strategic management assignment

Focus on thoughts and reasoning. This is an opportunity for you to think and express your
thoughts. This assignment is a reflection of the degree to which you are engaged in the
course material, and how well you learned the topics assigned this week. The emphasis of
this assignment is synthesis – the connecting of dots – where you tie together in a
meaningful way (1) the assigned readings and videos, (2) current business and world
events, and (3) your previous knowledge and experience. There is no correct or incorrect
answer, but rather YOUR answer, based on YOUR thoughts and understanding of the
material/concepts. Please avoid trying to answer what others would say, or copying what
someone else has thought or written. There are two fundamental mistakes students often
make on these assignments: (1) simply rambling unsupported opinions, and (2) failing to
apply one’s personal perspective (i.e. writing as if it were a research paper, with no
personal perspective applied).
Videos:
Richard D’Aveni Hypercompetition [2 min]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?embed=no&v=tZhWmNGfy6Q
Five Forces Vs. Blue Ocean Strategy [6 min]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?embed=no&v=62JBYA6m9Lg
Raynor: What is Innovation [3 min]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?embed=no&embed=no&v=lBVhrLwikX4
What is Disruptive Innovation [2 min]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?embed=no&embed=no&v=mbPiAzzGap0
Blue Ocean Strategy Summary [10 min]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?embed=no&v=8cVS7YEW2Fk
International Entry Strategies [2 min]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?embed=no&embed=no&v=a5UaXsYV1aw
Bad International Entry Strategies [1 min]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?embed=no&embed=no&v=iAWoDFGHDIc
How Strategy Really Works: Roger Martin [3 min]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?embed=no&v=trax_OMOPcU
The Importance of Choice: Michael Porter and Roger Martin [4 min]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?embed=no&v=9V0POE9Xo88
Textbooks:
Ketchen, Dave & Jeremy Short, Mastering Strategic Management, Flat World Knowledge
Publishers 2011. A.G. Lafley & Roger Martin, Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works, 2013.
Harvard Business Review Press. Question 1: Based on your experience, education (including the videos and materials
assigned this week), and knowledge, how would you best incorporate the following
concepts into your view of how to get the best performance out of an organization: Blue
Ocean Strategy, Bricolage, Disruptive Technology, and Hypercompetition.
Question #2: Summarize and expand on Chapter #6 of the textbook (Competitive and
Cooperative Moves), and describe what YOU think about the competitive and
cooperative moves of an organization. Is competition good or bad? What competitive
moves can a company use to increase their firm performance and how do they react to
competitive actions by their competition. What can a firm do to cooperate with other
firms to benefit all? Use personal examples/experience of competitive and cooperative
moves if you can.
Question #3: Summarize and expand on Chapter #7 of the textbook (Competing in
International Markets), and explain the benefits and risks of competing in international
markets. What are the various global strategies that a firm can adopt? How has competing
in international markets affected Apple?
Question #4: This week there were videos (and readings) covering somewhat disparate
topics in business and strategic management. Which of these videos most resonated with
you in regards to understanding business and strategic management (and why)?
Question #5: In the book, “Playing to Win,” the authors claim the primary reason that
executives and organizations do not have a strategy is because in today’s fast-moving,
hypercompetitive, rapidly-changing, information-overloaded, and overwhelming business
world, that executives and managers focus too much on urgent matters rather than
important matters. Do you agree with the authors that the lack of strategy is a matter of
urgency rather than importance? Do you feel Apple has conquered this strategic
challenge? Explain why, or why not.