Writer’s choice of organisation to report on
This assignment requires you to examine and apply key concepts and tools of strategic management.
Assume the perspective of a strategy consultant who has been retained by the senior management team of an organisation. Your brief is to provide a report that evaluates the external environment of the organisation, including reference to sustainability issues.
The objective of this assignment is to demonstrate an understanding of the concepts and tools that underpin and guide the practice of strategy, and then to draw on this understanding to critically analyse the macro and industry environment of an organisation of your choice. Your focus is on the business level of analysis. That is, you are to select a stand-alone organisation or a business unit within a corporation.
Some guidance and advice to ensure the successful completion of your strategy report:
1. Select a business on which you are able to access and collect data in the public domain. This CAN NOT be one of the assigned tutorial cases. Search a variety of sources including for example business reports, journal articles, media articles, and industry reports. IBIS World provides a useful source of industry and organisational data and analysis.
2. Your report should be written in a clear and concise manner, presenting a summary of the key points of your analysis and findings.
3. Your report will be assessed on how well it demonstrates a clear understanding and application of strategy concepts and models to the external environment of the organisation.
In order to do well in this assignment please follow carefully the report format set out below.
Report Structure
The following list sets out the sections of your report.
1. Title page including: (Does not count towards word limit)
1. Title of the report.
2. Your name and student ID
3. Date and unit code.
2. Table of contents (Does not count towards word limit)
Include all the section headings and subheadings below, together with the page numbers.
3. Executive summary (200 words)
A one-page introduction and summary of the report, written as a series of short paragraphs or in point form, outlining the:
1. Purpose: A description of why you have undertaken the analysis and written the report.
2. An outline of the organisation’s history, current strategic position, and industry environment.
4. External analysis
This section comprises the following sub-sections.
4.1 PESTEL analysis (800 words)
4.1.1 Provide a summary PESTEL analysis of your organisation’s macro environment
4.1.2. Identify and describe sustainability issues represented in two of the PESTEL factors. Explain the influence of these issues on future industry change.
4.2 Five forces analysis (800 words)
4.2.1. Provide a summary Five Forces analysis of your organisation’s industry environment
4.2.2. Describe the impact of sustainability on one of the Five Forces.
5.0 Conclusion (200 words)
Based on your preceding analysis identify and describe one strategic opportunity and one threat facing the organisation.
6.0 References (Does not count towards word limit)
List all the references referred to in the report. Use APA 6th or 7th edition for referencing.
Report format:
Maximum words: 2000 (excluding title page, table of contents and references. Appendices are not allowed. Section word limits are a guide).
Line spacing: 1.5
Font: Arial or Times New Roman 12 pt.
