GCU MGT660 Week 1 Assignment Latest 2020 March

MGT660 Strategic Management

Week 1 Assignment

CLC-Mission and Vision Statements Analysis and Company Overview

This is a Collaborative Learning Community assignment.

Throughout this course, you will work in a CLC group on a strategic case analysis project. This project consists of different parts you will complete each week that build on each other.

In addition to the CLC Strategic Case Analysis, you will be completing an Extended Executive Summary in Topic 8, as an individual assignment. As you are completing the Strategic Case Analysis with your CLC team, think about what you would do differently, if working alone, so you are prepared for the individual assignment in Topic 8. In a similar fashion, you will also need to complete individual assignments related to your CLC projects in Topics 4-6.

Before starting your CLC project, you must go to Strategy Club and view the Sample Strategic Plan for Colgate-Palmolive (2019) under the student resources section. This sample strategic plan is an example of what your completed strategic case analysis should look like at the end of the course.

NOTE: Each member of your CLC group will need to read through and sign the CLC Agreement. This needs to be completed and submitted to your instructor before the end of Topic 1. The Instructor should not accept any assignments from any group that has not submitted a completed CLC Agreement. At the end of the course, you will also be submitting a Peer Review Evaluation for the CLC Project members.

Each CLC group will select a different company to use as a case study throughout the course. There are 40 different companies listed in the textbooks for the course the CLC group may choose from. As a CLC group, you must choose a specific company from the 30 options in the David text (pages xiii and xiv) or one of the 10 ancillary companies from Section E of the Wheelen text. No two groups should use the same company or companies in the same industry. Your instructor will help ensure every group has a different company to analyze.

Team work is essential to your success on this project and this course. It is imperative that once your project team is created, you decide how you will work together to complete the project. Plan how you will communicate, collaborate, delegate, and share the work load. Identify technology tools to assist you if needed. The success of the group falls on each individual.

Once your CLC group has selected a company and it has been approved by your instructor, follow the directions to complete all the parts and steps listed below.

Part 1: Company Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

Step 1: Go to the appropriate page in the textbook that describes the detailed case information about your selected company. Read all the sections of the entire case and list what you consider to be the firm's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Consider both internal and external factors when compiling your list. Then, go to that firm’s website and locate and click on the link for Investors. Click Annual Reports and then click 2017 Annual Report or Form 10K. Download this pdf file to your desktop; peruse the information and add to your list of the firm’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Step 2: Go to the IBISWorld or Business Source Complete websites for the relevant industry of your selected company. Use this information to develop your list of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Step 3: Go to the Yahoo Finance website. Enter the stock symbol for your company. Note the wealth of information on the company that may be obtained by clicking any item along the row below the company name. You will use this data when you refine your lists of key external and internal factors later in the course. Each factor listed for this exercise should include a percentage, number, dollar, or ratio to reveal some quantified fact or trend. These factors provide the underlying basis for a strategic plan because a firm strives to take advantage of strengths, improve weaknesses, avoid threats, and capitalize on opportunities. Avoid vagueness in strategic planning.

Step 4: Go to Strategy Club and review the following resources:

Live author videos

Live case analysis presentation on Barnes & Noble

Chapter and case updates

Guidelines for presenting a strategic plan or case analysis

Step 5: Use your results from Steps 1-3 when completing this step. Under “Free Templates,” download the latest version of the template. (We will refer to this template as the Strategic-Planning Template throughout the course. Save it with the file name, "Your Company Name Strategic-Planning Template".) Click on each of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats buttons in the template and carefully follow the instructions given for each to complete these four sections of the template.

Step 6: Save the Excel file for use in later exercises. You will continue to add to this Strategic-Planning Template throughout the course.

Part 2: Company Overview and Mission and Vision Statements

Follow the steps below to complete a single Word document to submit to your instructor:

Step 1: In 250-500 words, give an overview of the company, describing their business, brief history, and your initial thoughts on the organization’s strategy and business model.

Step 2: Go to your project company’s website. Find the company's vision and mission statements and add them to your Word document.

Step 3: Assess the company’s current Mission and Vision statement and, in 250-500 words, explain your analysis of its strengths and weaknesses.

Step 4: Write new and improved vision and mission statements for the firm, following the information presented in Chapter 2 about the characteristics, qualities, components, and importance of vision and mission statements.

Step 5: Explain in 100-150 words, how or why your proposed vision and mission statements are better than the current statements, and how they could benefit the company moving forward.

Be sure to cite three to five relevant and credible sources in support of your content. Use only sources found at the GCU Library, corporate websites, or those provided in Topic Materials.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.