You are required to write a report with reference to at least 15 separate scholarly journal articles, per student contribution, and your subject core text. This report will include the following headings: 1. Corporation Identification a. Identify an organisation with product or service portfolios that span multiple business units. b. Each student should take research a separate business unit within the same corporation. 2. Source of Sustainable Competitive Advantage a. Identify the source of sustainable competitive advantage for each business unit. i. In your discussion define, with reference to scholarly articles, the four factors of sustainable competitive advantage. 3. Corporation Revenue Centres a. Identification of Revenue Centres. i. Identify which product and service lines are creating the greatest revenues for the corporation. 1. Provide summary tables of the revenue for each business unit within the corporation. 4. Identify the extent of the corporation's diversification. a. Identify which of the business units are related, which are related-constrained and which are unrelated. i. In your discussion define, with reference to scholarly articles, the terms "related", "constrained" and "diversification". 5. External Environment Analysis a. Identify the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal operating environments for each business unit. i. In your discussion define, with reference to scholarly articles, the terms Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal. 1. Provide a definition of the term "operating environment". 6. Conduct a SWOT analysis for each business unit. a. Identify the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats for each business unit. i. In your discussion define, with reference to scholarly articles, the term "SWOT" analysis. 7. Merger, Acquisition and Downsize. a. Make recommendations for the future strategic merger, acquisition or downsize of the corporation. i. Provide advice on which business units to expand by acquiring similar business units from other corporations, and advice on which business units should be downsized or sold. 1. Your advice should be supported by tables showing financial reasons for your advice. a. In your discussion define, with reference to scholarly articles, the terms "merger", "acquisition" and "downsize". Grading Criteria and Feedback 1. Hurdle requirement Pass/Not Pass: a. The item has been presented in the medium of written English. Sentences are structured and conform to academic writing No Marks are awarded in this criterion. guidelines. The paper has an identifiable structure including an introduction, a main body, and conclusion. The paper follows the Harvard Referencing Style. The examiner can proceed with further assessment. b. The item has not been presented in the medium of written English and the examiner cannot proceed with further assessment. Sentences are not structured and do not conform to academic writing guidelines. The paper does not have an identifiable structure including an introduction, a main body, and conclusion. The paper does not follow the Harvard Referencing Style. La Trobe University 8 2. Corporation Identification a. Comprehensive (4-5 marks) a. The report identifies an organisation with b. Detailed (3.5-3.75 marks) product or service portfolios that span multiple c. Effective (3-3.45 marks) business units. a. SILO Examined: 1, 2, 3 d. Adequate (2.5-2.75 marks) e. Not Adequate (0-2 marks) b. Each student has provided a separate business a. Comprehensive (4-5 marks) unit within the corporation. b. Detailed (3.5-3.75 marks) a. SILO Examined: 1, 2, 3 c. Effective (3-3.45 marks) d. Adequate (2.5-2.75 marks) e. Not Adequate (0-2 marks) 3. Source of Sustainable Competitive Advantage a. Comprehensive (4-5 marks) a. The report identifies the source of b. Detailed (3.5-3.75 marks) sustainable competitive advantage for each c. Effective (3-3.45 marks) business unit. a. SILO Examined: 1, 2, 3 d. Adequate (2.5-2.75 marks) e. Not Adequate (0-2 marks) b. The report defines, with reference to a. Comprehensive (4-5 marks) scholarly articles, the four factors of b. Detailed (3.5-3.75 marks) sustainable competitive advantage. c. Effective (3-3.45 marks) a. SILO Examined: 1, 2, 3 d. Adequate (2.5-2.75 marks) e. Not Adequate (0-2 marks) 4. Corporation Revenue Centres a. Comprehensive (4-5 marks) a. The report identifies which product and service b. Detailed (3.5-3.75 marks) lines are creating the largest revenues for the c. Effective (3-3.45 marks) corporation. i. SILO Examined: 1, 2, 3 d. Adequate (2.5-2.75 marks) e. Not Adequate (0-2 marks) b. The report provides summary tables of the a. Comprehensive (4-5 marks) revenue for each business unit within the b. Detailed (3.5-3.75 marks) corporation. c. Effective (3-3.45 marks) i. SILO Examined: 1, 2, 3 d. Adequate (2.5-2.75 marks) e. Not Adequate (0-2 marks) 5. Diversification. a. Comprehensive (4-5 marks) a. The report identifies which of the business units b. Detailed (3.5-3.75 marks) are related, which are related-constrained and c. Effective (3-3.45 marks) which are unrelated. i. SILO Examined: 1, 2, 3 d. Adequate (2.5-2.75 marks) e. Not Adequate (0-2 marks) b. The report defines, with reference to scholarly a. Comprehensive (4-5 marks) articles, the terms "related", "constrained" and b. Detailed (3.5-3.75 marks) "diversification". c. Effective (3-3.45 marks) i. SILO Examined: 1, 2, 3 d. Adequate (2.5-2.75 marks) e. Not Adequate (0-2 marks) 6. External Environment Analysis a. Comprehensive (4-5 marks) a. The report identifies the Political, Economic, b. Detailed (3.5-3.75 marks) Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal c. Effective (3-3.45 marks) operating environments for each business unit. i. SILO Examined: 1, 2, 3 d. Adequate (2.5-2.75 marks) e. Not Adequate (0-2 marks) La Trobe University 9 b. The report defines, with reference to scholarly a. Comprehensive (4-5 marks) articles, the terms Political, Economic, Social, b. Detailed (3.5-3.75 marks) Technological, Environmental and Legal. c. Effective (3-3.45 marks) i. SILO Examined: 1, 2, 3 d. Adequate (2.5-2.75 marks) e. Not Adequate (0-2 marks) 7. SWOT Analysis a. Comprehensive (4-5 marks) a. The report conducts a SWOT analysis for each b. Detailed (3.5-3.75 marks) business unit. c. Effective (3-3.45 marks) i. SILO Examined: 1, 2, 3 d. Adequate (2.5-2.75 marks) e. Not Adequate (0-2 marks) b. The report defines, with reference to scholarly a. Comprehensive (4-5 marks) articles, the term "SWOT" analysis. b. Detailed (3.5-3.75 marks) i. SILO Examined: 1, 2, 3 c. Effective (3-3.45 marks) d. Adequate (2.5-2.75 marks) e. Not Adequate (0-2 marks) 8. Merger, Acquisition and Downsize. a. Comprehensive (4-5 marks) a. The report makes recommendations for the b. Detailed (3.5-3.75 marks) future strategic merger, acquisition or downsize c. Effective (3-3.45 marks) of the corporation. i. SILO Examined: 1, 2, 3 d. Adequate (2.5-2.75 marks) e. Not Adequate (0-2 marks) b. The report provides advice on which business a. Comprehensive (4-5 marks) units to expand by acquiring similar business b. Detailed (3.5-3.75 marks) units from other corporations, and advice on c. Effective (3-3.45 marks) which business units should be downsized or sold. d. Adequate (2.5-2.75 marks) i. SILO Examined: 1, 2, 3 e. Not Adequate (0-2 marks) c. The report provides advice supported by tables a. Comprehensive (4-5 marks) showing financial reasons for this advice. b. Detailed (3.5-3.75 marks) i. SILO Examined: 1, 2, 3 c. Effective (3-3.45 marks) d. Adequate (2.5-2.75 marks) e. Not Adequate (0-2 marks) d. The report defines, with reference to scholarly a. Comprehensive (4-5 marks) articles, the terms "merger", "acquisition" and b. Detailed (3.5-3.75 marks) "downsize". i. SILO Examined: 1, 2, 3 c. Effective (3-3.45 marks) d. Adequate (2.5-2.75 marks) e. Not Adequate (0-2 marks) 9. Examiner's Comment. No marks are awarded in this criterion.