Choose a case from the textbook for this assignment from the following list.

Case 7 - United Way

Case 8 - General Motors

Case 10 - McDonalds

Case 12 - Yahoo

Case 13 - QVC

Case 17 - Readers Digest

Case 18 - Ford

Case 20 - Apple

Case 21 - Southwest

Case 24 - Nintendo

Case 34 - Dippin Dots

COMPANY NAME, WEBSITE, and INDUSTRY

State the company name, website address, and industry.

BACKGROUND and HISTORY

Briefly describe the company in the case analysis. What is their primary business, who were the officers or key players described in the case study? If the case study company is currently in business, list the companys current CEO, total sales, and profit or loss for the last year where data is available. Identify key events or phases in the companys history. Describe the performance of this company in the industry. Visit the companys website and use http://finance.yahoo.com and/or some other financial search engine to find this data. (10 points)

NOTE: Make sure to use APA citations throughout the paper. The textbook should be cited if it is the source of information. If you are not familiar with APA citation, check out the tutorial APA Guidelines for Citing Sources at the end of the course Syllabus. There are videos to help you with the APA format and business research in the Week 1 Lecture.

ANALYSIS VIA PORTERS FIVE FORCES MODEL

Analyze the competitive environment by listing the threat of new entrants, the bargaining power of buyers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of substitute products and services, and the intensity of rivalry among competitors in the industry (Chapter 2). Summarize your key points in a figure. (20 points)

STRATEGY USED

How does this company create and sustain a competitive advantage? What strategy from the readings was undertaken by this company? Were they successful? Can all companies use this strategy? How is the strategy affected by the life cycle in the industry? Remember to reference Porters generic strategies identified in Chapter 5 of the textbook, THIS IS CRITICAL. (30 points)

Specific STRATEGY(S)

Choose two specific strategies from this list.

- Ensuring Coherence in Strategic Direction (pages 2632)

- Value Chain Analysis (pages 8193)

- Resource View of Firm (pages 93104)

- Industry Life Cycle Strategies (pages 187195)

- Portfolio Management (pages 214220)

Apply them in detail to the organization. Be sure to think strategically and show the results clearly. Use the strategy as a sub-header for each section so it is clear what is being applied. (35 points)

COURSE OF ACTION RECOMMENDED

If you were in a position to advise this company, what strategy would you recommend to sustain competitive advantage and achieve future growth? Be specific and list the steps the company should take for successful implementation of your course of action. (15 points)

OPINION

What do you think of this case study? Describe what you believe are the lessons learned from this case. (10 points)

REFERENCES

When you have completed the paper using the above sections, insert a page break and have a separate reference page. The references should be listed in accordance with the APA guidelines as shown in the tutorial. (5 points)

FORMAT:

• Use a title page.

• Font: Use Times New Roman, 12 point.

• Place your name in the upper left hand corner of the page.

• Each section of your paper should be headed by the bolded, capitalized item described above.

• Indent paragraphs.

• Insert page numbers bottom right.

• Paper length should be four to six double-spaced pages not including title page, references, or illustrations and tables.

• Use APA citations throughout the paper. If you are not familiar with APA citation, refer to tutorial, which is contained in the last section of our course Syllabus.

• Include a separate reference page at the end of the paper.