Looking at Strategy
As we learn in chapter 6, strategy is a plan for what the organization will do next – how they will compete, how they will be different from competitors, and how they will succeed. In this assignment, you’ll examine the strategy for a company you choose, and learn to identify the various types of strategies.
Instructions:
Locate an article about strategy, preferably using one of the websites below. Keep in mind that strategy is a broad concept; keyword searches may not produce good results. Instead, look at items like the current results of a firm, or a decision that a company makes. For example, Campbell Soup Company purchased Garden Fresh in an attempt to diversify: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/06/09/campbell-soup-buys-salsa-maker-garden-fresh-gourmet/28728059/ (Links to an external site.)
Fortune Magazine http://fortune.com/ (Links to an external site.)
Inc. Magazine http://www.inc.com/ (Links to an external site.)
Fast Company http://www.fastcompany.com/ (Links to an external site.)
BusinessWeek Magazine http://www.bloomberg.com/businessweek (Links to an external site.)
Forbes http://www.forbes.com/ (Links to an external site.)
The Wall Street Journal (accessible for free through the library database)
Include a link to your article, and be sure it’s from a qualified business media source.
Respond to the following:
Provide a brief summary of the article, and how it is an example of strategy. (Brief = a paragraph of 5-7 sentences)
Analyze the business environment for the industry where the company is located. What trends/changes are occurring in the marketplace?
Identify and describe the current corporate-level or business-level strategy.
Going forward, what do you recommend this company do to become more competitive? (Hint, take a look at the Porter’s Competitive strategies from Chapter 6 as a start)
