Faculty of Design, Media & Management

School of Applied Management & Law

Assignment Brief
Module Title:

Strategic Management

Assignment No/Title:

Organisational Strategic Choice (CW1)

Submission Date:

Week 2118th February 2016 2pm

Module Co-ordinator/
Tutor:

John Hathaway E2.13

John.hathaway@bucks.ac.uk
Dr. Mario Cortese E2.12

2015-16
Module Code:
Assessment
Weighting:
Feedback Target
Date:
Course Area:

BM622
100%
3WKS
B&M

This assignment is to be submitted electronically using Blackboard

Submission Instructions:
1. This assignment must be submitted electronically by 2pm on the submission date
2. To submit electronically you must upload your work to the e-submission area within the respective module
on blackboard. Click Submit> Browse (find the correct file to upload) Upload> Submit
3. Multiple drafts can be submitted up to the submission date.
4. Please remember you must leave at least 24 hours between submissions if you make changes to your
work. Each submission will overwrite the previous one until the due date and time has passed.
5. You will receive a digital receipt as proof of submission. This will be sent to your Bucks e-mail address;
please keep this for reference.
6. You are reminded of the Universitys regulations on cheating and plagiarism. In submitting your assignment
you are acknowledging that you have read and understood these regulations.
7. Late submission within 10 working days of the deadline will result in the mark being capped at a maximum
of 40%. Beyond this time the work will not be marked.
8. You are reminded that it is your responsibility to keep an electronic copy of your assignment for future
reference.

This assignment tests the following Learning Outcomes for the module:
Analyse the external environment of an organisation and justify critical opportunities and threats
appropriate to that organisation;
Analyse the strategic capability of an organisation and justify critical strengths and weaknesses linked to
competitive advantage;
Develop suitable strategic choices for an organisation;
Evaluate strategic choices for an organisation, referring back to previous analysis in 1 and 2.
Recommend and justify an appropriate strategic choice for an organisation.

The Assignment Task:

Your task is to analyse a chosen organisations* strategic position and critically assess the strategic
options open to it in order to recommend an appropriate strategy that would be suitable.
a) Strategic Purpose including an Introduction to the Organisation
External environment analysis: PESTLE
Competitive Industry analysis: Porters 5 Forces
Strategic Capability analysis: Threshold and distinctive resource/capabilities
Use a SWOT table or other appropriate framework to summarise the analysis for your organisation
b) Building on the analysis in the first task, propose strategic choices for that organisation. These
should include strategic choices in the areas of EITHER Business or International strategy.
c) Critically evaluate the strategic choices developed in the second task, including critical assessment
and justification of the criteria for that evaluation. This should include an assessment of the level
and type of innovation and the application of a SAFe evaluation. Evaluation criteria should also
include stakeholder expectations and mention of potential barriers to implementation such as
organisation, funding and leadership.
d) Based on the evaluation in the third task, recommend a preferred strategic choice and explain how
this meets stakeholder expectations.
*You will be advised about the chosen organisation at the CW1 briefings.
Instructions to Students:
Please note that this assignment is an INDIVIDUAL piece of work. Although it builds on analysis
undertaken POSSIBLY as a group, the strategic choices and evaluation need to be developed
independently. Excessive similarity between members of the same CW1 group will be treated as
plagiarism.

Word limit: 2,000 words MAXIMUM +/-10%

A recommended structure for the assignment is as follows:

Front cover including word count, Table of contents.
Abstract (brief summary of your work including recommendations 200 words maximum not
included in word count).
a) Introduction to your organisation, summary of internal and external factors and SWOT analysis
with clear identification of critical points. (500 words).
b) Development of strategic choices (500 words).
c) Evaluation of strategic choices (500 words).
d) Recommendation of preferred strategic choice and conclusion (500 words).
e) References.
f) Appendices.

The table of contents, the abstract, the references and the appendices are not included in the word count.

Any parts of the main analysis should be in the main text and not in tables in the appendices.

Your assignment will be marked on the basis of the justification you provide, the conceptualisation of the
idea, the applicability of the relevant theory and the managerial relevance of your work.

Regarding your assignment, you should focus on the following aspects:

a) Summary of the internal and external analysis for your organisation INCLUDING:
1. Strategic Purpose including an Introduction to the Organisation

2. External environment analysis: PESTLE,

3. Competitive Industry analysis: Porters 5 Forces
4. Strategic Capability analysis: Threshold and distinctive resource/capabilities
5. SWOT analysis
b) Development of appropriate strategic choices using either: Generic Competitive business strategy or
Strategy Clock; Porters 4 International Strategies.
c) Development of appropriate evaluation criteria and evaluation of strategic choices, SAFe analysis
d) Selection and justification of the optimum strategy. You should use your own critical ability to analyse the
issue properly and provide the rationale for your reply.

Quality Assurance Record

Internal Approval:

KM

External Approval:

Assessment Criteria: BM622 2-15-16

Weight

Knowledge &
Understanding:
Summary of
analysis

Knowledge &
Understanding:
Strategic Choices

Evaluation:
Development and
application of
Criteria

Evaluation:
Recommendation
Assignment
Parameters

20%

A
70%+

B
60-69%

C
50-59%

D
40-49%

Answer shows an excellent

summary of an
organisations strategic
position (Internal and
External).

Answer shows a good

summary of an organisations
strategic position (Internal
and External).

Answer shows a good

summary of an organisations
strategic position (Internal and
External) but may contain
some gaps or errors.

Answer shows a summary of

an organisations strategic
position (Internal and External)
but contains significant gaps
and errors or is hard to
understand.

Answer shows good

application of theory to
develop strategic choices
which are mainly appropriate.
A good attempt has been
made to justify the choices on
the basis of the previous
analysis..

Answer shows some

application of theory to
develop strategic choices
which are generally
appropriate for the
organisation. Limited
justification is made and links
with the previous analysis may
be missing.
Some critical assessment of
evaluation criteria, but there
are gaps or errors. There are
gaps in understanding of the
organisation, environment and
how to select and apply
relevant theories.

20%

Answer shows excellent

application of theory to
develop appropriate
strategic choices which are
fully justified and explained
relating to the previous
analysis.

30%

Excellent evaluation criteria

have been critically
assessed and applied
showing deep
understanding of the
organisation, environment
and relevant theories.

20%

Sound recommendations,
fully supported by
evidence, analysis and
evaluation.

Generally sound
recommendations, supported
by reasonable evidence,
analysis and evaluation.

Recommendations have gaps

and weaknesses. Some gaps
or errors in evidence, analysis
and evaluation.

Limited recommendations, not

really supported by sufficient
evidence, analysis and
evaluation.

Clearly written and

presented, fully and clearly
referenced, and within +/10% of the word limit
Fully Harvard referenced.

In general, answer is clearly

written and presented, fully
and clearly referenced, and
within +/- 10% of the word
limit.
Correct Harvard referencing.

Despite a small number of

specific problems, answer is
easy to follow with sound
referencing.

Answer may suffer from weak

communication and
presentation, but is
understandable with
reasonably sound referencing

10%

Generally good critical

assessment of evaluation
criteria, showing a
reasonable understanding of
the organisation, environment
and relevant theories.

Answer shows limited

application of theory to
develop strategic choices
which are mainly inappropriate
and not justified.
Limited critical assessment of
evaluation criteria with
significant gaps or errors.
Significant weaknesses in
understanding of the
organisation and environment
Relevant theories are missing
or poorly applied.

E and F
<40%
Answer shows no
summary of an
organisations strategic
position (Internal and
External).

Answer shows no
application of theory.
Strategic choices are
inappropriate or absent.
There is no attempt to
justify the strategic
choices.
There is no critical
assessment of evaluation
criteria.

Recommendations are
absent or unsound and
are not supported by
evidence, analysis or
evaluation
Weak communication
and/or presentation limited
effectiveness/
comprehension of
argument. Poor or no
referencing