4-1 Final Project Milestone Two: Strategy Tripod Part Two and Three

Overview: In Milestone One, you established the rules of the game set by industry conditions during your exploration of the industry leg of the strategy tripod

framework. Milestone Two incorporates the two remaining pillars of the tripod and introduces the management foundations of international growth strategy.

You will apply this knowledge during your continued analysis of your firm’s present and future strategy to complete your final project. This milestone is due in

Module Four.

Prompt: Your final project entails developing a full strategic analysis of a publicly held multinational enterprise (MNE). For Milestone Two, you will submit your

draft of the next portion of your strategic analysis, covering strategy tripod pillars two and three. While researching for your assignment, be sure to keep your

references recent (within the last three years).

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

III. Strategy Tripod Pillar Two: Internal Resources, Capabilities, and Relationships (Strengths and Weaknesses): Evaluate the strategic importance of

internal firm resources, capabilities, and relationships on global competitiveness (strengths and weaknesses). Consider the how an MNE’s internal

competencies inform the success of its international market, resource, and relationship-related activities.

A. Analyze the value, rarity, imitability, and organizational embeddedness (VRIO) of the firm’s resources, relationships, and capabilities (i.e.,

competencies) in performing the industry’s value-chain functions.

B. How well do the firm’s competencies address the industry’s dynamics (e.g., key success factors, key drivers of change)? Do any of the existing

competencies along the value chain reach the core or distinctive levels of competitiveness over the MNE’s global rivals?

C. What competency (or competencies) should the MNE enhance to garner greater global competitiveness within the industry? How should the

firm acquire, outsource, or internally develop them?

IV. Strategy Tripod Pillar Three: Institutional and Cultural Conditions (Opportunities and Threats): Evaluate the strategic importance of institutions on

global competitiveness (opportunities and threats). Consider how institutions and cultures inform the success of your MNE’s international market,

resource, and relationship-related activities.

A. How do trends in formal institutions, such as governance and legal systems or domestic, foreign, and global regulations and trade policy, inform

the MNE’s global strategy policy and tactics?

B. Contrast U.S. national culture with the cultural traits, mind-sets, and norms of a country where the MNE has significant business activities or

interest. How do the differences inform management’s strategic policy and tactics in the various functional areas of business, such as operations,

research and development, human resources, marketing and sales, and so on?

C. Are conditions within the institutional environment reducing or increasing management’s uncertainty about the MNE’s competitiveness in

global markets? Which is currently a greater concern for your MNE—informal or formal institutional factors? Justify your rationale. V. Business-Level Strategy: Entrepreneurial Strategic Policy, Decision Making, and Internationalization Tactics: Analyze the strategic importance of global

competitiveness in regard to the five entrepreneurial Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Strategy Tripod Pillar

Two: Global

Competitiveness

Meets “Proficient” criteria and

provides examples of what the

enhancements would offer for the

firm

Discusses which competency (or

competencies) the MNE should

enhance and how the firm should

acquire, outsource, or internally

develop them

Discusses the competency (or

competencies) but not which

one(s) the MNE should enhance

to garner greater global

competitiveness within the

industry

Does not discuss which

competency (or

competencies) the MNE

should enhance to garner

greater global

competitiveness within the

industry

8.5

Strategy Tripod Pillar

Three: Formal

Institutions

Meets “Proficient” criteria and

provides examples of how

different trends may inform global

strategy policy and tactics

differently

Discusses the trends in formal

institutions and how they inform

the MNE’s global strategy policy

and tactics

Discusses the trends in formal

institutions but does not discuss

how they inform the MNE’s global

strategy policy and tactics

Does not discuss how trends

in formal institutions inform

the MNE’s global strategy

policy and tactics

8.5

Strategy Tripod Pillar

Three: Culture

Meets “Proficient” criteria and

provides examples of how

management’s strategic policy and

tactics may change to meet the

country’s norms

Contrasts U.S. national culture

with the cultural traits, mind-sets,

and norms of a country where

the MNE has significant business

activities or interest, and

addresses how the differences

inform management’s strategic

policy and tactics

Contrasts U.S. national culture

with the cultural traits, mind-sets,

and norms of a country where

the MNE has significant business

activities or interest, but does not

address how the differences

inform management’s strategic

policy and tactics

Does not contrast U.S.

national culture with the

cultural traits, mind-sets, and

norms of a country where the

MNE has significant business

activities or interest

8.5

Strategy Tripod Pillar

Three: Uncertainty

Meets “Proficient” criteria and

provides supporting evidence to

enhance examples in rationale of

institutional factors

Discusses if conditions within the

institutional environment reduce

or increase management’s

uncertainty about the MNE’s

competitiveness in global

markets, and rationalizes

whether informal or formal

institutional factors are a concern

Discusses if conditions within the

institutional environment reduce

or increase management’s

uncertainty about the MNE’s

competitiveness in global

markets, but does not discuss

whether informal or formal

institutional factors are a concern

Does not discuss if conditions

within the institutional

environment reduce or

increase management’s

uncertainty about the MNE’s

competitiveness in global

markets

8.5

Business-Level

Strategy:

Entrepreneurial

Strategies

Meets “Proficient” criteria and

provides supporting evidence to

enhance examples of the MNE’s

effectiveness in managing

entrepreneurial opportunity

Discusses the five entrepreneurial

strategies the firm would have

taken in managing

entrepreneurial opportunities,

and addresses the effectiveness

of the MNE in managing

entrepreneurial opportunity

Discusses the five entrepreneurial

strategies the firm would have

taken in managing

entrepreneurial opportunities,

but does not address how

effective the MNE is in managing

entrepreneurial opportunity

Does not discuss the five

entrepreneurial strategies the

firm would have taken in

managing entrepreneurial

opportunities

8.5 internationalization substrategies. Consider how the strategy tripod informs the MNE’s use of

these substrategies to pursue its international market, resource, and relationship-related needs.

A. How effectively is the MNE managing entrepreneurial opportunity? In your answer, consider which of the five entrepreneurial strategies that

characterize a growth-minded firm have been taken.

B. Discuss how institutional, resource, and industry-based factors have informed the MNE’s pursuit of entrepreneurship opportunities. How can

the firm best leverage these conditions?

C. How do the MNE’s strategic policies align with the location-specific advantages of its present global footprint?

D. Evaluate the MNE’s choice of entry mode and tactic timing during its recent entry into foreign markets. How effectively did these initiatives

impact the MNE’s liability of foreignness? What trade-offs in flexibility, risk, control, and profitability were involved in their entry mode

decisions?

E. Does the firm possess the resources, capabilities, or relationships to offset its liability of foreignness to compete in one of today’s emerging

markets?

Rubric

Guidelines for Submission: Your paper should be a 5- to 7-page Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch

margins, and sources cited in APA format.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Strategy Tripod Pillar

Two: VRIO

Meets “Proficient” criteria and

provides supporting evidence to

enhance examples

Analyzes the VRIO aspects of the

firm’s resources, relationships,

and capabilities and addresses

the performance of the industry’s

value-chain functions

Analyzes the VRIO aspects of the

firm’s resources, relationships,

and capabilities but does not

address the performance of the

industry’s value-chain functions

Does not analyze the VRIO

aspects of the firm’s

resources, relationships, and

capabilities in performing the

industry’s value-chain

functions

8.5

Strategy Tripod Pillar

Two: Industry

Dynamics

Meets “Proficient” criteria and

provides supporting evidence to

enhance examples of the level of

competitiveness of the

competencies

Discusses how the firm’s

competencies address the

industry’s dynamics and

addresses whether existing

competencies reach a level of

competitiveness over global rivals

Discusses how the firm’s

competencies address the

industry’s dynamics but does not

address whether existing

competencies reach a level of

competitiveness over global rivals

Does not discuss how the

firm’s competencies address

the industry’s dynamics

8.5 Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Business-Level

Strategy:

Entrepreneurship

Opportunities

Meets “Proficient” criteria and

provides supporting evidence to

enhance examples of how the firm

can leverage the conditions

Discusses how institutional,

resource, and industry-based

factors have informed the MNE’s

pursuit of entrepreneurship

opportunities, and discusses how

the firm can leverage the

conditions

Discusses how institutional,

resource, and industry-based

factors have informed the MNE’s

pursuit of entrepreneurship

opportunities, but does not

discuss how the firm can leverage

the conditions

Does not discuss how

institutional, resource, and

industry-based factors have

informed the MNE’s pursuit of

entrepreneurship

opportunities

8.5

Business-Level

Strategy: Global

Footprint

Meets “Proficient” criteria and

provides examples to enhance the

alignment between the MNE’s

policies and advantages of its

present global footprint

Discusses the MNE’s strategic

policies and how they align with

the location-specific advantages

of its present global footprint

Discusses the MNE’s strategic

policies but not how they align

with the location-specific

advantages of its present global

footprint

Does not discuss how the

MNE’s strategic policies align

with the location-specific

advantages of its present

global footprint

8.5

Business-Level

Strategy: Entry Mode

and Tactic Timing

Meets “Proficient” criteria and

provides examples of how the

tradeoffs affected the firm’s entry

mode decisions

Evaluates the MNE’s choice of

entry mode and tactic timing

during its recent entry into

foreign markets, and discusses

the liability of foreignness and

the tradeoffs involved in the

MNE’s decision

Evaluates the MNE’s choice of

entry mode and tactic timing

during its recent entry into

foreign markets, but does not

discuss the liability of foreignness

or the tradeoffs involved in the

MNE’s decision

Does not evaluate the MNE’s

choice of entry mode and

tactic timing during its recent

entry into foreign markets

8.5

Business-Level

Strategy: Liability of

Foreignness

Meets “Proficient” criteria and

provides examples to enhance

how the firm’s resources,

capabilities, or relationships offset

the liability of foreignness

Discusses the resources,

capabilities, or relationships the

firm possesses and how they

offset its liability of foreignness to

compete in one of today’s

emerging markets

Discusses the resources,

capabilities, or relationships the

firm possesses but not how they

offset its liability of foreignness to

compete in one of today’s

emerging markets

Does not discuss if the firm

possesses the resources,

capabilities, or relationships to

offset its liability of

foreignness to compete in one

of today’s emerging markets

8.5

Articulation of

Response

Submission is free of errors related

to citations, grammar, spelling,

syntax, and organization and is

presented in a professional and

easy-to-read format

Submission has no major errors

related to citations, grammar,

spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors

related to citations, grammar,

spelling, syntax, or organization

that negatively impact readability

and articulation of main ideas

Submission has critical errors

related to citations, grammar,

spelling, syntax, or

organization that prevent

understanding of ideas

6.5

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