1 CASE ANALYSIS PROJECT INCLUDES:

CHAPTER 2-7 QUESTIONS 300 POINTS

CASE SWOT ANALYSIS 100 POINTS

OUTLINE OF CASE ANALYSIS 100 POINTS

ROUGH DRAFT OF WRITTEN CASE ANALYSIS 100 POINTS

WRITTEN CASE ANALYSIS 1000 POINTS

SUBMIT FINAL CASE TO turnitin.com 100 POINTS

PROJECT TOTAL 1700 POINTS

Case 1 is 80% of your final grade.

**The written case analysis is typically 15-25 pages in length.

You will be required to:

1. Read the Case
2. Research the company’s history, growth, strategy, recent news, etc.
3. Complete the assigned Chapter 2-7 Questions
4. Prepare a SWOT Analysis
5. Prepare an outline of your written case analysis
6. Prepare a rough draft of your written case analysis
7. Submit final case analysis to turnitin.com
8. Prepare the final written case analysis
• All cases must be written in the below format:
• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusion
• Work Cited Page
• Double spaced, 12 font
• All cases must include a cover page listing:
• the case
• your name
Grade Distribution Case 1:
Week 2 Chapter 2 Questions 50 POINTS
Chapter 3 Questions 50 POINTS

Week 3 Chapter 4 Questions 50 POINTS

Case 1 SWOT Analysis 100 POINTS

Week 4 Chapter 5 Questions 50 POINTS

Chapter 6 Questions 50 POINTS
Outline of Written Case Analysis 100 POINTS

Week 5 Chapter 7 Questions 50 POINTS

Week 6 Rough Draft of Final Case Analysis 100 POINTS

Week 8 Final Written Case Analysis 1000 POINTS

Submit final case to turnitin.com 100 POINTS

PROJECT TOTAL 80% of Final Grade 1700 POINTS

WRITING A CASE ANALYSIS

Your Role: You are a Manager of the Organization-You will analyze the
business from the perspective of an insider, a manager

Audience: Managers of all levels of the organization-You will prepare

this analysis to be read by managers of the organization

Research-You must read the case, do research to bring the case information
up to the present. The best place to find this information is the company’s
web site, and look under company information, and then news releases. You
do not need to read each article but go through the article titles, read any
articles that you feel are of high importance and know where the business is
TODAY and incorporate this into your analysis.

Industry Life Cycle-Understand what stage of the life cycle the industry is
in and why, be able to support your assessment.

Porter’s Five Forces-Analyze the business in terms of the five forces

model, this analysis helps you to create an informative SWOT.

CREATE A SWOT ANALYSIS-Use this tool in analyzing the company.

It is a guide in thinking about the organizations strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats. It allows you to knowledgeably and logically
analyze where the company is now. Based on your analysis:
• How can they grow in the future
• How can they solve any current management issues or problems
• What strategic initiatives must they undertake to grow

SWOT Analysis-HOW TO CREATE A SWOT

Strengths-Internal

• List the internal strengths and discuss the details of each item you list.
o Why is it a strength
o What core competencies support the strength
o Is it a competitive advantage
o Can it become a competitive advantage
 o Etc.

Weaknesses-Internal

• List the internal weaknesses and discuss the details of each item you
list.
o Why is it a weakness
o Is it preventing competitive advantages from being created
o Can this weakness be minimized, nullified, or turned into a
strength
o Etc.

Opportunities-External

• List the external opportunities and discuss the details of each item you
list.
o Why is it an opportunity
o Should this opportunity be seized/exploited and integrated into
the planning, decision making, and strategy formulation
o Does the opportunity fit within the current core competencies or
would the organization be required to develop new core
competencies
o Does the opportunity have the potential of becoming a
competitive advantage
o Etc.

Threats-External

• List the external threats and discuss the details of each item you list.
o Why is it a threat
o How can the organization buffer or adapt to the threat
o Can the threat be minimized, nullified, or turned into a strength
o Will the threat make any current competitive advantage
obsolete
o Etc.
WRITTEN CASE ANALYSIS:

INTRODUCTION
1. Outline briefly what the company does.
2. How has the company developed historically?
3. What problems or issues is the company experiencing?
4. How will you approach the issues/problems in the case write up, i.e.,
First, Second, Lastly I will discuss this issue/problem.

BODY
1. Using the Research, Industry Life Cycle, Porter’s Five Forces Model
and the SWOT analysis as tools, discuss in detail the issues/problems
mentioned in introduction.
2. Analyze and discuss the nature and problems of the company’s
corporate strategy.
• Mission
• Goals
• Corporate strategy
• Competitive advantages
• Core competencies
• Competitive position
3. Analyze structure and control systems.

CONCLUSION
1. Present solutions and recommendations.
• Prepare an action plan.
• Write specific goals in line with analysis (What will be done, when
will it be completed, and how will it be measured, example:
Doggie Chow will increase Dog biscuit sales 10% by December
31, 2012.
• Recommendations, goals flow from analysis of strategy and
distinctive competencies
• From your analysis, address each problem stated in introduction
and analyzed in the body and be comprehensive.
• Make the written paper flow smoothly, fit together, and move
logically from the introduction to the body to the conclusions.
USE APPROPRIATE HEADINGS AND SUB-HEADINGS
FOR EACH SECTION OF THE PAPER.
 SWOT EVALUATION

Strengths Points possible 25 Points earned /25

*minimum 4 listed & discussed
Weaknesses Points possible 25 Points earned /25
*minimum 4 listed & discussed
Opportunities Points possible 25 Points earned /25
*minimum 4 listed & discussed
Threats Points possible 25 Points earned /25
*minimum 4 listed & discussed
Total points earned Points possible 100 Points earned /100

OUTLINE EVALUATION
BUS 204 Evaluation
Strategic Plan-Written Case Analysis

INTRODUCTION
10 Points Analyze the company’s history, development, and growth.

BODY
5 Points • Mission
5 Points • Goals
5 Points • Corporate strategy
5 Points • Competitive advantages
5 Points • Core competencies
5 Points • Competitive position
5 Points • Strengths identified, discussed, and analyzed. Make a connection to core
competencies, competitive advantages, competitive position, and the corporate
strategy.
5 Points • Weaknesses identified, discussed, and analyzed. Can weakness be corrected?
How? Discuss two alternatives for each weakness that can be corrected. For
alternatives, use the what, how, when, and where approach discussed in the text
appendix 2.
5 Points • Opportunities identified, discussed, and analyzed. What opportunities can the
company take advantage of with their strengths? Discuss two alternatives for
each opportunity that the company can take advantage of with their strengths?
For alternatives, use the what, how, when, and where approach discussed in the
text appendix 2.
5 Points • Threats identified, discussed, and analyzed. Can the threat be minimized?
Discuss two alternatives for minimizing or nullifying the threats. For
Alternatives, use the what, how, when, and where approach discussed in the
text appendix 2.
10 Points • Financial Analysis: include analysis of stock price and net income for the 3
most recent years that data is available.
 CONCLUSIONS *these may change
10 Points • Make recommendations directed at solving whatever strategic issues the
company is facing. Recommendations should be in line with your analysis,
choose from the strategic alternatives you proposed.
10 Points • Write recommendations in the form of an action plan (What will happen, how
will the change be made, and when will it be implemented, be specific).
10 Points • Will there be any changes in organizational structure, organization culture, and
where will the funds come from to implement the chosen strategic changes?
100 Points
Total Possible Points

ROUGH DRAFT EVALUATION

BUS 204 Evaluation
Strategic Plan-Written Case Analysis

INTRODUCTION
10 Points Analyze the company’s history, development, and growth.

BODY
5 Points • Mission
5 Points • Goals
5 Points • Corporate strategy
5 Points • Competitive advantages
5 Points • Core competencies
5 Points • Competitive position
5 Points • Strengths identified, discussed, and analyzed. Make a connection to core
competencies, competitive advantages, competitive position, and the corporate
strategy.
5 Points • Weaknesses identified, discussed, and analyzed. Can weakness be corrected?
How? Discuss two alternatives for each weakness that can be corrected. For
alternatives, use the what, how, when, and where approach discussed in the text
appendix 2.
5 Points • Opportunities identified, discussed, and analyzed. What opportunities can the
company take advantage of with their strengths? Discuss two alternatives for
each opportunity that the company can take advantage of with their strengths?
For alternatives, use the what, how, when, and where approach discussed in the
text appendix 2.
5 Points • Threats identified, discussed, and analyzed. Can the threat be minimized?
Discuss two alternatives for minimizing or nullifying the threats. For
Alternatives, use the what, how, when, and where approach discussed in the
text appendix 2.
10 Points • Financial Analysis: include analysis of stock price and net income for the 3
most recent years that data is available.

CONCLUSIONS
10 Points • Make recommendations directed at solving whatever strategic issues the
 company is facing. Recommendations should be in line with your analysis,
choose from the strategic alternatives you proposed.
10 Points • Write recommendations in the form of an action plan (What will happen, how
will the change be made, and when will it be implemented, be specific).
10 Points • Will there be any changes in organizational structure, organization culture, and
where will the funds come from to implement the chosen strategic changes?
100 Points
Total Possible Points

FINAL CASE ANALYSIS EVALUATION

BUS 204 Evaluation
Strategic Plan-Written Case Analysis
INTRODUCTION
200 Analyze the company’s history, development, and growth.

BODY
20 • Mission
20 • Goals
40 • Corporate strategy
40 • Competitive advantages
40 • Core competencies
40 • Competitive position
20 • Strengths identified, discussed, and analyzed. Make a connection to core
competencies, competitive advantages, competitive position, and the corporate
strategy.
20 • Weaknesses identified, discussed, and analyzed. Can weakness be corrected?
How? Discuss two alternatives for each weakness that can be corrected. For
alternatives, use the what, how, when, and where approach.
20 • Opportunities identified, discussed, and analyzed. What opportunities can the
company take advantage of with their strengths? Discuss two alternatives for
each opportunity that the company can take advantage of with their strengths?
For alternatives, use the what, how, when, and where approach.
20 • Threats identified, discussed, and analyzed. Can the threat be minimized?
Discuss two alternatives for minimizing or nullifying the threats. For
Alternatives, use the what, how, when, and where approach.
20 • Financial Analysis: include analysis of stock price and net income for the 3
most recent years that data is available.

CONCLUSIONS
100 • Make recommendations directed at solving whatever strategic issues the
company is facing. Recommendations should be in line with your analysis,
choose from the strategic alternatives you proposed.
300 • Write recommendations in the form of an action plan (What will happen, how
will the change be made, and when will it be implemented, be specific).
100 • Will there be any changes in organizational structure, organization culture, and
where will the funds come from to implement the chosen strategic changes?
1000 Total Possible Points