Field Case Report (estimated 10 – 20 pages of text excluding cover page, table o
Field Case Report (estimated 10 – 20 pages of text excluding cover page, table of contents, references and appendices)
Each student will select a firm, with approval of the instructor, and conduct field research on that firm, and present their findings in a corporate format report. Please do not select a firm that is “popular” and which has been written about innumerable times (i.e. Apple, Google, Amazon, Toyota, etc…) yet make sure it is a publicly traded firm so that you will have access to excellent secondary data sources. Please note that firm selection is on a first come first serve basis (no duplications of assignments) and is your first HW assignment. The Report is based upon the Homework Assignments for this course and will include appropriate indication of source materials, presented in APA referencing format. All reports will be processed through Safe Assign so please make sure that you have properly documented your work!
Secondly, your analysis needs to be “original” in nature. Please do not use others’ analyses and specifically uses of the course tools specfic to your firm (secondary sources) when using any of the strategy tools listed below (i.e. do not use others′ 5 forces analysis, SWOT analysis, etc…) – you are the one who is supposed to use these tools in order to properly analyze the firm’s strategic situation. Your secondary sources, therefore, should be factual in nature and not analytical. If you have any questions in this regard, please contact the instructor.
Final Paper Layout – follows weekly assignments!
1. Cover Page
2. Table of Contents
3. Introduction – a background to the firm in question including the “who, what, where, when, why and how”
4. Mission/Vision/Objectives of the firm
5. The firm’s generic strategy
6. Environmental/External Analyses (O/T) [a. PLEST analysis b. Five Forces c. Competitor] – please use all tools listed (a,b,c)
7. Internal Analyses (S/W) [a. VIRO b. Value Chain c. Functional] – please use all tools listed (a,b,c)
8. Result of SWOT analyses (Is S˃W; O˃T?) Please denote if strengths are greater than weaknesses, opportunities greater than threats! Implications?
9. Does the firm’s strategy seem to work? Why or Why not? (Are there any misalignments between the firm’s mission/strategy/environment/internal operations? If so, what are they?)
10. Suggestions for “realigning” the firm, its mission, strategy, and its market. How can the firm use its strengths to overcome weaknesses and threats as well as leverage opportunities? Immediate and longer term actions that need to be taken? (Alternatives and Priorities?)
11. What is the most important action that needs to be taken by your firm and why?
12. Conclusions – what did you learn from this exercise?
13. References (both primary and secondary).
14. Appendices as needed.
the firm I chose was the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship)