MGTM14 Strategic Management and Foresight - London Assignment Question | University of Sunderland

Introduction:

This module is assessed by 1 single assessment: 100%

Coursework Individual coursework which will test all learning outcomes. Word limit for guidance only. 3000 words

Details of the assessments are as follows. Module Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module successful students will be able to do the following:

• Evaluate and apply the key theories and frameworks in strategic management and organisational foresight.
•  Critique the relationship between corporate vision, strategic objectives, intent, resources,
  planning, the firm’s environment, and its impact on the firm competitive advantage.
• Develop a critical understanding of the interactions between different strategies, business models, emerging digital technologies, organisational foresight, and the impact of digital and the sustainability agenda on strategy formation and development

Assessment 1 (100% weighting)

Case study based Individual coursework with a word guideline of 2000 words (plus or minus 10%) for Part A and 1000 words (plus or minus 10%) for Part B to meet learning outcomes 1,2 and 3.

Case – Compass Group Plc.

Compass Group has made an incredible journey since its start in 1941 as “Factory Canteens Ltd”. Bateman Catering and Midland Catering were acquired by Grand Metropolitan in 1967 and 1968 respectively and a management buy-out from Grand Metropolitan followed in 1987 when the Compass Group was formed. The many companies that have joined Compass have contributed to the rich heritage and shaped the personality of the business today. Whilst Compass Group has come a long way from these humble beginnings to become the international business they are now, the commitment of their people to their customers, the quality of the service and the spirit of innovation remain a constant and ongoing feature of the company’s development.

Compass Group Plc provides food and support services to customers in the workplace, in schools and colleges, hospitals, at leisure and in remote environments. It operates in following sectors: Business and Industry, Education, Healthcare and Seniors, Sports and Leisure, Defense, Offshore and Remote. Compass Group was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Chertsey, the United Kingdom.“

Compass Group was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1988. Eurest, one of the company’s US subsidiaries, was launched in the USA in 1996 to provide dining services to local, regional and national companies within the Business & Industry markets, including employee dining centers, on-site catering, vending, executive dining rooms, and other managed services.

Compass Group became the World’s biggest catering firm by 2005. Meanwhile ESS was contracted by the
U.S. Marine Corps, the 82nd Airborne Division, the British Ministry of Defence, the Coalition Provisional Authority, along with the major defense contractors Fluor, RMS, Bechtel, and most notably KBR (a subsidiary of Halliburton) under the U.S. Army troop support contract called LOGCAP III to provide dining and construction services at desert bases and encampments in Kuwait and Iraq from the start of operations in 2003 to 2006.

In April 2006 Compass Group sold its roadside and travel catering businesses for a combined £1.82 billion. The transaction included the sale of 43 Moto motorway service areas to Australia’s Macquarie Bank for an estimated £600m. Compass’s Select Service Partners (SSP) travel concessions business was sold to companies controlled by private equity firm EQT Partners, for an estimated £1.2 billion. The company made further acquisitions in 2009 including Kimco and Lackmans in the USA, Plural in Germany and several McColls retail site leases in the UK. Please visit Compass Group Plc website https://www.compass- group.co.uk/, you are advised to update the case study will relevant, current sources from the online library and credible media.

Structure

Assessment 100% weighting – Submission due after week 10. See top of document for more details. Part A:
Case study based Individual coursework with a word guideline of 2000 words (plus or minus 10%) to meet learning outcomes 1,2 and 3.

You are required to answer the following Three (3) questions that pertains to the case – Compass Group Plc. For further details on Compass Group Plc, you may refer to the Problem Based Learning case presented in week 2. It is also recommended that you research information additional to the case study to support your arguments. This may be obtained from a diverse range of sources and you are encouraged to research the issues in whichever way you deem appropriate.

Question One: Sources of Competitive Advantage and its relevance to management (650 words circa)

Critically review the theories of competitive advantage and evaluate their relevance to management. In particular, discuss how such theories could inform Compass Group Leadership Team in their quest to gain sustainable competitive advantage.

Question Two: Firm’s strategy and strategic position (650 works circa)

Critically review the relationship between organisational resources, external environment and firm performance. Use Compass Group Plc as an illustration in your discussion.

Question Three: The role of innovation and internationalisation in a firm’s Competitive Advantage (650 words circa)
 
Evaluate the relevance of innovation and internationalisation in designing and implementing Compass Group Plc strategy/competitive position

References.

Please note that the questions carry the same level of weighting and therefore require the same level of  effort.

Part B:

Case study based Individual reflective coursework with a word guideline of 1000 words (plus or minus 10%) to support your formative assessment of the PBL group presentation delivered in Class relevant to the Compass Group Plc to meet learning outcomes 1,2 and 3.

Please note:

All work must adhere to the University regulations on ‘Cheating, Collusion and Plagiarism’, which are provided as an Appendix in your Programme Handbook. I encourage you to use ‘Harvard Referencing Style’ and avoid ‘Plagiarism’.

You have to submit an electronic copy of the coursework and the poster in pdf format or Microsoft Word file on CANVAS before the appointed date/time.

Assessment Criteria

The assessment will focus on the level of ANALYSIS carried out. That is, the application of THEORETICAL CONCEPTS studied in the module to the ‘practical’ case study presented. In other words, you should proceed beyond a DESCRIPTION of the company and its actions.

You should be analysing ‘why’ rather than describing ‘what’.

Academic Rigour

Key aspects to consider:
•    your ability to isolate the key strategic issues
•    the coherence and depth of the analysis of those issues
•    the ability to analyse the strategic context within which companies operates
•    your ability to isolate the key strategic issues
•    the coherence and depth of the analysis of those issues
•    the ability to analyse the strategic context within which companies operates
•    the ability to critically review and evaluate strategic decisions made by companies.

Methodology

•    the use of relevant evidence, from material provided and personal research to support any statements made
•    the appropriateness of the methods used and theoretical models and frameworks applied
•    the breadth and depth of research undertaken.
•    Evaluation of data
•    the ability to make sound recommendations or conclusions arising from the analysis.
•    the soundness of arguments put forward.
 
Presentation

•    the summary of arguments
•    report layout and format
•    use of illustrative material and evidence to support arguments
•    the appropriateness of length
•    the quantity and accuracy of referencing

References

Compass Group Plc - https://www.compass-group.com/en/investors/annual-reports.html