Order Description
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT
Required To:

Produce an organisational strategy for a chosen organisation/department or functional area with which you are familiar or can gain access to the information which will form for the basis for future project initiatives.

Select an organisation:
? OR consider using part of an organisation
OR
? Select a case study of a public limited company with easily accessible information (such as Google, M&S etc.)
Preferably:
? where you have access to strategic information
? where you are able to collect evidence

Collect information/evidence which will enable you to use the relevant tools to complete the assignment.

You will need to find:

? Information relating to the organisation
? Information relating to the industry
? Macro-environmental information
? Possible future strategic options
? Cost of implementation of options
By:
? Describing the existing organisation or Strategic Business Unit (SBU) you will be focusing on.
? Outline the key strategic drivers of the organisation or SBU
? Critically review with use of reference a range of internal and external strategic analytical tools.
? Applying these strategic analytical tools to audit the existing position in order to analyse, interpret and produce a structured evaluation of the organisational strategic position
? Identifying and developing a range of alternative strategic options through the application of a range of analytical tools

Critique and embed the literature throughout

Structure of the report

Content Page: noting each section and sub section with the appropriate page number

Introduction: provide information on the purpose, content and context of the report.

Main body: key discussion and debate at the focus of the report. It should be separated by headings and sub headings, contain references to demonstrate reading, should be logical, cohesive, points should link fluently.

Conclusions: a synthesis of the key messages and concluding comments related to the report.
Recommendations: Clear, focused, specific and business led recommendations
Reference list: Full reference list of all the citations in the report
Appendices: Additional information which supports the discussions in the main body.

Word count 3000+10%
Included in the word count are:
? Introduction
? Main body
? Conclusion
? Recommendations
? Citations and quotes in the main body of the report
Not included in the word count (but required) are:
? Cover page
? Content page
? Reference list
? Appendices
? Appropriate tables, figures, illustrations, Pictorial images in the main body of the report
? Quotes from interviews and focus groups.

The assignment will be assessed specifically on:

Ability to critique the relevant literature 30%
Ability to apply and critically evaluate the strategic tools adopted and associated emerging data 30%
Ability to recommend strategic options 30%
Structure, writing style, conciseness and appropriate referencing 10%
Part One (500 Words)
You should introduce the organisation or strategic business unit in which this assignment will focus.

Outline the key strategic priorities facing the organisation.

You should provide an introduction to what is meant by strategy, critiquing and discussing the different views of the term. For example you could discuss the similarities and differences of different views of strategy and relate these views to the dominant view in your chosen organisation. You could also discuss the importance/advantages of strategy in an organisation. For those in the public sector this section could discuss the challenges of strategy in the public sector. This section should not exceed 500 words and demonstrate wide evidence of reading and use of reference.
Part Two (1200 words excluding tables)
This next stage of the assignment is to present an analysis of the external environment using PESTLE and Porters Five Forces in relation to the context of the organisation you have chosen or in which you work. The unit of analysis for PESTEL is usually the ?business unit? within the corporation. The unit of analysis for five forces is the industry. Begin with a critique of PESTLE and Porters Five Forces as a tool, demonstrating your reading and referencing from a number of sources. You could then present a summary of the key PESTLE and Five Force factors in a table form (perhaps as an appendix) ? remember tables are not included in your word count.

More importantly you must then discuss in detail the PESTLE and Five Force factors which may have an urgent impact on your organisation or Strategic Business Unit (SBU). Try to comment on the importance of the factor, its potential impact, and the time-scale over which the factor may be relevant. Pick out those with the highest importance and highest impact and discuss how the organisation has shaped its strategy to date in relation to these factors, and how it may need to shape strategy in the future. Be clear about over what time-frame your analysis is useful.

Finally, avoid speculation and personal opinion, try to make your analysis objective, and grounded in evidence (i.e. with appropriate sources).

Part Three (1300 words)
The next stage of the assignment is to critique two internal analysis tools and discuss how they are currently used or how they could be used by your organisation or SBU in order to create improvement or value.

These tools would include:
1. Porters Value Chain
And any one listed below:
? Stakeholder Analysis
? Core Competence
? Mission Statement, Vision and Values
? Ansoff Product Matrix
? Porter Competitive Strategy
? Boston Consulting Group Matrix (BCG)
? 5 Ms
? Greiner

Briefly critique the chosen models demonstrating evidence of reading and reference and identify how these tools have or could address some of the organisations external influences.

For example, if you choose stakeholder, you could discuss the importance of analysing organisational stakeholders, critique the stakeholder map model, and present a stakeholder map of the organisation in table form. More importantly you should discuss the influence different stakeholders have on the organisation and how this has shaped or could shape the organisation or SBU strategy.

Conclude part 2 and part 3 with a summary using TOWS (A TOWS matrix builds on information about the strategic position that is summarised in the SWOT analysis. Each box of TOWS is used to identify options that address a different combination of
? The internal factors (strength and weakness) and
? The external factors (opportunities and strength)

*WRITE IN THE THIRD PERSON*

STEP 1: Analyse the Macro Environment
? Using PESTLE framework to analyse the macro-environment (external environment) of the organisation within the main body.
PESTEL FACTOR Source /evidence Date 0pportunity or threat? implication to the company
Political
Economic
Socio-cultural
Technological
Legal
Environmental

STEP 2: The Micro Environment-Porter?s 5 forces (industry or sector)
1. Discuss the five forces ?
? The threat of entry
? Threat of substitutes
? Buyer Power
? Supplier Power
? Competitive rivalry
2. Assess the 5 forces:
? Identify the specific competitive pressures associated with each of the five forces
? Evaluate the strength of each competitive force ? high, moderate or low?
? Speculate on future change and direction of the forces
? Assess whether they are opportunity or threat
STEP 3:
? Review the Stakeholders: Identify the stakeholders in the case study and place them on Mendelow?s power interest Matrix (list stakeholders and decide where they sit).
STEP 4:
? The value chain (porter, 1985): Describe the categories of activities within the organisation which together, create a product or service. (Primary activities – directly concerned with transformation process, support activities – not directly concerned with, but supporting transformation process).
STEP 5:
? Assess the internal environment
– Complete the organisation SWOT
STEP 6:
? Decide the competitive position
– Porter?s generic strategies (Porter,1984)
STEP 7:
? Which direction? Ansoff : Product / Market Matrix
STEP 8:
? Strategic Options:
Using Ansoff matrix and TOWS matrix produce a long list of possible strategic options.
STEP 9:
Use SAF (Suitability, Acceptability, and Feasibility) to select preferred option from the long list.

Reading Materials:
Core text:
? Exploring Corporate Strategy by Johnson, Scholes and Whittington.9th Edition

Supplementary materials:
? Complementary Strategy Analysis: Text and cases edition by Robert M Grant. 9th Edition. Published by Wiley and sons Inc. (2015)
? Business Environment: Managing in a strategic context by J Kew and J Stredwick (most recent edition).CIPD
? Business Strategy – An Introduction by D Campbell, D Edgar and G Stonehouse.3rd edition (2011)
? Strategic Management in Action by Mary Coulter.5th Edition (International Edition).New Jersey: Pearson Education
? Harvard Business Review- What is strategy? By M E Porter, Nov-Dec 1996 pages 61-78
? Harvard Business Review- The competitive forces that shape strategy By M E Porter (2008) January pages 78-93.
? Strategic Management ? Winning in the South African work place by L Louw and P Venter .pages 3-42. Oxford university press.
? Search Google Scholar for books/materials on strategic alignment.
? Various press releases.
? Harvard Business Reviews on strategy /strategic alignment
? The Economics various issues