Corporate Strategy - Business analysis of your key research

Corporate Strategy

All assignments are linked together from assessment 1 to assessment 6

business analysis of your key research findings regarding your selected firm's level of diversification (product scope), geographical and vertical scope, and the overall fit with the business strategy or strategies.

Note: The assessments in this course are sequenced in such a way as to help you build specific skills that you will use throughout your program. Complete the assessments in the order in which they are presented.

Note: The assessments in this course are sequenced in such a way as to help you build specific skills that you will use throughout your program. Complete the assessments in the order in which they are presented.

Overview

The vice president of corporate strategy at the headquarters of your selected firm (Ford, Proctor and Gamble, Virgin Group, or another firm you have selected) has requested that you provide her with a business analysis of your key findings regarding the firm's level of diversification (product scope), geographical and vertical scope, and the overall fit with the business strategy or strategies (identified in Assessment 1 of the course).

Preparation

Use the Capella University Library, the Internet, or resources provided in the Firm Research Information document (in the Suggested Resources) to find at least four current, scholarly, or professional resources that provide the information you need to complete this assessment.

Requirements

In 4–6 pages, provide a business analysis of the firm you selected. Your analysis should do all of the following:

• Analyze the corporate strategy of the selected firm, including product, geographical, and vertical scope in which it operates. Has the firm expanded from its initial product line or field of operation? Does the firm own vertically related activities along the value chain for its products?
• Analyze the firm's overall corporate structure and key management systems. Does the firm employ any of the following three elements of corporate strategy: diversification, vertical integration, or globalization? Are global alliances an overall part of the corporate strategy?
• Analyze the strategic fit between the business and corporate strategies of the selected firm.

Use clear headings and subheadings to organize the key points of your analysis.

Your report should be clearly written and communicate effectively to organizational leadership; use correct grammar, spelling and mechanics as expected of a business professional. Cite and reference all sources using current APA style.

Additional Requirements

• References: Support your business analysis with at least four academic resources from the Capella University Library.
• APA Style: Use proper APA style for all citations and references.
• Length: 4–6 double-spaced, typed pages, not including the references list or title page.
• Written communication: Demonstrate graduate-level writing skills through accurate communication of thoughts that convey the overall goals of the analysis and do not detract from the message.
• Font: Times New Roman, 12 point.
• All papers must have abstract, introduction, conclusion

Note: Faculty may also use the Writing Feedback Tool to provide feedback on your writing. In the tool, click the linked resources for helpful writing information.

 

 

Virgin Group

A multinational conglomerate with more than two dozen Virgin-branded companies, Virgin operates in at least 13 regions around the globe, in seven industries (Virgin, n.d.).

It becomes apparent that Virgin’s corporate strategies include diversification and globalization, and some argue there are opportunities for Virgin to vertically integrate companies within certain market segments-travel and lifestyle markets, for example. Yet, however Virgin’s corporate strategies are labeled, the brand is the dominant resource that Richard Branson leverages to acquire and develop new business that differentiates Virgin from the competition (Ankeny, 2012).

Branson’s philosophy toward management of Virgin companies includes keeping intact the entrepreneurial spirit of firms acquired or merged. He defends his approach to keeping a multitude of individual entrepreneurial companies with the Virgin brand as follows: “Often, owning a number of individual stand-alone companies run by different people can be more effective than having one giant company with lots of people working together” (Maxwell, 2014, And what about making the difficult decisions concerning people heading, para. 2).

A strategic assessment of Virgin is an assessment of how well an individual Virgin company fits the Virgin business model. Prahalad and Bettis (1986) might define the business model of Virgin as the dominant logic that describes the rationale for Virgin’s diversification strategy.

Choose one of the following Virgin companies to conduct a comprehensive organizational strategic assessment:

• Virgin Atlantic.
• Virgin Galactic.
• Virgin Media.
• Virgin Records.