evaluate the business strategy it has chosen, including its choices to grow through its current business portfolio, its degree of corporate entrepreneurialism, approach to innovation, and effective leadership.

Our brief is to advise the ‘C’ suite whether the current strategy is robust moving forward and which businesses require further investment, those that need to be held, and those to be divested, with justifications. 

Advising on the effective implementation of the Business Strategy is an important element of the assignment. Create a key performance indicator dashboard through a balanced scorecard and a view on delivery through the SAFE method for the above SBU, which gives a comprehensive view of the business performance in addition to a financial view.  

Presentation 

Your portfolio of work should be presented as a report

The style for the report is as follows

• Outline and description of the chosen organisation, including description of its activities, geography, size, products and markets.
• Analysis of the competitive landscape, including key competitors.
• Evaluate using appropriate analysis tools, how the macro-environment has influenced the demand for the business and the key factors that influenced the same. (LO1)
• Review and assess the business’s approach to sustainability and the environment (CSV and CSR) (LO2)
• Using Porter's Five Forces, you are required to justify whether the industry is profitable enough to attract new entrants that can potentially erode the future profitability. (LO1)
• Analyse the business’s Resources and Capabilities to show the degree to which a lasting competitive advantage exists (LO1; LO2)
• Analyse and outline the business model using the Business Model Canvas (BMC) to show where and how value is added (LO3)
• Assess prospects through the application of innovation and entrepreneurialism (LO4)
• Review any business changes and leadership issues, and how this may have affected the performance of the company (LO5)
• Recommendation of the Business Portfolio strategy using the key factors with justification. (GE – McKinsey’s 9 Cell matrix). (LO3)
• Create a Dashboard for measuring performance using a Balanced Score Card & SAFE criteria (LO6)

A range of different Academic sources should be cited (e.g., textbooks or business reports/websites). All material, including charts, diagrams and statistics, should be referenced using the Harvard System. 

MBA7002 Assessment Criteria

MBA7002 Learning Outcomes Assessed

• Critically evaluate and reflect on the derivation of competitive positioning, lasting and sustainable competitive advantage. (LO1)
• Critically assess and debate theory and practice critical to contemporary strategic issues, including technology, corporate values and social responsibilities. (LO2)
• Analyse competition and wider strategic considerations to identify opportunities for sustainable competitive advantage as an organisation and within an industry. (LO3)
• Critically consider fundamentals of corporate competitiveness, including culture, leadership and change management in response to a variety of external and internal pressures and assess the value of different leadership styles in managing strategic change. (LO4)
• Analyse strategic decision-making process with a full understanding of how strategy is made in contemporary business contexts. (LO5)
• Lead an organisation's strategy making, delivery and evaluation. (LO6)

Other skills/attributes Developed

This includes elements of the Cardiff Met EDGE (Ethical, Digital, Global and Entrepreneurial skills) and other attributes developed in students through the completion of the module and assessment. These will also be highlighted in the module guidance, which should be read by all students completing the module. Assessments are not just a way of auditing student knowledge. They are a process that provides additional learning and development through the preparation for and completion of the assessment. 

• Ethical – demonstrate an appreciation of ethical codes of conduct, value and importance to lasting, sustainable, competitive advantage
• Digital – demonstrate a high degree of awareness of how digital and communication technologies are now mainstreamed in organisations, underpinning lasting, sustainable, competitive advantage
• Global – demonstrate an acute understanding of how lasting competitive advantage is derived from international operations, configurations of value and choice of position
• Entrepreneurial – demonstrate knowledge of corporate entrepreneurialism underpinning competitive positioning and sustainable advantage.

Marking Assessment Criteria