Touchstone $4$: Organization Analysis & Strategic Recommendations

SCENARIO: Select an organization you are familiar with or have worked for $($currently or in the past$).$ You are tasked with analyzing the organization both internally and externally using some of the tools and frameworks you have learned in this course. You are also tasked with recommending changes to the organization$$s strategy and structure, in addition to considering associated ethical implications. This assignment requires you to apply SWOT analysis, PESTEL analysis, Porter$$s Five Forces of Industry Analysis, Porter$$s Generic Strategies, and organization design concepts related to strategy$-$structure fit. You will prepare a slide deck containing your analysis and recommendations that could be presented to the organization$$s Board.

ASSIGNMENT: Your presentation will be $11-14$ slides long, not including the title and references slides. It must include the following slides:

Title

Executive Summary

Organization Background

Internal Strengths

Internal Weaknesses

External Opportunities

External Threats

Macro Environment Analysis: PESTEL

Micro Industry Analysis: Porter$$s Five Forces

Generic Strategy Recommendations

Organization Design Recommendations

Ethical Considerations

References

If you$$ve never used a presentation tool like PowerPoint or Google Slides before, don$$t worry! The assignment template below will help you create slides for a basic slide presentation. Then you$$ll be able to practice using the presentation technology as you put the finishing touches on your presentation.

Touchstone $4$ Template

Touchstone $4$ Sample

Before you get started, let$$s look at how you$$ll be building the presentation, step by step.

In order to foster learning and growth, all work you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any plagiarized or recycled work will result in a Plagiarism Detected alert. Review Touchstones: Academic Integrity Guidelines for more about plagiarism and the Plagiarism Detected alert. For guidance on the use of generative AI technology, review Ethical Standards and Appropriate Use of AI$.$

A$.$ Directions

Step $1$: Choose an Organization

Select an organization that you are familiar with.

The most successful learners select an organization that is a public company with readily available information to meet the analysis requirements of the rubric. These successful learners do not rely solely on their personal knowledge but instead use evidence from references to support points in the touchstone.

Learners that struggle with this touchstone are those who select an organization that is small, hyper$-$local, non$-$profit, or governmental; this includes municipalities or the company they work for. We suggest you avoid organizations in these categories.

Organizations that should NOT be used include:

Amazon

Amnesty International

US Bank

Walmart

Tesla

Step $2$: Create Presentation Slides

Use a presentation tool like PowerPoint or Google Slides to outline and organize your presentation. Your presentation must include the following:

Slide Component

Title Slide Your title slide will be the first slide and should include your name, the date, and the name of the organization you selected.

Executive Summary An executive summary should include the main points of your presentation in $1-2$ slides $($no more than $2).$ It should also include your recommendations in $1-3$ bullet points. As a general rule, it is usually best $($and easiest$)$ to write the executive summary last$$after the rest of your presentation is completed.

Organization Background The organization background should be brief$$no more than $1-2$ slides. It should include a brief history of the organization, in addition to the major products or services offered and the markets that are served. Other possible categories include the founding date, mission statement, annual profits, sales regions, etc.

Internal Strengths Using what you have learned about SWOT analysis, identify $4-6$ strengths internally within the organization. You may have to make some inferences based on what you know or perceive about the organization.

Internal Weaknesses Using what you have learned about SWOT analysis, identify $4-6$ weaknesses internally within the organization. You may have to make some inferences based on what you know or perceive about the organization.

External Opportunities Using what you have learned about SWOT analysis, list $4-6$ opportunities facing the organization externally. Opportunities and threats are generally easier to identify than internal strengths and weaknesses, and are typically shared across the same industry.

External Threats Using what you have learned about SWOT analysis, list $4-6$ threats facing the organization externally. Opportunities and threats are generally easier to identify than internal strengths and weaknesses, and are typically shared across the same industry.

Macro Environment Analysis: PESTEL Applying the PESTEL framework to the