SLP 4

Economics of Organization and Strategy 

For this final SLP, imagine that your business has become successful  and you are now considering expanding the scope of your company.   Carefully review all of the required background materials, and then  write a three-page paper answering the following questions.  Make sure  to cite at least one of the required readings for each of your answers:

1. If you were to engage in horizontal integration, which of your  direct competitors would you decide to acquire?  Overall, do you think  horizontal integration is the best long-run plan for your business if it  is successful?
2. Do you think your business should vertically integrate over time?   Should you engage in backwards vertical integration, forward vertical  integration, both, neither?  Explain your reasoning.
3. How about diversification/conglomerate strategy?  Any advantage to  diversifying your business?  Discuss unrelated diversification and  related diversification and whether or not these strategies might be  good for your business.  Explain your reasoning. 

SLP Assignment Expectations

• Answer the assignment questions directly.
• Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on  tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background  materials.
• Make sure to use reliable and credible sources as your references.  Articles published in established newspapers or business  journals/magazines are preferred. If you find articles on the Internet,  make sure they are from a credible source.
• Reference your sources of information with both a bibliography and in-text citations. See the Student Guide to Writing a High-Quality Academic Paper,  including pages 11- 14 on in-text citations. Another resource is the  “Writing Style Guide,” which is found under “My Resources” in the TLC  Portal.