USA: +1(669)289-8683 
Sign in
Week One
Strategic
Business Continuity and
Internal Risk Assessment
·
Identify key firm capabilities.
· Describe the components of sustainable competitive advantage.
· Analyze the influence of the organization on strategic business continuity.
Course
Assignment
s
1. Readings
· Read Ch. 3 of Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization, Concepts and Case.
2.
Individual
Assignment: Internal Risk Assessment
· Resources: University Library’s MarketLine Business Information Center
· Access the University Library’s MarketLine Business Information Center and look up one of the following companies:
o Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
o Jet Blue Airways Corporation
o Hewlett-Packard Company
o Home Depot
· Prepare a 1,050- to 1,750-word paper identifying the key capabilities of your selected company.
o Discuss the firm’s strengths and weaknesses in marketing, human resources, management, research and development, finance, and other applicable areas.
o Analyze how internal organizational dynamics influence strategic business continuity.
o Access the company’s Web site and use the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, if available, and the most recent company Annual Report as sources.
o Reference your readings and at least three other sources, including MarketLine, the Internet, or other properly cited sources.
· Format your paper according to APA standards.
3. Learning
Team
Instructions
· Create the Learning
Team Charter
.
· Select one of the following Virtual Organizations to use throughout the course for strategic plan development:
o Riordan Manufacturing
o Huffman Trucking
o McBride Financial Services
Weekly Reminders
Weekly Summaries
Weekly summaries will be required in this course and counted as class participation.
Discussion Questions
Discussion question responses will count towards the class participation requirement.
Only posts in the
Main
classroom forum will count towards your class participation score.
Participation
All Week: Remember to participate in the class discussions 4 out of 7 days during the week.
Summary of Week 1 Deliverables
Individual
or Learning Team
Location
Due
Main
Ongoing— 4 days per week
Respond to the Discussion Question 1
IndividualMain
Wednesday
Respond to the Discussion Question 2
IndividualMain
Thursday
Respond to the Discussion Question 3
IndividualMain
Saturday
Monday
Initiate Learning Team Communications
TeamTeam
Sunday
Submit your Weekly SummaryIndividualMain
Monday
Week Two
Strategic Business Continuity and the External Environment
· Classify stakeholders.
· Create a Vision and Mission Statement.
· Explain the role of business ethics in external environmental analysis.
· Analyze the external environment and its influence on strategic business continuity.
Course Assignments 1. Readings
· Read Ch. 1 of Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization, Concepts and Cases.
· Read Ch. 2 of Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization, Concepts and Cases.
· Read Ch. 3 of Strategic Management: Creating Value in Turbulent Times.
· Read Ch. 6 of Strategic Management: Creating Value in Turbulent Times.
· Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
2. Individual Assignment:
Competitive Advantage and Pro Sports
· Resources: ESPN or Sports Illustrated Web sites
· Access ESPN.com or SportsIllustrated.com and select any professional sports team.
· Prepare a 500- to 600-word paper analyzing competitive advantage and the business of professional sports.
o Describe the components of sustainable competitive advantage that contribute to the team’s success in the competitive sports industry.
o Identify the four criteria of sustainable competitive advantage and classify team characteristics such as coaching, fan base, playing style and tactics, individual players, within each criterion for your team. Describe how these factors contribute to the team’s success in the competitive sports market.
o Reference your readings and at least one other source, including the Internet, or other properly cited sources.
· Format your paper according to APA standards.
Note: This assignment has been adapted from Exercise 2 on p. 91 (Ch. 3) of Strategic Management.
3. Learning Team Instructions:
Strategic Business Plan
Outline
· Begin working on your Strategic Business Plan
Outline
due in Week Three.
4. Learning Team Assignment: Virtual Organization Selection
· Submit your Virtual Organization selection.
Weekly RemindersWeekly Summaries Weekly summaries will be required in this course and counted as class participation.Discussion Questions Discussion question responses will count towards the class participation requirement.Only posts in the Main classroom forum will count towards your class participation score. Participation All Week: Remember to participate in the class discussions 4 out of 7 days during the week.
Summary of Week 2 Deliverables
|
Individual or Learning Team |
||||||
|
Respond to the DQ 1 |
||||||
|
Assignments |
||||||
|
Respond to the Discussion Questions 2 & 3 |
Friday |
|||||
|
Select Virtual Organization |
||||||
|
Learning Team Discussion |
On-going |
|||||
|
Submit your Weekly Summary |
Week Three
Strategic Business Planning
· Identify the key elements of a strategic business continuity plan.
· Determine the role of competitive dynamics in strategic business planning.
· Evaluate business competition strategies.
Course Assignments 1. Readings
· Read Ch. 4 of Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization, Concepts and Cases.
· Read Ch. 5 of Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization, Concepts and Cases.
· Read Ch. 6 of Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization, Concepts and Cases.
· Read Ch. 9 of Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization, Concepts and Cases.
· Read Ch. 1 of Business Continuity Strategies: Protecting Against Unplanned Disasters.
· Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
2. Individual Assignment:
External Environment Analysis
· Resources: IBIS World Database MarketLine Business Center
· Access the IBIS World Database or MarketLine Business Center in the University Library and research the industry for the company you selected for the Internal Risk Assessment Paper.
o Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. – dollar and variety stores in the United States or discount, variety, and general merchandisers
o Jet Blue Airways Corporation – domestic airlines in the United States
o Hewlett-Packard Company – computer and peripheral manufacturing in the United States
o Home Depot – home improvement stores in the United States
· Prepare a 1,750- to 2,100-word paper regarding the external business environment.
o Analyze the external business market and its influence on the firm’s strategic business continuity plan.
o Include analysis of general, industry, and competitor environments.
o Explain the role of business ethics in gathering competitor intelligence.
o Reference your readings and at least four other sources, including MarketLine, IBIS World, the Internet, the Electronic Reserve Readings, or other properly cited sources.
· Format your paper according to APA standards. 3. Learning Team Instructions: Strategic Business Plan
· Continue working on your Strategic Business Plan due in Week Five.
4. Learning Team Assignment: Strategic Business Plan
Outline
Your Learning Team is the newly formed Executive Team of the Virtual Organization you selected. Your executive team oversees finance, marketing, human resources, and technology decisions for the organization. The board of directors of your company has requested a
Strategic Business Plan Outline
indicating the direction your executive team wishes to take the organization.
· Create a 2- to 3-page outline identifying the key elements of a strategic business continuity plan for your selected company.
o Include a classification of the company’s stakeholders.
o Create an original Vision and Mission Statement. Consider several examples. Visit the corporate Web sites of major corporations such as Coca–Cola®, Home Depot, and Hewlett Packard, and read their visions, values, and objectives.
o Outlines may include financial, managerial, economic, marketing, technological, competition, legal and ethical environment, as well as crisis management areas of your strategic plan.
o Reference your readings and at least three other sources, including the Internet, or other properly cited sources.
o Refer to the Sample Outline in the University of Phoenix Center for Writing Excellence for formatting guidelines.
o Refer to the University of Phoenix Center for Writing Excellent APA Reference and Citation Examples for information on citing Virtual Organizations.
· Format your paper according to APA standards. Weekly RemindersWeekly Summaries Weekly summaries will be required in this course and counted as class participation.Discussion Questions Discussion question responses will count towards the class participation requirement.Only posts in the Main classroom forum will count towards your class participation score. Participation All Week: Remember to participate in the class discussions 4 out of 7 days during the week.
Summary of Week 3 Deliverables
|
Respond to the Discussion Question 2 |
Week Four
Strategic Implementation
· Describe corporate governance.
· Explain the use of organizational structure and controls in strategic implementation.
· Analyze the role of leadership in strategic implementation.
· Evaluate the role of strategic entrepreneurship in creating firm value.
Course Assignments 1. Readings
· Read Ch. 10 of Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization, Concepts and Cases.
· Read Ch. 11 of Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization, Concepts and Cases.
· Read Ch. 12 of Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization, Concepts and Cases.
· Read Ch. 13 of Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization, Concepts and Cases.
· Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
2. Individual Assignment:
Business Competition Strategies
· Resources: University Library’s MarketLine Business Information Center
· Access the University Library’s MarketLine Business Information Center and select an industry rival to the company used in the Internal Risk Assessment and External Environment Papers from the following:
o Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. rival Target Corporation
o Jet Blue Airways Corporation rival Delta Airlines, Inc.
o Hewlett-Packard Company rival Dell Inc.
o Home Depot rival Lowe’s Companies Inc.
· Prepare an 8- to 10-slide PowerPoint
® presentation evaluating the rival companies’ business competition strategies.
o Identify the type of business level strategy each firm is using and evaluate its effectiveness. Consider cost leadership, differentiation, focused cost leadership, as well as integrated cost leadership and differentiation.
o Determine the role industry competitive dynamics have in choosing those strategies.
o Reference your readings and at least two other sources, including MarketLine, the Internet, or other properly cited sources.
· Format your paper according to APA standards. 3. Learning Team Instructions: Strategic Business Plan · Continue working on your Strategic Business Plan due in Week Five. Weekly RemindersWeekly Summaries Weekly summaries will be required in this course and counted as class participation.Discussion Questions Discussion question responses will count towards the class participation requirement.Only posts in the Main classroom forum will count towards your class participation score. Participation All Week: Remember to participate in the class discussions 4 out of 7 days during the week.
Summary of Week 4 Deliverables
|
Individual |
Week Five
Emerging Issues in Strategic Management
· Create a long-term strategic plan for sustaining organizational performance.
· Determine emerging strategic management issues.
Course Assignments 1. Readings
· Read Ch. 14 of Strategic Management: Creating Value in Turbulent Times.
· Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
2. Individual Assignment:
Case Study Analysis
· Read Case Study 26 Tyco International: A Case of Corporate Malfeasance on pp. 321-333 of Strategic Management.
· Prepare a 700- to 1,000-word paper analyzing strategic implementation at Tyco that includes the following:
o Describe how the lack of corporate governance at Tyco contributed to its downfall.
o Explain how Dennis Kozlowski used organizational structure and controls to implement his strategic plan.
o Analyze the role of Tyco leadership in strategic implementation.
o Evaluate the role of strategic entrepreneurship in creating firm value at Tyco.
o Reference your readings and at least two other sources, including the Internet, or other properly cited sources.
· Format your paper according to APA standards.
3. Individual Assignment: Final Examination
· Prepare for your Final Examination.
4. Learning Team Assignment: Strategic Business Plan
The Board of Directors approved your Strategic Business Plan Outline, but now wants your executive team to create a long-term Strategic Business Plan for sustaining organizational performance. For examples of Strategic Plans access any major corporation’s Web site or MarketLine Business Center in the University of Phoenix Library and refer to the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
· Prepare a 2,500- to 3,500-word Strategic Business Plan Paper and a 15- to 20-slide PowerPoint
® Presentation using your Strategic Business Plan Outline.
o In the Business Plan, expand on the areas identified in the Business Plan Outline as critical to the organization and provide an in-depth description of the Strategic Plan for those areas.
o Include analysis of internal organizational dynamics and the external environment.
o Explain how the plan contributes to the company’s long-term success.
o Conclude with a description of emerging strategic management issues the organization may face and explain how the Strategic Business Plan might address those issues.
o Reference your readings and at least four other sources, including the Internet, or other properly cited sources.
· Format your paper and slide presentation according to APA standards.
Weekly RemindersWeekly Summaries Weekly summaries will be required in this course and counted as class participation.
Final Week Requirements
Discussion question responses and participation will not be required during the final week of the course. The final week will be dedicated to completing the final assignments listed below.
Only posts in the Main classroom forum will count towards your class participation score. Participation All Week: Remember to participate in the class discussions 4 out of 7 days during the week.
Summary of Week 5 Deliverables
