- Your task is to produce a management report providing a strategic analysis of an organisation that is operating in the Gulf region. You are required to conduct a thorough analysis of the organisation and the industry it operates within. You are expected to examine and critically evaluate the current strategy of this organisation. You need to make recommendations based on your analysis, outlining and evaluating a number of options and selecting the most appropriate one for implementation. The emphasis must be on deriving recommendations that provide a form of competitive advantage. You will be required to use some theoretical models,framework and theories to underpin your analysis.
It is essential that you show some critical analysis /evaluation in your analysis.
The analysis and recommendations must not be solely descriptive of what the organisation is actually doing but analytical and proposing what it could and should do.
Some advice about approaching your research and investigation:
The nature of strategic recommendations and decisions:
Your development of options and selection of the strategic decision must be strategic in nature
Success depends on you being able to understand the difference between operational and strategic issues and actions
Below are some examples of the sorts of issues that might be investigated. Please note that this is not a complete list and that different ones may be relevant. (Generally you would only focus on one but there may be more that you could consider). The emphasis on the options that are considered should be on achieving competitive advantage:
Decision about which markets to enter
Decisions about potential product /service development
Decisions about which business units to invest in and grow and which to downsize or divest
Growing a new business
Finding a new source of differentiation in the face of competitive pressure
Finding innovative ways to compete hence avoiding competition
Process/system improvements
Decisions about continuing on the current strategic path
Important Note:
you should look critically at your organisation. This is not disrespectful but a way of developing your business skills. You should not therefore merely accept that what is being done is the only potential option. You should look at it from a critical perspective and think if there are different or better options.
If your company is non-profit
Strategy applies to non-profit or government organisation and agencies and there is no reason why you can not do the assignment on such an organisation
The Analysis:
The analysis is vital for you to be able to create a range of strategic options and to justify a choice for the strategic decision – it is NOT however the report (the report is the discussion of the options and the justification for the choice)
The analysis should be based on an extensive study of the organisation and should be fully supported by relevant data. While you will provide a summary of the analysis in your report, use the appendices to provide more detail and data.
Things to avoid:
Descriptions of the tools and frameworks. You are not writing a text book and you will be assessed on your ability to think strategically rather than providing a lit review. This style of writing will lead to a low grade or failure.
Inappropriate referencing. Any evidence must be properly referenced within the text of the main report - Harvard system applies
Out of date evidence – Organisations moves quickly, so a report that uses old data is not valid.
Descriptions of the current situation. This assignment must look at future potential options.
Focusing on operational issues. This is a strategy report and should focus on strategic issues and solutions.
Management Report format. There are many templates in existence and use one.
You may not choose companies which feature in the large case studies in textbooks such as Johnson & Scholes and Grant, or companies used for in-class teaching. Please confirm your choice of company with your tutor before proceeding. Collecting and analysis of information can be done in groups but remember this is an individual assignment and must be presented as such.
