TASK DESCRIPTION:
This task focuses on a study of the Competitive Environment and Corporate Level Strategy for a chosen corporation.
You are required to write a report with reference to at least 15 separate scholarly journal articles and the subject core text (Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalisation 11th Edition, author and year: Hitt, M.A., Ireland, R.D., and Hoskisson, R.E (2014), publisher: Cengage Learning Australia ISBN 9781285425177 )
TASK STRUCTURE:
An introduction
A main body
Conclusion
TASK INSTRUCTIONS:
It should include following 7 headings in the main body:
1. Corporation Identification
a. Identify a corporation with product or service portfolios that span multiple business units.
i. Provide a diagram or chart representing the relationships of the business units to the
corporation.
2. Source of Sustainable Competitive Advantage
a. Identify the source of sustainable competitive advantage for the corporation across the Strategic Business Units within the chosen corporation.
i. In your discussion define, with reference to scholarly articles, the four factors of sustainable
competitive advantage for this corporation.
3. Corporation Revenue Centres
a. Identification of Revenue Centres.
i. Identify which product and service lines are creating the greatest revenues for the
corporation, within the business units chosen.
ii. 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 identified for the study.
i. In your discussion define, with reference to scholarly articles, the terms Political, Economic,
Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal.
ii. 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.
ii. Your advice should be supported by tables showing financial reasons for your
advice.
iii. In your discussion define, with reference to scholarly articles, the terms
“merger”, “acquisition” and “downsize”.