The purpose of this assignment is to develop a better understanding of the strategic context of the above Project Plan by analysing an organisation (using internal analysis techniques) and its external environment (using external analysis techniques). The best starting point is to select an organisation relevant to your Project Plan topic and then identify which sector or industry the organisation is located within. Note that selecting a particular organisation to analyse for the Strategic Analysis Report does not mean that this organisation will necessarily be the focus of your Project Plan. However, it should have some relevance to your topic area.
In the Strategic Analysis Report you must:
1 Undertake strategic analysis by applying strategic analysis techniques appropriate to your research topic – you should use both internal analysis techniques (to analyse your selected organisation) and external analysis techniques (to analyse its sector / industry)
2 Identify the key strategic issues emerging from your analysis
For example, your Project Plan may explore student perceptions of different High Street Banks. For such a study, your strategic analysis report might (1) select a specific bank (e.g. Lloyds) and conduct an internal analysis of its resources and capabilities using tools such as VRIO and /or Value Chain Analysis, (2) explore the external environment within which the bank is operating, using tools such as PESTLE, Porter’s 5 Forces or strategic group analysis, and (3) draw out the key strategic issues that emerge from the analysis you have undertaken. Remember to include a separate list of references for this section.
The key is to identify the organisational, industry or sector context of your topic. For most studies, this will be straightforward. For others, more thought may be needed. Guidance is available via surgeries to help you to identify the focus of your report.
Strategic Analysis Report Marking Criteria:
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evidence of research
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ability to undertake strategic analysis
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ability to identify key strategic issues
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ability to present a coherent, well-structured and referenced report
Remember that using lots of analysis tools won’t necessarily result in a higher mark – we will be assessing the quality of your analysis, not the quantity of techniques used. We recommend that you use a maximum of 4 analysis tools.
Please note that no more than 10% of submissions should be directly quoted from sources. We allow no more than 10% leeway on the word limit of each assignment.
