BUS 402 All DQs

Week 1

Discussion Questions

Provide an example of an industry or company that has changed its strategy over time as environmental factors such as technology, competition, and consumer preferences have changed. Explain the changes in environment and in the industrys or companys evolving strategy.

Share the vision and mission statement of your firm (or one with which you are familiar). How is that vision and mission statement communicated to employees and the public? What is the role of the vision and mission statement in driving the activities of the firm? If there is no vision and/or mission statement, discuss possible reasons why it is not clear.

Week 2

Discussion Questions

What are the two most relevant externalities from Exhibit 2.6 for a firm with which you are familiar? Have these externalities made the industry in which the firm operates more, or less, attractive to you as consumer? Explain your rationale.

Using The Seven-S Framework from pages 58-59 to examine a firm with which you are familiar and address how the firm stacks up in respect to the qualities of excellence list on page 59. Does alignment with this list help explain why the firm is currently successful or unsuccessful (use any metric you think is appropriate to judge success)?

Week 3

Discussion Questions

Chapter 4 addresses timing and positioning (or market niche) strategies. Using Exhibits 4.8 and 4.9 to assess a firm of your choice. What generic strategy is this firm employing? Are they using a combination approach? What are the advantages/disadvantages of consciously using a generic strategy? Explain your position.

Is your company vertically integrated? If so, is it fully, or partially, integrated? If not, would such a move yield potentially high competitive rewards? Explain your rationale. You can also use a past firm or one with which you are familiar. Respond to at least two of your fellow students posts.

Week 4

Discussion Questions

What issues are likely to arise in a developing country when a global giant like Coca-Cola begins operations there? What kinds of advantages does such an expansion bring to the globalizing organization? Support your thoughts with research. Respond to at least two of your fellow students posts.

Consider how a large diversified organization sets strategy. PepsiCo, for example, has beverages (Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Tropicana, Aquafina, Dole,

and tea and coffee through partnerships with Lipton and Starbucks) and food companies (Frito Lay, Quaker, Sabritas, Gamesa, and Latin Americas Foods). Do you think all the business units should have the same strategy, or should they be independent and set their own strategies? Explain.

Week 5

Discussion Questions

Think of companies that are concerned not only with the bottom line, but also with being good corporate citizens. Share examples and the reasons why you think these companies practice social responsibility.