Business Strategy in the Global Economy UCirvine I’m working on a business multi-part question and need the explanation and answer to help me learn. – Description
Learning Goal: I’m working on a Starbucks business case study and need the explanation and answer to help me learn.
I have attached the two case studies that should be done as one case and the technical notes to complete the paper. Please note the assumed role chosen is the CEO for the Whole Foods Market, Inc. and the concepts are similar to what we used in the previous case study… on the assigned course readings of “Competitive Strategy” by Michael Porter, Identify key factors critical to the business environment faced by the natural foods market. Also other Strategic model framework and concepts can be used to help
Starbucks Case Study:
12-step Strategic Management casework outline
1. Assume a role. Approach the case a level that encourages effective strategic thinking. State your assumed role of as a business owner or line executive (decision maker) in the preparation of the case; e.g., president of the firm, general manager, product manager, and not consultant role.
2. List case related key concepts. Read the case thoroughly and then provide a list of pertinent strategic management course concepts applicable to the case. Build a conceptual framework using a relevant set of concepts from your Strategic Management readings applicable to the case. You will be applying the conceptual framework to the case data in the next section for analysis.
3. Analyze the case data. Apply the conceptual framework drawn from assigned course readings to analyze the data and facts of the case and other relevant information. Do not repeat the case data. Analysis involves applying the course concepts (with references) to information provided in the case. For example, rigorously apply aspects of EPIC, strategy, execution, control, and other topics of the course to the information/data provided in the case.
4. State the critical issue (diagnosis). Prepare a concise and elegant statement of the case’s strategic management issue. The critical issue is an issue that limits the progress. It may be drawn from the gap between what is (current) and what should be (ideal), or from the OTSW, etc. The critical issue statement is conclusive of your analysis. Avoid extending the analysis into issue identification section. Issue statements should be concise and deduced from your previous calculations and analysis. Make sure you are NOT stating the critical issue in terms of a solution; e.g., the issue/problem is lack of inadequate operational planning, poor implementation, inadequate performance, etc. Avoid being deceived by the symptoms as the critical strategic issues. Base the critical issue on your previous analysis (of the situation, goals, ideals, xisting discrepancies and explicit or implicit concerns or hopes). Provide references to the module concepts. Describe your strategic assumptions underlying your critical strategic management issue.
5) Generate alternative solutions (options) which address the diagnosed critical strategic management issue. Base your each alternative on concepts from your readings so that your alternatives are intellectually/conceptually supported. Make certain each alternative substantively attempts to address and resolve the diagnosed critical issue. Avoid frivolous options. Provide references to module concepts.
6. Select and justify the best solution. Identify key criteria and select the best solution addressing the critical issue. Use weighted criteria and assess comparative worth of each alternative. A weighted criterion driven solution justifies your reasoning rationale. Support your decision by giving references to module concepts. Use the hand out, “Selecting the Best Alternative,” in your work.
7. Implement the solution and outline an explicit plan, design, performance responsibilities, and measures of specific activities to get results and deal with the critical issue. Identify who is assigned to do what, when, where, and with what budget, resources etc. Do not abdicate the implementation to a consulting group or a task force, etc… Provide references to module concepts.
8. Identify controls and levers of control to make sure implementation of the solution will address the critical issue. Show how you will deal with risks, and unanticipated consequences. Specify values, boundaries, standards, expectations, measures, progress review dates, feedback and feed-forward process, contingency management, etc. Remember Murphy’s Law: Whatever can go wrong will. Provide references to module concepts 9. State your Change Management approach. State how you will proceed to bring about the needed change and how you will manage the change process; e.g., how you will prepare and ready the system and key players for change, how you will address possible resistances to change,. Develop a change guideline. Provide references to module concepts.
10. Evaluate your team’s Dynamics and Processes. Objectively critique your team’s dynamics, processes, leadership, decision-making, conflict management. Assess and discuss each member’s productivity, performance, team skills, dedicated teamwork, communicating, contributing. Use Technical Note 8 with explanations. Rate both your team effectiveness and each team member on a scale of 1(deficient) to 10 (outstanding).
11. Evaluate your overall case report. Objectively critique and evaluate your casework report, identify its strengths and weaknesses and specific shortcomings and your concerns. Rate your case on a scale of 1(deficient) to 10 (outstanding).
12. Provide a bibliography of references to the readings and sources. Use a standard bibliographic format that states the author’s name, publication, date, page number, etc.
TECHNICAL NOTE 2 Selecting the Best Alternative Solution: THE CRITICAL METHOD It is a combination of art and science, intuition and deduction, and subjective and objective measures that enables the critical decision maker to generate and select robust alternatives in most endeavors. The critical method involves discipline and includes the following steps.
1. Generate a list of real and critical alternatives that resolve/address the diagnosed problem/opportunity.
2. State your criteria in clear terms. The criteria could be mission driven or specific to the qualifying variables, which help the decision maker to discriminate among alternatives or options. They could reflect key success factors; customer needs priorities; or such factors as, speed quality, cost, profit, morale, innovation, etc.
3. Create a summary table such as Table I to identify the alternatives and the associated criteria.
Table I – Example of Summary of Alternative Solutions and Criteria with Weights Alternatives for Consideration A B C ……. Criteria & Weights Criterion I (e.g., Quality) Weight (20%) Criterion II (e.g., Profit) Weight (30%) Criterion III (e.g., Advantage) Weight (50%) 4. Rate each alternative on a 10-point scale (10 is high) for each criterion as shown in Table II. Table II – Example of Ratings of Alternative Solutions According to Each Criteria Alternatives for Consideration A B C ……. Criteria & Weights I 5 3 8 (20%) II 6 3 2 (30%) III 8 4 5 (50%) 5. Multiply each solution’s rating by its corresponding criteria weights (Table III). Table III – Example of Cross Tabulations of Criteria Weights and Alternatives Ratings Alternatives for Consideration A B C ……. Criteria & Weights I 5 x 0.2 = 1.0 3 x 0.2 = 0.6 8 x 0.2 = 1.6 (20%) II 6 x 0.3 = 1.8 3 x 0.3 = 0.9 2 x 0.3 = 0.6 (30%) III 8 x 0.5 = 4.0 4 x 0.5 = 2.0 5 x 0.5 = 2.5 (50%) 6. Add the scores for each solution. The highest score (6.8) reflects the most desirable alternative solution quantitatively as shown in Table IV, below. Table IV – Example of Summation and the Emergent Alternative Solution A B C å 6.8 3.5 4. 7.
Finally, discuss impending subjective factors to further illuminate and qualify the final decision and the process. The above methodology requires critical thinking. Most important is the selection of criteria and assignment of their respective individual weights. It requires serious consideration and thoughtfulness to decide what criterion and weight would be necessary for selecting an optimum solution. The criteria can be drawn from ultra-goals of enterprise; i.e., vision, mission, values and goals in view of the realities of the circumstances and the situation. The choice of how the methodology is used is remains with the user. Finally, qualitative aspects of a decision require special attention and consideration as well. Many aspects of a decision cannot be quantified but need to be considered. The above methodology requires critical thinking. Most important is the selection of criteria and assignment of their respective individual weights. It requires serious consideration and thoughtfulness to decide what criterion and weight would be necessary for selecting an optimum solution. The criteria can be drawn from ultra-goals of enterprise; i.e., vision, mission, values and goals in view of the realities of the circumstances and the situation. The choice of how the methodology is used is remains with the user. Finally, qualitative aspects of a decision require special attention and consideration as well. Many aspects of a decision cannot be quantified but need to be considered.
TECHNICAL NOTE 3 STRategic Managment Case Preparation GuidelineS and FEEDBACK Form
1. Assume a role. State your assumed role as the business owner, CEO or line executive (president, general manager, etc.) in the preparation of the case. Avoid the consultant role. (Deficient) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (Outstanding)
2. List case related key concepts. Read the case thoroughly and then provide a list of pertinent strategic management course concepts applicable to the case. Consider the environment, industry structure and dynamics, firm’s goals, positioning, OTSW and other pertinent types of analyses. Integrate them and build a conceptual framework or a causal map for analyzing the case. (Deficient) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (Outstanding)
3. Analyze the case. Use the conceptual framework to analyze the case data and facts. (Deficient) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (Outstanding)
4. State the critical strategic management issue (diagnosis). Based on your analysis conclude by preparing a concise and elegant statement of the case’s key strategic management issue. . Consider the gap between what is (current) and what should be (ideal). The critical issue statement is built on your analysis. Explicate your strategic assumptions underlying the critical strategic management issue. (Deficient) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (Outstanding)
5. Generate alternative solutions (options) which address the diagnosed critical strategic management issue. Base each alternative on concepts from your reading assignments. Make certain each alternative substantively focused to address and resolve the diagnosed critical issue. (Deficient) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (Outstanding)
6. Select and justify the best solution. Identify key criteria and select the best solution addressing the critical issue. Use weighted criteria model (Technical Note 2 – Selecting the Best Alternative) to assess comparative worth of each alternative. A weighted criterion driven solution helps justify your reasoning and rationale. Support your decision by giving references to course concepts. (Deficient) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (Outstanding)
7. Implement the solution and outline an explicit plan, design, performance responsibilities, and measures of specific activities to achieve desirable strategic addressing the critical issue. Identify who is assigned to do what, when, where, and with what budget, resources etc. Do not abdicate the implementation to a consulting group or a task force, etc. Provide references to course concepts. (Deficient) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (Outstanding)
8. Identify controls and means of control to assure implementation of the solution will addresses the critical issue. Show how you will deal with risks, and unanticipated consequences. Specify values, boundaries, standards, expectations, measures, progress review dates, feedback and feed-forward process, contingency management, etc. Remember Murphy’s Law: Whatever can go wrong will. (Deficient) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (Outstanding)
9. State your Change Management approach. Develop a plan to bring about the needed changes and manage the change process; e.g., readiness of the system and key players for change, dealing with possible resistances to change. Develop a guideline consistent with the earlier conceptual framework and causal map. Provide references to course concepts. (Deficient) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (Outstanding)
10. Evaluate your learning team Dynamics and Processes: Objectively discuss your team’s dynamics, processes, leadership, decision-making, conflict management. Discuss each member’s productivity, performance, team skills, communicating, style, contributing level. Rate both your team effectiveness and each team member’s on a scale of 1(deficient) to 10 (outstanding). (Deficient) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (Outstanding)
11. Evaluate your overall case report: Objectively evaluate your casework report, identify its strengths and weaknesses and specific insights gained and any concerns. Rate your case on a scale of 1 (deficient) to10 (outstanding). (Deficient) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (Outstanding)
12. Provide a bibliography of references to the readings and sources. Use a standard bibliographic format that states the author’s name, publication, date, page number, etc. (Deficient) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (Outstanding) (How have you seen this case, vantage point, conceptual frame, pertinent data and analysis, diagnosis, alternatives, criteria for best solution, implementation, controls, change management, your team effectiveness, your casework, etc?
TECHNICAL NOTE 4 WHAT TO INCLUDE AND AVOID IN YOUR CASE REPORTS & PAPERS
A. Prior to handing in your work, please check it for accuracy and flow to make sure:
All sections build on one another
The final anticipated outcome fits the diagnosis.
Your case discussion applies module concepts from the readings and data in the case.
Your discussions are free of opinions.
Sections are fully aligned from start to the end.
Your work provides references (author, date, page number) throughout the case report and a bibliography is provided.
The work is free of nonsense-like statements such as,
a. They had more losses because their expenses continued to exceed their revenues.
b. Our plans include our future goals.
c. If the solution works, the problem will be resolved.
. We all felt this is the best solution.
e. The poor results may be attributable to problems.
f. If the solution is not implemented, the problem will remain.
g. It was not implemented correctly because it was not executed right.
h. Our analysis is based on data.
i. Employees refused to work after being laid off.
j. Customer dissatisfaction is attributed to product complaints.
k. If the issues are not settle quickly, they will p longer.
l. No one did anything so nothing was done..
m. Lower productivity is linked to higher inefficiency.
n. Higher productivity resulted because of higher efficiency.
o. Red tape held up the department.
p. The company went broke because it ran out of funds.
q. The company did not have enough revenue because they did not have any sales.
B. Follow the suggestions below:
1. Develop your reports along the outline provided above and the case preparatory materials.
2. Words are powerful. Select and use them carefully. The statement, “our team felt this is the best solution” sounds arbitrary. Instead, one may state, “based on our analysis our team concluded that this is the best solution.” Make sure your supportive arguments for your statements are fact based, credible, logical and defendable under scrutiny.
3. Avoid unsubstantiated assertions and opinions. Base your discussion on carefully and cleverly selected and synthesized facts, concepts, theories and methods provided in the module.
4. Avoid Tautology or discussions that are circular. An example is “If the solution works, the problem will be solved.”
5. Avoid over-generalized or blind statements that say very little in identifying or resolving case problems. Be specific. Support your statements with facts and provide references to concepts from your readings that help justify and bring credibility to your approach.
6. Insensitivity to the date of the case creates another problem. It is important to be aware of the environmental factors of the time (economic conditions, technology, demography, etc.)
7. Avoid Solution driven problem statements that eliminate the need for generating options. For example, the problem/opportunity statement which states, “that the patient needs aspirin [which is the solution]” renders the diagnosis useless because the problem is solution dominated.
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