Reference no: EM132343314

The group project asks you to evaluate competitive advantage of a firm by analyzing an industry and how the company competes in that industry. The objective of the group project is to help you prepare for your career upon graduation and job interviews. It can be an industry you want to learn more about and/or a company you want to work for. The more you put into the process, the more rewarding the experience will be for you. Form a group of 3-4 students and decide what industry and company you want to study for the group project. I advise you to get started on this assignment as early as you can. Email me your industry/company choice as soon as possible. This is to ensure no other group will duplicate the same effort for our collective learning.

The primary goal of this project is to evaluate competitive advantages of the firm of your choice. The deliverable takes the form of answering the following questions, by applying the frameworks/tools learned from this course.

1. Conduct a PESTEL analysis to identify external forces affecting the industry your company is based.

2. Apply the five forces model to the industry in which your company is based. What does this model tell you about the nature of competition in the industry?

3. Analyze your company's resources, capabilities, and competencies. Do any of them provide the basis for a competitive advantage? Why or why not?

4. Describe your company's business model. What are its strategic implications?

5. Apply a SWOT analysis. What strategic imperatives do you arrive at?

6. What strategies has your company used to manage entry and manage rivalry in the industry. Identify them by different types of strategy, i.e. business/corporate/global strategies.

7. Conclude by evaluating whether your company has a competitive advantage or disadvantage in its primary industry. Why or why not?

The final paper should not exceed 30 pages except appendices and references. In addition, you will develop a Final PowerPoint Presentation that will address the key points of both industry-level and firm-level analyses. This presentation will be done at the level of which it would be presented to key people in the decision-making process. Groups will present their analysis by producing a video presentation.

Penalty points will be assigned to the project for late submissions. Inadequate or poorly prepared submissions will be considered a failure of submission. Remember, while the project is strategy analysis, it is still a formal document that should demonstrate your seriousness. All groups are required to run a draft by the CBPA Writing Center.

Note: A lack of professionalism in terms of quality of the manuscript may result in disqualification of the submission.

Students will receive evaluations by their team members on their performance. It is accomplished by completing a Group Project Peer Evaluation Form provided by the instructor. Students should provide:

• Evaluations for team members on performance

Tips for Write-Up:

Your primary deliverable for the project is a professional-quality strategy analysis reports.

The content of your report should contain the elements presented in this ‘assignment'.

Personalization and customization of your report is generally applicable.

Tables should be formatted as follows: Arrange the data so that columns of like material readdown, not across. The headings should be sufficiently clear so that the meaning of the data isunderstandable without reference to the text. Tables should have titles and sufficient detail in a legend immediately following the title to be understandable without reference to the text.

Each column in a table must have a heading, abbreviations, and when necessary, should be defined in the legend or footnote.

Note that a straight Excel file or screen capture is not an acceptable format. Excel files should be converted to a Word document. Images or graphics must be included as figures in an acceptable format.