Questions and Answers of Strategic Management

The most widely used strategy-formulation technique among U.S. firms is the SWOT Matrix. This exercise requires the development of a SWOT Matrix for McDonald’s. Matching key external and internal
It is important for representatives from all areas of a college or university to identify and discuss alternative strategies that could benefit faculty, students, alumni, staff, and other
The Grand Strategy Matrix is a popular tool for formulating alternative strategies. All organizations can be positioned in one of the Grand Strategy Matrix’s four strategy quadrants. The divisions
The purpose of this exercise is to discover some important lessons learned by local businesses that do business internationally.InstructionsContact several local business leaders by phone. Find at
This exercise can give you practice developing a Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix to determine the relative attractiveness of various strategic alternatives.InstructionsStep 1 Join with two
Should McDonald’s pursue aggressive, conservative, competitive, or defensive strategies? Develop a SPACE Matrix for McDonald’s to answer this question. Elaborate on the strategic implications of
Individuals and organizations are alike in many ways. Each has competitors, and each should plan for the future. Every individual and organization faces some external opportunities and threats and
It is simply good business practice to periodically determine the financial worth or cash value of your company. This exercise gives you practice determining the total worth of a company using
Developing and altering organizational charts is an important skill for strategists to possess. This exercise can improve your skill in altering an organization’s hierarchical structure in response
This exercise will give you a better understanding of the role of boards of directors in formulating, implementing, and evaluating strategies.InstructionsIdentify a person in your community who
Consider a college organization with which you are familiar. How did management issues affect strategy implementation in that organization?
Objectives provide direction, allow synergy, aid in evaluation, establish priorities, reduce uncertainty, minimize conflicts, stimulate exertion, and aid in both the allocation of resources and the
It is something of an art to uncover the basic values and beliefs that are buried deeply in an organization’s rich collection of stories, language, heroes, heroines, and rituals, yet culture can be
Organizations continually monitor how their products and services are positioned relative to competitors. This information is especially useful for marketing managers but is also used by other
An EPS/EBIT analysis is one of the most widely used techniques for determining the extent that debt and/or stock should be used to finance strategies to be implemented. This exercise can give you
This exercise is designed to give you experience preparing projected financial statements. Pro forma analysis is a central strategy-implementation technique because it allows managers to anticipate
The purpose of this exercise is to give you practice developing product-positioning maps. Nonprofit organizations, such as universities, are increasingly using product-positioning maps to determine
The purpose of this exercise is to explore the practical importance and use of projected financial statements in the banking business.InstructionsContact two local bankers by phone and seek answers
This exercise can give you experience locating strategy-evaluation information. Use of the Internet coupled with published sources of information can significantly enhance the strategy evaluation
An important part of evaluating strategies is determining the nature and extent of changes in an organization’s external opportunities/threats and internal strengths/weaknesses. Changes in these
This exercise aims to familiarize you with corporate codes of business ethics. Go to Starbucks’ Standards of Business Conduct found at their www.starbucks.com Web site and more particularlyat the
This exercise gives you an opportunity to discuss in class ethical and legal issues related to methods being used by many companies to spy on competing firms. Gathering and using information about
A competitive climate is emerging among colleges and universities around the world. Colleges and universities in Europe and Japan are increasingly recruiting U.S. students to offset declining
It would be interesting to know how traveled are students at your university and also how those students consider their travels to be helpful in becoming an effective businessperson. Generally
The purpose of this activity is to determine the nature and prevalence of Sustainability Reports among companies in your state.InstructionsContact by phone at least five different plant managers or
Americans can be more effective in dealing with businesspeople from other countries if they have some awareness and understanding of differences in culture across countries. This is a fun exercise
More and more companies every day decide to begin doing business in the forgotten continent— Africa. Research is necessary to determine the best strategy for being the first mover in many African
As described in the chapter, passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002 has drawn attention to the importance of corporate governance. Similar legislation is pending in other nations as well. However,
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reports statistics on the number of passengers carried each year by major airlines. Passenger data for 2006 are reported for the top 10 fliers in
One element of industry structure analysis is the leverage that buyers can exert on firms. Is technology changing the balance of power between customers and companies? If so, how should business
In ancient Greece, people traveled to the temple at Delphi when they had important questions about the future. A priestess, who was ostensibly a direct connection to the god Apollo, would answer
Drawing on an analysis of internal and external constraints, firms create a mission and vision as a cornerstone of their strategy. This exercise will look at some of the challenges associated with
The focus of this chapter is on understanding how firm resources and capabilities serve as the cornerstone for competencies, and, ultimately, a competitive advantage. Strategists have long understood
What are the six segments of the general environment? Explain the differences among them.
What makes one team successful while another team struggles? At first glance, a National Football League franchise or women’s National Basketball Association team may not seem like a typical
How can companies better understand what customers really need? One helpful tool is the attribute map, described by McGrath and MacMillan in their 2000 book The Entrepreneurial Mindset. The map is a
What is a business-level strategy?
Nearly 100 million Americans have investments in the stock market through shares of individual companies or positions in mutual funds. At its peak volume, the New York Stock Exchange trades more than
A key aspect of company strategy concerns the interactions between two or more firms. When a new market segment emerges, should a firm strive for a first-mover advantage, or wait to see how the
It is common to see military analogies and phrasing used to describe strategy topics, particularly in regard to competitive dynamics and interfirm rivalry. For example, executives often speak about
The use of diversification varies both across and within industries. In some industries, most firms may follow a single- or dominant-product approach. Other industries are characterized by a mix of
What are the implications for managers when their firm shifts from competing in a single product segment to multiple segments? Additionally, how is the manager’s role affected by the similarity or
Gap Inc. opened with a single store in 1969. Located near San Francisco State University, Gap initially sold only Levi’s blue jeans, along with tapes and records. The company soon expanded its
Cadbury and Schweppes are two prominent and long-established companies. Cadbury was founded in 1824 and is the world’s largest confectionary company. The bulk of Cadbury’s sales come from Europe,
What are the traditional and emerging motives that cause firms to expand internationally?
Black Canyon Coffee is a Bangkok-based company that operates a chain of coffee shops. Black Canyon differentiates itself from other coffee chains (e.g., Starbucks, Caribou, Gloria Jeans) by offering
McDonald’s is one of the world’s best-known brands: The company has approximately 30,000 restaurants located in more than 100 countries and serves 47 million customers every day. McDonald’s
What five modes of international expansion are available, and what is the normal sequence of their use?
What is the relationship between international diversification and innovation? How does international diversification affect innovation? What is the effect of international diversification on a
The United States is the largest producer of frozen dairy desserts in the world. Although many of these products are destined for export, a substantial quantity of them is consumed within the United
Swatch is well known for its line of stylish, affordable wristwatches. In the early 1990s, Swatch CEO Nicholas Hayek had a novel idea to diversify his company’s product offerings: a stylish,
Governance mechanisms are considered to be effective if they meet the needs of all stakeholders, including shareholders. As an investor, how much weight, if any, do you place on a firm’s corporate
For this exercise, you and your classmates will debate the merits of Best Buy’s ROWE initiative. To complete this exercise, your instructor will divide the class into five groups of roughly equal
Assume that it is a few months before your college graduation. You and some classmates have decided to become entrepreneurs. The group has agreed on the restaurant industry, but your discussions thus
For this exercise, you will identify and analyze a case of CEO succession. Working in small groups, find a publicly held firm that has changed CEOs. The turnover event must have happened at least
The chapter described the role of the business scorecard in facilitating effective strategic leadership practices. For this exercise, you will be asked to compare and contrast the balanced scorecard
Would you make a good entrepreneur? In this exercise, we will explore how individual attributes and characteristics contribute to entrepreneurial success. If you believe that you have the traits of a
As described in the chapter, entrepreneurship is a global phenomenon. However, innovativeness varies from country to country, as does the infrastructure to support new business development.These
1. How has the global environment changed for U.S. (Hollywood) movie studios since 2000? Explain.2. Use the CAGE distance model to explain why it is challenging to produce movies that are attractive
1. Do you agree with the assessment that Elon Musk and Tesla successfully fulfilled the first master plan published in 2006? Why or why not? To answer this question, apply the three-step process for
What problems would need to be addressed to introduce this angel-network idea into a firm? Use a firm someone in your group has worked for or knows well to discuss possible issues of widely
1. Apply the three-step strategy process to explain how Tinder achieved a competitive advantage.2. Given the crowded marketspace in online dating, apply the three-step strategy process to explain
Which of them has vision or mission statements that are appealing to donors, employees, and clients? Do these statements seem relevant in today’s environment or are they outdated? What improvements
1. What are the most critical roles of a strategic leader? 2. Looking at the traits that make for effective strategic leaders, how do you evaluate Steve Ballmer’s and Satya Nadella’s leadership?
How do perspectives on competitive advantage differ when comparing brick-and-mortar stores to online businesses. Make recommendations to a primarily brick-and-mortar retail firm on how to compete
1. Have you bought any products from Toms? Why did you choose Toms over alternatives?2. The one-for-one model worked for Toms shoes because consumers could visualize a tangible impact and build a
How do the perspectives on competitive advantage differ when comparing brick-and-mortar stores to online businesses (e.g., Best Buy versus Amazon, Barnes &Noble versus Amazon, Old Navy versus
The chapter begins with a discussion of shareholder capitalism to the stakeholder capitalism. Why have we seen this shift in perspective in business? Has the rate of change been steady or are we
1. Strong founder imprinting, like that at Patagonia, can result in cohesive groups of employees holding similar beliefs. As a result, the corporate culture becomes more potent and unique. Yet,
1. Which music streaming service do you use, if any? Why are you using this particular service and not others? Are you a paid subscriber? Why or why not?2. This Mini Case argues that Beats
It is legal to take apart publicly available products and services and try to replicate them and even develop work-arounds for relevant patents. But is it ethical? If a key capability protected by
a. How should managers of a textbook publishing company respond to such changes?b. Will the shifts in technology and business models be likely to raise or lower the textbook industry profits? Explain.
1. Have you used the Robinhood trading app? If so, what is your experience? If not, why not? Would you consider using it? Explain. 2. Delineate the PESTEL factors that supported Robinhood’s rise.
a) The external environment of the global automobile industry is quite complex. Regulations vary from country to country and in the United States even from one state to another. Firms must be
1. Why do PESTEL factors have such a substantial impact on the future of a business?Identify key PESTEL factors forAirbnb, and explain why they can have a significant impact (positive or negative) on
1. Despite its initial success, why was JetBlue unable to sustain a blue ocean strategy?2. The Wall Street Journal asked JetBlue’s chief marketing officer, Marty St. George, “What is the biggest
1. Why was PayPal successful while other online payment services failed? 2. Why are positive network effects so crucial to the success of platform strategy?3. Why is it so difficult to initiate
1. How did Netflix use innovation in its business strategy to gain and sustain a competitive advantage? What role did strategy, technology, and business models play? Explain in detail. 2. Why is
1. Do you have any experience with Warby Parker (either through the free try-at-home program or visiting a store)? Why or why not? If you have used Warby Parker, describe your experience. 2. The
1. Employees and consultants say the Amazon workplace is the epitome of a “do more for less cost” environment. We recognize this is a hallmark goal of a cost-leadership business strategy. But ask
1. Describe Amazon's diversification strategy. What type of diversification strategy is Amazon pursuing? Explain.2. What is Amazon’s core business? Is AWS related to Amazon’s core business? Why
Franchising is widely used in the casual dining and fast food industry, yet Starbucks is quite successful with a large number of company-owned stores. In 2019, Starbucks had more than 8,500
1. What kind of diversification was GE pursuing? What are the sources of value creation with this type of diversification?2. Discuss changes in GE’s product and geographic scope. Describe the most
Given the poor track record of M&As, what explains the continuing trend for mergers and acquisitions in many industries? What steps can a firm take to improve the chances of successful M&As?
Nike is a large and successful firm in the design of athletic shoes. It could easily decide to forward-integrate and manufacture the shoes it designs. Thus, the firm has a credible threat over its
1. Describe the reasons Lyft entered strategic alliances with GM and Waymo. Are some reasons more important than others? Why or why not? Explain.2. GM invested $500 million in Lyft in 2016. What are
1. Why did Tiffany become a takeover target? 2. Acquisitions are one tool to execute corporate strategy. Why did LVMH acquire Tiffany? In your answer, focus on product and geographic
1. As a baseline of your current position, list your strengths and weaknesses for each component. 2. Identify your weakest area and make a list of activities that will help you improve your capital
Strategy Highlight 10.1 discusses the failure of Walmart in Germany. Using the CAGE distance framework, discuss how Lidl should seek to be successful with its move into the US market.Data from
1. Detail the roles that Chick-fil-A’s structure, culture, and control play in the company’s achieving a competitive advantage. Which components are most important? Or, is the interplay of the
As noted in the chapter, the average compensation for a CEO of an S&P 500 company was $12.4million, and CEO pay was 300 times the average worker pay. This contrasts with historic values of between 25
The shared value creation framework provides help in making connections between economic and societal needs in a way that transforms a business opportunity. Taking the role of a consultant to Uber
1. What was the original mission and vision of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes? How did Holmes set out to fulfill her mission?2. What is the designated role of a board of directors? Did the
1. Who is responsible for the opioid crisis: Purdue Pharma, the FDA, patients, people with a drug use disorder, or all the above? Where lies the blame? Anand Giridharadas, New York Times bestselling
The list below shows a sample of various vision/ mission statements. Match the company with its corresponding statement. Also identify whether the statements are principally customer-oriented or
Strategy Highlight 1.1 discusses the importance of the inspiring vision developed at Teach for America. In your group search the internet for other nonprofit organizations (Red Cross, Habitat for
In many situations, promising ideas emerge from the lower levels of an organization, only to be discarded before they can be implemented. It was only extraordinary tenacity and disregard for the
How do you think about accomplishing your goals? One way to strategize your success is to use a version of the stakeholder impact analysis. On a personal level, your internal stakeholders might be
This chapter discusses some of the key strategic leadership issues (such as privacy and fake news) facing Facebook leaders Sheryl Sandberg and Mark Zuckerberg. Consider other firms mentioned in the
Form small groups of three to four students. Search the internet on the following topic and debate your findings. The chapter includes a discussion of black swan events that were improbable and

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