MGT 488 All Assignments

Week 1

Individual Assignment: Internal Risk Assessment

Resources: University Librarys MarketLine Business Information Center

Access the University Librarys MarketLine Business Information Center and look up one of the following companies:

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Jet Blue Airways Corporation

Hewlett-Packard Company

Home Depot

Prepare a 1,050- to 1,750-word paper identifying the key capabilities of your selected company.

Discuss the firms strengths and weaknesses in marketing, human resources, management, research and development, finance, and other applicable areas.

Analyze how internal organizational dynamics influence strategic business continuity.

Access the companys Web site and use the Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, if available, and the most recent company Annual Report as sources.

Reference your readings and at least three other sources, including MarketLine, the Internet, or other properly cited sources.

Format your paper according to APA standards.

Week 2

Individual Assignment: Competitive Advantage and Pro Sports

Resources: ESPN or Sports Illustrated Web sites

Access ESPN.com or SportsIllustrated.com and select any professional sports team.

Prepare a 500- to 600-word paper analyzing competitive advantage and the business of professional sports.

o Describe the components of sustainable competitive advantage that contribute to the teams success in the competitive sports industry.

o Identify the four criteria of sustainable competitive advantage and classify team characteristics such as coaching, fan base, playing style and tactics, individual players, within each criterion for your team. Describe how these factors contribute to the teams success in the competitive sports market.

o Reference your readings and at least one other source, including the Internet, or other properly cited sources.

Format your paper according to APA standards.

Week 3

Individual Assignment: External Environment Analysis

Resources: IBIS World Database MarketLine Business Center

Access the IBIS World Database or MarketLine Business Center in the University Library and research the industry for the company you selected for the Internal Risk Assessment Paper.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. dollar and variety stores in the United States or discount, variety, and general merchandisers

Jet Blue Airways Corporation domestic airlines in the United States

Hewlett-Packard Company computer and peripheral manufacturing in the United States

Home Depot home improvement stores in the United States

Prepare a 1,750- to 2,100-word paper regarding the external business environment.

Analyze the external business market and its influence on the firms strategic business continuity plan.

Include analysis of general, industry, and competitor environments.

Explain the role of business ethics in gathering competitor intelligence.

Reference your readings and at least four other sources, including MarketLine, IBIS World, the Internet, the Electronic Reserve Readings, or other properly cited sources.

Format your paper according to APA standards.

Learning Team Assignment: Strategic Business Plan Outline

Your Learning Team is the newly formed Executive Team of the Virtual Organization you selected. Your executive team oversees finance, marketing, human resources, and technology decisions for the organization. The board of directors of your company has requested a Strategic Business Plan Outline indicating the direction your executive team wishes to take the organization.

Create a 2- to 3-page outline identifying the key elements of a strategic business continuity plan for your selected company.

Include a classification of the companys stakeholders.

Create an original Vision and Mission Statement. Consider several examples. Visit the corporate Web sites of major corporations such as CocaCola, Home Depot, and Hewlett Packard, and read their visions, values, and objectives.

Outlines may include financial, managerial, economic, marketing, technological, competition, legal and ethical environment, as well as crisis management areas of your strategic plan.

Reference your readings and at least three other sources, including the Internet, or other properly cited sources.

Refer to the Sample Outline in the University of Phoenix Center for Writing Excellence for formatting guidelines.

Refer to the University of Phoenix Center for Writing Excellent APA Reference and Citation Examples for information on citing Virtual Organizations.

Format your paper according to APA standards.

Week 4

Individual Assignment: Business Competition Strategies

Resources: University Librarys MarketLine Business Information Center

Access the University Librarys MarketLine Business Information Center and select an industry rival to the company used in the Internal Risk Assessment and External Environment Papers from the following:

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. rival Target Corporation

Jet Blue Airways Corporation rival Delta Airlines, Inc.

Hewlett-Packard Company rival Dell Inc.

Home Depot rival Lowes Companies Inc.

Prepare an 8- to 10-slide PowerPoint presentation evaluating the rival companies business competition strategies.

Identify the type of business level strategy each firm is using and evaluate its effectiveness. Consider cost leadership, differentiation, focused cost leadership, as well as integrated cost leadership and differentiation.

Determine the role industry competitive dynamics have in choosing those strategies.

Reference your readings and at least two other sources, including MarketLine, the Internet, or other properly cited sources.

Format your paper according to APA standards.

Week 5

Individual Assignment: Case Study Analysis

Read Case Study 26 Tyco International: A Case of Corporate Malfeasance on pp. 321-333 of Strategic Management.

Prepare a 700- to 1,000-word paper analyzing strategic implementation at Tyco that includes the following:

Describe how the lack of corporate governance at Tyco contributed to its downfall.

Explain how Dennis Kozlowski used organizational structure and controls to implement his strategic plan.

Analyze the role of Tyco leadership in strategic implementation.

Evaluate the role of strategic entrepreneurship in creating firm value at Tyco.

Reference your readings and at least two other sources, including the Internet, or other properly cited sources.

Format your paper according to APA standards.

Learning Team Assignment: Strategic Business Plan

The Board of Directors approved your Strategic Business Plan Outline, but now wants your executive team to create a long-term Strategic Business Plan for sustaining organizational performance. For examples of Strategic Plans access any major corporations Web site or MarketLine Business Center in the University of Phoenix Library and refer to the Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Prepare a 2,500- to 3,500-word Strategic Business Plan Paper and a 15- to 20-slide PowerPoint Presentation using your Strategic Business Plan Outline.

In the Business Plan, expand on the areas identified in the Business Plan Outline as critical to the organization and provide an in-depth description of the Strategic Plan for those areas.

Include analysis of internal organizational dynamics and the external environment.

Explain how the plan contributes to the companys long-term success.

Conclude with a description of emerging strategic management issues the organization may face and explain how the Strategic Business Plan might address those issues.

Reference your readings and at least four other sources, including the Internet, or other properly cited sources.

Format your paper and slide presentation according to APA standards