Assignment 11 Essay

Submitted By ratalay
Words: 1373
Pages: 6
Open Document
Assignment 11
Due by 11:59 PM on December 03

This is an individual assignment.

Read Chapter 6, Organizational Strategy, and complete the following worksheet. (Note: each question is preceded by a brief summary of the question topic.)

The assignment involves applying the main concepts in Chapter 6 to either of the two famous organizations: Starbucks, and Apple Inc.

Submit your individually completed worksheet via the regular submission process by 11:59 pm on December 03.

Q. 1: Components of sustainable competitive advantage. Firms can use their resources to create and sustain a competitive advantage, that is, to provide greater value for customers than competitors can. A competitive advantage becomes sustainable when other companies cannot duplicate the benefits it provides and have, for now, stopped trying. Four conditions must be met if a firm’s resources are to be used to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. The resources must be valuable, rare, imperfectly imitable (so that competitors may not be able to imitate them), and nonsubstitutable (so that imperfectly imitable resources may not be substituted with another type of resource that this different, but may yield identical outcomes for consumers).
A. List the source(s) of Starbuck’s sustainable competitive advantage:
____Reputation and current following, store locations on every corner of major cities, friendly workers, specific and extremely popular seasonal flavors, customer service (they will keep fixing any drink until it’s perfect- free of charge), etc._______________________________________________________________________________

B. List the source(s) of Apple’s sustainable competitive advantage:
___Sleek and attractive design, Apple’s reputation from the ipod and iphone as innovative and easy-to-use products, its ability to reconfigure new technology into a package that’s easy to use, elegantly designed, and therefore highly desirable by customers. Also, though Apple has had it’s “App Store” idea stolen by Google and Android, Apple (unlike the other two) prescreens every app before allowing it to be published in their store, which prevents developers with bad intentions to sell apps that can harm a device or steal info.

Q. 2: The strategy-making process. The first step in strategy making is determining whether a strategy needs to be changed to sustain a competitive advantage. The second step is to conduct a situational (SWOT) analysis that examines internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external threats and opportunities. The third step involves choosing a strategy. Strategic reference point theory suggests that when companies are performing better than their strategic reference points, top management will typically choose a risk-averse strategy. When performance is below strategic reference points, risk-seeking strategies are more likely to be chosen.
Conduct SWOT analysis for Starbucks by listing 1-2 examples of each aspect of the analysis:
A. Strengths:____Loyal customer base & high quality product___________________________

B. Weaknesses: ____Expensive (not in the budget of many people to drink it regularly). ________

C. Opportunities: ___Opportunities to expand into similar ventures (the success of adding the “La Boulange & Bakery” which includes pastries and real food). ______________________________________

D. Threats: ____If prices don’t lower, it will be hard for customers to be able to test out their new products.

Q. 3: Corporate-level strategies. Corporate-level strategies, consisting of portfolio strategies and grand strategies, help managers determine what businesses they should be in. Portfolio strategy focuses on lowering business risk by being in multiple, unrelated businesses and by investing the cash flows from slow-growth businesses into faster-growing businesses. One portfolio strategy is based on the BCG matrix. The BCG matrix is a portfolio strategy that managers use to categorize their corporation’s
Show More

Related Documents: Assignment 11 Essay

Essay on Week 11 Assignment

Marketing Mix Analysis Kim Stevenson (1110690) University Canada West Professor: Rui Silva MRKT 201 Date Assignment is Due: June 19, 2015 Current environment and the marketing mix components Castor Motors is a prestigious car manufacturer based in Europe and has manufacturing facilities in Germany and France. The company produces sports and luxury cars using quality materials and maximum craftsmanship. Currently, the company manufactures 100 cars every year and the parts are joined manually…

Words 1416 - Pages 6

sallys assignment 11 Essay

The debate over Nature and Nurture has been going on for years and it’s still unresolved. Many theorist believe what we have inherited and our genes, makes us the person we are and how we develop throughout our lives. Others believe it is the way we are brought up and our experiences, that makes us who we are and how we develop. Nature is the debate that we are born the way we are and everything is inherited from our parents through our genes, whereas nurture is the environment and upbringing that…

Words 2798 - Pages 12

Assignment 9/11 Research Paper

CAVINESS ASSIGNMENT J.D. WEEK # 11 Methamphetamine is a schedule II controlled substance that is made with highly flammable poisonous chemicals. Methamphetamine is a stimulant that works on the abusers central nervous system and the brain by releasing dopamine giving the user a sense of exhilaration and energy. Methamphetamine has four methods of usage two that do not produce a rush and are not as addictive are oral ingestion and inhaling into the nostrils. The second two that are considered highly…

Words 1165 - Pages 5

Assignment 11 MBA 572 Essay

Table of Contents 1.0 General Information 2 1.1 Contact Information 2 1.2 Revision History 2 2.0 Project Overview 2 2.1 Project Charter Purpose 2 2.2 Project Background and Purpose 2 2.3 Goals and Objectives 2 2.4 Critical Success Factors 2 3.0 Project Approach 3 3.1 Planned Approach 3 4.0 Roles and Responsibilities 3 5.0 Communications Strategy 5 6.0 Acceptance of Project Charter 5 1.0 General Information 1.1 Contact Information Project Manager: Ugochukwu Nkwocha Product Line Lead: Process Lead:…

Words 1528 - Pages 7

Essay on Week 12 Assignment Chingos 10 11

Week 12 Homework Assignment -- Chingos 10、11 Yuanjun Zhang (IRIS) 04-29-2015 1、What are the two primary objectives of any Long Term Incentive? What three forms of awards do Long Term Incentive arrangements take? According to the author which one is the most prevalent? Two primary objectives Long-term incentives create an identity between the interests of executives and shareholders. Long-term incentives also encourage stock ownership. Three forms of awards • Capital stock or the right to purchase…

Words 1761 - Pages 8

Essay on Week 11 Assignment Chingos 8 9

Week 11 Homework Assignment -- Chingos 8、9 Yuanjun Zhang (IRIS) 04-20-2015 Chapter 8 – Designing the Annual Management Incentive Plan 1、What are the three key roles that an effective Annual Management Incentive Plan should play? Is it a tactical or strategic device? (a) Primary Role as a Motivator of Management Behavior (b) Annual Incentives Represent a Variable Compensation Cost (c) Annual Incentives Demonstrate Pay-for-Performance Linkage A properly designed annual incentive plan can assist…

Words 1050 - Pages 5

Essay about ITM230 Chapter 10, 11 assignment

Chapter 10: 1a: There are several distinctions between LANs and WANs, however, the most prominent feature separating the two is the geographic aspect, LANs are generally contained locally and maintained within an organization, inside the organizations premises. WANs on the other hand can span large areas which are separated by leased lines outside of the control of the organization. 1b: Rights of way are areas designated by local governments for use in the installation of data lines for private…

Words 1259 - Pages 6

AP World Review Assignment Chapters 11 15 Essay

Hit List: Key: Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 I agree with the top 10 picks ­Trevor 1. $*Aztecs­ After the Toltec Empire was destroyed, the Aztecs took control and established an early American empire characterized by sacrificial beliefs, intensive agricultural production, and tribute systems, in the new capital of Tenochtitlan in central mexico. 2. $*Incas­ a group in the Americas that built another strong American empire that focused on integrating thei…

Words 1483 - Pages 6

WHMIS Labels Assignment Sept 11 2014 Thursday Essay examples

Adam Kapasi 9G Thursday, September 11,2014. Assignment- WHMIS Labels Name of Product Containing Label Symbol Primary Use of the Product Dangers Involved with Use According to WHMIS Label Suggested Precaution 1. Scrubbing Bubbles Shower Cleaner - Primary use is to clean shower tiles Scrubbing Bubbles Shower Cleaner can be Explosive if Heated or Punctured. - Do not heat or puncture container. 2. Scotch Gard Protector Furniture Fabric - Protect furniture fabric Scotch Gard…

Words 938 - Pages 4

ACC 202 Week 3 Assignment Problems Essay

This work ACC 202 Week 3 Assignment Problems consists of: Complete the following problems from Chapter 14 and submit to the instructor by the end of Day 7. These problems will be graded for accuracy. Problem 14-16 Problem 14-18 Problem 14-18 (continued) Problem 14-20 General Questions - General General Questions ACC 202 Week 1 Assignment Week One Exercises Week One Exercises. Complete the following exercises from Chapter 10 11 and submit them to the…

Words 736 - Pages 3