Strategic & General Management

Order Description

1. Select a well-documented construction company (e.g. FTSE 100) on which to carry out a strategic case study

2. You are a consultant employed by the company to investigate, analyse, and recommend a new strategic direction and report back on your findings.

3. Produce a professional strategic options paper (3000 words).

a) Briefly summarise the company’s current strategy

b) Critically analyse the main challenges and opportunities facing the company using simple strategic analysis (e.g. PESTEL/SWOT /Five forces). Tables of analysis should be placed in an appendix and cross referenced in the narrative of the report.

c) Identify and appraise 2 new strategic options to increase competitive advantage

d) Make appropriate recommendations for the future direction of the company and evaluate these based upon the framework proposed by Johnson & Scholes (i.e. suitability, feasibility, and acceptability).

Objectives:

1. To summarise the principles of strategic management

2. To assess the processes involved in developing a new company strategy

3. To demonstrate the ability to formulate and critically appraise effective strategies using appropriate tools

Task:

1. Select a well-documented construction company (e.g. FTSE 100) on which to carry out a strategic case study

2. You are a consultant employed by the company to investigate, analyse, and recommend a new strategic direction and report back on your findings.

3. Produce a professional strategic options paper (3000 words).

a) Briefly summarise the company’s current strategy

c) Identify and appraise 2 new strategic options to increase competitive advantage

Learning outcomes:

On successful completion of this assignment, students will be expected, at threshold level, to be able to:

1. Critically discuss the principles of strategic management

2. Develop effective strategies using appropriate tools

3. Evaluate policies from a strategic management point of view

Reading / References:

Dainty, A., Green, S., and Bagilhole, B. (2007). People and culture in Construction : a reader. London : Taylor & Francis.

Green, S.G. (2011). Making Sense of Construction Improvement. Oxford: Blackwell.

Hitt, M., Black, S., and Porter, L.W. (2011). Management (3rd ed.). Pearson Education.

Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington R. (2008). Exploring Corporate Strategy. (8th ed.). Harlow, Financial Times Prentice Hall.

Mintzberg, H., Ahlstrand, B. and Lampel, J. (2005). Strategy Bites Back : it is a lot more, and less, than you ever imagined … Harlow, Financial Times Prentice Hall. (ISBN 0273693468).

The University of Portsmouth regulations require students to keep electronic copies

of all assignments, and submit these at any time upon request.

This sheet must be submitted with your assignment.

Student Evaluation and Student Comment to be completed before submission.

Indicative Grade Criteria:

A* As below plus:

• Very high quality concise professional strategic direction report

• An exceptional report showing excellent insight into the strategic challenges and opportunities being faced and making well thought out and justified recommendations.

• Extensive references &/or bibliography using subject convention.

• Presented in a highly professional format with excellent structure and no errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation.

A As below plus:

• Thorough completion of the strategic direction report and showing evidence of considerable research beyond recommended textbooks and the internet.

• An excellent report, written and presented in a professional manner with work showing awareness of the company challenges and opportunities, clear analysis and appropriate recommendations.

• References &/or bibliography presented according to subject convention

• Well presented, well structured, good organisation with few or no errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation. Presentation of diagrams &/or tables follows required format

B As below plus:

• Adequate completion of the strategic direction report showing some evidence of research beyond recommended textbooks and the internet.

• A report written in an appropriate format, which answers the task set in a thorough, thoughtful and analytical manner with few errors or gaps in content, explanation or accuracy.

• Analysis and recommendations are appropriate.

• References &/or bibliography usually presented according to subject convention

• Well presented, clearly written, few errors in structure, organisation, expression, grammar, spelling, punctuation and presentation/use of diagrams &/or tables

C As below plus:

• Partial completion of the strategic direction report with little evidence of research.

• A report which strives to answer the task set, but may not be in an appropriate management format, may have omissions in content, or may be partially descriptive rather than reflective.

• Analysis and recommendations may be based on limited information.