Task 2 (suggested length 20 pages)
INTRODUCTION
You will use your analysis from task 1 to create a business strategy for the company you chose in task 1.
Note: Any information that would be considered confidential, proprietary, or personal in nature should
not be included in the actual task submission. Do not include the actual names of people, suppliers, the
organization(s), or other identifiable information. Fictional names should be used. Also, organization-
specific data, including financial information, should not be included but should be addressed in a
general fashion as appropriate. Work performed for a client or an employer is their property and should
not be used without written permission.
REQUIREMENTS
A. Create a business strategy in report format by doing the following:
1. Create an executive summary that includes the following points:
• the vision, mission, and value statement of the business
· Develop a vision, mission statement, and value statement for the business that you chose to do
a SWOT analysis on in Task 1. You will create these items for your chosen company. You should
not use their existing statements.
• the execution of a strategy
· Provide an overview of the execution of the strategy. This will be a summary of section A9
and should be written once the entire task is completed. This summary should be one to two
paragraphs.
• the financial evaluation of the strategy
· Provide an overview of the ROI and Cost-Benefit Analysis performed in section A10. This can
be completed after section A10 is written.
• a conclusion or summary of the business strategy
· Provide a one to two paragraph description of the strategy that you have created for your
company. This should align to the vision, mission, and values statements you created.
2. Discuss the vision, mission, and values statement completed in task 1, part A1.
· Provide an overview of the vision, mission statement, and values statement that you have
created for your company in the previous section. You may not use their existing statements.
3. Justify the analytical tools used in developing your strategy.
· Using the two analytical tools that you discussed in task 1, prompt A3, you will “test” your
proposed strategy. For each of the two analytical tools complete the following:
· Conduct the test on your strategy. Demonstrate the results of the test in paragraph form.
· Discuss the results of the test and how these results show how the strategy is likely to be
successful or if it might benefit from revision.
· Justify why you chose the test and why its results will help you to hone your strategy.
4. Include the detailed SWOT analysis from task 1.
· Copy and paste the SWOT analysis you completed in Task 1 into this section of Task 2 including
both B, B1, and C prompts.
5. Discuss your plan for maintaining competitive advantage.
· Discuss your plan for developing and maintaining a sustainable competitive advantage for
your
chosen company and demonstrate how your proposed strategy will allow for at least one,
sustainable competitive advantage.
· Employ the VRIN tests for sustainable competitive advantage to demonstrate how your
competitive advantage is valuable. (The VRIN Test is found in chapter four of the text)
· Discuss how the sustainable competitive advantage(s) that your proposed strategy has/have
created add value to your strategy.
6. Discuss the implications of competing in international markets.
TASK HACK- There are a number of instances where competing internationally may not, on its face,
make sense for your chosen organization. This prompt is as much about you demonstrating your
knowledge about competing internationally as it is about you proposing an international market
approach for your organization. Remember, to engage in an international market, you could contract or
source any aspect of your business.
Discuss potential opportunities even if they may not be implementable given the organization’s
current state. Don’t let limitations such as regulations impact your proposals as these are just
examples of “cons” you can discuss.
· Discuss the pros and cons of your chosen organization competing in international markets.
· In some cases, international populations that are doing business with the organization can
impact the company. Think about language barriers, customs, and other international cultural
impacts that could impact the company.
7. Discuss a diversification strategy that should be considered in your business strategy.
· Define, in detail, what a diversification strategy entails.
· Provide and discuss at least one specific example of how your chosen company can employ a
diversification strategy that would complement it
8. Discuss at least one ethical consideration of your strategy.
· Discuss at least one ethical concern that your strategy could logically create.
· Discuss a solution to address the ethical concern you have proposed.
9. Discuss your planned execution of the strategy.
10. Discuss how you would use ROI (return on investments) and cost-benefit analysis as part of your
business strategy.
TASK HACK- This prompt is asking for a general discussion of two concepts; ROI and Cost-Benefit
Analysis. Specific calculations are not required. Rather, provide a discussion of how your strategy will
yield both and ROI and a Cost-Benefit. Keep in mind, ROI is a financial measure (for example, a 21%
return on the funds invested). Cost-Benefits are other benefits achieved from a strategy (for example, an
increase in customers, more locations, more products or services offered).
· Discuss, in two to four paragraphs, the following:
·Will your proposed strategy provide a ROI (Return on Investment) for the funds spent to
implement it? Yes or no? Why or why not?
· What is the logical Return on Investment (in percentage) that can be expected in three to five
years if your strategy is implemented? Why does this make sense?
·Will your proposed strategy provide any Cost-Benefits if implemented? Yes or no? Why or
why not?
· What are some of the Cost-Benefits (at least one or two) that can be expected in three to five
years if your strategy is implemented? Why does this make sense?
11. Create a conclusion for your business strategy.
TASK HACK- This will be redundant. The executive summary and the body of the task already have this
information. Your conclusion should not present new information. Rather, it should summarize the entire
task.
· Provide a conclusion that summarizes the key components of your business strategy. This
summary should touch on key ideas and concepts from all of the previous prompts (A1-A11)
B. Acknowledge sources, using in-text citations and references, for content that is quoted,
paraphrased, or summarized.