Global Business and Strategy
Word Count: 2500 words +/- 10%
Learning Outcomes:
Apply appropriate and relevant theories to complex business situations to determine future strategic direction and provide recommendations for implementation.
Description of the Assessment
This assessment asks you to consider the long-term sustainability of a business in the ever-changing, and often hostile, global business environment. You should weigh up a range of complex issues, such as the business environment, culture, leadership, corporate governance and others when developing a strategy for an international business.
Assessment Content
You will be given a choice of five organisations and given some basic information to introduce you to each business’ fundamentals. You will be asked to choose your case study organisation in the first seminar of the Strategy part of this module, and you are encouraged to work in groups in your seminars to apply the strategic management concepts and frameworks discussed in lectures to your chosen case study organisation. This sharing of information and discussion will help you in the appropriate application of the concepts and frameworks.
Discussion in groups will support you, but you will then write an individual management report analysing the situation of the business and making strategic recommendations for the future direction of the business. You should use a variety of theoretical materials as well as company/market/sector data to complete the report.
The suggested structure of your report is as follows:
Title Page (title should be specific to the report)
Contents Page
Introduction to the Report (50 words)
Here you should explain to the reader what will be covered in the report.
Brief Background to Case Study Organisation (50 words)
This should be a short section on the fundamentals of the business. Do not go into too much detail here, as it is likely that information on the business’s successes (and failures) can be better used in the following analysis sections.
External Analysis using one external analysis tool (15%) (375 words)
Here you will give a brief explanation, using support from academic texts, as to which external analysis tool you have chosen and its suitability. You will apply that analysis tool to your organisation, and use company, market or sector information to support your points (so each claim needs to be supported by a citation).
Internal Analysis using one internal analysis tool (15%) (375 words)
Here you will give a brief explanation, using support from academic texts, as to which internal analysis tool you have chosen and its suitability. You will apply that analysis tool to your organisation and use company information to support your points (so each claim needs to be supported by a citation).
From the Analysis, write a Summary of the organisation’s key Strengths and Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats using a SWOT (15%) (375 words)
Plan a Strategic Approach using a TOWS (15%) (375 words)
Make two Strategic Recommendations Based on your Analysis. For each, apply the SAF tool to decide which would be most appropriate for implementation (30%) (750 words)
Here we will want to see the use of strategic management vocabulary, and the use of academic texts, to explain the type of strategic recommendation you are making, and to debate its pros and cons.
Conclusion (50 words)
Summarise what has been covered in the report.
Reference List
Appendices
10% of the mark is for the overall presentation and structure of a coherent argument from analysis through to recommendations.
Tables and diagrams represent 150 words for half a page and 300 words for a whole page. You will want to put more complex diagrams and tables in appendices.
Organisations:
ASDA
Asda is the UK arm of an international group: Walmart. It comprises different sizes of stores across the UK from supercentres to convenience stores. It sells food and non-food items and has fashion line, ‘George’. It operates home delivery options and ‘click and collect’.
NETFLIX
Netflix is a subscription-based entertainment streaming service, operating virtually everywhere except in China. Members can watch and download TV shows and movies without commercials. It has a number of pricing plans based around the number of screens/devices used. Netflix also produces its own original content. Recommendations are made to viewers based on their viewing history.
TESLA
Tesla builds all-electric vehicles, solutions for renewable energy generation and energy storage products. It manufactures its products in the US and China and a factory is under construction in Germany. They are developing autonomous driving solutions, vehicle software and there is also a used vehicle market.
TIKTOK
TikTok is a Chinese owed, global social media platform on which users create and share videos. Douyin is the Chinese version, owned by the same parent company. Revenue comes from advertisements and in-app purchases.
ZARA
Zara is part of the Inditex group and specialises in ‘fast fashion’ (which includes clothing, accessories, perfumes and beauty products) which it sells online and through physical stores.