Company Analysis: Business Policies & Strategy

Please see the attachment word paper Assignment: Select a small or mid-cap firm you find interesting. Do some research on that firm…specifically, what is their industry, provide a brief corporate history, whom do they compete, what is their vision and mission….can you get a sense of their key objectives. How have they been performing…are they making money. Any recent strategic moves, e.g. an acquisition, re-structuring etc. Nothing too dramatic for this first assignment. COURSE SYLLABUS BUSINESS POLICIES & STRATEGY Course Description.......This is a capstone course that integrates the skills and knowledge attained through your pre-requisite and core business course work. This course is designed to provide students with insight into the strategic management process, and introduces students to the concepts of leadership, ethics and strategy implementation. The course will utilize a number of methods to accomplish the course objectives including formal lectures, group assignments, case study and a computer simulation aimed at ensuring each student leaves the class with an appreciation for the complexities of developing and executing a strategy. Learning Objectives......At the conclusion of this course, you will be able to: 1) Understand methods for developing an integrated business strategy and the elements of a strategic management process 2) Describe and understand how to evaluate the external macro environment as part of situational analysis 3) Understand the implications of how a business' resources, capabilities and value chain facilitate or deter a firm's ability to execute. 4) Understand the five generic business level strategy areas and recognize the value chain and organizational structures necessary to successfully implement that strategy. 5) Understand the role of cooperative strategies and mergers and acquisitions in the implementation of a strategy 6) Appreciate the role of leadership and building organizational capability to ensure sustained growth 7) Diagnose and analyze complex business situations and utilize the concepts and skills acquired during your previous course of study. 8) Project and develop a professional demeanor in classroom discussions and presentations, written examinations and case analysis. 9) Take a top management perspective in the evaluation of complex case studies, suggest and defend positions, apply management theory and recognize an organization and its issues as a total system. Text: The primary text for this class is bundled under the following - Strategic Management Concepts: Competitiveness and Globalization, 10th edition, Southwestern Publishing, Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson ISBN: 978-1-133-495239 - Xanedu Digital Course Pack # 399773 (purchased directly from Xanedu) - Glo-Bus Business Simulation, Glo-Bus Download Code Card, 14th ed., ISBN # 978-0-078-112706; Thompson, Arthur A., Univ of Alabama (can be purchased on line via PayPal) - Suggested Outside Readings per Moodle - Porter, M. (1996 Nov/Dec) What Is Strategy? Harvard Business Review, 74 (2), 61-78, Retrieved from Business Source Complete database Assignment: Select a small or mid-cap firm you find interesting. Do some research on that firm…specifically, what is their industry, provide a brief corporate history, whom do they compete, what is their vision and mission….can you get a sense of their key objectives. How have they been performing…are they making money. Any recent strategic moves, e.g. an acquisition, re-structuring etc. Nothing too dramatic for this first assignment.