SG7001: Managing Strategy, Operations And Partnerships

SG7001: Managing Strategy, Operations and Partnerships

Assessment 1: 

Individual Report Summary 

Word count: 2000 

words Weighting: 50% 

Appendix up to: 1000 words 

Stage 1 

due: 3.00 pm 17.2.20 Stage 2 due: 3.00 pm 16.3.20. 

Learning outcomes evidenced by this assessment: 

Knowledge 

1. Understand the impact of current and emerging trends on organisations. 

Thinking skills 

2. Demonstrate the ability to effectively analyse problems and issues employing a range of appropriate concepts, theories and approaches. 

Subject-based practical skills 

5. Apply the tools and techniques of strategic and operations analysis. Skills for life and work (general skills) 

8. Developing succinct business reports.

Introduction

In this assessment, you are to present a report in which you analyse the operation and strategy of Morgan Motors and identify areas of potential weakness that would give rise to the need to review their strategy. The assessment is to be submitted in stages as outlined below. Please read the entire assessment brief to make sure you are familiar with what you should achieve. Most of the data you will require can be found in the resources provided, and you are guided towards any further research requirements. Most marks are earned through the demonstration of your ability to use the tools and techniques taught during the first part of the term, NOT research.

Morgan Motor company manufactures high end vintage style sports cars, built largely by hand, incorporating technology where appropriate. It was a family owned company for over 100 years, that has recently been taken over by financiers who are keen to maintain the business in its current structure. Your report should be a management report of a quality that could have been produced by consultants.

Individually: 

Prepare a report of 2000 words that: 

• Critically evaluates the operation of the organisation and impact on stakeholders 

• Critically evaluates the environment of the industry in which Morgan Motors operates. 

• Identifies a range of relevant emerging issues and explores their potential impact at different points within the company’s value chain.

• Identifies areas of potential vulnerability facing Morgan Motors.

Stage 1. A Critical evaluation of the operation of Morgan Motors. Due: 3.00 pm 17.2.20.

Introduction (80 words) 

It should contain 

• Necessary background: o A brief overview of Morgan Motors including their vision. 

• An explanation of the purpose of the report. 

• An overview of the structure. 

• Explanation of potentially ambiguous terms. o Only where necessary. 

This should be one continuous piece of writing with no sub headings.

A review of operations (640 words) 

All of the resources you need for this section are included in the resources area of this assessment brief. 

1. Refer briefly to the vision of Morgan Motors. 

2. Using the information that you gather from the resources below briefly describe their operation and critically assess the extent to which the operation supports the delivery of their vision. 

3. Evaluate the extent to which the operation satisfies at least 3 stakeholders. The challenge: keep the description to just enough to support the analysis. The analysis should use the technical terminology and apply theories taught in your first weeks.

Conclusion (80 words) 

The purpose of the conclusion is to provide a very brief overview of the main body of your work and answer the question underlying the purpose of the report. • Briefly re-iterate the purpose of the report. • Summarise your key findings. It should not: o Contain new information o List tasks undertaken rather than summarise the key findings. 

Presentation 

Your work should be word processed in accordance with the following: Font size 12, using a sans serif font such as Arial or similar 1.5 line spacing The page orientation should be ‘portrait’ (large diagrams and tables can be in landscape orientation if that enables them to fit on fewer pages) Margins on both sides of the page should be no less than 2 cm Pages should be numbered Your name should not appear on the script Your student number should be included on every page Your wordcount should be placed at the end of your report.

Stage 2 

Critical evaluation of the strategy against the industry success factors

Details of the task

You should take this task in steps. In this stage you are being asked to show that you can use the tools and techniques to assist with an analysis. Take the following steps one at a time. The word counts for each section should be taken as a guide and are not monitored. However, the total word count should not exceed 2000 words ±10%. If the lecturer marking your work considers the word count is too high, it will be checked, and marking will stop at the word count.

Prepare the appendix first. (800 words) 

Conduct your own research and referring to the following two documents relating to megatrends, complete the table below to create a PESTLE of the industry. Add rows as needed. One row will be needed for each source, and the full reference should be placed in the right-hand column. The words in the “trends” column contribute to the word count.

Critical evaluation of the environment of the industry in which the Morgan Motors operates

1. Summarise the critical issues emanating from your PESTLE 

2. Determine the strength of Porter’s 5 forces. 

3. Summarise the industry environment o Identify critical survival and success factors. o Identify how the industry’s environment is likely to change in the future given the influence of the megatrends you identified The most frequent error made in this stage is to assess the organisation’s environment, not that of the industry. 

Critical evaluation of the strategy of Morgan Motors. 700 words 

Using your evaluation of the operation and referring back to the resources provided above: 

1. identify the resources of the organisation.

 2. Identify capabilities of the organisation

3. Evaluate resources and capabilities (VRIN).

 4. Compare resources and capabilities with the industry success factors developed above 

5. Evaluate business sustainability. The most frequent error made in this stage is to describe rather than evaluate, concentrate on environmental sustainability rather than business sustainability and to omit stage 4 and 5.

Referencing Requirement 

The purpose of this assessment is to demonstrate your ability to use the tools and techniques taught on the module. There should be no need to conduct further research.

Structure and presentation 

To complete your submission, you should add the final elements to produce the following: Cover sheet (in the assessment area in Moodle) Title page containing a title for your work and your student number. Executive summary. (No more than 100 words) Contents page structured in the same way as in this handbook. Introduction as described for stage 1 (100 words) Main body using the headings in bold in the detail section. Conclusion as described for stage 1 (100 words) Word count from the end of the contents to the end of the conclusion. Appendices as described above.

Your work should be word processed in accordance with the following: Font size 12, using a sans serif font such as Arial or similar 1.5 line spacing The page orientation should be ‘portrait’ (large diagrams and tables can be in landscape orientation if that enables them to fit on fewer pages) Margins on both sides of the page should be no less than 2 cm Pages should be numbered Your name should not appear on the script Your student number should be included on every page.

Assessment 2: Group presentation and reflection (50% of the module)

Summary: 

In groups of 4 – 6 students. Due 15.4.20 and 20.4.20 Presentation: 30 minutes Weighting: 50% of the assessment Report: 2000 words Weighting: 50% of the assessment 

Learning outcomes evidenced by this assessment: 

Knowledge 

1. Demonstrate critical understanding of the theory and practice of strategic development and operations. 

Thinking skills 

4. Analyse and synthesise contextual information. 

5. Think strategically and assess the impact of strategic change processes. 

Subject-based practical skills 

7. Influence the strategic direction of an organization. 

Skills for life and work (general skills) 

9. Appreciating complexity, diversity, and multiplicity of perspectives accommodated in management decisions.

Presentation

In groups of 4 - 6, prepare a 30-minute presentation that: 

1. Summarises and prioritises the issues that face Morgan Motors. 

2. Develop strategic proposals that are focused on the operations, network and partnerships of the organisation for at least 2 issues, 

3. Identifies the impact of the proposals on the operations of the organisation 

4. Evaluate the proposals against an appropriate recognised framework. 

5. Identifies changes that should be made to the operations of the business including their partnerships.

Details of the task

As with the first assessment, this assessment should be approached in steps. 

1. As a group, collate and categorise the strategic issues that you identified when completing assignment 1. 

2. Critically evaluate your list and identify that pose the greatest risk or opportunity and select the most significant two or three. o The choice should be fully justified. 

3. Reviewing block 2, develop a range of solutions. o You should differentiate between those that are strategic and those that are operational. o Concentrate on just the strategic ones. 

4. Evaluate your solutions using a recognised framework such as RACES. o Recommend the most appropriate strategic option(s) 

5. Recommend changes to operations including partnerships in order to ensure that the new strategy becomes embedded in the organisation. o These should be fully justified using theory or logical argument.

The Report: Due 3.00 pm 20.4.20 

With reference to your experience in developing the individual and group assessments, your group is to submit a 2000 word report with a title of: “A business case for Morgan’s Motors’ strategy” 

Care: This is not to be a “write-up” of your presentation. Think back over the stages that you have undertaken to produce a strategy. Consider the source of the information that enabled you to complete your work. 

Now: Show how your strategy is robust. The focus you should take requires you to think through the process undertaken and the implications of the outcome. That means very little research will be required to complete this piece of work. It requires logical and analytical thought processes. For this report you should: 1. Summarise your proposed strategy 2. Briefly summarise the different types of analysis and sources of information required to complete your individual reports and group presentation. 3. Consider the extent to which each activity was necessary for the positive outcome. 4. Identify any shortcomings or challenges. 5. Identify the business case for your new strategy.

Structure and Presentation Please refer to the presentation instructions provided earlier. Your introduction and conclusion should be 200 words each.