EVALUATING INFORMATION FROM CORE BUSINESS FUNCTIONS

Assignment Overview

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

• Critically evaluate information from core business functions and the value chain to enhance knowledge of organizational strategic position and direction.
  • Analyze strategic issues.
• Create a comprehensive organizational strategy assessment.
  • Recommend approaches for strategic issues with significant organizational impact.
  • Recommend approaches for strategic issues with significant impact to competitive advantage.
  • Recommend strategies and approaches to mitigate ethical dilemmas in strategy.
• Communicate in a manner that is professional and consistent with expectations for members of the business professions.

Assignment Description and Instructions

First, synthesize the strategic issues articulated in the Strategic Fit of the Firm Assessment from Unit 3 and Strategic Fit With the Industry Environment Assessment from Unit 4. You will compare and contrast strategic issues and assign a nominal ranking of potential impact of the issue on the organization. Defend your synthesis by referring to specific information in the previous analysis reports.

Next, formulate strategic recommendations to address those issues you determine from your synthesis to be critical to the strategic fit between the firm and its industry environment. Recommendations will be explicitly cast using the Strategic Frame Assessment from Unit 1. Specifically, business strategy and competitive advantage recommendations will identify costs, differentiation, and hybrid type. Corporate strategy recommendations will identify diversification, vertical integration, and globalization. A recommendation to address ethical dilemmas will refer to the source of instability—economic, social, political, and technological—that is leading to societal pressure for change to enhance social legitimacy. Assumptions relative to the strategic elements of the firm will serve as a measurement of strategic progress.

Keep in mind the following points:

• Synthesize concerns and opportunities, and articulate them as strategic issues. What are the critical issues? Why are these particular issues critical?
• Evaluate the strategic issues including the degree to which they may impact the strategic position, direction, decisions, and activities of the organization.
• Propose strategies and recommend approaches to mitigate strategic issues that represent ethical dilemmas.
• Propose strategies and recommend approaches for strategic issues that have significant impact on the strategic direction of the firm, or sustained competitive advantage of the organization.

Ensure your report includes an executive summary that references the VP's expectations communicated in the project kick-off meeting. 

• Submit your report in a business format, adhering to the submission requirements below.

Submission Requirements

• Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• Business formatting:
  • Length: 4–5 double-spaced, typed pages.
  • Font: Times New Roman 12 point.
• APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to APA (6th ed.) style and formatting. Minimum of three resources required.

Refer to the Comprehensive Strategy Assessment Scoring Guide to ensure that you meet the grading criteria for this assignment.