Overview
Students are expected to strategically analyze an actual
organization and recommend solutions.
Formatting:
o At least 7 pages
o 12 point font
o Double-spaced
o Title Page (not included in page count)
o Strategic Analysis (explained in Part 5 of book and instructor video “Case Study
Analysis”)
8
BUSA 480
▪ History, development, and growth of the company over time
▪ The nature of the external environment surrounding the company
▪ Identification of the company’s internal strengths and weaknesses, and
whether it has sources of sustainable competitive advantage
▪ SWOT evaluation
▪ Current corporate-level strategy
▪ Current business-level strategy
▪ Current structure and control systems and how they match strategy
o Recommendations and solutions (including what needs to be done to implement
recommendations)
o Reference Page (not included in page count)
o See detailed instructions and grading rubric
When analyzing cases, be sure that you fully answer any questions your professor asks about the case. Consider covering the following areas:
- Case History: Look for critical incidents in company growth, and determine why they are important.
- Strengths and Weaknesses: Identify the company’s internal strengths and weaknesses, and how they relate to the company’s value function.
- Opportunities and Threats: Identify the opportunities and threats that exist in the company’s environment, and analyze them using the Competitive Forces Model and life-cycle model.
- SWOT Analysis: Balance the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to create a competitive position for the company.
- Corporate-Level Strategy: Identify the company’s mission and goals, and evaluate the company’s corporate strategy based on lines of business, subsidiaries, and acquisitions.
- Business-Level Strategy: Determine if the company is using a differentiation, focus, or low-cost strategy, and what the company’s investment strategy is. Decide if company’s functional competencies are sufficient for achieving SWOT strategy.
- Structure and Control Systems: Identify company’s structure and control system, and specify how they match or don’t match the company’s strategy.
- Financial Analysis: Analyze company’s financial position based on profit, liquidity, activity, leverage, shareholder-return ratios, and cash flow. Make recommendations for improving the company’s financial position.
- Recommendations: Offer recommendations for improving the company’s strategy and competitive position which flow logically from the SWOT and financial analyses. Analyze what the company must do to implement those recommendations.