MGT80002: Business Strategy
Assignment 2: Team project
The task
In a team of three to four, you need to prepare a strategy evaluation addressed at the CEO of an organization of your choice. The presentation should be 20 minutes.
The presentation should outline what you believe the CEO should address with regards to the business strategy of their organisation. The assignment’s purpose is to further develop, and allow you to demonstrate, your ability to think strategically and to apply the concepts and tools learned in the unit to an actual organisation. Your presentation should address the context and background of the organisation, the business strategy issues it faces, and recommendations to the CEO.
The presentations will be assessed on the insight, cogency, clarity and quality of the strategic logic underlying your analysis. An important aspect of strategic thinking is the ability to ask the right questions and to bring clarity and structure to ambiguous situations. Part of your job is to decide how to structure your presentation.
The Organisation
You can choose any organisation in Australia or overseas, including one that a member of your team is working for or has worked for. Given that this is a Business strategy, rather than a Corporate strategy assignment, you will need to choose a single business organisation, or focus on one entity of a multi-business corporation. If you have any questions about the suitability of your chosen organisation, please check with your eLA. The key selection criterion should be that the organisation lends itself to the application of the course concepts.
Data Collection
Although your analysis should be supported by appropriate data, the emphasis of the assignment should be on strategic thinking rather than data collection. Use the learning materials in this unit, the library, internet and other sources of information as inputs to your analysis. Beware of too much data and a presentation dominated by description rather than analysis and strategic insight.
Considerations for your analysis
Your presentation should address the following:
- problem definition – provide a concise description of an issue to be addressed or a condition to be improved upon
- macro-environmental, industry and internal analyses – indicating the need for a new strategic plan
- suggestion of suitable strategy options, giving due consideration to all the key factors (see above)
- evaluation of these strategy options with regards to the organisation’s triple bottom line (including environmental, social, and economic outcomes) as well as on the organisation’s ethics regime
- outline of recommended strategy and the key factors affecting its successful implementation.
- Introduction (1 minutes)
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- Brief overview of CSL Australia
- Importance of strategic planning in the pharmaceutical industry
- Preview of the presentation structure
- Problem Definition (2 minutes)
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- Identification of a specific issue or area for improvement within CSL Australia (Focus on environmental sustainability, might be good to include triple bottom line, can be tied in as an important people and culture piece)
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- Explanation of why this issue is critical for the organization’s future success
- Macro-Environmental Analysis (2 minutes)
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- Overview of the macro-environmental factors affecting CSL Australia (e.g., regulatory environment, technological advancements, economic conditions)
- Discussion on how these factors impact the need for a new strategic plan
- Industry Analysis (2 minutes)
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- Examination of the pharmaceutical industry in which CSL Australia operates
- Competitive landscape, including major competitors and market trends
- Identification of key challenges and opportunities
- Internal Analysis (2 minutes)
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- Evaluation of CSL Australia’s internal strengths and weaknesses
- Analysis of resources, capabilities, and core competencies
- Identification of areas where strategic changes are necessary