Questions and Answers of Strategy In Practice

3 Consider the most favoured options in terms of acceptability and feasibility criteria.
2 How could you improve the ranking analysis?
1 Are there other options or factors that you think Simon, Ruth and Raj should consider?
Determine the need for new strategies using gap analysis .
Assess the performance of existing strategies
4 Assess the effectiveness of the change programmes.
3 What levers for change were employed by Sergio Marchionne? What others might have been used and why?
2 How would you describe the change style of Sergio Marchionne? Was this appropriate to the change context?
1 In relation to section 10.5 , what was the type of change pursued at Fiat and Chrysler? Was this appropriate to the change context?
3 Charles Brady claims that there have been signifi cant changes in the company. In terms of section 10.5.3 what type of change does he describe? What might the advantages and disadvantages of this
2 How would you describe Charles Brady’s style of leading change (see section 10.5.2 )?Why might this style be particularly suited to a company like Wilmington?
1 Using the video extracts and section 10.2 of the text, which of the basic organisation structural types best describes the structure of Wilmington? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this
2 Undertake a forcefield analysis for an organisation of your choice.
1 What might the problems be in devolving strategy to a European division?
2 If the ‘traditions’ took decades to develop, is it possible for executives to manage their introduction into organisations? How?
1 How do the ‘traditions’ relate to the explanations of evolutionary strategic change and, in particular, the concept of organisational ambidexterity?
2 What kinds of actions and initiatives might be appropriate in terms of the cultural systems of children’s services?
1 List the advantages and disadvantages of the new structure and systems for children’s services.
2 In the light of the planning, cultural and targeting systems (discussed in section 10.3 ), what else would Netflix have needed to do to manage the separation of the streaming business and the
1 How do the pros and cons of the Qwikster structure fit with those associated with the divisional structure (see section 10.2.2 )?
Underatke a forcefield analysis to identify levers for strategic change.
Identify different types of strategic change programmes .
Identify and assess different change leadership roles and styles.
Recognise how the three strands of strategy, structure and systems should reinforce each other as organisational configurations .
Identify key issues in designing organisational control systems (such as planning, performance targeting and cultural systems).
Analyse the main structural types of organisations in terms of their strengths and weaknesses.
4 What methods of expansion would you recommend to the management of Square Enix now they appear to have the resources and intention to grow?
3 What are the strengths and weaknesses of the alliance strategy, and what problems might Square Enix anticipate over time?
2 How should Square Enix manage its Eidos acquisition in order to maximise value creation, and how might that management approach change over time?
1 Explain why Square Enix chose alliances in some cases and acquisitions in others.
2 What does it take for strategic alliances, such as that between Love Da Pop and Corn Poppers, to work eff ectively and be sustained over a long period?
1 What are the main benefi ts that ‘Love Da Pop’ might expect to gain from working with Corn Poppers? Are there any risks for Love Da Pop?
2 Why was the termination of this joint venture messy?
1 Why did co-evolution break down in the Areva NP joint venture?
2 What role has ‘ecosystem’ played in Apple’s competitive advantage?
1 What are pros and cons of Apple’s tight control of licensing?
2 How do you explain Tata’s success at JLR?
1 Using Haspeslagh and Jemison’s matrix, assess Tata’s integration approach to JLR.
2 Critically assess how well these companies fit together in (i) strategic and (ii) organisational terms
1 Why did Disney acquire Marvel?
key issues in the successful management of mergers and acquisitions
key strategic motives for mergers and acquisitions and strategic alliances.
the potential role of organic (stand-alone) strategies.
2 How do you think innovation is different in an entrepreneurial context such as Rovio compared to a large corporate context?
1 What are the advantages and disadvantages of Rovio’s business model?
2 Are there any unmet needs in your community, at college or elsewhere, that could be turned into a business opportunity?
1 What do you learn from the experience of Goldberg and Ting which could be useful to launching a new enterprise?
2 What are the advantages of a visual roadmap of this kind? What are the limitations to this visual approach?
1 Why might some groups be apprehensive about the Cloud Computing Era?
2 What potential competitive advantages did Blockbuster have as a company as the new business models emerged in the last decade or so?
1 Compare the pros and cons of the various business models for movie consumption.
2 Could a large company such as Procter &Gamble imitate this strategy?
1 Identify the various features of Muruganantham’s approach that make his sanitary towel business a typical or not so typical ‘frugal innovation’.
Anticipate both key issues facing entrepreneurs as they go through the stages of growth, from start-up to exit, and the choices involved in entrepreneurial strategies .
Decide when being a first-mover or a follower is most appropriate in innovation, and how an incumbent organisation should respond to innovative challengers.
Anticipate and to some extent influence the diffusion (or spread) of innovations.
Identify key sources of innovation, such as technologies or markets, product or process innovations, open versus closed innovation, and the underlying business model.
3 In the light of the CAGE framework, what challenges may Wanda meet as it enters the US market?
2 What national sources of competitive advantage might Wanda draw from its Chinese base? What disadvantages derive from its Chinese base?
1 Considering Yip’s globalisation framework( Figure 7.2 ), what drivers of internationalisation do you think were most important when Wanda entered the US market through its AMC acquisition?
2 Is there anything that Western companies might learn from base of the pyramid strategies in emerging markets that might be valuable in their home markets?
1 Can you imagine any risks or dangers that Western companies might face in pursuing base of the pyramid strategies?
2 What can Vale do to mitigate the problems the company encounters when expanding globally?
1 Suggest three reasons for Vale’s different reception in Canada and Mozambique.
3 To what extent is JEE key to Blue Skies’international strategy and competitive advantage or rather a social entrepreneurship effort?
2 How does Blue Skies’ strategy fit into a broader international value system including suppliers, channels and customers (see also Figure 3.5 )?
1 What internationalisation drivers ( Figure 7.2 )do you think were most important for Blue Skies’ decision to enter its specific markets?
2 What might be the dangers for a large Western retailer in staying out of the Chinese market?
1 What are the pros and cons of the different China strategies pursued by Carrefour and Walmart?
Understand the difference between global integration and local responsiveness and four main types of international strategy.
Identify sources of competitive advantage in international strategy, through both exploitation of local factors and global sourcing.
Assess the internationalisation potential of different markets.
4 What should the future corporate strategy be?
3 How does the Virgin Group as a corporate parent add value to its businesses? To what extent are these parenting skills relevant to the various businesses in the group?
2 What is the corporate rationale for Virgin as a group of companies?
1 What directions of strategic development have been followed by Virgin over the period of the case (use Figure 6.2as a guide)?
2 Identify and evaluate the various synergies in ITC’s business.
1 How well does ITC’s portfolio fit in terms of the BCG matrix?
2 With $20 bn to invest, suggest industries and businesses Warren Buffett is likely never to invest in.
1 In what ways does Berkshire Hathaway fit the archetypal portfolio manager (see section 6.5.2 )?
2 What might be the risks of ‘insourcing’?
1 In terms of transaction and capability costs, why might outsourcing be attractive to companies?
2 Referring to the Ansoff matrix, how would you classify these diversifications?
1 What were the motivation(s) for Greyston Bakery’s diversifications?
Assess the relative benefits of vertical integration and outsourcing .
Distinguish between different diversification strategies ( related and conglomerate diversification) and evaluate diversification drivers .
Identify alternative strategy options, including market penetration, product development, market development and diversification .
4 What are the lessons from China about IKEA’s approach?
3 Explain how IKEA tries to ensure that its ‘Hybrid’strategy remains sustainable and does not become ‘stuck-in-the-middle’.
2 Identify how IKEA has achieved differentiation from its competitors.
1 Identify where and how IKEA has achieved cost leadership.
2 What options are available now to the excluded Three?
1 In terms of Figure 5.8 , what are the benefits to the Project Oscar partners of collaboration?
2 What should be done by a company with a similar original position to Starbucks, but operating in a market where McCafé has not yet arrived (e.g. Costa Coffee in the United Kingdom)?
1 Plot the moves of McDonald’s and Starbucks on the axes of price and perceived quality, as in Figure 5.7 .
2 How sustainable is Volvo’s luxury bus strategy?
1 Rank the elements of Passey’s strategy for Volvo in order of importance. Could any have been dispensed with?
2 In what sense do borough councils ‘compete’?
1 What are the advantages and disadvantages of this approach to low-cost council services?
Assess the benefits of cooperation in business strategy.

Showing 1 - 100 of 827