Managing Strategy

Final INDIVIDUAL Assignment

ANONYMOUS SUBMISSION:
HeaderSheet and ID number. No Name

Deadline: 15 January 2016 (by 3pm)

Word limit : 3,500
Submission ONLY on Moodle

STRUCTURE for a Full Strategic Appraisal of

a Company
Introduction
Part I External analysis
Part II Internal analysis
Part III - Description of LV current corporate and business
strategy
Part IV LVs Issues and challenges
Part V The Selection of Strategic Options
Conclusions
Reference List
Appendices
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STRUCTURE

HeaderSheet (with the only ID number)

Cover page: make it nice!!

Table of Contents
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Introduction

o
o
o
o
o
o

Purpose of the report

What does LV do?
What is the background of the organisation?
What industry does it operate in?
What are its geographical markets?
What products and services does it offer and what are the market
segments?

o What are LV mission, vision and value?

o What generic strategy it is following? (cost leadership or
differentiation?)
o Who are the key stakeholders?

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PART I EXTERNAL ANALYSIS

Overview to state the purpose of the analyses
1.1 Macro-Environmental Analysis
Refer to PESTEL model (appendix?)
Discuss the main points
How do these macro factors impact the industry you are analyzing and therefore
your company?
1.2 Industry Analysis
Refer to Porters Five Forces of Competition model (appendix?)
Discuss it and draw conclusions about the attractiveness of the industry analysed.
Remember to use the appropriate factors and to conclude: Is the industry
profitable or not??
1.3 Opportunities and Threats (Partial SWOT analysis)
Derive them from 1.1 and 1.2

IMPORTANT: You need to carry out some additional research (online) in order to
undertake these first 3 sub-sections

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PART II INTERNAL ANALYSIS

Overview to state the purpose of the analyses
2.1 Analysis of LV resources and competencies
2.1.1.Identification of the Resources & Competencies
Refer to Value Chain model (appendix?)
2.1.2. Distinction between Threshold and Distinctive Resources & Competencies
Refer to Competency framework
2.1.3. Appraisal of the Resources & Competencies
Refer to the VRIO framework
Draw conclusions: which resources and competencies are really contributing
towards LV sustainable competitive advantage?

2.2 Strengths and Weaknesses (Partial SWOT analysis)

Optional: Here you can also add some discussion about The Financial
Performance of LV (using some financial ratios and statistics ..etc)
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Competencies Framework

Threshold
Resources

Threshold
Competences
Strategic
Capability

Distinctive
Resources

Distinctive
Competences

37

VRIO Framework

Valuable?

Rare?

Difficult to
Imitate?

Exploitable by
the
Organization
?

R1

No

No

R2

Yes

No

C1
C2

..
.

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Competitive
implications
Competitive
Disadvantage
Competitive
Parity

Yes

Temporary
competitive
advantage

Yes

Sustained
competitive
advantage

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Part III LVs current Corporate and Business

Strategy
3.1 LV corporate strategy
Where does the company compete?
Refer to the three main corporate strategies that you know

3.2 LV generic strategy

How does the company compete?
Refer to the Strategy Clock model (appendix?) and/or
Porters Generic Strategies model (appendix?)

39

The Strategy Clock by Bowman

310

Generic Strategies Framework by Porter

311

Part IV LV main Issues and challenges

Provide a summary of the issues from the external and internal

analyses
Then highlight the issues and challenges that you believe LV
now faces in order to remain competitive and continue to
grow the business

312

Part V LV strategic options for growth

5.1 Generating Strategic options
o Which are the 3/4 strategic options available to grow and develop
the business further? To do this use:
o
o

Ansoff matrix (appendix?)

and Tows Matrix models (appendix?)

5.2 Evaluating the Strategic Options

o Refer to the SFA framework to evaluate the options identified
and select the best one.

5.3 Implementation: Which are the resources needed to implement

the strategic option chosen?
313

Ansoffs Matrix

Products

Market
Penetration

Product
Development

Market
Development

Diversification

Markets

Present

New

New

Present

314

TOWS Matrix

From External
Analysis
From
Internal
Analysis

Strengths:
1.
2.
3.
Weaknesses:
1.
2.
3.

Opportunities:
1.
2.
3.
SO Strategies
Use strengths to
take advantage
of opportunities
WO Strategies
Use Opportunities to
overcome weaknesses

Threats:
1.
2.
3.
ST Strategies
Take advantage of
Strengths to
avoid
threats
WT Strategies
Defensive strategies
to minimize
weaknesses and
avoid threats
315

The SFA Framework

Success Criteria of Evaluation of Strategic
Options

Suitability

The fit test:

Does the S.O. exploit the
companys strengths?
Take advantage of the
Opportunities? And does it fit
with the companys positioning?

Feasibility

It is concerned with
whether a S.O. could be
made to work in practice
the capability to deliver
the strategy

Acceptability

It is concerned with the

expected performance
outcomes (such as the
return or risk) of the S.O. &
the extent to which these
would be in line with the
expectations of
stakeholders 316

EXAMPLE Strategy Selection

develop criteria under SFA and then quantify them

CRITERIA

Strategic
Option 1

Strategic
Option 2

Strategic
Option 3

Strategic
Option 4

Suitability

Feasibility

Acceptability

TOTAL

10

13

11
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Conclusions

CONCLUSIONS
Provide Your strategic solutions for the companys ongoing health. What
problems will LV have in trying to sustain a competitive advantage over
its rivals?

REFERENCES LIST
Alphabetical order and Harvard style (at least 20 academic references )

APPENDICES (if needed)

318

General Points to Remember

o When starting a section and a subsection, always state

what you are going to do and why
o Ensure that your discussion provides critical analysis not
just descriptive narrative
o Give careful consideration to the presentation of your
assignment
o Reference all external sources used and ensure that you
are accurate (both in-text and in the list of references)
o Be careful with spelling and grammar
o Proof-read your final work
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Ask your tutor an appointment if

you wish to receive some extra
support with your assignment

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THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR

ATTENTION.

..Now go out there.and

SUCCEED!!!!
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