Assignment must be written to instructions and grading rubric that are attached. Attached Project 3 Templet must be used when writing this paper. All course chapters are attached. This project must be NO MORE than 16 pages, But NO LESS than 14.
Project 3: Internal Environmental Analysis
Purpose:
This project is the third of four projects. Students will perform an internal environmental analysis using the tools and concepts learned in the course to date. You will also draw from previous business courses to develop an understanding of how organizations develop and manage strategies to establish, safeguard and sustain its position in a competitive market.
Students also have the opportunity to review an organization’s objectives and goals and the key functional areas within the organization. Performing an internal environment analysis helps assess a firm’s internal resources and capabilities and plays a critical role in formulating strategy by identifying a firm’s strengths to capitalize on so that it can effectively overcome weaknesses.
Outcomes Met With This Project:
utilize a set of useful analytical skills, tools, and techniques for analyzing a company strategically;
integrate ideas, concepts, and theories from previously taken functional courses including, accounting, finance, market, business and human resource management;
analyze and synthesize strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) to generate, prioritize, and implement alternative strategies in order to revise a current plan or write a new plan and present a strategic plan.
Instructions:
Step 1: Specific Company for All Four Projects
Assigned Company: Quanta Services, Inc. (NYS:PWR) https://www.quantaservices.com/
The companies that your instructor has assigned to you for Project 1 is the company you will use for this project. The assigned company must be used for this project and in subsequent projects in the course. Students must complete the project using the assigned company. Deviating from the assigned company will result in a zero for the project.
After reading the course material, you will complete the steps below.
Step 2: Course Materials and Research
You are required to research information about the focal company and the internal environment for this project, You are accountable for using the course materials to support the ideas, reasoning and conclusions made. Course materials use goes beyond defining terms but is used to explain the ‘why and how’ of a situation. Using one or two in-text citations from the course materials and then relying on Internet source material will not earn many points on the assignment. A variety of source material is expected and what is presented must be relevant and applicable to the topic being discussed. Avoid merely making statements but close the loop of the discussion by explaining how something happens or why something happens, which focuses on importance and impact. In closing the loop, you will demonstrate the ability to think clearly and rationally showing an understanding of the logical connections between the ideas presented from the research, the course material and the question(s) being asked.
Note: Your report is based on the results of the research performed and not on any prepared documentation. What this means is that you will research and draw your own conclusions that are supported by the research and the course material rather than the use any source material that puts together any of the tools or techniques whether from the Internet, for-pay websites or any pre-prepared document, video or source material. A zero will be earned for not doing your own analysis.
Success: The analysis is based on research and not opinion. You are not making recommendations and you will not attempt to position the focal company in a better or worse light than other companies within the industry merely because you are completing an analysis on this particular company. The analysis must be based on factual information. Any conclusions drawn have to be based on factual information rather than leaps of faith. To ensure success, as stated above, you are expected to use the course materials and research on the focal company’s global industry and the focal company. Opinion does not earn credit nor does using external sources when course materials can be used. It is necessary to provide explanations (the why and how) rather than making statements. Avoid stringing one citation after another as doing so does not show detailed explanations.
Library Resources
You may also use Market Line and should be looking at the focal company’s Annual Report or 10K report. You are not depending on any one resource to complete the analysis. It is impossible to complete a Porter’s Five Forces, competitive analysis or OT by using only course material.
You should not be using obscure articles, GlassDoor, or Chron or similar articles.
Research for Financial Analysis: Financial Research https://learn.umgc.edu/content/enforced/456311-001153-01-2202-US2-6250/Financial%20Research.docx?_&d2lSessionVal=IUSyyXEtolYcJLeplpYOXgNYc
Research for Industry Analysis CSI Market https://csimarket.com/Industry/Industry_Financial_strength.php
Resources
The course ebook chapters are attached in PDF Doc’s
Research for Financial Analysis: Financial Research https://learn.umuc.edu/content/enforced/456311-001153-01-2202-US2-6250/Financial%20Research.docx?_&d2lSessionVal=N2iHBW3H7GaoSufIDiNAy2STw
Research for Industry Analysis CSI Market https://csimarket.com/Industry/Industry_Financial_strength.php
What is Strategy? Common Misunderstandings https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hd88eBgkw0
What is Strategy? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD7WSLeQtVw
Your Strategy Needs a Strategy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE_ETgaFVo8&feature=youtu.be
Goldsmith, D. (2013, July/Aug). Rethinking the company’s competitive advantage. Financial Executive 29(6), 14-17. https://learn.umuc.edu/content/enforced/456311-001153-01-2202-US2-6250/Rethinking%20the%20Company’s%20Competitive%20Advantage.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=N2iHBW3H7GaoSufIDiNAy2STw
Papula, J., Volna, J. (2013). Core competence for sustainable competitive advantage. Academic Conference, 1-7. https://learn.umuc.edu/content/enforced/456311-001153-01-2202-US2-6250/Core%20Competence%20for%20Sustainable%20Competitive%20Advantage.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=N2iHBW3H7GaoSufIDiNAy2STw
What is Strategy?: The Three Levels of Strategy https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/what-is-strategy.htm
What is Strategic Planning, Really? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLJ34L5UW4E
Strategic Management Process http://www.managementstudyguide.com/strategic-management-process.htm
Creating a Strategy That Works http://www.strategy-business.com/feature/Creating-a-Strategy-That-Works
Hard Ball: Five Killer Strategies for Trouncing the Competition. (HBR) http://hbr.org/2004/04/hardball-five-killer-strategies-for-trouncing-the-competition/ar/1
Porter’s (1980) Generic Strategies as Determinants of Strategic Group Membership and Organizational Performance https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/256040.pdf
Rumelt, R. (2011, June) The perils of bad strategy, McKinsey Quarterly. http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/the-perils-of-bad-strategy
Bradley, C., Hirt, M. & Smit, S. (2011, January). Have you tested your strategy lately? McKinsey Quarterly. http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/strategy/have_you_tested_your_strategy_lately
How to Stress-Test Your Strategy (10:15 minutes; transcript available) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS-Slo8S6V4
Is the resource-based view a useful perspective for strategic management research? https://learn.umgc.edu/content/enforced/456311-001153-01-2202-US2-6250/Is%20the%20Resource-based%20%E2%80%9CView%E2%80%9D%20a%20Useful%20Perspective%20for%20Strategic%20Management%20Research.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=c4Ew75q7R4wFi3THHXVNbS9h9
Selecting Among Alternative Grand Strategies https://learn.umgc.edu/content/enforced/456311-001153-01-2202-US2-6250/Selecting%20among%20alternative%20grand%20strategies.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=c4Ew75q7R4wFi3THHXVNbS9h9
Concentrated Growth Strategies https://learn.umgc.edu/content/enforced/456311-001153-01-2202-US2-6250/Concentrated%20growth%20strategies.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=c4Ew75q7R4wFi3THHXVNbS9h9
Introduction to Industry Analysis (13:43 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DFd-ZNbNX4
Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage https://learn.umuc.edu/content/enforced/180848-001153-01-2168-US2-4165/J%20Barney_Firm%20resources%20and%20sustained%20competitive%20advantage.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=uOVC5ogbMFjzICnFgef1dHQhB&ou=180848
SWOT Analysis From a Resource-Based View https://learn.umgc.edu/content/enforced/456311-001153-01-2202-US2-6250/SWOT%20analysis%20from%20a%20resource-based%20view.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=c4Ew75q7R4wFi3THHXVNbS9h9
The Reality of Digital Disruption–How to Stay Ahead https://www.forbes.com/sites/insights-treasuredata/2018/07/17/the-reality-of-digital-disruption-how-to-stay-ahead/#6682ea9443c1
Porter’s (1980) Generic Strategies as Determinants of Strategic Group Membership and Organizational Performance http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.umuc.edu/stable/256040
Blue Ocean Strategy https://soundcloud.com/embiant/y2matecom-the-explainer-blue-ocean-strategy-2n3xqyuowim
Newer
Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix http://www.professionalacademy.com/news/marketing-theories-boston-consulting-group-matrix
What is Corporate Strategy, Really? http://iveybusinessjournal.com/publication/what-is-corporate-strategy-really/
Strategy, Marketing, and Technology are all Intertwined http://chiefmartec.com/2014/01/strategy-marketing-technology-intertwined/
Exploring the Structural Effects of Internetworking https://learn.umgc.edu/content/enforced/456311-001153-01-2202-US2-6250/Exploring%20the%20Structural%20Effects%20of%20Internetworking.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=IUSyyXEtolYcJLeplpYOXgNYc
IBM Internetworking http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/ibm-technologies/data-link-switching-dlsw-data-link-switching-plus-dlsw-/12305-18.html
How to Build Collaborative Advantage http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/how-to-build-collaborative-advantage/
Globalization in Uncertain Times: 10 Key Takeaways http://www.ieseinsight.com/doc.aspx?id=1871&ar=6&idioma=2
What a Trump Presidency Will Mean for Globalization http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/globalization-and-a-trump-presidency/?utm_source=kw_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2016-11-15
Getting Organizational Redesign Right http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/getting-organizational-redesign-right
Hsieh, T. and Yik, S. (2005, February). Leadership as the starting point of strategy. McKinsey & Company http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/leading_in_the_21st_century/leadership_as_the_starting_point_of_strategy
It’s Not The CEO, It’s The Leadership Strategy That Matters http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshbersin/2012/07/30/its-not-the-ceo-its-the-leadership-strategy-that-matters/
Does Your Strategy Need a Strategy Part 1 http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/does-your-strategy-need-a-strategy-part-i/
Does Your Strategy Need a Strategy Part 2 http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/does-your-strategy-need-a-strategy-part-ii/
Strategy and Corporate Culture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC13IaTFtXg
Levels of Culture http://www.valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_schein_three_levels_culture.html
Structure and Strategy in Multinational Corporations: A Reexamination of the Stopford and Wells Model https://learn.umgc.edu/content/enforced/456311-001153-01-2202-US2-6250/Structure%20and%20Strategy%20in%20Multinational%20Corporations%20-%20A%20rexamination%20of%20the%20Stopford%20and%20Wells%20Model.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=IUSyyXEtolYcJLeplpYOXgNYc
Step 3: How to Set Up the Report
The document has to be written in Word or rtf. No other format is acceptable. No pdf files will be graded. Use 12-point font for a double-spaced report. The final product cannot be longer than 16 pages in length, which includes all tables and matrices but excludes the title page and reference page. Do no use an Appendix. Those items identified in the technical analysis should appear under the appropriate heading in the paper. It is important to format the tables/matrices to fit the report and to present the analysis in a clear concise manner.
Create a title page with title, your name, the course number, the instructor’s name;
Use this template to complete the project: Project 3 Template. See attachments.
Tools and Techniques:
IFE (Internal Factor Evaluation) http://www.maxi-pedia.com/IFE+EFE+matrix+internal+factor+evaluation
The TOWS Matrix: Putting a SWOT Analysis into Action https://www.volunteerhub.com/blog/the-tows-matrix-putting-a-swot-analysis-into-action/
Grand Strategy Matrix https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYWHaOjWnN8
Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM) http://www.strategicmanagementinsight.com/tools/competitive-profile-matrix-cpm.html
Competitive Profile Matrix Example – Handicraft Industry https://learn.umgc.edu/content/enforced/456311-001153-01-2202-US2-6250/Competitive%20Profile%20Matrix%20Example%20-%20Handicraft%20Industry%20042619.docx?_&d2lSessionVal=c4Ew75q7R4wFi3THHXVNbS9h9
The IE Matrix https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_vzpjzSv5s
Explanation of IE Matrix https://learn.umuc.edu/content/enforced/328968-001153-01-2188-OL4-7980/Copy%20of%20Explantion%20IE%20matrix%20graphical%20representation.xlsx?_&d2lSessionVal=hj9Ne5ND9z6jDLqLNG2eEfn99
Strategic-Formulation Analytical Framework – Must Read to Learn how to create a Grand Strategy Matrix https://learn.umgc.edu/content/enforced/420886-001153-01-2198-OL1-6382/Strategy-Formulation%20Analytical%20Framework.docx?_&d2lSessionVal=IUSyyXEtolYcJLeplpYOXgNYc
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Matrix https://learn.umuc.edu/content/enforced/115108-M_001153-01-2158/Boston%20Consulting%20Group%20(BCG)%20Matrix.doc?_&d2lSessionVal=3vs0GVW35Iea7t7HqIT53oVFw&ou=115108
BCG Matrix http://www.netmba.com/strategy/matrix/bcg/
The IE Matrix https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_vzpjzSv5s
How to Prepare the Internal External Matrix http://www.businessstudynotes.com/finance/strategic-managment/how-to-prepare-the-internal-external-matrix/
QSPM Explained https://learn.umgc.edu/content/enforced/420886-001153-01-2198-OL1-6382/QSPM%20Explained.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=c4Ew75q7R4wFi3THHXVNbS9h9
Step 4: Strategic Role of Corporate Strengths/Weaknesses in the Internal Strategy Analysis
There are three levels of strategy: corporate level strategy, business level strategy and functional level strategy. Corporate level strategies are related to businesses or markets the focal company successfully can compete within. Corporate level strategies affect the entire organization and are formulated by top management using input from middle and lower management. Decision making about corporate level strategies are considered complex, affect the entire company and relate to an organization’s resource capabilities. Corporate level strategies align with an organization’s mission statement and ideally are designed around goals and objectives.
Perform an analysis on:
Corporate-level strategies
Create a partial SWOT table and performs a SW analysis and discuss the strategic inferences/implications (Discuss what strategies would allow the company to capitalize on its major strengths and what strategies would allow the company to improve upon its major weaknesses.)
Create an IFE matrix analysis. Make sure to explain how the matrix was developed and discuss the strategic inferences/implications
Develop a Grand Strategy Matrix. Make sure to explain how the matrix was developed and discuss the strategic inferences/implications at a corporate level and business-unit-level.
Step 5: Strategic Role of Internal Resources/Departments/Processes
Perform an analysis on:
Business-level strategies
Evaluate the company’s product line, target market
Identify and explain business-level strategies
Functional-level strategies
Assess the company’s organizational structure, the organizational culture, marketing production, operations, finance and accounting, and R&D that can be accomplished by viewing the company’s website, interviews, and surveys.
Explain how these strategies align with the company’s vision and mission statements.
Step 6: Strategic Financial Analysis for the Last Reported Fiscal Year
Use the company’s income statement and balance sheet to calculate no less than a total of ten (10) key financial ratios to the business that are relevant to the focal company. There must be a mix of four different key categories inclusive of the leverage, liquidity, profitability, and efficiency ratios so that the ratios do not all come from the same category. The specific ratios selection must come from the following categories.
Leverage Ratios (Long term debt ratio, Total debt ratio, Debt-to-equity ratio, Times interest earned ratio, and Cash coverage ratio).
Liquidity Ratios (Net working capital to total assets ratio, current ratio, quick ratio, and cash ratio)
Efficiency Ratios (Asset turnover ratio, Average collection period, Inventory turnover ratio, and Days sales outstanding)
Profitability Ratios (Net profit margin, Return on assets, and Return on equity)
The selection of the ratios has to be relevant to the focal company so it is important to choose wisely.
Quote industry financial average ratios that correlate to the 10 financial ratios selected for the focal company. You may find the industry averages by going to the library. If you are unable to find on your own, reach out to the librarian as these resources are readily available.
Discuss the corporate financial standing based on a financial ratio analysis. Include whether the company’s financial ratio is a strength, a weakness or a neutral factor.
Note: If copied directly from the Internet, a zero will be assigned. When placing any table or figure in a table, it must be explained in detail.
Step 7: Composite Analysis
A composite analysis is one in which you will bring in a combination of relevant factors from the various analyses (EFE Matrix, IFE matrix, CPM matrix, SWOT, Grand Strategy Matrix and
QSPM). The QSPM is a tool that helps determine the relative attractiveness of feasible alternative strategies based on the external and internal key success factors.
Develop a Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) analysis. Make sure to discuss how the matrix was developed and discuss the strategic inferences/implications.
Develop a composite analysis on internal factor strategy analysis based on the qualitative and quantitative analytical outcomes from those steps above.
Step 8: Review the Paper
Read the paper to ensure all required elements are present.
The following are specific requirements that you will follow. Use the checklist to mark off that you have followed each specific requirement.
Specific Project Requirements
Proofread your paper
Read and use the grading rubric while completing the paper to ensure all requirements are met that will lead to the highest possible grade.
Third person writing is required. Third person means that there are no words such as “I, me, my, we, or us” (first person writing), nor is there use of “you or your” (second person writing). If uncertain how to write in the third person, view this link: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/first-second-and-third-person.
Contractions are not used in business writing, so do not use them.
Paraphrase and do not use direct quotations. Paraphrase means you do not use more than four consecutive words from a source document. Removing quotation marks and citing is inappropriate. Instead put a passage from a source document into your own words and attribute the passage to the source document. There should be no passages with quotation marks. Using more than four consecutive words from a source document would require direct quotation marks. Changing words from a passage does not exclude the passage from having quotation marks. If more than four consecutive words are used from source documents, this material will not be included in the grade.
You are expected to use the research and weekly course materials to develop the analysis and support the reasoning. There should be a robust use of the course material. Material used from a source document must be cited and referenced. A reference within a reference list cannot exist without an associated in-text citation and vice versa. Changing words from a passage does not exclude the passage from having quotation marks.
Use in-text citations and provide a reference list that contains the reference associated with each in-text citation.
You may not use books in completing this problem set unless part of the course material. Also, do not use a dictionary, Wikipedia or Investopedia or similar sources. You may not use Fern Fort University, Ibis World or any other for-fee website.
Provide the page or paragraph number in every in-text citation presented. Since the eBook does not have page numbers, include the chapter title and topic heading. If using a video, provide the minutes and second of the cited material.
