BUSINESS STRATEGY

Business Tactics

Assignment possibilities for Order Description MAN-30048 Business Strategy Sem 1 15/16
Select ONE from the following choices:
a) Mintzberg (1987) compares a company’s strategy to its employees’ personalities. Think about why this would be the case, as well as any ramifications for how we understand strategy, in light of The Strategy Concept parts I and II and up to TWO additional pertinent concepts covered in the module.

b) Use any ONE or TWO of the models or concepts that were covered in lectures to analyze the strategy of a corporation of your choice.
By 1 pm on Monday, November 23, you must turn in one hard copy and one digital copy (through the Turnitin drop-box in the KLE) (for further information, read the Module Guide also on the KLE). Your hard copy cover sheet must include the Turnitin reference number.
Excluding your references list and any appendices, the word count goal is 2000 (+/- 10%).
Harvard referencing done right and completely is crucial.
advice specific to your query
a) Although these two articles were discussed in Lecture 1, you could discover that their principles are relevant to other ideas presented in later lectures. Ensure you directly respond to the question and not just rephrase or summarize Mintzberg’s work. Try your best to demonstrate that you understand what he is saying by, for example, rating it (is it a good or terrible notion, how valuable is it, does it really help us comprehend the nature of strategy?…) or highlighting any connections you notice with other ideas in the module.
It should be noted that including more concepts is optional; it is perfectly possible to limit your discussion to the Strategy Concept articles; doing so will allow you to go into deeper depth, while including extra concepts enables comparison. Both methods are legitimate: “different, but equal.”
When in doubt, talk to me!
b) You now have the chance to investigate the strategy of a real company of your choosing in relation to your chosen topic(s).

Of course, you will be expected to use a lot more than just the case study materials if you select one of the businesses or industries covered in the lessons!
I strongly advise you to begin by selecting a firm in which you are personally interested and to get going, ask yourself the following questions:
• Can I get enough details about this business?
o Business reports?
Scholarly sources?
o Reliable news sources
• Do they formally describe their approach?
If so, do you think it’s suitable, and if so, why?
o Do they seem to be acting in accordance with their stated intentions?
Why not if they don’t?
• What are unbiased (academic, journalistic, etc.) sources saying about them? (See underneath.
Using the information provided above, you may decide which model(s) and/or framework(s) will best aid in analyzing their strategy.
I advise you to start by reading the statements made by the company’s chairman and chief executive officer in the annual report (if applicable and available). There is no need to read the complete report; the statements above (also known as the “Chairman’s report” or “letter to shareholders”) should be enough unless you require extra information in regard to certain topics, such as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reports, etc. You could also want to review the reports from prior years to see if their strategy has remained the same or changed. Why?
Additionally, I advise you to look at reputable publications like The Economist and respectable newspapers like The Financial Times, Telegraph, Independent, and Guardian. Through the Library’s electronic resources, you can freely access their searchable websites.
Beware! On the Internet, especially on websites like Scribd, Ivythesis, and StudyMode, you may discover many pre-written responses to this kind of inquiry. Avoid the temptation to employ them! Use only reliable academic sources, reputable newspapers, magazines, and other media, as well as content from the company of your choice, especially the Annual Reports when available.
As always, if you have any questions or seek clarification on the requirements, don’t hesitate to contact me! Mondays from 11–1, or you can schedule a consultation by emailing [email protected].