Faculty of Design, Media & Management

School of Applied Management & Law

Assignment Brief 2016-17

Module Title: Strategic Decision Making Module Code: BM622

Assessment
Assignment No/Title: Organisational Strategic Choice (CW1) 100%
Weighting:
Feedback Target
Submission Date: Tuesday 24th January 2017 3WKS
Date:
John Hathaway E2.13
John.hathaway@bucks.ac.uk
Module Co-ordinator/
Suzanne Doria E2.13 Course Area: B&M
Tutor:
Suzanne.doria@bucks.ac.uk

This assignment is to be submitted electronically using Blackboard

Submission Instructions:

1. This assignment must be submitted electronically by 2pm on the submission date

2. To submit electronically you must upload your work to the e-submission area within the respective module
on blackboard. Click Submit> Browse (find the correct file to upload) Upload> Submit
3. Multiple drafts can be submitted up to the submission date.
4. Please remember you must leave at least 24 hours between submissions if you make changes to your
work. Each submission will overwrite the previous one until the due date and time has passed.
5. You will receive a digital receipt as proof of submission. This will be sent to your Bucks e-mail address;
please keep this for reference.
6. You are reminded of the Universitys regulations on cheating and plagiarism. In submitting your assignment
you are acknowledging that you have read and understood these regulations.
7. Late submission within 10 working days of the deadline will result in the mark being capped at a maximum
of 40%. Beyond this time the work will not be marked.
8. You are reminded that it is your responsibility to keep an electronic copy of your assignment for future
reference.

This assignment tests the following Learning Outcomes for the module:

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 Analyse the external environment of an organisation and justify critical opportunities and threats
appropriate to that organisation;
Analyse the strategic capability of an organisation and justify critical strengths and weaknesses linked to
competitive advantage;
Develop suitable strategic choices for an organisation;

Evaluate strategic choices for an organisation, referring back to previous analysis in 1 and 2.

Recommend and justify an appropriate strategic choice for an organisation.

The Assignment Task:

Your task is to analyse an organisations* strategic position and critically assess the strategic options
open to it in order to recommend an appropriate strategy that would be suitable.
a) Strategic Purpose including an Introduction to the Organisation
External environment analysis: PESTLE
Competitive Industry analysis: Porters 5 Forces
Strategic Capability analysis: Threshold and distinctive resource/capabilities
Use a SWOT table or other appropriate framework to summarise the analysis for your organisation
b) Building on the analysis in the first task, propose strategic choices for that organisation. These
should include strategic choices in the areas of EITHER Business or International strategy.
c) Critically evaluate the strategic choices developed in the second task, including critical assessment
and justification of the criteria for that evaluation. This should include an assessment of the level
and type of innovation and the application of a SAFe evaluation. Evaluation criteria should also
include stakeholder expectations and mention of potential barriers to implementation such as
organisation, funding and leadership.
d) Based on the evaluation in the third task, recommend a preferred strategic choice and explain how
this meets stakeholder expectations.

*You will be notified which organisations you may choose from during the lecture series.

Instructions to Students:

Word limit: 2,000 words MAXIMUM +/-10%

A recommended structure for the assignment is as follows:

Front cover including word count, Table of contents.
Abstract (brief summary of your work including recommendations 200 words maximum not
included in word count).
a) Introduction to your organisation, summary of internal and external factors and SWOT analysis
with clear identification of critical points. (500 words).
b) Development of strategic choices (500 words).
c) Evaluation of strategic choices (500 words).
d) Recommendation of preferred strategic choice and conclusion (500 words).
e) References.
f) Appendices.

The table of contents, the abstract, the references and the appendices are not included in the word count.

Any parts of the main analysis should be in the main text and not in tables in the appendices.

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 Your assignment will be marked on the basis of the justification you provide, the conceptualisation of the
idea, the applicability of the relevant theory and the managerial relevance of your work.

Regarding your assignment, you should focus on the following aspects:

a) Summary of the internal and external analysis for your organisation INCLUDING:
1. Strategic Purpose including an Introduction to the Organisation
2. External environment analysis: PESTLE,
3. Competitive Industry analysis: Porters 5 Forces
4. Strategic Capability analysis: Threshold and distinctive resource/capabilities
5. SWOT analysis

b) Development of appropriate strategic choices using either: Generic Competitive business strategy or
Strategy Clock; Porters 4 International Strategies.
c) Development of appropriate evaluation criteria and evaluation of strategic choices, SAFe analysis
d) Selection and justification of the optimum strategy. You should use your own critical ability to analyse the
issue properly and provide the rationale for your reply.

Quality Assurance Record

Internal Approval: KM External Approval:

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Assessment Criteria: BM622: 2016-17
A B C D E and F
Weight 70%+ 60-69% 50-59% 40-49% <40%
Knowledge & 20% Answer shows an excellent Answer shows a good Answer shows a good Answer shows a summary of Answer shows no
Understanding: summary of an summary of an organisations summary of an organisations an organisations strategic summary of an
organisations strategic strategic position (Internal strategic position (Internal and position (Internal and External) organisations strategic
Summary of position (Internal and and External). External) but may contain but contains significant gaps position (Internal and
analysis External). some gaps or errors. and errors or is hard to External).
understand.
Answer shows some
Answer shows good
Answer shows excellent application of theory to Answer shows no
application of theory to
Knowledge & application of theory to develop strategic choices Answer shows limited application of theory.
develop strategic choices
develop appropriate which are generally application of theory to Strategic choices are
Understanding: which are mainly appropriate.
20% strategic choices which are appropriate for the develop strategic choices inappropriate or absent.
Strategic Choices fully justified and explained
A good attempt has been
organisation. Limited which are mainly inappropriate There is no attempt to
made to justify the choices on
relating to the previous justification is made and links and not justified. justify the strategic
the basis of the previous
analysis. with the previous analysis may choices.
analysis..
be missing.
Generally good critical Some critical assessment of Limited critical assessment of There is no critical
Excellent evaluation criteria
assessment of evaluation evaluation criteria, but there evaluation criteria with assessment of evaluation
Evaluation: have been critically
criteria, showing a are gaps or errors. There are significant gaps or errors. criteria.
assessed and applied
Development and reasonable understanding of gaps in understanding of the Significant weaknesses in
30% showing deep
application of understanding of the
the organisation, environment organisation, environment and understanding of the
Criteria and relevant theories. how to select and apply organisation and environment
organisation, environment
relevant theories. Relevant theories are missing
and relevant theories.
or poorly applied.
Recommendations are
Sound recommendations, Generally sound Recommendations have gaps Limited recommendations, not
absent or unsound and
Evaluation: fully supported by recommendations, supported and weaknesses. Some gaps really supported by sufficient
20% evidence, analysis and by reasonable evidence, or errors in evidence, analysis evidence, analysis and
are not supported by
Recommendation evidence, analysis or
evaluation. analysis and evaluation. and evaluation. evaluation.
evaluation
Assignment 10% Clearly written and In general, answer is clearly Despite a small number of Answer may suffer from weak Weak communication
Parameters presented, fully and clearly written and presented, fully specific problems, answer is communication and and/or presentation limited
referenced, and within +/- and clearly referenced, and easy to follow with sound presentation, but is effectiveness/
10% of the word limit within +/- 10% of the word referencing. understandable with comprehension of
Fully Harvard referenced. limit. reasonably sound referencing argument. Poor or no
Correct Harvard referencing. referencing