BUS555: Develop the Ability to Make Strategic Decisions to support these Decisions: Business Strategy Essay, SUSS, Singapore

The aim of this exercise is to help course participants develop the ability to make strategic decisions, to support these decisions with appropriate analyses, and to learn to communicate their ideas coherently.

The company selected does not need to be approved by the instructor, but the student must include a statement with the paper that they have not used the company that has been chosen in another class for another project by any of the members of the team. . In order to obtain sufficient information, it is suggested that you consider a publicly-traded company. 

The format of the Strategic Analysis Document must be

1. Cover Page: Title, Date, and Authors.

2. Statements (plagiarism and no previous use).

3. Table of Contents.

4. Executive Summary (Key findings; maximum 1 page): The purpose of the executive summary is to inform the reader of the key elements in the paper.

5. Issues and Outlook Profile: This section should broadly address only the most important issues confronting the firm. Has the firm been successful? Why? Could the firm be successful? Very broadly, where is the firm headed? Be mindful of who your “audience” is. The “executives” of the firm are in the audience and are already knowledgeable about the firm.

6. External Analysis: Which environmental forces are most likely to influence the firm’s actions and future performance: international competitive, economic, political, cultural, technological, or legal forces or actors? How is the industry? Who are the firm’s present/future customers? Competitors? Use these questions to develop a list of opportunities and threats and briefly discuss why each is important.

7. Internal Analysis: Identifies the principal resources and capabilities needed to compete effectively in your area of business and evaluates your organization’s resources and capabilities in terms of (a) strengths and weaknesses relative to competitors (b) the importance of achieving sustainable competitive advantage. Value Chain Analysis.

8. Summary of both the external and internal analysis: SWOT.

9. Strategy Implications from the analysis: Consider how the organization can exploit its strengths, taking into account its weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. New products and/or markets? Internationalization? Vertical integration? Acquisitions, mergers, alliances?

10. Action Plans: Each component of the action plan should contain a label for each strategic action, a set of specific tasks to be carried out, justifications, a brief description of new resources required/to be developed, and a brief description as to how this action component will contribute to the attainment of one or more of the goals of the company. Vision creates a new one for the company.