Fall 2017 (2017-2018)
Here is the assignment for the FINAL PROJECT of the course.
REMEMBER: the FINAL PROJECT counts for 50% of the Final Grade for the course.
This is an individual assignment.
Background
Each person has chosen an industry from the given list and then has been assigned a company from within that industry list. [The list as of today October 27th, 2017 is here attached.]
The Assignment
You have just been appointed CEO of your assigned company. In order for you to better understand your company, you have decided to highlight some characteristics of your company and perform certain analyses. Therefore, you have created the following list that you need to complete:
- What is the Vision of your company? [Full sentence(s).] [4 points]
- What is the Mission of your company? [Full sentence(s).] [4 points]
- What are the basic businesses of your company? [Bullet points.] [4 points]
- Using Porter’s Generic Business Strategy model, how would you descibe the generic strategy(ies) of your company’s business (es)? [Bullet points.] [4 points]
- How would you descibe your company’s International Business Strategy and why? That is, Home Replications, Global, Transnational, or Multi-domestic. Remember these are ranges of efficiency pressures versus local responsiveness pressures, so every company is a combination of pressures. [Full sentences.] [5 points]
- Using 8 words or short phrases only, describe the Organizational Culture of your company. [4 points]
- What do you think are your company’s four (4) main distinctive competencies, and why? Use VRIO to support your statements. [Full sentences.] [12 points]
- Use Porter’s 5-Forces Model to describe the most important forces affecting your company. Three (3) ideas for each category of force. [Bullet points.] [15 points]
- Based on the forces you have identified using Porter’s 5-Forces Model, what do you think are three most critical trends or forces to keep in mind for the success of your company in the next three (3) years? In the next seven (7) years? Explain your thinking. [Full sentences.][6 points]
- Do a SWOT table for the overall company with four (4) ideas for each section of the SWOT table, i.e. 5 ideas for Strengths, etc. [Bullet points.] [8 points]
- For the last 3 complete financial years and the most recent year-to-date figures (e.g., June 30, 2017 or September 30, 2017, etc), please provide a table with the following financial information for each year (including for the partial year for 2017): [Put all figures in millions, e.g., USD 2’560’000 = USD 2,56.] [Table] [20 points]
- Total Sales (and as a % of Total Sales, so 100%)
- Operating Profit (and as a % of Total Sales)
- Net Profit (and as a % of Total Sales)
- Total Assets (and as a % of Total Assets, so 100%)
- Total Liabilities (and as a % of Total Assets)
- Total Debt (=Short Term Debt plus Long Term Debt, not payables) (and as a percentage of Total Assets)
- Total New Worth (and as a percentage of Total Assets)
- Total Liabilites/Total Assets (as a %)
- Total Debt (from above)/Total Assets (as a %)
- Short Term Assets /Short Term Liabilities (as a simple number, e.g., 150/75 = 2,0)
- Do you think the company is doing better or worse over these three years? Why? [Full sentences.] [5 points]
- Describe two (2) forces that you think are affecting the financial results the most (positively or negatively), of course explain your thinking? [Full sentences.][4 points]
- Do you think you would change anything in the company to improve its results? If so, what and why? If not, why? [Full sentences.] [5 points]
Please note that I am available for questions or review of your progress until midnight the Friday before the beginning of the review week for Final Exams, that is, until midnight of Friday January 5th, 2018 in person before or after class or via my personal email: joan_m_fulton@hotmail.com
The Final Project is due by midnight on Google Classroom by midnight of January 12th, 2018.
