Describe some of the cues that might cause a company to suspect there is unmet demand for its products or services. How would you design a test to determine whether your suspicions are correct?

Explain the connection between demand, competitive advantage, and strategy.

DISCUSSION 2

“How Do We Generate Good Growth?” Please respond to the following:

Discuss some of the advantages of growing your organization organically rather than through acquisition. What cautionary advice would you give to a colleague about pursuing a growth strategy?

DISCUSSION 3

“Customer Behavior Segmentation” Please respond to the following:

Explain why good segmentation does not always equate to winning strategy of organizations. Provide specific examples and clear logic to support your response.

DISCUSSION 4

“Analysis Tools” Please respond to the following:

From the preparation activity, apply one of the analysis tools to an organization you are familiar with to create a sample analysis. If you prefer, you may apply your selected analysis tool to IKEA (at the time of the case study). Justify your choice of tool, interpret the results, and share the insights you gained from your analysis.

DISCUSSION 5“How Do We Generate Strategic Options?” Please respond to the following:

In a firm that has identified very few strategic options, what are some of the obstacles you might face in generating and evaluating strategic options? What steps would you as a manager take to overcome these obstacles? How would you measure whether your interventions were effective? Share your thoughts, supported by evidence from the readings and othercourse materials, as to the sources and severity of these obstacles.DISCUSSION 6

“Managing a Portfolio of Strategic Opportunities” Please respond to the following:

What are some managerial challenges in implementing strategies that are risky, innovative and novel (positioning and scouting options in terms of the portfolio)?What are some key challenges in implementing strategies that are closely related to existing businesses (platforms and enhancements in the terms used in the portfolio)?Describe at least one technique or approach from the readings (Chapter 6 of Strategic Management) and explain how it would be well suited to some or all of the strategies in a firm’s portfolio.DISCUSSION 7

“Playing the Game of Strategy?” Please respond to the following:

• Discuss actions you could take to bring more players into an existing strategic “game.”
• Do the actions change depending on the industry?
• What other factors determine the type of players?
• How do new players learn the rules of an industry? (Give at least 2 ways).

DISCUSSION 8

“Acquisition Strategy” Please respond to the following:

What advice would you give to a CEO who is intent on moving forward with a strategic acquisition that carries with it a high level of risk?

Discuss specific ways in which the managers at the firm can implement your advice. Use the readings and materials from class, along with examples of managers at firms you know — or have read about in the news — to respond to this discussion question.

DISCUSSION 9

“Getting Ready for Implementation”Please respond to the following:

How do strong managers reconcile the competing priorities that demand their attention and set their top priorities?

What options might you consider if you and your CEO had different opinions about the top priorities for your company? How would you decide what to do?

DISCUSSION 10Distill your learning from this course into a succinct list. Use the following questions as your guide:

• What have you mastered about Strategy in business ?
• What do you now understand but may want to learn more about?
• What questions can you now articulate about Strategy in business based on what you have learned in this course?

Assignment 2: Strategic Options and Opportunities Due Week 5, Day 7 (Weight: 12%) The following are specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment: ? Analyze the various stages in the strategy development and planning processes. ? Assess external opportunities, threats, and internal organizational capabilities. ? Use technology and information resources to research issues in business strategy. ? Write clearly and communicate effectively about business strategy using proper writing mechanics and appropriate media. Research the current strategic options and opportunities for one of the following companies: Lowes, Honda, GEICO, McDonalds, Nike, FedEx, Amazon, Proctor & Gamble, or Disney. Write a 3-5 page paper in which you do the following: 1. Identify the company’s principal competitors and describe the kind of competition they currently present (traditional, potential, and oblique). 2. Generate at least three strategic options for the firm you have chosen. 3. With your strategic options defined, suggest at least three specific criteria to evaluate these options. Provide a rationale for each of the criteria. 4. Choose the best strategic option based on your evaluation criteria. (If your criteria require quantitative considerations, it is only necessary to make rough estimates. You do not need to make a detailed quantitative analysis.) Your assignment should adhere to these guidelines: ? Write in a logical, well-organized, conventional business style. Use Times New Roman font size 12 or similar, double-space, and leave ample white space per page. ? All references must follow JWMI style guide, and works must be cited appropriately. Check with your professor for any additional instructions on citations. ? On the first page or in a header, include the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. Reference pages are not included in the assignment page length. ? Faculty has discretion to penalize for assignments diverting from assignment guidelines. Check with your individual professor if you feel the assignment requires a much longer or shorter treatment than recommended.
Assignment 3: IKEA Revisited Due Week 7, Day 7 (Weight: 12%) The following are specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment: ? Understand critical success factors in achieving strategic objectives. ? Apply a variety of qualitative and quantitative business analysis techniques. ? Use technology and information resources to research issues in business strategy. ? Write clearly and communicate effectively about business strategy using proper writing mechanics and appropriate media. Write a 3-5 page paper in which you do the following: 1. Discuss the most likely IKEA core competency, how you would test whether this is truly a core competency, and the steps you would recommend that IKEA take if it isn’t. 2. Compose a 1-2 page memo to advise a company that is entering into a strategic alliance what it must do to increase the chances of success. Address at least three issues the company will likely face. Your assignment should adhere to these guidelines: ? Write in a logical, well-organized, conventional business style. Use Times New Roman font size 12 or similar, double-space, and leave ample white space per page. ? All references must follow JWMI style guide, and works must be cited appropriately. Check with your professor for any additional instructions on citations. ? On the first page or in a header, include the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. Reference pages are not included in the assignment page length. ? Faculty has discretion to penalize for assignments diverting from the assignment guidelines. Check with your individual professor if you feel the assignment requires a much longer or shorter treatment than recommended.
Assignment 4: Critical Priorities Due Week 9, Day 7 (Weight: 12%) The following are specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment: ? Understand critical success factors in achieving strategic objectives. ? Apply a variety of qualitative and quantitative business analysis techniques. ? Use technology and information resources to research issues in business strategy. ? Write clearly and communicate effectively about business strategy using proper writing mechanics and appropriate media. Select Wal-Mart, Google, eBay, or Nike and discuss the critical priorities associated with that organization growing by an M&A. Write a 5-7 page paper in which you do the following: 1. Summarize the organization’s strengths, weaknesses, and culture. 2. Determine environmental and internal necessities for a successful M&A, including potential candidates. 3. Prioritize the essential behaviors for success and justify your choice of prioritization. 4. Explain how you would assess the success of the M&A after 90 days, 1 year, and 5 years. Your assignment should adhere to these guidelines: ? Write in a logical, well-organized, conventional business style. Use Times New Roman font size 12 or similar, double-space, and leave ample white space per page. ? All references must follow JWMI style guide, and works must be cited appropriately. Check with your professor for any additional instructions on citations. ? On the first page or in a header, include the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. Reference pages are not included in the assignment page length. ? Faculty has discretion to penalize for assignments over or under the assignment guidelines. Check with your individual professor if you feel the assignment requires a much longer or shorter treatment than recommended.

The Week’s Slide contribution should consist of a one to three page document, double spaced with headers consisting of the slide’s separate questions with a discussion that answers each of the questions:

NOTE: You may choose any company that interests you.The company that you choose will be the same one used for each of the Jack Welch Five Slides and during your Practicum.

What the Playing Field Looks Like Now

• Who are the competitors in this business, large and small, new and old?
• Who has what share, globally and in each market? Where do we fit in?
• What are the characteristics of this business? Is it commodity or high value or somewhere in between? Is it long cycle or short? Where is it on the growth curve? What are the drivers of profitability?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of each competitor? How good are its products? How much does each one spend on R&D? How big is each sales force? How performance-driven is each culture?
• Who are this business’s main customers, and how do they buy?

ASSESSMENT SLIDE 2

The Week’s Slide contribution should consist of a one to three page document, double spaced with headers consisting of the slide’s separate questions with a discussion that answers each of the questions:

NOTE: You may choose any company that interests you.The company that you choose will be the same one used for each of the Jack Welch Five Slides and during your Practicum.

What the Competition Has Been Up To

• What has each competitor done in the past year to change the playing field?
• Has anyone introduced game-changing new products, new technologies, or a new distribution channel?
• Are there any new entrants, and what have they been up to in the past year?

ASSESSMENT SLIDE 3

The Week’s Slide contribution should consist of a one to three page document, double spaced with headers consisting of the slide’s separate questions with a discussion that answers each of the questions:

NOTE: You may choose any company that interests you.The company that you choose will be the same one used for each of the Jack Welch Five Slides and during your Practicum.

What You’ve Been Up To

• What have you done in the past year to change the competitive playing field?
• Have you bought a company, introduced a new product, stolen a competitor’s key salesperson, or licensed a new technology from a startup?
• Have you lost any competitive advantages that you once had—a great salesperson, a special product, a proprietary technology?

ASSESSMENT SLIDE 4

The Week’s Slide contribution should consist of a one to three page document, double spaced with headers consisting of the slide’s separate questions with a discussion that answers each of the questions:

What’s Around the Corner?

• What scares you most in the year ahead—what one or two things could a competitor do to nail you?
• What new products or technologies could your competitors launch that might change the game?
• What M&A deals would knock you off your feet?

ASSESSMENT SLIDE 1-5

NOTE:You should have used the same company for all five of Jack Welch’s Five Slides. To construct the practicum’s Assessment Slides:

1) Make any necessary changes in the first four Jack Welch Slides.

2) Add the content for the fifth slide.

3) Present them in one video.

What’s Your Winning Move?

• What can you do to change the playing field—is it an acquisition, a new product, globalization?
• What can you do to make customers stick to you more than ever before and more than to anyone else?

Practicum Presentation

• Submit the Practicum Presentation video file.