BPP Coursework Cover Sheet

Please use the table below as your cover sheet for the 1st page of the submission. The sheet should
be before the cover/title page of your submission.

Programme MSc Mgmt

Strategy
Module name

Schedule Term

Student Reference Number (SRN)

Report/Assignment Title Starbucks Business Report

Date of Submission
(Please attach the confirmation of any
extension received)

Declaration of Original Work:

I hereby declare that I have read and understood BPP’s regulations on plagiarism and that this is my
original work, researched, undertaken, completed and submitted in accordance with the requirements
of School of Business & Technology.

The word count, excluding contents table, bibliography and appendices, is words.

Student Reference Number:

Date:

By submitting this coursework, you agree to all rules and regulations of BPP regarding
assessments and awards for programmes. Please note, submission is your declaration you are fit
to sit.

BPP University reserves the right to use all submitted work for educational purposes and may
request that work be published for a wider audience.

BPP School of Business and Technology

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 Programme: MSc Management

Module: Strategy

Coursework Assessment Brief

Submission deadline: 23:59 hrs on 28th April 2020 Submission

mode: Turnitin online access

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1. General Assessment Guidance

• Your summative assessment for Summer 2019 Term is made up of this Coursework submission
which accounts for 100% of the marks
• The deadline for submission is 23:59 Hrs on 28th April 2020. Please note late submissions will
not be marked.
• You are required to submit all elements of your assessment via Turnitin online access. Only
submissions made via the specified mode will be accepted and hard copies or any other digital
form of submissions (like via email or pen drive etc.) will not be accepted.
• For coursework, the submission word limit is 3,500 words for the Starbucks Business Report plus
500 words for the Starbucks Stakeholder Report (Total 4,000 words). You must comply with the
word count guidelines. You may submit LESS than 4,000 words but not more. Word Count
guidelines can be found on your programme home page and the coursework submission page.
• Do not put your name or contact details anywhere on your submission. You should only put
your student registration number (SRN) which will ensure your submission is recognised in the
marking process.
• A total of 100 marks are available for this module assessment, and you are required to achieve
minimum 50% to pass this module.
• You are required to use only Harvard Referencing System in your submission. Any content which
is already published by other author(s) and is not referenced will be considered as a case of
plagiarism.
You can find further information on Harvard Referencing in the online library on the VLE. You can
use the following link to access this information:
http://bpp.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=30639385
• BPP University has a strict policy regarding authenticity of assessments. In proven instances of
plagiarism or collusion, severe punishment will be imposed on offenders. You are advised to
read the rules and regulations regarding plagiarism and collusion in the GARs and MOPP which
are available on VLE in the Academic registry section.
• You should include a completed copy of the Assignment Cover sheet. Any submission without
this completed Assignment Cover sheet may be considered invalid and not marked.

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2. Assessment Brief

2.1 Part 1 – Starbucks Business Report (3,500 words)

You are required to write a Business Report for the CEO on the performance of Starbucks using
independent research and the case study (case 25) that appears on pages C-200 to C-209 of Part 5
in the Core Textbook, Autumn term 2019:

The case study can be accessed using the following link (you will need your log in details):
https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781305856271/cfi/648!/4/4@0.00:0.00

Setting the scene: The CEO of Starbucks is considering their options over the next 3 years. Your
Business Report should provide the CEO with clear and concise information that will guide them in
their decision-making process. You should use the Starbucks case study and also provide evidence
of further independent research to support your answers. Your research data must not be older
than 3 years. Data prior to January 2017 will be ignored for marking purposes.

Your Business Report should be structured as follows:

• An Introduction (500 words; 10 marks) to Starbucks and its competitive position relative to the
other companies (include data from your research and the case study)
• External Environment analysis (1,250 words; 25 marks) - A critical analysis of the Speciality
Coffee Café Industry as represented by the case study and your independent research
• Internal Environment analysis (1,250 words; 25 marks) - A critical evaluation of the sources of
Starbuck’s competitive advantage (internal analysis) and how these differ from Starbucks
competitors - You should draw upon information and data provided by the case study and
your extensive research (Remember your research data must not be older than 3 years. Data
prior to January 2017 will be ignored for marking purposes).
• Recommendations (500 words; 10 marks) for the CEO that will improve the company’s
performance over the next 3 years. Your recommendations should be commercial, realistic and
justified. You should present your recommendations using SMART objectives (Specific,
measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound).

2.2 Part 2 – Starbucks’ Stakeholder Report (500 words; 20 marks)

a) You should identify (list) the internal and external Stakeholders for Starbucks (Complete
Appendix A; this is not included in your word count; 5 marks)
b) You should then choose One priority Starbucks’ Stakeholder Group from this list and
provide a clear definition of this Group. For example, if you choose “customers” as a
Stakeholder Group you should identify the type of Starbucks customer together with their
characteristics, demographics, size of the stakeholder group etc. Your Priority Stakeholder
Group should be a Starbucks’ Group that is currently the focus of attention (within the last
3 years) from Starbucks due to a specific reason that you must explain in your answer. You
must provide evidence (appropriately referenced) in support of your answer from the case
study and your independent research (335 words; 10 marks).
c) You should then critically analyse the power (influence) and interest of your chosen
Stakeholder Group, using an appropriate academic framework (for example Mendelow’s

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 matrix) and identify the appropriate communications strategy that Starbucks should adopt
with this Stakeholder Group (165 words; 5 marks).

2.3 Structure of Your Submission

You should submit both reports as a single document structured as follows:

- Business School Cover Sheet

- Report Title Page
- Table of Contents (sections and pages numbered)
- Part 1 – Starbucks Business Report (3,500 words)
o Introduction to Starbucks and its competitors
o The External Environment (Apply a PESTLE analysis, 5 Force Analysis, Industry
Lifecycle model)
o The Internal Environment - Sources of Competitive Advantage (Apply VRIO, Value
Chain, Resources, Capabilities and Competencies framework)
o Recommendations to improve Starbucks performance over the next 3 years
- Part 2 - Stakeholder Report (500 words)
- References
- Appendices

3.0 Marking Guide

The Starbucks’ Business Report is marked out of 80 and will contribute 80% of your overall mark.
The Starbucks’ Stakeholder Report will be marked out of 20 and will contribute 20% of your total
mark. Note: Your research data must not be older than 3 years. Data prior to January 2017 will
be ignored for marking purposes.

The following table shows the mark allocation, word count guidance and the approach required.

Assignment Part Mark Approach

For an excellent mark you will include a detailed and informative

Introduction
(Approximately 500 words)
introduction to Starbucks and present its relative position (as
assessed against Starbucks main competitors). You should draw
10 upon data from the case study and your independent research.
Your introduction will set the scene for your report and entice the
reader to want to read more (10 marks).

For an excellent mark the industry analysis will include a

External Analysis –
(Approximately 1,250
words)
An analysis of the Specialty
Coffee Café industry and its
External Environment.
comprehensive assessment of the Specialty Coffee Café Industry.
The analysis will look forward and anticipate future demand over
the next three years, making use of information that you have
researched. There will be a clear indication of opportunities and
25 threats (10 marks)
There will be appropriate use of academic frameworks, for
example a Five Force Analysis (Porter’s) will be supported with
appropriate data from the case study and your research (5 Marks).
The Industry lifecycle position will be identified, and the

5

Internal Analysis -
(Approximately 1,250
words)
A critical evaluation of the
sources of Starbucks’
competitive advantage and
how these differ from other
firms competing in the
industry
Recommendations -
(Approximately 500 words)
For the Starbucks’ CEO that
will improve the company’s
performance over the next
3 years. Your
recommendations should
be commercial, realistic and
justified
Presentation and
Referencing
Total marks for Part 1 – (no
more than 3,500 words)
Stakeholder Report
List the internal and
external Stakeholders –
Complete Appendix A and
add it to your report (Note:
This table will not be
included in your word
count)
Priority Group – definition
and justification for
selecting this group -
(Approximately 335 words)
implications to Starbucks critically evaluated (5 Marks).
Appropriate use of the PESTLE framework will be made (5 Marks).
Data will be clearly presented using appropriate charts, tables and
graphs.
For an excellent mark the sources of competitive advantage will
be explained using appropriate Academic frameworks (e.g. VRIO,
Value Chain etc.), and drawing on information represented in the
case study and your research (10 Marks). There will be a clear
analysis of the company’s strengths and weaknesses and
reference to resources, capabilities and competencies (5 marks).
25 Examples of how some of the competing companies have created
competitive advantage should be critically evaluated, with
appropriate evidence professionally presented. There should be
clear assessment of what the competition did that was better than
Starbucks and provide some insight into what Starbucks can do to
improve their performance in the future (this should tie in at least
in part to your recommendations below) (10 marks)
For an excellent mark, students will present 3 detailed
recommendations, using the preceding analysis and evaluation to
recommend specific steps for the Starbucks CEO to improve
Starbucks’ performance over the next 3 years. You should be
clear on which areas of performance will be affected (for example,
10 is this about increasing sales? Market share? Profitability?
Efficiency? Or other targets/metrics?). For best marks,
recommendations should be presented as SMART objectives
(Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound). There
should be a consideration of cost / benefit, but a detailed financial
analysis is not required (10 marks)
For an excellent mark the report should have, a clear and logical
structure that is easy to read and navigate, and with a
professional level of presentation. There should be precise, full
10 and appropriate references and notes. There will be no spelling or
grammatical errors. The subtle use of language will express highly
nuanced thought with clarity and precision to a level appropriate
for submission to a Senior Executive of Starbucks (10 marks).
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Mark Approach
For an excellent mark, you will complete Appendix A below and
attach this to your report. The Appendix A requires you to
complete a comprehensive list of Starbucks’ Stakeholders,
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indicating whether they are internal or external stakeholders and
providing a justification for including them in the list (5 marks).
For an excellent mark you will choose One priority Stakeholder
Groups from this list and provide a clear definition of this Group.
For example, if you choose “customers” as a Stakeholder Group you
should identify the type of Starbucks customer together with their
10
characteristics, demographics, size of the stakeholder group etc. A
Priority Stakeholder Group is a Group that is currently (within the
last 3 years) the focus of attention from Starbucks due to a specific
reason that you must explain in your answer. You must provide
6

Priority Group – Power /
interest and
communication strategy -
(Approximately 165 words)
Total marks for Part 2 - (no
more than 500 words)
TOTAL FOR ASSESSMENT
evidence (appropriately referenced) in support of your answer from
the case study and your independent research (10 marks).
You should then critically analyse the power (influence) and interest
of your chosen Stakeholder Group, using an appropriate academic
framework (for example Mendelow’s matrix) and identify the
5
appropriate communications strategy that Starbucks should adopt
with this Stakeholder Group (5 marks).
20
100
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Appendix A – Starbucks’ internal and external Stakeholders with justification

You must complete the table below and attach it to your Stakeholder Report. This Table will not be
included in the 500-word count for part 2.

Stakeholder Group Internal or Justification for including them on your

External list

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Appendix B - General grading criteria – Level 7

Criteria Pass Grades Fail Grades

High Distinction 70- Merit 60- Pass 50- Fail Low Fail 0-
Distinction 84% 69% 59% 30-49% 29%
85-100%

The work The work displays: The work displays: The work The work The work
displays: displays: displays: displays:

Knowledge & (a) Strong (a) Clear evidence (a) Clear evidence (a) Evidence of (a) Evidence of (a) Evidence
Understanding evidence of a of a of a a systematic an of a limited
(a) ystematic comprehensive comprehensive comprehensive understanding, understanding of understanding
Understanding and systematic and systematic and systematic which may an appropriate of issues,
understanding of understanding of a understanding of contain some range of issues, concepts,
(b) merging
an extensive considerable all major - and gaps, of all concepts, theories and
Thought
range of variety of issues, some minor - major - and theories and research
appropriate concepts, theories issues, concepts, some minor - research but has either major
issues, and research theories and issues, significant gaps and/or minor.
concepts, research concepts, or
theories and theories and misunderstandin
research research gs.

(b) Sustained (b) Precise and (b) Some clear (b) Clear (b) Unclear or (b) Significant
excellence in the well-judged evidence of the evidence of an imprecise gaps in the
application of application of application of understanding of understanding of understanding
thoughts and thoughts and thoughts and thoughts and thoughts and of the debates
practices at the practices at the practices at the practices at the practices at the at the forefront
forefront of the forefront of the forefront of the forefront of the forefront of the of the
discipline discipline discipline discipline. discipline. discipline.

Argument (a) Consistently (a) Consistently (a) Precision, (a) Broad levels (a) Errors which (a) A lack of
(a) nalysis, precise, precise, accurate accuracy and clear of precision, affect the precision,
Synthesis & accurate and and reasoned reasoning accuracy and consistency of accuracy or
Evaluation reasoned analysis, synthesis throughout the reasoning in the analysis, reasoning in
analysis, and/or evaluation analysis, synthesis analysis, synthesis or analysis,
(b) Numerical
synthesis and/or addressing all and/or evaluation synthesis and/or evaluation synthesis or
Analysis
evaluation; issues, some with addressing all evaluation, and and/or key gaps evaluation with
(c) addressing creativity issues addresses all in the issues significant
Argumentation issues with appropriately key issues addressed gaps in the
(d) Independent insight or issues
Research originality addressed

(b) Numeric (b) Numeric (b) Numeric (b) Numeric (b) Numeric (b) Numeric
analysis that is analysis that is analysis that is analysis that is analysis that is analysis that is
complete and complete and complete and mostly complete mostly complete incomplete or
free from errors mostly free from mostly free from and free from but contains contains errors
with application errors with fluent errors with significant or errors with which have
of methods that and appropriate relevant and critical errors significant effect, critical effect,
may be insightful application of effective with appropriate or methods that or methods
or original methods. application of application of are applied that are
methods. methods. inappropriately applied
inappropriately

(c) Extremely (c) Extremely strong (c) Evidence of an (c) Evidence of an (c) Evidence of a (c) Lack of
strong and and consistent argument that is overall convincing consistent consistency or
argument that argument but may
consistent generally argument but structure in the
convincingly have weaknesses,
argument convincing with a may have argument.
addresses issues gaps or
making a including good internal inconsistencies. weaknesses, Serious
convincing uncertainties and consistency and Clear use of significant gaps weaknesses in
whole with conflicts. Excellent addresses most information or be the integration
evidence of use of information issues. Very good gathered but may unconvincing. of evidence
originality. gathered which to use of information have some Clear use of and/or no
support and further weaknesses in the
Impressive gathered to information awareness of
the argument integration into the
dexterity in the support the gathered but the limitations
argument.
use of argument. may not be or

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Criteria Pass Grades Fail Grades

High Distinction 70- Merit 60- Pass 50- Fail Low Fail 0-
Distinction 84% 69% 59% 30-49% 29%
85-100%

The work The work displays: The work displays: The work The work The work
displays: displays: displays: displays:
information sufficient to weaknesses of
gathered to sustain the the research.
support the argument.
argument.

Argument (d) Evidence of (d) Substantial (d) Clear evidence (d) Appropriate (d) Evidence of (d) Over
(continued) an innovative or research and of considerable use of a wide a range of reliance on
original use of evidence of an personal research range of personal very restricted
extensive innovative use of a and the use of a personal research but range of
(d) Independent
personal wide range of diverse range of research which evidence of personal or
Research
research which personal research appropriate is critically methodological secondary
has been with clear and sources but may evaluated for or conceptual research much
thoroughly consistent critical contain problems key conceptual evaluation may of which may
critically evaluation both with consistency in and be limited, not be
evaluated both conceptually and the conceptual methodological inconsistent or evaluated and
conceptually and methodologically and issues although inappropriate may not be
methodologically methodological this may not be directly related
critical evaluation consistent to the question
throughout or area

Presentation (a) xcellent (a) xcellent (a) ood structure (a) dequate (a) dequate (a) oor
(a) tructure structure and structure and and presentation structure and structure and structure and
presentation presentation presentation presentation presentation
(b) Referencing
(c) Use of (b) recise, full (b) recise, full (b) ull and (b) ood (b) Competent (b) oor
Language and appropriate and appropriate appropriate references and references and references
references and references and references and notes with minor notes but may and notes with
notes. notes. notes with minor or insignificant contain multiple
or insignificant errors or inconsistencies, inconsistencie
errors omissions errors or s, errors or
omissions omissions

(c) Subtle use of (c) Precise use of (c) Clear and (c) Generally (c) Generally (c) Serious
language language precise use of clear use of understandable errors in the
expressing expressing language allowing language use of language use of
highly nuanced complex thought a complex sufficient for but significant language
thought with with clarity, argument to be arguments to be errors in which makes
clarity and accuracy and easily understood readily expression meaning
precision to a precision which and followed understood and affecting overall unclear or
level appropriate furthers and followed clarity imprecise
for submission enhances the
for publication. argument

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