Group Work - what the Report should look like - binding, pages, table of contents		Group Work / Reports Part 2 The importance of using "Mature Language" in your writing		Group Work / Reports Part 3 important considerations		Group Work / Reports Part 4 Coordinating the submission Communication w group members

Assignment #1A    10% Oct 1 Oct 15     writing a Goal, Objectives and Plans for a corporation
Assignment #1B    15%  Oct 15 Oct 22   examination of Corporate Mission, Goal, Objectives, Plans, Strategies and Tactics
Assignment #2     25%   Oct 29 NOV 5    Analysis of the influencing External Environments
Assignment #3     25%    to be discussed   Analysis of Competitive Strategy

Assignment #1 A    10%     writing a Goal, Objectives and Plans for a corporation

Submission Date 2012 Sept 24th Oct 1 Oct 15

Your written submission is due at the beginning of class (i.e. 1.10 p.m.). Late submissions will be penalized.

Instructions

referring to the information at the bottom of the web page http://www.witiger.com/ecommerce/GOPSTSWOT.htm

Pick a company, or a situation in which you want to write a "Goal"
This could be something silly, or serious, that is not important, what is important is your proper understanding of how to craft measurable objectives to accomplish a goal.
Discuss how you selected that goal and why it was a good goal for the situation.
Keep in mind that "good Goals" are things that could actually be done and something you know something about.
For example: don't pick "world peace" unless you know a lot about global politics and military disarmament.
For example: don't pick "legalize marijuana" unless you know how legislation gets passed in parliament.
You don't have to be an expert in the subject, but it helps to have a basic understanding so you can communicate the proper steps by which something happens.

Name and describe several "measurable" objectives by which that Goal may be accomplished.
Chose the wording carefully and feel free to narrate and annotate the wording of the Objectives.
Name and describe the Plans by which some of the Objectives may be accomplished.

The "product" that you chose to submit to the professor can be in any format you chose (example  youtube.com/watch?v=BT8QnLf8664 )- text document, PowerPoint, Video, bristol board chart, 3D diagram etc.
- see examples at
 http://www.witiger.com/ecommerce/GOPST-student-assignments.htm
Keep in mind that "you live in a competitive environment" so create the product of your assignment in an exciting way, at the same time as communicating clearly what the key points are.

Submission Date/Return Date

Your written submission is due at the beginning of class (i.e. 1.10 p.m.) Oct 22  Late submissions will be penalised.

Instructions

Identify two businesses which, from your research and analysis, have "good" corporate missions.

Alternatively, identify one business which has a "good" corporate mission, and another business that has a mission which you feel is vague, poorly defined, lacking in specificity, or lacking credibility.

The subjects for your analyses must be reasonably large, reasonably high profile, publicly-traded Canadian or US corporations. (Suggestion: Review the list of firms which make up the TSX60 index, and the S&P 100 index, for relevant and appropriate firms.)

Any company which makes its Annual Report widely available, is likely to get the occasional press coverage in the main-stream press (Globe & Mail, National Post, Report on Business Magazine) or has a reasonably informative web-site, will do.

You may analyse any companies of your choosing, subject to the requirements above.

Use whatever source of company information that you can.  I suggest you start with the Annual Report, the corporate web site, and press releases furnished by the company through its corporate affairs or media relations departments. Be objectively critical of these.

Do not restrict yourself to information written/furnished by the company. These will only show the company, its Board, and its policies in the most positive light, and be full of marketing and PR “spin” What do independent, third parties and industry analysts think about the firm you are examining? Refer to articles in the Report on Business, Report on Business Magazine, Financial Post, etc.

 
 Your report must address the following:

 Part 1 - Introduction

In your own words (do NOT cut and paste a lot of irrelevant legal, technical or historical information from a website) provide a brief overview of each of your subject companies: the industry they are in, their principle products or services, their size, scope of operations, principle competitors, and any major issues that they might be affecting the firm or its industry.

 Part 2 - Mission

Identify two firms which you feel have "good" examples of clearly enunciated, easy to understand, and believable statements of their "mission", readily available to be found by potential suppliers, investors, customers or employees.

Alternatively, if your choice is to examine one business with a "good" corporate mission and another with a poorly defined, vague, nor not-credible mission, examine the opposite of the following:

Explain why you believe that the examples that you have found are "good" mission statements. In other words, does the organisation make a clear statement which gives direction to the question "Where do we want to be?"

Is the "mission" supported by a clearly articulated goal and objectives that are consistent with the mission? In other  words, do these two organisations provide a clear direction to answer the question "How are we going to get there?"  Explain and justify your answers to these questions.

If you were a manager within each organisation, would you have a good sense of what was expected of your department, where your department fit into the overall strategy, and what you were trying to contribute and achieve?

 Part 3 - Performance

 Identify key stakeholders whose interests are mentioned or implied by the mission (e.g.  investors, customers, employees).

What evidence is there from actual policies or recent operational performance that the organisation is sincere, realistic and effective in pursuing tactics designed to realise its mission?

In other words, if the mission states that the corporation wishes to be "highly profitable" or "yield above average returns to the investor" is it doing so? If the organisation states that it wants to be a "an employer of choice" or to "develop its human resources to their maximum potential" what evidence is there concerning training and development initiatives, employee profit sharing, the payment of above industry-average wages, inclusion on lists of most desirable employers, etc.?  If the organisation states that it wants to be a "respected corporate citizen" what evidence is there that it is environmentally responsible, that it donates to local charities, or that it hires the socially disadvantaged, etc?

 In other words, based on its actions and performance over the past 3-4 years, is the business  being successful in realizing its goals and objectives, in pursuit of its mission?

 Support your conclusions with empirical, quantitative data.

 
Length Limitations

There is no explicit length limitation. Please make your Assignment long enough to answer the questions completely and well, but keep it short enough to be interesting. However, as guidance, I would suggest that your assignment should not be much more than 16 pages.

Format Specifications
The assignment must be bound with a transparent cover.
The assignment must have a title ("MGTC41 Assignment #2" is not an acceptable title).
(say something like "Comparison of the Mission and GOPST of CIBC Bank and RBC Bank)

You must include an Executive Summary, which provides a very brief synopsis of your analysis and    conclusions (1 page maximum).
You should note who in the group did which parts
There must be a Table of Contents.
Where possible, embed any graphs and charts into the text, so the reader does not have to flip to appendices at the back of the paper to find relevant data.
The assignment must be paginated.
The assignment must be spell-checked and grammar checked. (Sloppy grammar, spelling and syntax will probably result in a failing grade on the assignment.)
Facts taken from outside sources, quotes, and the opinions of other must be footnoted. (Plagiarism is an academic offence and will result in a failing grade on the course.)
Provide a bibliography at the end of the paper.
 

Value of This Assignment

This assignment represents 25% of your final grade for the course.
 

 
How The Assignment Will Be Marked

The bulk of the marks will be based on the quantitative, empirical analysis that you perform in Part 3 of the Assignment.

Any business can hire a marketing consulting firm to write a "mission statement" full of platitudes and promises. On the other hand, a well run business develops simple, measurable, realistic goals, which it communicates clearly and credibly, then works hard to achieve these goals.

It is expected that you will independently analyse your subject firms' operational and financial performance. If you merely parrot or regurgitate what the company is saying in its Annual Report or on its web site, you are being gullible and possibly naive.

Use your own eyes, crunch a few numbers, and draw your own objective conclusions as to whether your subject company is actually doing what it tells the world it is trying to do.

Analysis of the influencing External Environments

Your written submission is due at the beginning of class (i.e. 1.10 p.m.) Nov 5th. Late submissions will be penalised.

Instructions

1. You may write this as an individual assignment or you may collaborate with another student and
 submit a jointly-authored assignment. In 2012 there are 60+ students in the course and this will be done as  group project of 3, 4 or 5 people. 6 people are allowed if you can prove that all 6 equally contributed to the finished product.

2. Select a reasonably large, high profile, publicly-traded Canadian or US company as the subject for  your analysis. For many of you, it is likely to be one of the companies that you examined in the 1st  Assignment. It does not have to be. You may pick a new subject company, if you want. You may also do a company that you worked with on your co-op.

Topic – Environmental Analysis

Over the next few years, forces in the broader outside world and forces within the industry will either assist or hinder your subject company in realising its mission, through the achievement of its goals. The purpose of this assignment is for you to assess your subject company's environment, using two of the most commonly used strategic analysis models. You must then offer a brief but clear conclusion as to your subject's medium term prospects.

Part 1 – Introduction and Overview

In your own words (do not simply cut and paste a lot of irrelevant historical detail or marketing puff from the company's Annual Report), provide a brief overview of your subject company: Its industry or markets, the size and scope of its operations, its principal products or markets, its key rivals.

Part 2 – 6E's (PEST + Geographic and Competitive)  Analysis of the Macro Environment

Use the 6Es analysis to consider the macro-environment.

Begin with a brief explanation of the 6Es analysis, what it is used for, and what its use is trying to show.

 
Then, using the model as your framework, identify the 4-7 major macroeconomic trends or developments which, as CEO of your subject firm, you believe will have the most impact on your business' ability to realise its mission.

Explain how each of these developments would impact your business' performance and prospects over the next 5 years, and the actions that the firm will need to take to exploit or mitigate the effects of these developments.
 

Part 3 – 5-Forces Model Analysis of the Industry Environment

Use Porter's 5-Forces Model to consider the industry environment.

Begin with a brief explanation of the 5-Forces model, what it is used for, and what its use is trying to show.

Assess whether the industry that you now occupy is attractive and likely to face a benign future, or un-attractive and likely to face a difficult future. Identify which aspects of which forces are most likely to affect your peace of mind as CEO, and your business' prospects over the next 5 years, and the actions that the firm will need to take to exploit or mitigate the effects of these developments.
 

Part 4 – Summary and Analytical Conclusion

Provide a brief but clear overall conclusion to the question "Where are we now?" i.e. indicate whether your subject company is in a good place, a bad place, good but getting worse, bad but getting better.
 

Format Specifications

The assignment must be bound with a transparent cover.
The assignment must have a title ("MGTC41 Assignment #2" is not an acceptable title).
You must include an Executive Summary, which provides a very brief synopsis of your analysis and    conclusions (1 page maximum).
There must be a Table of Contents.
Where possible, embed any graphs and charts into the text, so the reader does not have to flip to appendices at the back of the paper to find relevant data.
Tables and graphs must be clearly titled and labeled, so the reader knows exactly what you are showing.
The assignment must be paginated.
The assignment must be spell-checked and grammar checked. (Sloppy grammar, spelling and syntax is not acceptable in a C-level course at UTSC, and will probably result in a failing grade on the assignment.)
Facts taken from outside sources, quotes, and the opinions of other must be footnoted. (Plagiarism is an academic offence and will result in a failing grade on the course.)
Provide a bibliography at the end of the paper.
 

There are no length limitations

Value of This Assignment

This assignment represents 25% of your final grade for the course.
 
 

Analysis of Competitive Strategy

Instructions
1. You may write this as an individual assignment or, if you choose, you may
  collaborate with another student and submit a jointly authored assignment.
It is advisable to do it in a group since there is a lot of work to do, but some students, due to personal considerations
cannot easily find time to meet with other people in a typical "group work" project.

2. Select any reasonably large, high profile, publicly-traded Canadian or US company as the  subject for your analysis.

3. Your report must address the following questions and issues:

Part 1 – Introduction and Overview
In your own words (do not simply cut and paste a lot of irrelevant historical detail or marketing puff from the company's Annual Report), provide a brief overview of your subject company: Its industry or markets, the size and scope of its operations, its principal products or markets, its key rivals, and any significant issues facing either the firm or its industry that may impact on its mission, its environment, or strategy in the next 5 years. This should require no more than 2-3 pages.

Part 2 – Competitive Advantage or Disadvantage
Identify whether the company has a competitive advantage or disadvantage in its main markets. Provide hard, empirical evidence to support your analysis. This might include any of: return on investment data, revenue growth, gross margins, or market share. These must be compared to industry averages or to the firm's two or three principal competitors. This should require no more than 2-3 pages.

Part 3 – Sources of Advantage or Disadvantage
Using the four generic building blocks of competitive advantage (efficiency, quality, innovation and customer responsiveness) provide analysis as to why the firm enjoys competitive advantage or suffers a disadvantage. Provide hard, empirical evidence to support your analysis. This might include appropriate measures of factor productivity, R&D spend, evidence of good or bad quality control, customer turnover or satisfaction, relative to the industry, or the firm's principle competitors. You might consider using the value chain to help you structure your analysis.

Part 4 – Strategic Choices
Evaluate how the company has chosen to compete in its primary markets: through cost-leadership, through product differentiation, or through focusing on product/market niches. Is this/has this been an appropriate competitive strategy?
This means "discuss", not "telling"
Discuss means sentances such as

• "They did this, i think it was because of the influence of....".
• "They did this, which could have been....",
• "They did this, I think they should have done...."
• basically, you are giving your opinion, based on things you learned in the course, as to why the company did or did not do certain things

 
Submission Date
Written submission is due at the beginning of class in Nov _________

Late submissions will be penalised. Refer to course outline for the policy regarding late submissions.

Value of This Assignment
This assignment represents 25% of your final grade for the course.

Format Specifications
The assignment must be bound with a transparent cover.
The assignment must have a proper title "MGTC41 Assignment #3"
with the name of the company, and the proper spelling of the group members, first names first and last names last

You must include an Executive Summary, which provides a very brief synopsis of your analysis and    conclusions
There must be a Table of Contents and number your pages.
Where possible, embed any graphs and charts into the text, so the reader does not have to flip to appendices at the back of the paper to find relevant data.
Tables and graphs must be clearly titled and labeled, so the reader knows exactly what you are showing.
Tables and graphs must only show data that is discussed in the body of the text. If you do not want to discuss or analyse data in a table that you copy from the firms annual report or website, you must create your own graph or table.

The assignment must be spell-checked and grammar checked. (Sloppy grammar, spelling and syntax is not acceptable in a C-level course at UTSC, and will probably result in a failing grade on the assignment.)
Facts taken from outside sources, quotes, and the opinions of other must be footnoted. (Plagiarism is an academic offence and will result in a failing grade on the course.)
Provide a bibliography at the end of the paper.
It is also advisable to explain who in the group did what.
 

This is an individual assignment, i.e. the work is to be performed by the student alone. Discussion and debate between fellow students is encouraged, but the final written submission must represent your own work. Plagiarism is an academic offence and will be penalised accordingly.