Strategic Case Analysis Assignment $-$ CLO $1$; CLO $2$; CLO $3$; CLO $4$; CLO $5$; CLO $6$

Review the Company Index starting on page $517$ in your textbook and select one company in which to conduct a strategic case analysis. You will want to select a company which has had recent negative or controversial publicity. Review any available information on your selected company through reliable sources. Then, in a $4$ to $6$ page, APA formatted response, follow these steps:

Skim the Information

Skim for basic facts. As you read, jot down your notes regarding the following basic questions:

Who are the principal actors?

What are the key events over the last few years?

When and where do these key events happen $($in other words, what is the timeline$)?$

Define the Problem

Which facts are relevant and why? Gather information and then piece the clues together to figure out what is wrong. Like a doctor would, your goal at this stage is to identify the symptoms in order to figure out which tests to run in order to make a definitive diagnosis of the main disease. Only then can you prescribe a treatment with confidence that it will actually help the situation. Rushing too quickly through this stage often results in malpractice $($that is$,$ giving a patient with an upset stomach an antacid when she really has the flu$),$ with effects that range from unhelpful to downright dangerous. The best way to ensure that you do no harm is to analyze the facts carefully, fighting the temptation to jump right to proposing a solution.

Determine the Tools

The third step, continuing the medical analogy, is to determine which analytical tools will help you to most accurately diagnose the problem$($s$).$ Doctors may choose to run blood tests or take an X$-$ray. In doing case analysis, follow the steps of the strategic management process. You have any and all of the following models and frameworks at your disposal, which you will use to begin drafting your written response:

Perform an external environmental analysis of the:

Macro$-$level environment $($PESTEL analysis$).$

Industry environment $($e$.$g$.,$ Porter's five forces$).$

Competitive environment

Strategic group analysis

Perform an internal analysis of the firm using the resource$-$based view:

$-$What are the firm's resources, capabilities, and competencies?

Does the firm possess valuable, rare, costly to imitate resources, and is it organized to capture value from those resources $($VRIO analysis$)?$

What is the firm's value chain?

Analyze the firm's current business$-$level and corporate$-$level strategies:

Business$-$level strategy $($product market positioning$)$

Corporate$-$level strategy $($diversification$)$

International strategy $($geographic scope and mode of entry$)$

How are these strategies being implemented?

Analyze the firm's performance:

Use both financial and market$-$based measures.

How does the firm compare to its competitors as well as the industry average?

What trends are evident over the past three to five years?

Consider the perspectives of multiple stakeholders $($internal and external$).$ Does the firm possess a competitive advantage? If so$,$ can it be sustained?

Make a Diagnosis

With all of this information in hand, you are finally ready to make a diagnosis, which you will include in your written response. Describe the problem$($s$)$ or opportunity$($ies$)$ facing the firm at this time and$/$or in the near future. How are they interrelated? Support your conclusions with data generated from your analyses.

Propose a Solution

You will conclude your paper with a solution. When you have the problem figured out $($your diagnosis$),$ the next step is to propose a treatment plan or solution. The purpose of doing case analysis is to look past the

easy answers and to help figure out not just what works but what might be a better answer. In other words, do not just take the first idea that comes to your mind and run with it$.$ Instead, write down that idea for subsequent consideration but then think about what other solutions might achieve the same $($or even better$)$ results. Select the best solution and describe why it is the optimal move.