Learning Outcomes to be Assessed:
LO1 Understand and evaluate the organizational factors impacting on and contributing to the effective design and implementation of strategic organisational change programmes (knowledge and understanding).
LO2 Demonstrate a systematic understanding and critical evaluation of the key aspects of the strategic management process though a comparative analysis of different models and perspectives and their impact on executive decisions (analysis, application, knowledge and understanding).
LO3 Analyse and critically evaluate the environments in which strategic management and change takes place and assessing the appropriate organisational responses (analysis, enquiry).
LO4 Explore and evaluate critically the contemporary literature on strategic leadership, management and decision-making and how it relates to successful organisation progression in a global environment (knowledge and understanding).
LO5 Understand, critically evaluate and apply contemporary ideas on strategic aspects of decision-making in effective risk assessment during organisational change (integration, knowledge and understanding).
LO6 Understand, critically evaluate and apply competing frameworks to management thinking and strategic decisions (analysis, knowledge & understanding).
LO7 Create and justify a critically informed approach to the resolution of a strategic organisational change problem (application, communication, enquiry, integration, learning, reflection)
Individual Assignment Instructions:
You are required to write as in an individual report structured into three parts as follows:
Strategic Analysis of EACH TRADING PERIOD (60 marks).
Adjustments to short term plans and strategic objectives / tactics (30 marks).
Individual reflection (10 marks).
Detailed guidelines for each of the above sections are given below under the heading “Instructions for Assessment Tasks” starting on page 3.
The maximum word length is 2,700 words (excluding the given 10% allowance) and in addition up to 6 pages of supporting appendices. In addition, you must also include a full reference section and which must follow the Harvard referencing format. You are encouraged to distribute the equivalent of your allowance for your supporting appendices (including applied models/concepts) within the main body of your answer, but you must not exceed this overall limit.
Font size must be 12 at 1.5 or double line spacing.
NOTE whilst this submission must be your own individual work, in terms of the main body text (i.e. the 3000 words), the supporting analysis by way of appendices can be based upon shared work undertaken by your team. However, you must state clearly which team/industry you are in and which supporting content in your report has been done as group/team work.
Analytical conclusion and argument must be in the main text in your own words. Please be aware of the plagiarism, which is a serious offence.
Assessed Learning Outcomes:
Assignment assessment tasks test all learning outcomes on this module.
Instructions for the three assessment tasks: Your individual assignment submission should include the following three task areas:
Your strategic analysis for EACH TRADING PERIOD – such as changes in the macro environment (PESTEL) and competitive environment (including any changes to the industry’s 5 Forces and Critical Success Factors (CSF) as well as to your company’s internal position). You can draw on real industry news as well as reports and information from the simulation.
How your company’s short term plans and strategic objectives/tactics have been adjusted in terms of the above changes to the external environment and also your company’s changing internal position – including:
Operations strategies (capacity, production & inventory changes)
Marketing strategy (4P’s)
Financial management (for example does your team have the funds for chosen
investments?)
Human Resources (e.g. is your team operating effectively – competences/resources/value
adding?)
Your changing corporate portfolio of products (SBU’s).
Individual reflections about the learning experiences you have had about working in a team to support your company’s competitive activities in the business simulation. Refer to your module handbook (see the adapted learning cycle by Race (1999) as set against the modules learning outcomes) for the reflection model to use as part of this task.
Further guidelines to support preparation of your assignment:
Summarise your overall strategic/operational responses (team decisions made) in each year or decision period. Relate your decisions to the initial strategic position and strategic plan.
Consider, for example, how the competitors were expected to respond to your strategic moves as your plans unfolded. For example: What were the competitors’ resources? Did your competitors neutralise any of your plans? Discuss overall changes in the environment and their impact on the company.
You must develop your answers clearly and in a properly referenced and evidenced manner. Relate your answers to your overall mission and strategic & financial objectives.
As a strategist in the management of your simulated organisation you also need to relate your answer to the various concepts and models.
Answers should, as indicated above, engage with and explicitly relate to appropriate strategic theory and concepts.
Note: You are not required to provide an introduction and conclusion.
Supporting Case Documents:
The Business Simulation Briefing Paper and supporting documents on the modules Black Board site.
Morgan Stanley Blue Paper (2012) Global Auto Scenarios 2022 Disruption and Opportunity Starts
Now.
In addition to the documents above you are expected to conduct you own contextual research as required and also engage in a properly referenced way with appropriate sources of academic literature.
Use of in-built simulation and other strategic reports and models.
You should draw upon appropriate and relevant period reports, including those relating to environmental, competitor & consumer changes. Just copying in given reports or diagrams of models will not give you any marks, however using this data within appropriate strategic models is expected. Using these sources of data to generate appropriate trends of key variables can be helpful in supporting your explanation of your actual (simulated) strategic/financial performance against targets over the 6-year period.
Do apply the strategic models and concepts in a meaningful, properly referenced/evidenced and a well communicated and presented way.
