Strategic Management - Guidelines

This exercise is arranged in 3 parts which take place throughout the semester. All work should be
presented in one final word document with copies of the PowerPoint slides made available in the
appendices.

Set 1: individual Report (2000 words, 50%)

Complete the questions pertaining to the provided case study (Bang & Olufsen).

Introduction:
• Introducing the case/ current position
• Background information
You should obtain an understanding of who the company is. Provide brief information background.
Briefly
mention its portfolio and segments, market position, and its competition. Also mention
the
models/theories you have applied in the report.

Evaluate how strategy adopted by Bang & Olufsen impacts the company’s decisions and activities.

Here, you could look at business and corporate levels at a strategy concept level

- Strategic direction at the business unit level

- Strategic direction at the corporate level

Analyse the external and internal factors of Bang & Olufsen and how the company
responses to them.
External Analysis – Key Issues in the External Environment and how they are affecting your company

• Current market and competitor analysis

• External Analysis (PESTLE Analysis (Week 3 Lecture) Porters Five Forces and Industry Life cycle
(Week 4 Lecture)

It is important to pay particular attention to the key issues in the environment affecting the
development of your company. You can apply the PESTLE framework to outline the ‘ Key’ political,
economic, social, technological, legal and environmental issues concerning your company . With Porters
Five Forces you can outline the threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes, buyers and suppliers
bargaining power, and the level of competitive rivalry between competitors. You may use the industry
life cycle to identity the industry life stage your company is currently situated. Remember you must only
talk about the Key issues that are or will affect the organisation.

1. The internal organisation’s responses to these factors.

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Internal Analysis - An internal analysis looks at factors within your business such as your strengths and
weaknesses – VIRN, Value chain analysis, SWOTs (focus on the company’s capabilities based on one key
model)

Conclusion – briefly summarise your findings, no new information should be added in this section

References (alphabetical order; not in the word count)

Appendices (all numbered; not in the word count)

As a guide your introduction should be 10% of the total word count, the evaluation/analysis 80%
(equally
covering the two sections) and your conclusion 10%. All work must be Harvard referenced within the
report and included in your References .
section

Set 2: Individual Presentation (with Commentary of 500 words 25%)

Introduction:

• Background information
You should obtain an understanding of who the companies are. Provide brief information background.
Briefly mention each company’s portfolio and segments, market position, and competition. Also mention
the models/theories you have applied in the presentation.

Analyse the strategic solutions that are available. Use examples of related practices/experiences to
support your ideas. Provide references for all theorists, materials, statistics, quotations etc. that you use.

Strategic solutions that could support each company to maintain its competitiveness in the market: A
possible combination of generic and corporate strategies that the company may pursue.

Porters Generic Strategies (Week 9 Lecture)

Cost leadership

Differentiation

Focus strategy: cost focus / differentiation focus

2. A critical evaluation of the organisation’s strategy.

• Corporate strategy directions: Diversification, Market Penetration, Market Development, BCG

Matrix (Week 10 Lecture)

For this section you need to critically appraise recommended strategic solutions to build competitive
advantages for each company, and the strategic actions to take to implement them. What current
strategy does each company follow i.e. cost leadership or customer differentiation, should the

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companies adapt their strategy? How can they do that? Will the strategy enhance each company’s
capabilities against competitors or issues in the market?

Conclusion – briefly summarise your findings, no new information should be added in this section

References

Appendices – include slides of the presentation

Set 3: Individual Reflective Essay (1500 words, 25%)

Build on the work you did in Set 1, reflect on the case study.

Outline how the organisation’s strategy assists in their strategy evaluation. This should be based on
the company’s competitive advantage and fulfilling its strategic purpose.

Include a personal reflection of your experience on the module.

For this section you need to reflect on strategic solutions to build competitive advantages for Bang &
Olufsen, and the strategic actions taken to implement them. What current strategy does the company
follow i.e. cost leadership or customer differentiation, should the company adapt their strategy? How
did the company’s capabilities help fulfil its strategic purpose?