Assessment 1 Preparation For the assessments in this course, select one of the companies from the li

Assessment 1

Preparation

For the assessments in this course, select one of the
companies from the list below to be your focus:

Ford: Ford is a complex multinational organization that has
recently focused on strategic initiatives to address production capacity,
supply chain reliability, sustainability, and technological innovation in order
to remain competitive in the rapidly changing automotive industry

Procter and Gamble: This is a huge multinational firm with
products you probably buy every day This business is interesting because the
company is focusing on science and technology to help it revise many of its
business strategies and contribute to overall company goals for sustainability
and corporate social responsibility

Virgin Group: This company is an interesting one because of
its high profile owner, Sir Richard Branson, and the many widely diversified
companies that are part of the Virgin Group

Walgreen’s: The #1 drugstore chain in the United States,
Walgreen’s operates approximately 8,300 stores in the United States, the
District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico Note: A Walgreen’s
case study is available for purchase for your use in this course See the
Suggested Resources for more information

Build Your Own Case: Create a strategic case on the company
of your choice The company must be publicly traded, have multiple strategic
business units (a corporation), and be approved by faculty

Review the resources available in the Company Research
Information document (in the Suggested Resources) for understanding the
organization, and begin researching the firm’s business strategy and business
model Use additional resources from the Capella University Library or your own
research as needed Find at least four current, scholarly, or professional
resources for this assessment

Overview

The vice president of corporate strategy at the headquarters
of your selected firm—Ford, Procter and Gamble, Virgin Group, Walgreen’s or a
firm of your choice—has requested that you provide her with a business analysis
of your key findings regarding the firm’s business strategy:

An overview of the generic strategy that seems to best
describe the company’s strategic approach

A discussion of key elements in the overall business
strategy

A review of the most important components of the company’s
business model

Requirements

In 4–6 pages, provide a business analysis of the firm you
selected Your analysis should do all of the following:

Explain the generic business strategies, including cost,
differentiation, and focus or hybrid information, for the selected firm

Analyze what business strategies the firm is using in their
marketplace approach Provide examples of how they use the strategy to position
itself in a competitive environment

Analyze the firm’s business model

What are their core products?

How does the firm make money?

What is the customer value proposition?

What is the profit proposition?

Use clear headings and subheadings to organize the key
points of your analysis

Your report should be clearly written and communicate
effectively to organizational leadership; use correct grammar, spelling and
mechanics as expected of a business professional Cite and reference all
sources using current APA style

Additional Requirements

References: Support your business analysis with at least
four academic resources from the Capella University Library

APA Style: Use proper APA style for all citations and
references

Length: The body of the business analysis must be 4–6
double-spaced, typed pages, not including the references list

Written communication: Demonstrate graduate-level writing
skills through accurate communication of thoughts that convey the overall goals
of the analysis and do not detract from the message

Font: Times New Roman, 12 point