MGT/498: Strategic Management

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MGT/498 Week 1 Apply: Signature Assignment: Strategic Management Journal Part 1
MGT/498 Week 1 Discussion – Vision Statement
MGT/498 Week 1 Practice Quiz: Ch. 1, What is Strategy
MGT/498 Week 1 Practice Quiz: Ch. 3, External Analysis
MGT/498 Week 1 Practice Quiz: Ch. 4, Internal Analysis
MGT/498 Week 1 Apply: Signature Assignment: Strategic Management Journal Part 1

MGT/498 Week 1

 

Everything listed for Week 1 is included in purchase!! 

  1. MGT/498 Week 1 Discussion – Vision Statement
  2. MGT/498 Week 1 Practice Quiz: Ch. 1, What is Strategy
  3. MGT/498 Week 1 Practice Quiz: Ch. 3, External Analysis
  4. MGT/498 Week 1 Practice Quiz: Ch. 4, Internal Analysis
  5. MGT/498 Week 1 Apply: Signature Assignment: Strategic Management Journal Part 1

MGT/498 Week 1 Discussion: Vision Statement

Includes A+ Response!

  • Locate the vision statement of an organization of your choice and explain the vision statement’s importance. Does it seem relevant in today’s environment or is it outdated? Explain your reasoning. What improvements would you recommend for the vision statement?

 

MGT/498 Week 1 Practice Quiz: Chapter 1, What is Strategy

  1. The field of management that focuses on attaining competitive advantage by combining analysis, formulation, and implementation is known as ______.
  2. Burger Bomb is a new hamburger restaurant. In order to compete successfully against its many competitors, Burger Bomb has decided to focus on quality and an interesting, unique menu that uses locally sourced, organic ingredients. This is known as Burger Bomb's ______.
  3. Effective guiding policy is supported by and stays consistent through the use of ______.
  4. When a firm implements a strategy that leads to superior performance relative to other companies in the same industry, it is said to have achieved ______.
  5. A competitive advantage that lasts for a long period of time is said to be ______.
  6. What is the overall purpose of strategic management?
  7. Which of the following are the relationships that a firm has with stakeholders?
  8. Strategy is ______.
  9. A firm's attempts to manage the web of relationships between internal and external stakeholders in order to create value is known as ______.
  10. What must a firm do after diagnosing its specific competitive challenge?
  11. Which of the following is a tool that managers can use to address the needs of stakeholders while maintaining a competitive advantage?
  12. Burger Bomb has been outperforming other burger restaurants in recent years. This indicates that Burger Bomb has which of the following?
  13. A stakeholder has ______ when its needs are within the bounds of the law or are otherwise relevant to the firm.
  14. Which of the following questions are part of the five steps in stakeholder impact analysis?
  15. The groups or individuals who can impact or be impacted by a firm's actions are known as ______.
  16. In the ______ step of a stakeholder impact analysis, firms identify those stakeholders that currently have, or potentially can have, a material effect on the company.
  17. Which of the following are aims of stakeholder strategy? (Select all that apply.)
  18. Which framework helps firms to identify their economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic obligations to society?
  19. Stakeholder impact analysis is a _____-step process that allows managers to better understand and address stakeholders' needs.
  20. Which of the following elements of the pyramid of corporate social responsibilities are result from a society’s expectations toward business? (Check all that apply.)
  21. Which of the following are the three important stakeholder attributes managers must pay particular attention to during stakeholder impact analysis? (Check all that apply.)
  22. Which of the following statements regarding tasks in the AFI strategy framework is true?
  23. Place the five steps of the stakeholder impact analysis in order, with the first step at the top.
  24. Which of the following topics should be considered during the analysis phase of the AFI framework?
  25. When identifying stakeholders, a firm should focus on those stakeholders that ______.
  26. The concept, or framework, of corporate social  ___________ guides firms in identifying and addressing their economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic obligations to society.
  27. To which types of organizations can we apply the principles of strategic management?
  28. Match the element of the pyramid of corporate social responsibility (on the left) with its explanation (on the right).
  29. What is the first step in the AFI strategy framework?
  30. In the external analysis phase of the AFI strategy framework, managers should ask,
  31. In the ______ step of a stakeholder impact analysis, firms identify those stakeholders that currently have, or potentially can have, a material effect on the company.
  32. In a nutshell, strategy is the art and science of ______.
  33. Which of the following elements of the pyramid of corporate social responsibility are required by society and shareholders? (Check all that apply.)

 

MGT/498 Week 1 Practice Quiz: Chapter 3, External Analysis

  1.  Which of the following statements about Airbnb is correct?
  2. Managers have ______ direct influence over external forces in the firm's general environment than those in the firm's task environment.
  3. In the PESTEL model, political factors are those that relate to ______.
  4. Which of the following are examples of economic factors in the firm's general environment? (Check all that apply.)
  5. Growth rates, interest rates, and levels of employment would be considered ______ factors in a firm's general environment.
  6. Which of the following are examples of economic factors in the firm's general environment? (Check all that apply.)
  7. Which of the following are examples of sociocultural factors?
  8. Which of the following innovative ideas helped Airbnb develop a successful business in the peer-to-peer rental space?
  9. An example of a recent innovation in process technology is ______.
  10. When managers understand the forces in the external environment, they are better able to ______.
  11. The relationship between the natural environment and business organizations can best be described as ______.
  12. ______ factors result from the processes and actions of government bodies that influence the decisions and behavior of firms.
  13. Which of the following are factors in a firm's legal environment? (Check all that apply.)
  14. Growth rates, interest rates, and levels of employment would be considered ______ factors in a firm's general environment.
  15. An industry analysis provides which of the following?
  16. Sociocultural factors are constantly in flux and also differ across groups.
  17. According to Michael Porter, the profit potential of an industry is ______.
  18. The external forces called technological factors ______.
  19. The risk that potential competitors will enter the industry is known as the ______.
  20. Global warming would be an example of ________ factor in a firm's external environment.
  21. Which of the following are ways that powerful suppliers are a threat to firms?
  22. Which of the following statements about legal factors as an external force is true?
  23. Production costs can increase when ______.
  24. A group of companies that deal with more or less the same set of suppliers and buyers make up ______.
  25. The _______ is the idea that products or services available from outside the given industry will come close to meeting the needs of current customers.
  26. Michael Porter developed the five forces model to help firms do which of the following? (Check all that apply.)
  27. The pressure of rivalry increases when which of the following forces increase in intensity? (Check all that apply.)
  28. When a new firm enters an industry, which of the following often occur? (Check all that apply.)
  29. Which of the following contribute to consumer buying power?
  30. When suppliers can demand higher prices for their inputs or reduce the quality of the input factor delivered, they demonstrate that they are ______.
  31. Many drivers find a GPS navigation system useful. Because installing a GPS system in an automobile adds value to the vehicle, the system functions as ______.
  32. Which of the following are ways in which the power of buyers affects producers?
  33. Which of the following are approaches for answering the question "How to enter?" when a firm is considering entering an industry? (Check all that apply.)
  34. The threat of ______ is one of the five forces and can be exemplified by the threat that videoconferencing presents to business travel.
  35. Which of the following statements about industry dynamics is true?
  36. Which of the following tend to result from strong competitive rivalry?
  37. A _________ group is a set of companies within a specific industry that seek to achieve competitive advantage in similar ways.
  38. Which of the following reduces profit margins for air carriers?
  39. A company is a complementor to your company if ______.
  40. Which of the following are important strategic dimensions in mapping strategic groups? (Check all that apply.)
  41. Which of the following are essential questions that strategic leaders need to consider to increase the probability of entering an industry successfully? (Check all that apply.)
  42. Industry-specific factors known as ______ separate one strategic group from another.
  43. Firms have a tendency to change the industry structure in their favor, making it more __ through horizontal mergers and acquisitions, since this tends to be more profitable than a fragmented one.
  44. Place the three frameworks used in industry analysis in the order they should be used, with the first at the top.
  45. Along which of the following dimensions do strategic groups differ from one another? (Check all that apply.)
  46. What are the three aspects of mapping strategic groups?
  47. In the airline industry, the ______________ of offering international routes restricts movement between hub-and-spoke and point-to-point airlines.
  48. In addition to the static nature of the PESTEL, Porter's five forces, and strategic group mapping frameworks, what is their other shortcoming?

 

MGT/498 Week 1 Practice Quiz: Chapter 4, Internal Analysis

  1. Which of the following best describes the core competency of the Five Guys Burgers and Fries company?
  2. Core competencies of a business are generated by the interaction of ______.
  3. A core competency can help a company achieve which of the following? (Check all that apply.)
  4. Unlike capabilities, resources can be both ______.
  5. The resource-based view classifies all resources as ______.
  6. Which of the following were resources and capabilities that helped Five Guys gain a competitive advantage and develop into a successful restaurant chain? (Check all that apply.)
  7. Resource ______ and resource ______ are the key assumptions behind the resource-based model of the firm.
  8. What do the best firms in an industry seek to identify and manage on an ongoing basis as sources to respond to their external environment? (Check all that apply.)
  9. The ______ is a theoretical model that explains and predicts what resource attributes underpin competitive advantage. It identifies which types of resources are key to firm performance. 
  10. A(n) ______ is a unique strength, embedded deep within a firm, that is critical to gaining and sustaining competitive advantage.
  11. Intellectual property protection and social complexity are examples of __________ mechanisms, which help a firm sustain a competitive advantage.
  12. ______ are any assets that a firm can draw on when formulating and implementing a strategy.
  13. _________ describes a process in which the options one faces in the current situation are limited
  14. The resource-based model views resources as ______.
  15. A firm's attempts to shorten the length of time a process takes, may lead to disappointing outcomes because of ______.
  16. According to the resource-based model, a firm is assumed to be a unique bundle of resources, capabilities, and competencies.
  17. Cowgirl Boots, inexpensive leather boots for women, are selling at record-high numbers. The CEO of the company, however, cannot figure out why. Was it caused by the company's recent advertisement campaign or the newly reduced price of the boots or some other unknown factor? Based on this information, what concept describes the CEO's confusion regarding Cowgirl Boots' recent success?
  18. The VRIO framework is used to evaluate a firm's resources. VRIO is an acronym for which of the following?
  19. For a firm to sustain any competitive advantage over time, the fit between its internal strengths and external environment needs to be ______.
  20. Which of the following is not considered an isolating mechanism?
  21. _________ suggests that sometimes even random events may have a large impacts on an outcome.
  22. __________ are the firm's current level of intangible resources.
  23. "Time compression diseconomies" refers to the concept that ______.
  24. The value chain describes ______ of a firm.
  25. __________ describes a situation where the cause and effect of a phenomenon are not readily apparent.
  26. Enterprise Machinists is always improving upon its core competencies by training its machinists constantly so that they are equipped to deal with technological changes and advancements. Based on this information, this is an example of which concept?
  27. What are the characteristics of a strategic activity system as it applies to firms? (Check all that apply.)
  28. Strategic fit ______ the likelihood that a firm is able to gain a competitive advantage.
  29. How are intangible resource stocks acquired?
  30. Identify the framework that allows managers to synthesize insights obtained from internal and external analysis.
  31. The ______ describes the internal activities a firm engages in when transforming inputs into outputs.
  32. If the problem with a business strategy results in causal ambiguity, managers will ______.
  33. A firm's network of interconnected activities is referred to a strategic activity system because activities that are interconnected are very difficult for competitors to copy effectively.
  34. Strategic leaders use internal and external analyses in tandem to create a customized fit between a company's ______.
  35. In performing a SWOT analysis to generate insights from external and internal analysis, internal strengths and weaknesses can be determined by applying ______ and external strengths can be evaluated in part by applying ______.

 

MGT/498 Week 1 Apply: Signature Assignment: Strategic Management Journal Part 1

Includes A+ Assignment!

 

Read the Strategic Management Project Background document.
Review the resources listed at the end of this assignment, along with the terms and concepts discussed this week, to prepare for this assignment:

  • Strategic management
  • Competitive advantage
  • Strategic plan
  • Mission statement
  • Vision statement
  • Core values statement
  • AFI

Create a Microsoft® Word document and title it "Strategic Management Research Journal Part 1."
Write a 500- to 700-word response to the following prompts as your journal entry:
Justify the guiding principles required for preparing effective statements that describe the mission, vision, and the core values of an organization as covered in the assigned reading. In other words, please explain what the key elements are for an effective vision statement, an effective mission statement, and an effective values statement.
Compare whether Caterpillar Inc.’s mission, vision, and core values conform to the guiding principles in the text and support organizational strategic planning principles you explained in your response to prompt #1. Refer to the Caterpillar Inc. website listed in the Resources section below.
Assess what Caterpillar Inc.’s current competitive advantages and disadvantages are by considering their business partners, allies, and general operations. Research the assignment resources listed below and other sources. Based on your research, evaluate Caterpillar’s current competitive advantages and disadvantages. To do this, list some of Caterpillar's strengths and weaknesses, then compare these attributes against those of some of Caterpillar's competitors to show how they create competitive advantages and disadvantages for Caterpillar.
Note: You will use information from this entry in your Strategic Management Research Project Presentation due in Week 5.
Submit your assignment.

 

 

 

MGT/498 Week 2 Apply: Strategic Management Journal Part 2
MGT/498 Week 2 Discussion – Competitive Advantage
MGT/498 Week 2 Practice Quiz: Ch. 5, Competitive Advantage, Firm Performance…
MGT/498 Week 2 Practice Quiz: Ch. 12, Corporate Governance and Business Ethics
MGT/498 Week 2 Apply: Strategic Management Journal Part 2
MGT/498 Week 2

 

Everything listed for Week 2 is included in purchase!! 

  1. MGT/498 Week 2 Discussion – Competitive Advantage
  2. MGT/498 Week 2 Practice Quiz: Ch. 5, Competitive Advantage, Firm Performance…
  3. MGT/498 Week 2 Practice Quiz: Ch. 12, Corporate Governance and Business Ethics
  4. MGT/498 Week 2 Apply: Strategic Management Journal Part 2

 

MGT/498 Week 2 Discussion: Competitive Advantage

Includes A+ Response!

Brick-and-mortar stores and online businesses have different perspectives regarding competitive advantage.
Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words: 

  • With their different perspectives in mind, evaluate how and why their strategies differ.
  • What recommendations would you make to brick-and-mortar stores to capitalize on how they can compete more effectively with online businesses?

 

MGT/498 WK2 Chapter 5: Competitive Advantage, Firm Performance

  1. Which of the following statements are true about the rival businesses Apple and Microsoft?
  2. Which of the following statements is true about a firm's stock price?
  3. Public companies are required by law to release detailed accounting data, which enables ______.
  4. Which of the following is true about shareholders of a public company?
  5. From the view of a shareholder, the measure of competitive advantage that matters most is return on _____.
  6. Which of the following statements is best illustrated by the decades-long business rivalry between the technology giants Apple and Microsoft?
  7. Investors in a company are mostly concerned about the company's ______.
  8. Which of the following are standard performance dimensions for a company? (Check all that apply.)
  9. The difference between the cost of producing a product and the price consumers are willing to pay for that product is known as ______.
  10. Which of the following correctly describe the information used for comparing the performance of public companies based on accounting profitability? (Check all that apply.)
  11. If Tom would have paid $1,000 for a new laptop but was able to purchase one for $800, the $200 he saved is considered his ______.
  12. The legal owners of publicly traded companies are called ______.
  13. Achieving competitive advantage means maximizing the difference between which of the following? (Check the two that apply.)
  14. When a firm goes bankrupt, shareholders ___.
  15. Which of the following would be labeled variable costs by a computer manufacturer? (Check all that apply.)
  16. According to the efficient-market hypothesis, information about which of the following is embedded in a stock price? (Check all that apply.)
  17. Which of the following dimensions make up the triple bottom line? (Check all that apply.)
  18. Another name for producer surplus is profit. (Remember to enter only one word in the blank.)
  19. Which of the following statements are true concerning a firm's business model? (Check all that apply.)
  20. For a product that has a large economic value, a firm can choose to charge the same price as competitors in order to ___.
  21. Managers implement the blueprint of their business model through which of the following? (Check all that apply.)
  22. The money a firm spends to set up a sales website can be considered a Blank______ cost.
  23. When implementing the razor-razor-blade strategy, companies make their profit from:
  24. The balanced scorecard framework draws from which of the following?
  25. The business model used by telecommunication companies when they provide a basic cell phone at no charge when the customer signs a two-year contract is a combination of which of the following types of business models? (Check all that apply.)
  26. Which of the following are elements of the social dimension of the triple bottom line?
  27. Which of the following performance dimensions matter in judging the effectiveness of a firm's strategy? (Check all that apply.)
  28. With a(n) ______, firms describe how they turn strategy into action.
  29. Which statements about creating and implementing an effective business model are true?
  30. When a company offers video-game consoles at a steep discount, but charges customers high fees for games, they are operating on a ______ business model.
  31. Combining the razor-razor-blade model and the subscription model means that telecom providers make their money through lengthy service plans, which in turn means that it is crucial that they keep their ______ rate, or the proportion of subscribers who leave, down.
  32. True or false: The best measure of competitive advantage can be found in the performance of specific departments.
  33. When implementing the razor-razor-blade strategy, companies make their profit from:

 

MGT/498 WK2 Chapter 12: Corporate Governance and Business Ethics

  1. Svanhildur's company is committed to corporate social responsibility but also understands that growth and profit are imperative for survival. What should Svanhildur's company do to achieve this balance?
  2. Private start-up companies valued at over $1 billion, such as some of those in the tech sector, are called ______.
  3. What are the four characteristics of a public stock company that make it an attractive corporate form? (Check all that apply.)
  4. Which of the following is a major drawback of public stock companies, according to Michael Porter and others?
  5. Social consequences of business activities, including pollution, energy loss, and dangerous accidents, are known as ___.
  6. The shared value creation framework is a tool intended to help businesses ______.
  7. Corporate governance is a system of ______.
  8. Which type of company is considered a unicorn?
  9. The idea that a corporation is simply a collection of legal contracts is known as ______.
  10. A public stock company is considered by law to be an entity with legal rights and obligations. This is known as ______.
  11. According to agency theory, which of the following managerial functions can be used to avoid adverse selection and moral hazard? (Check all that apply.)
  12. Narrowly defining public stock companies in terms of financial performance can lead to ______.
  13. A board of directors is elected to represent the interests of ______.
  14. The shared value creation framework encourages managers to focus on which of the following needs? (Check all that apply.)
  15. Which of the following statements about stock options is true?
  16. The mechanism used to guide a company toward meeting its strategic goals within the bounds of the law is known as ______.
  17. The ratio of CEO to average employee pay in the United States is about ______.
  18. Which of the following is an example of an application of agency theory?
  19. In ______, a single investor or group of investors buys, with the help of borrowed money, the outstanding shares of a publicly traded company and assumes control of it.
  20. Under agency theory, a manager should seek to align ______ between principals and agents to minimize opportunism.
  21. The main goal of a poison pill is to ______.
  22. A fiduciary responsibility is a(n) ______.
  23. Which of the following is a federal regulatory agency whose task it is to oversee stock trading and enforce federal securities laws?
  24. The right to buy a company's stock at a predetermined price sometime in the future is known as a(n) ______.
  25. The code of professional conduct based on societal norms and expectations is known as ______.
  26. What are the two significant issues regarding the CEO pay debate? (Check all that apply.)
  27. Employees who work in organizations that emphasize ethical behavior are ______.
  28. One of the key characteristics of a leveraged buyout (LBO) is that it _______.
  29. Which of the following are critical aspects of maintaining good relationships between a firm and its stakeholders?
  30. Following the rise of institutional investors, the use of poison pills to avoid hostile takeover has ______.
  31. Financial statements by public companies must ______. (Check all that apply.)
  32. High-profile accounting scandals and the global financial crisis are examples of ___.
  33. Pavel works for a successful pharmaceutical company. Despite several years of unprecedented growth, the company wants to boost profits even more. It has taken steps to drastically raise the prices of its most widely distributed medications, which are difficult to imitate. Research into employee ethical decision-making capacity indicates that Pavel will ______.
  34. What do stakeholders want above all else?

 

MGT/498 Week 2 Apply: Strategic Management Journal Part 2

Includes A+ Assignment!

Strategic management includes an analysis of a business’s current state. Continuing with your research of Caterpillar, Inc., you will leverage the business SWOT tool to identify and drive organizational strategic decision making and evaluate problem-solving strategies for the company.

Review the Strategic Management Project Background document.

Create a Word doc and title it Strategic Management Research Journal Part 2.

Write a 350- to 525-word response to the following prompts in your journal entry:

    • Conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis of Caterpillar, Inc. Each SWOT quadrant must contain 7-10 items, (this is not included in the 525-word count).
    • Analyze Caterpillar’s strengths and include specific examples based on your SWOT analysis findings.
    • Evaluate the weaknesses and threats for any common themes that might be a risk.
    • Compare Caterpillar’s strengths against its opportunities. Analyze how Caterpillar's strengths can be used to take advantage of opportunities in the external environment.
    • Propose problem-solving strategies to address Caterpillar’s weaknesses or threats that could be mitigated by a business opportunity or business decision. In other words, recommend and discuss a business opportunity or strategic decision CAT could make to address the problems posed by some of CAT's specific weaknesses or threats.

Note: You will use information from this entry in your presentation due in week 5.

Submit your assignment.

 

 

 

MGT/498 Week 3 Apply: Signature Assignment: Strategic Management Research Journal Part 3
MGT/498 Week 3 Practice Quiz: Ch. 11, Organizational Design: Structure, Culture…
MGT/498 Week 3 Discussion - Internal and External Analysis
 
MGT/498 Week 3 Apply: Signature Assignment: Strategic Management Research Journal Part 3

MGT/498 Week 3

 

Everything listed for Week 3 is included in purchase!!

 

  1. MGT/498 Week 3 Discussion - Internal and External Analysis
  2. MGT/498 Week 3 Practice Quiz: Ch. 11, Organizational Design: Structure, Culture…
  3. MGT/498 Week 3 Apply: Signature Assignment: Strategic Management Research Journal Part 3

 

MGT/498 Week 3 Discussion: Internal and External Analysis

Includes A+ Response!

Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words:  

  • Discuss the differences between an internal analysis and an external analysis with respect to strategic planning.
  • What do organizations typically analyze as part of an internal analysis? Why?
  • What do organizations typically analyze as part of an external analysis? Why?
  • How do the results of each of these analyses inform an organization’s strategic plan?

 

MGT/498 Week 3 Practice Quiz: Chapter 11, Organizational Design: Structure, Culture...

  1. The portion of the strategic management process that concerns the organization, coordination, and integration of work processes is ________.
  2. What is the goal of organizational design?
  3. When "______," managers limit themselves to strategies that maintain the status quo.
  4. Hiroshi is considering a job offer from a large pharmaceutical company. At his interview he asks who his boss would be and how jobs and teams are assigned. Hiroshi is asking about the company's ______.
  5. The element of organizational structure that separates the tasks of one job from the tasks of another is known as ______.
  6. Strategy implementation is essentially _______.
  7. The organizational structure element that deals with the degree to which employees are guided by specific, codified rules and processes is known as ______.
  8. The structure, processes, and procedures of an organization are designed, put into place, reviewed, and reworked through a process known as ______.
  9. Samira works for a company with a strict top-down structure. Her daily tasks must conform carefully to written guidelines and rules, and she has very specific job responsibilities. Samira works for a(n) ______.
  10. Graciela's used to be the industry leader in restaurant supplies, but over the years competition grew and the company's market share declined. Graciela's has launched several marketing campaigns and introduced new products and services. However not much else in the company has changed, and it still relies on the same team of managers. Graciela's is experiencing ______.
  11. Which of the following determines the allocation of resources and the organization and operations of workers?
  12. Simple structures tend to be used by which group?
  13. Larger firms, such as Fortune 100 companies, tend to have ______.
  14. The functional areas present in a functional structure frequently correspond to which of the following?
  15. Which of the following statements about formalization is true?
  16. Which of the following statements about blue ocean strategy is true?
  17. Which two of the following accurately describe mechanistic organizations? (Check all that apply.)
  18. Which of the following terms describes applying current knowledge to enhance firm performance in the short term?
  19. Which of the following structures is divided into several distinct business units, each of which has its own profit-and-loss center?
  20. Which of the following are characteristics of simple organizational structures?
  21. Thanh works in the engineering and manufacturing division of his company. Other departments include marketing, accounting, human resources, and research and development. Each department reports to the CEO. Thanh's company is organized according to a(n) ______ structure.
  22. Which of the following structures is a combination of the multidivisional structure and the functional structure?
  23. What must a firm that pursues a cost-leadership strategy do in order to nurture and constantly upgrade core competencies in manufacturing and logistics?
  24. A firm using a(n) ______ strategy is likely to have a multidivisional structure with the multiple divisions representing different products and centralized decision making.
  25. Which type of organization attempts to balance and harness different activities in trade-off situations?
  26. The framework for R&D that involves permeable firm boundaries and allows for sharing of ideas and inventions is known as ______.
  27. The type of structure that is used by experienced firms and consists of distinct, essentially independent strategic business units is the ______ structure.
  28. Which of the following terms encompasses a firm's member's shared values and norms?
  29. Which of the following are benefits of a functional structure that also apply to the matrix structure? (Check all that apply.)
  30. How do founders leave their imprint on their organizations?
  31. A firm using a(n) ______ strategy is likely to have a multidivisional structure with the multiple divisions representing different geographic areas and decentralized decision making.
  32. Which of the following are factors that influenced the shift from closed innovation to open innovation? (Check all that apply.)
  33. If a company fails to change its culture as the firm and environment change, the company's culture can turn into a core ______.
  34. Which of the following is true of an M-form?
  35. Which of the following are effects that a strong organizational culture can have on employee behavior?
  36. Taki works for a start-up company that is highly centralized and its employees are not allowed to wear headphones while working. However, the company offers a flexible work schedule, free childcare, and free yoga classes. These rules and perks describe the company's ______.
  37. A system that allows managers to specify goals, measure progress, and provide performance feedback by ensuring that the incentives of shareholders and employees are aligned is called a ______ system.
  38. When a company's culture is defined and shaped by the people who start it, it is known as founder ______.
  39. A firm would use input controls if it wanted to ______.
  40. Match the global strategy (on the left) with the appropriate structure (on the right).
  41. When firms tie employee compensation and rewards to predetermined goals, such as a specific sales target, but do not specify the means to those results, they are using ______ controls.
  42. True or false: Organizational culture should never change.
  43. Which of the following has been called the "graveyard of strategy" due to managers' high rate of failure when attempting it?
  44. How does an organization's culture influence employee behavior?
  45. What are two internal governance mechanisms put in place to align principal and agent incentives? (Check all that apply.)
  46. Which of the following use codified policies and procedures to define and direct employee behavior?
  47. Which of the following types of control defines expected results in order to guide employee behavior?
  48. Which of the following statements is true regarding the relationship between strategy formulation and strategy implementation?

 

MGT/498 Week 3 Apply: Signature Assignment: Strategic Management Research Journal Part 3

Includes A+ Assignment!

Review the following terms and concepts discussed this week to prepare for this assignment:

    • Organizational structure
    • Organizational culture
    • Inertia
    • Holacracy
    • PESTEL model

Create a Microsoft® Word document and title it Strategic Management Research Journal Part 3.

Write a 525- to 700-word response to the following prompts in your journal entry:

    • Assess whether Caterpillar Inc. is using the appropriate business performance metrics to verify its strategic effectiveness. 
    • Summarize Caterpillar Inc.’s organizational structure. Identify the organizational structure (hierarchical, functional, horizontal, matrix, divisional, network, etc...) and explain why you chose that structure using details of the company’s reporting structure and other evidence. 
    • Determine whether Caterpillar Inc.’s organizational structure is considered a traditional organizational structure or a Holacracy. Use evidence and examples to support your choice.
    • Explain why it is important for Caterpillar Inc.’s leadership team to study and understand the company’s internal and external environments.
    • Evaluate Caterpillar Inc.’s competitive position and show, using specific examples, how the company has responded to shifts in the external and internal environments.
    • Recommend strategies in operational changes to support Caterpillar’s strategic plan, future business decisions, and improvement in business performance. Explain how your recommended changes will help improve Caterpillar's performance.

Note: You will use information from this entry in your presentation due in Week 5.

Submit your assignment. 

 

 

 

IMGT/498 Week 4 Apply: Strategic Management Research Journal Part 4
GT/498 Week 4 Practice Quiz: Ch. 8, Corporate Strategy
IMGT/498 Week 4 Practice Quiz: Ch. 9, Corporate Strategy: Alliances
IMGT/498 Week 4 Discussion: International Expansion
I
MGT/498 Week 4 Apply: Strategic Management Research Journal Part 4

MGT/498 Week 4

 

Everything listed for Week 4 is included in purchase!!

  1. MGT/498 Week 4 Discussion - International Expansion
  2. MGT/498 Week 4 Practice Quiz: Ch. 8, Corporate Strategy
  3. MGT/498 Week 4 Practice Quiz: Ch. 9, Corporate Strategy: Alliances
  4. MGT/498 Week 4 Apply: Signature Assignment: Strategic Management Research Journal Part 3

 

MGT/498 Week 4 Discussion: International Expansion

Includes A+ Response!

Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words:

  • Alliances are often used to pursue business-level goals, but they may be managed at the corporate level.
  • Explain why this portfolio approach to alliance management would make sense.

 

MGT/498 Week 4 Practice Quiz: Ch. 8, Corporate Strategy

  1. Amazon's explosive success is largely due to which of the following? (Check all that apply.)
  2. The key question of where to compete is addressed by ___.
  3. In order for a firm to lower costs, it must ______.
  4. Which of the following is the term for the costs associated with an economic exchange?
  5. Companies that transact in the open market incur ______.
  6. Amazon's continued focus on ______ is a key to its ongoing success.
  7. Which of the following is an example of the principal-agent problem even when the principal's goal is to create shareholder value?
  8. _________ strategy involves the decisions that senior management makes and the goal-directed actions it takes to gain and sustain competitive advantage in several industries and markets simultaneously.
  9. Which of the following statements about the make-or-buy continuum is true?
  10. Which of the following is a reason why a firm needs to grow?
  11. When engaging in short-term contracting, a firm sends out ___________ (RFPs) to potential companies, which initiate competitive bidding for contracts to be awarded with a short duration.
  12. Which of the following describes economies of scope?
  13. A(n) ______ is a voluntary arrangement between firms that involves sharing of resources and capabilities with the intent of developing processes, products, or services.
  14. Transaction costs include ______ costs associated with an economic exchange.
  15. The degree of vertical integration corresponds to ______.
  16. What is a major disadvantage of organizing economic activity within firms?
  17. When a manufacturer of computers starts to produce its own computer components, the manufacturer engages in ______ vertical integration.
  18. Which of the following are alternatives on the make-or-buy continuum? (Check all that apply.)
  19. Specialized assets have ______.
  20. Which type of alternative on the make-or-buy continuum involves competitive bidding by external companies hoping to acquire a temporary arrangement with a firm?
  21. What happens when the markets along the industry value chain are too risky and alternatives too costly in time or money?
  22. Which of the following are types of strategic alliances? (Check all that apply.)
  23. The two alternatives to vertical integration are which of the following? (Select all that apply.)
  24. ______ refers to the firms' ownership of its production of needed inputs or of the channels by which it distributes its outputs.
  25. A non-diversified company focuses on which of the following?
  26. If a company moves ownership of activities closer to the end customer, such as providing after-sales support, it is engaging in ______ vertical integration.
  27. A conglomerate fits which type of corporate diversification model?
  28. ____________ are unique assets with high opportunity cost.
  29. What are the four quadrants of the core competence-market matrix? (Check all that apply.)
  30. TWN, a large multinational corporation, chose to spin off one of its SBUs that was unrelated to TWN's core business in order to avoid the __________. When they announced the spin-off, the stock price of TWN went up by 5%.
  31. To get the benefits of vertical integration without the accompanying risks, companies can ____________. (Check all that apply.)
  32. Corporate strategy needs to be dynamic over time in order to ______. (Check all that apply.)
  33. _______________ refers to an increase in the variety of products and services a firm offers or markets and the geographic regions in which it competes.
  34. To figure out if a firm's type of diversification is ______, one can ask questions about the degree to which the corporation's business units share core competencies.
  35. In the ______ quadrant of the core competence-market matrix, a firm combines existing core competencies with existing markets.
  36. Firms that pursue an unrelated diversification strategy and are unable to create additional value tend to experience which of the following?
  37. What are the three dimensions along which executives formulate corporate strategy?

 

MGT/498 Week 4 Practice Quiz: Ch. 9, Corporate Strategy: Alliances

  1. How does Lyft benefit from its strategic alliances with GM and Waymo?
  2. A firm must decide whether to build, borrow, or buy to answer the question of ______.
  3. A conceptual model that helps strategists choose between seeking internal development, entering into an alliance, or acquiring new resources, capabilities, and competencies is called the "______ framework."
  4. What are some advantages of strategic alliances? (Select all that apply.)
  5. True or false: Firms tend to enter strategic alliances when they have no other choice.
  6. In what way does the strategic alliance between GM and Lyft allow GM to hedge against uncertainty?
  7. What are the three mechanisms that alliances can be governed by? (Check all that apply.)
  8. Strategists can grow their firms by growing organically through internal development or externally through alliances and ______.
  9. The most common type of alliance is a(n) ______.
  10. Which of the following are the three choices in the build-borrow-or-buy framework? (Check all that apply.)
  11. Which of the following statements about equity alliances is true?
  12. A voluntary arrangement between firms to share knowledge, resources, and capabilities to develop products, processes, or services is known as a ______.
  13. Which statements about joint ventures are true?
  14. Which of the following are reasons why firms enter into strategic alliances? (Check all that apply.)
  15. The three mechanisms to govern alliances are non-equity alliances, equity alliances, and ______.
  16. What is a true statement about strategic alliances?
  17. Which of the following forms of agreement do non-equity alliances typically take? (Check all that apply.)
  18. Which of the following are true of alliance management capability?
  19. Equity alliances allow for the sharing of ______, which involves information that cannot be codified for completing tasks.
  20. A(n) ______ is when two firms agree to join and create a combined entity, and a(n) ______ is when one firm buys or takes over another firm.
  21. Some foreign countries require companies to be structured as __ in order to enter that foreign market. The companies gain access to the market, while the country gains advanced technology and know-how.
  22. When two competitors merge, leading to industry consolidation, they are engaging in ______.
  23. One reason why a firm might enter into a strategic alliance is to _____.
  24. Sources of COSTS in a horizontal integration strategy are ______.
  25. What is a major problem for between 30% and 70% of all strategic alliances?
  26. Gaining new capabilities or competencies is one of the three main reasons companies ______.
  27. Which term refers to a company's ability to handle the three specific tasks related to an alliance concurrently and effectively?
  28. Which of the following terms refers to when one firm purchases or takes over another firm?
  29. On average, mergers and acquisitions ______ shareholder value.
  30. Horizontal integration can ________________.
  31. At which level of the corporation should strategic alliances and mergers and acquisitions be managed?
  32. What are sources of value creation in a horizontal integration strategy? (Check all that apply.)
  33. Why does Facebook acquire startups?
  34. What allows firms to manage both strategic alliances and mergers and acquisitions?

MGT/498 Week 4 Apply: Strategic Management Research Journal Part 4

Includes A+ Assignment!

Review the Strategic Management Project Background document.

Review the following terms and concepts discussed this week to prepare for this assignment:

    • Vertical integration
    • Taper integration
    • Backward vertical integration
    • Forward vertical integration
    • Strategic alliances
    • Global strategy
    • International strategy
    • Innovation

Create a Microsoft® Word document and title it Strategic Management Research Journal Part 4.

Write a 525- to 700-word response to the following prompts in your journal entry:

    • Identify some of Caterpillar Inc.’s specific short-term and long-term goals. These are different from the company’s vision and mission.
    • Identify 2 or 3 of Caterpillar’s specific mergers and acquisitions in the last 3-5 years and evaluate how each one has contributed to Caterpillar Inc.’s performance and affected its organizational goals.
    • Determine the most critical merger or acquisition that has contributed to Caterpillar’s performance and success in achieving organizational goals. Defend your choice using data and examples.
    • Identify Caterpillar's global strategy (e.g. international, multi-domestic, global-standardization, or transnational) and use specific examples to illustrate how Caterpillar uses that strategy. Evaluate the effectiveness of Caterpillar’s global strategy. Include supporting research or data in your evaluation.

Note: You will use information from this entry in your presentation due in Week 5.

 

 

MGT/498 Week 5 Discussion: Value
MGT/498 Week 5 Apply Signature Assignment: Strategic Management Research Project Presentation
MGT/498 Week 5 Practice Quiz: Chapter 6, Business Strategy
 
MGT/498 Week 5 Apply Signature Assignment: Strategic Management Research Project Presentation

MGT/498 Week 5

 

Everything listed for Week 5 is included in purchase!!

 

  1. MGT/498 Week 5 Discussion – Value
  2. MGT/498 Week 5 Practice Quiz: Ch. 6, Business Strategy
  3. MGT/498 Week 5 Apply: Signature Assignment: Strategic Management Research Project Presentation

 

MGT/498 Week 5 Discussion: Value

Includes A+ Response!

Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words:

  • Discuss the difference between economic value and social value or the shared value creation framework.
  • Why do you think organizations tend to focus on the creation of one type of value but not both?

 

MGT/498 Week 5 Practice Quiz: Chapter 6, Business Strategy

  1. The most significant challenge JetBlue faced in implementing its business strategy was _____.
  2. A ______ outlines the steps a manager will take to achieve competitive advantage in a single product market.
  3. The perceived value that a company creates for consumers less the company's costs to create the value equals ______.
  4. Which type of strategy is being used if a company offers a product at a lower cost than its competitors?
  5. A manufacturer of electronic components can use its manufacturing machines to produce many different components such as semiconductors, sensors, and capacitors. In this case, the firm benefits from an economy of _________, reducing overall production costs by finding multiple uses for its components and facilities.
  6. Which of the following are business strategies JetBlue pursued in order to gain a competitive advantage?
  7. Positive adjustments in product features, customer service, and complements may enable managers to ______.
  8. A company's goal-directed plans regarding how to compete for advantage is known as the firm's ______.
  9. Unique features and attributes that differentiate a product from competitors' offerings allow the firm to ______.
  10. How to compete on a business level is defined by the variables value and cost. Together they define the ______.
  11. Which value driver would be the focus of a company that sells products that are similar to competing products and that provides a 60-day guarantee with no questions asked?
  12. Which of the following are considered the two generic business-level strategies? (Check all that apply.)
  13. Value drivers known as ______ add value to a product or service when they are consumed in tandem with the focal product.
  14. Economies of ______ are the savings that come from producing two or more different outputs at a lower cost than producing each output individually.
  15. What are the three most important value drivers that managers can use to create a competitive advantage?
  16. True or false: A company that achieves differentiation parity at a lower cost has implemented a successful cost-leadership strategy.
  17. Which capability is required to create superior product features?
  18. Which of the following are input factors? (Check all that apply.)
  19. Which of the following are examples of ways that a large retailing firm can increase the perceived value of its offerings by focusing on customer service? (Check all that apply.)
  20. A firm that increases its output of a given product and experiences a simultaneous decrease in per unit costs is taking advantage of ______.
  21. Bundling of products and services that are consumed in tandem to create value is an example of ________________.
  22. Economies of scale present an opportunity to increase profits because as the number of units within the relevant range increases, fixed costs ______.
  23. Which of the following best defines economies of scope?
  24. In terms of productivity, which of the following is true of learning curves?
  25. A cost leader can achieve a competitive advantage by ______.
  26. The concept of a(n) ______ attempts to combine both learning effects and process improvements.
  27. An auto manufacturer that has access to cheaper labor and raw materials than its rivals will have a competitive advantage regarding lower cost of ______ factors.
  28. Which of the following competitive forces can result in the erosion of margins for both differentiation and cost-leadership business strategies?
  29. Patti's Potato Chips is a national potato-chip manufacturer. Calpurnia's Crisps is a small-batch gourmet potato-chip maker. Based on just this information, which of the following is the greatest advantage Patti's has over Calpurnia's?
  30. A producer of consumer headphones that successfully differentiates its products with a patented noise-canceling technology and celebrity endorsements will enjoy which of the following benefits? (Check all that apply.)
  31. What is the relationship between fixed costs and economies of scale?
  32. In addition to having the lowest cost, a low-cost leader is likely to have ______.
  33. Why does the learning curve go down when productivity is considered?
  34. A successful blue ocean strategy requires strategists to reconcile the trade-offs between ______.
  35. If two firms produce very similar products at the same rate of output, and firm A is able to achieve lower per-unit costs than firm B by taking advantage of a new manufacturing technology, firm A is benefiting from
  36. A firm that manages to avoid competition entirely by offering a product or service that creates an uncontested market space is engaging in ______.
  37. What is one of the benefits of pursuing a differentiation strategy when it comes to the power of suppliers?
  38. Why do many firms fail to successfully implement a blue ocean strategy?
  39. A(n) ______ strategy attempts to increase the perceived value of a product while controlling costs.
  40. True or false: Formulating a business strategy is a relatively easy task because only a few strategic options are available.
  41. Which of the following are components of a cost-leadership strategy? (Check all that apply.)
  42. In terms of business strategy, blue oceans represent which of the following? (Check all that apply.)
  43. Implementing a blue ocean strategy requires making competition irrelevant and creating a new market space, otherwise known as ______.
  44. A struggling retailer seeking to implement a blue ocean strategy is likely to experience difficulty with ______.
  45. What must strategic leaders keep in mind if they are going to achieve successful strategic positioning?

 

MGT/498 Week 5 Apply Signature Assignment: Strategic Management Research Project Presentation

Includes A+ Assignment!

 

Review the Strategic Management Project Background document and your Strategic Management Research Journal entries from Weeks 1‑4.

Create a 12- to 14-slide presentation, complete with speaker notes for Caterpillar Inc.’s leadership team, in which you summarize your key findings, propose recommendations, and provide rationale for your recommendations.

Address the following topics and prompts in your presentation:

 

Topic: Caterpillar Inc.’s Vision

    • Summarize your evaluation of the alignment between what Caterpillar Inc. is currently doing and their mission, vision, or values statement. Provide specific examples of actions Caterpillar is taking or has taken and show how well they align with Caterpillar's mission, vision, or values statement.
    • Recommend any changes you would make to Caterpillar Inc.’s mission, vision, or values statements to improve organizational goals.

Topic: Caterpillar Inc.’s Competitive Advantages and Disadvantages

    • Summarize your analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of Caterpillar Inc.’s competitive advantages and disadvantages.
    • Recommend operational changes to improve Caterpillar Inc.’s competitive advantages and business performance.
    • Propose a plan to measure (include specific metrics) and monitor the effectiveness of your recommended operational changes in Caterpillar Inc.’s competitive advantages to achieve organizational goals.

Topic: Caterpillar’s Global Strategy

    • Summarize your assessment of Caterpillar Inc.’s global strategy.
    • Recommend operational changes to improve Caterpillar Inc.’s global strategy and business performance.
    • Propose a plan to measure (include specific metrics) and monitor the effectiveness of your recommended operational changes to Caterpillar Inc.’s global strategy to achieve organizational goals.

Submit your assignment.