Assessment 2 – business strategy

Prepare a 7-10-page business analysis that explains the generic business strategies for an organization, analyzes the business strategy used and the company’s business model, analyzes the corporate strategy of the company and the overall corporate structure and management systems, and analyzes the strategic fit between the business and corporate strategies.

Introduction

AFI, VRIO, and value chain are just three concepts you need to understand as a business strategist. This assessment focuses on these important facets of business analysis.

Introduction

This portfolio work project will help you differentiate between business strategy and corporate strategy, and analyze the fit of a business strategy to an organization.

Scenario

Building on your work from Assessment 1, the vice president of strategy has now tasked you with providing a business analysis of the organization’s business strategy. This includes level of diversification (product scope), geographical and vertical scope, and the overall fit with the business strategy or strategies.

Your Role

You are a strategic analyst for the company you have selected to use in this course.

Requirements

Use information from the company’s website, the Capella library, and your course textbook to complete this assessment. Write a business analysis that includes the following:

• Explain the generic business strategies for the company. Include cost, differentiation, and focus or hybrid information.
• Analyze the business strategy the company uses in its marketplace approach. Provide examples of how the strategy is used to position the company in a competitive environment.
• Analyze the company’s business model:
  • What are the core products?
  • How does the organization make money?
  • What is the customer value proposition?
  • What is the profit proposition?
• Analyze the corporate strategy of the company. Include the product, geographical, and vertical scope in which it operates.
  • Has the company expanded from its original product line or field of operation?
  • Does the company own vertically related activities along the value chain for its products?
• Analyze the overall corporate structure and key management systems.
  • Does the company employ diversification, vertical integration, or globalization?
  • Are global alliances part of the corporate strategy?
• Analyze the strategic fit between the business and corporate strategies of the company.

Deliverable Format

The Business Strategy Analysis is a professional document and should therefore follow the corresponding MBA Academic and Professional Document Guidelines, including single-spaced paragraphs.

In addition to the analysis, include:

• Title page.
• References page.
• APA formatted references from at least five sources.
• 7–10 pages in length, in addition to the title and references pages.
• Written for executive leadership.

Evaluation

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies through corresponding scoring guide criteria:

• Competency 3: Analyze the internal and external environments of an organization in order to formulate and implement successful strategies.
  • Explain the generic business strategies for a company.
  • Analyze the business strategy a company uses in its marketplace approach.
• Competency 4: Apply strategic concepts and models to ensure the fit between strategy, organizational structure, capabilities, and goals; and the external environment.
  • Analyze a company’s business model.
  • Analyze the corporate strategy of a company.
  • Analyze the overall corporate structure and key management system of a company.
  • Analyze the strategic fit between the business and corporate strategies of a company.
• Competency 5: Communicate business needs, opportunities, and strategies with multiple stakeholders.
  • Address assessment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences.
  • Apply the standard writing conventions for the discipline, including structure, voice, person, and tone.

ePortfolio

This assessment demonstrates your competency in applying knowledge and skills required of a MBA learner in the workplace. Save this activity to your ePortfolio for future reference in the workplace.

Note: Faculty may use the Writing Feedback Tool when grading this assessment. The Writing Feedback Tool is designed to provide you with guidance and resources to develop your writing based on five core skills. You will find writing feedback in the Scoring Guide for the assessment, once your work has been evaluated.

RESOURCES

The following resources examine business strategy:

• Porter, M. E. (1996).  What is strategy? Harvard Business Review, 74(6), 61–78.
• Drucker, P. F. (1994). The theory of the business. Harvard Business Review, 72(5), 95–104.
• Rothaermel, F. (2021). Strategic management (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.
  • Chapter 6, “Business Strategy: Differentiation, Cost Leadership, and Blue Oceans.”
  • Chapter 7, “Business Strategy: Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Platforms.”

The following resources provide a closer look at corporate strategy:

• Porter, M. E. (1987). From competitive advantage to corporate strategy. Harvard Business Review, 65(3), 43.
• Rumelt, R. P. (1991). How much does industry matter? Strategic Management Journal, 12(3), 167–185.
• Rothaermel, F. (2021). Strategic management (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.
  • Chapter 8, “Corporate Strategy: Vertical Integration and Diversification.”
  • Chapter 9, “Corporate Strategy: Strategic Alliances, Mergers and Acquisitions.”
• Amadeo, K. (2019). Vertical integration, its pros and cons with examples. Retrieved from https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-vertical-integration-3305807
• Buzzell, R. D. (1983). Is vertical integration profitable? Retrieved from https://hbr.org/1983/01/is-vertical-integration-profitable

The following resources examine the challenges of global strategies:

The following resource examines cost leadership:

These resources explore differentiation strategy:

Are you an innovator? A disruptor? Maybe both! Take a look at these resources that explore the blue ocean strategy: