business level and corporate level Strategy

 

Business-Level and Corporate-Level Strategies

Overview

In this assignment, you are to use the same corporation you selected and focused on for the assignments, Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness and External and Internal Environments.

Research the company on its own website, the public filings on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s

Filing & Forms

page, the Strayer University’s

online databases

, the

Lexis Advance database

, and any other sources you can find. The annual report will often provide insights that can help address some of these questions.

Use the

Business-Level and Corporate-Level Strategies Template [DOCX]

to ensure that your assignment meets the requirements.

Requirements

Write a 6–8 page paper in which you do the following:

• Analyze the business-level strategies for the corporation you chose to determine the business-level strategy you think is most important to the long-term success of the firm and whether or not you judge this to be a good choice. Justify your opinion.
• Analyze the corporate-level strategies for the corporation you chose to determine the corporate-level strategy you think is most important to the long-term success of the firm and whether or not you judge this to be a good choice. Justify your opinion.
• Analyze the competitive environment to determine the corporation’s most significant competitor. Compare their strategies at each level and evaluate which company you think is most likely to be successful in the long term. Justify your choice.
• Determine whether your choice from Question 3 in the Business-Level and Corporate-Level Strategies Template [DOCX] would differ in slow-cycle and fast-cycle markets.
• Use at least three quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other websites do not qualify as academic resources. 

****APA Format, use the attached template given, refer to the paper for use of company in the previous paper ****

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Figures title: 7

Week 8 Business-Level and

Corporate-Level Strategies

Assignment

Student’s Full Name

BUS499 Business Administration Capstone

Professor’s Name

Date

Template Instructions (delete this page before submitting)

This template is provided to help you meet the assignment requirements.

This page should NOT be submitted with your assignment, as it is not part of an academically written paper. Note the “Clarity, writing mechanics, and formatting requirements” section of the grading rubric.

HOW TO USE THIS TEMPLATE

· Read the explanations provided in the template for each section of your paper.
· The explanations are in blue font below.
· You should have already read the assignment instructions in Blackboard.
· Type your response to each of the assignment requirements within the designated sections.
· Each assignment requirement is identified using a section Heading that is in black font
· DO NOT add extra spaces between sections.
· DO NOT change the margins.
· You are required to have a heading for each of the sections in your paper.
· The required headings have been provided for you.
· DO NOT delete, alter, or add anything to the section Headings.
· DO NOT type the assignment instructions into the sections.
· After typing your responses, change the font color to black and make sure it is not in bold.
· Be sure to change the font color on the title page to black after typing your name, professor’s name, and date.

· Everything in blue font below should be deleted and replaced with your responses.
· DELETE this entire page before you submit your assignment to avoid losing points. Do not leave a blank page here.

REMINDERS

· The assignment is due in week 8. Late submissions negatively impact your grade.
· Use the same public corporation you used for assignments in Week 3 and 6.

· Do not copy content from previous assignments in this class or others.

· Include at least 6 full and complete academically written pages that address the requirements. The title page, this instruction page, and the source page do not count.

· Use at least 3 quality sources, one of which MUST be the course textbook.
· Strayer uses SafeAssign – an automated plagiarism checker. It is advised that you do your own writing and use external resources to support what you have written in your own words.
Week 8 Business-Level and Corporate-Level Strategies Assignment
Write your introduction to this 6 page paper here. Include one paragraph (not more than 6 lines of text) that explains what your paper will discuss. Much of your introduction may be taken from the assignment instructions (in your own words). Read all assignment resources to understand what should be included in your paper. Be sure to review the assignment instructions in Blackboard, the grading rubric, and relevant course announcements to understand the requirements. Do not exceed 6 lines of text in this introduction. There should be no direct quotes in this section. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your introduction and change the font color to black.

Business-Level Strategies

Analyze the business-level strategies for the corporation you chose to determine the business-level strategy you think is most important to the long-term success of the firm. You will also need to determine whether or not you judge this to be a good choice (Note: in this step you need to choose and write about only one business-level strategy from the text book (not Google). Hint: See Figure 4.1 in the textbook. Include a thorough justification for your choice that is backed by facts and sound judgement. For background, be sure to research and explain the industry in which your selected corporation operates. You could also briefly (1 – 2 sentences) define the business-level strategy (cite your sources) you are writing about using the textbook/Learn, as an introduction to your analysis. Read Chapter 4 in the course textbook. Review the Week 4 Learn Reading for supporting content. Your response here should demonstrate that you understand the key concepts regarding the selected business-level strategy and can apply them to a real-world corporation. Keep in mind that this is a 6 page paper and as such your analysis should thoroughly address the concepts discussed in the course. Avoid unsubstantiated statements, extended introductory commentary, direct quotes, and unrelated content. Strive for about 1 ½ to 2 pages of well-constructed, in-depth analysis in this section.

In this section, you could research and identify the core competencies your chosen firm uses to implement its business-level strategies and discuss their effectiveness. You could also demonstrate from your research how the firm uses its core competencies to create and sell its products in the marketplace. Consider the actions & choices your firm has made to compete in individual product markets. Review Chapters 4-9 for specifics on the business-level strategies. Your response should clearly identify the one business-level strategy from the textbook that you think is most important to the long-term success of the corporation. Your response must also include a clearly stated and justified judgement on whether that strategy is a good choice. Include enough content and depth to demonstrate a thorough analysis of your selected corporation’s business-level strategy. Remember that this is a 6 page paper and as such, you will need to dig deep. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your analysis and change the font color to black.

Corporate-Level Strategies

Analyze the corporate-level strategies for the corporation you chose to determine the corporate-level strategy you think is most important to the long-term success of the firm. You will also need to determine whether or not you judge this to be a good choice. (Note: in this step you need to choose and write about only one corporate-level strategy from the text book (not Google). Hint: See chapter 6 in the textbook. Include a thorough justification for your choice that is backed by facts and sound judgement. You could also briefly (1 – 2 sentences) define the corporate-level strategy (cite your sources) you are writing about using the textbook/Learn, as an introduction to your analysis. Read Chapter 6 in the course textbook. Review the Week 6 Learn Reading for supporting content. Your response here should demonstrate that you understand the key concepts regarding the selected corporate-level strategy and can apply them to a real-world corporation. Keep in mind that this is a 6-page paper and as such your analysis should thoroughly address the concepts discussed in the course. Avoid unsubstantiated statements, extended introductory commentary, direct quotes, and unrelated content. Strive for about 1 ½ to 2 pages of well-constructed, in-depth analysis in this section.

Your response should clearly identify the one corporate-level strategy from the textbook that you think is most important to the long-term success of the corporation. Your response must also include a clearly stated and justified judgement on whether that strategy is a good choice. Include enough content and depth to demonstrate a thorough analysis of your selected corporation’s corporate-level strategy. Remember that this is a 6 page paper and as such, you will need to dig deep. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your analysis and change the font color to black.

Competitive Environment

Analyze the competitive environment to determine the corporation’s most significant competitor (this will require research outside of the course material). Compare their strategies at each level and evaluate which company you think is most likely to be successful in the long term. Justify your choice. Hint: read chapters 1 through 10 in the course textbook as they provide a solid background for this section. Review the Week 1 through 8 Learn readings for supporting content. Remember that this is a 6 page paper and requires a thorough competitive analysis. Strive for about a 1 ½ to 2 pages of well-constructed, in-depth analysis in this section. Cite your sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your analysis and change the font color to black.

Market Cycles

Determine whether your choice from Question 3 (Competitive Environment section above) would differ in slow-cycle and fast-cycle markets. It would be a good idea to briefly explain what the slow-cycle and fast-cycle markets are from the textbook (cite your sources) as a short introduction to your determination. Hint: read Chapter 5 in the course textbook. Remember that this is a 6-page paper and therefore each section requires a thorough response that demonstrates your understanding of key concepts covered in the course and your ability to apply them to a real-world corporation. Cite your sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your response and change the font color to black.

Sources

1. Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson. 2020. Strategic management: Concepts and cases: Competitiveness and globalization (13th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning

2. Author. Publication Date. Title. Page # (written as p. #). How to Find (e.g. web address)

3. Author. Publication Date. Title. Page # (written as p. #). How to Find (e.g. web address)

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External and Internal Environments Assignment

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External and Internal Environments Assignment

Keyona Wooden

BUS499 Business Administration Capstone

Professor John Richards

11/15/20

External and Internal Environments Assignment
This assignment will look into the strategic management and strategic competitiveness of the Ford Motors Company and comprehensively the industry under which it operates

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Besides, this assignment will look into the five forces of competition and select the two most influential forces and evaluate how Ford Motors has addressed the two factors in the recent past Additionally, this paper will speculate the possible improvement of the company’s ability shortly. It will also look into the external threats affecting this corporation and the opportunities for ford to explore to advance its competitive advantage. Each external factor has its threats and opportunities. The topmost factors that will be highlighted in this paper are the economic factor and technological factors.
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General Environment

This paper will examine the external factors that have influenced Ford Motors in the recent past. It is critical to note that the demand for more quality options at affordable prices goes up. For example, ford had to cut costs and reduced product development time. Such demands from customers lead to the realization of low profit (Farooq, 2020).  The general motor company’s economic impact started in the late 20th century when the mobility industry had gained momentum and was the key driver of the economy. Concerns such as climate change, congestion, and climate change began to influence economic growth, hindering the production of new cars (Wee & Wu, 2009). On the other hand, increased technology growth greatly impacted the automotive industry as autonomy increased and more efficient, interactive self-driving cars.

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Segment 1

Ford motor company highly regards the changing economic dynamics and identifies it as a critical macro environment factor. The economic factors offer both opportunities and threats at the same time. For instance, the US economy’s constant growth stands as a great opportunity as it means that the public is getting better wages and can afford to buy cars. It is worth mentioning that THE us is Ford’s biggest market; hence this would play to their advantage (Enkhbayar, 2018). Most developing markets also depend hugely on US automotive companies like ford to supply them with automotive, and the company has a limited presence in this region. As such, this is one key opportunity that ford has been closely monitoring to maximize the potential it offers. However, on the downside, the strengthening US dollar stands as a threat because it reduces Ford products’ attractiveness and reduces profits margin to avert the company from suffering a major blow to maximize the foreign market’s opportunities and improve its efficiency.

Segment 2

Technology is a factor that helps Ford Motors to compete effectively in the macro environment and maximize its potential. Modern technology keeps changing at a fast pace, and this is an opportunity that Ford must tap into to ensure they stay ahead. The increased internet penetration across the globe and the rise of mobile computing use creates an opportunity for the company to add mobile service support and venture into mobile marketing. Ford must also maximize the increased use of online fulfillment services to help deliver products to customers worldwide (Enkhbayar, 2018). Despite the numerous opportunities that technology presents to Ford Motors, there are also impending threats that might negatively affect the company. Ford has a limited network of alternatives; the company should diversify and create multiple alternative fuel stations to improve competitiveness.

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Five Forces of Competition

From looking at Ford Motors Company Five Forces analysis, the main competition rivalry is the externals environment. The main two forces that significantly facts Ford motor company are the consumers’ bargaining power and competitive rivalry.

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Force 1

Ford faces competition from aggressive firms such as Toyota that have dominated the market dues to their innovative products. The exit barriers also pressure companies to keep competing with the limited market instead of closing down the business because of the high cost of the investment; hence they remain to exert pressure on the company. Ford faces competition from established companies like General Motors and other upcoming companies; hence the market is stiff. Ford motors must first address the external factors linked to competition and maximize its competitive advantage by being innovative and aggressively marketing their products.

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Force 2

Ford customers play a critical role in influencing the business. Like any business, ford must strive to meet the customers’ customer base’s continually changing needs face moderate switching cost due to the customer’s habits of moving from one fit to another. However, this habit is a bit infrequent due to the big-tickets systems nature of the automobiles. Most Ford automobile products are moderate in terms of the price and their general contribution to the overall company revenues.

Future Improvements

In the current time, technology has changed automobiles and introduced more sophisticated technologies that allow autonomy, use of the radar, Lidar, and camera technology. It is without a doubt that the future will. The market’s dynamic nature will force Ford Motors to overcome years of complacency and inertial to innovate and pioneer new concerns that will improve its brand and improve its strength. The market is changing at an incredible pace, and it is eliminating the long noted high cost, extremely unpleasant selling process ad poor service. Many auto manufacturers are striving to drive out costs and give the customers affordable products. Internet technology will be the center of most of this technology as it bridges the gap between the manufacturers and the ultimate customer both efficiently and effectively.

Greatest External Threat

The greatest external threat facing ford is the Global competition from established companies and the fluctuating global oil process. In the long run, technological companies such as Apple and Godley threaten the company because they might have marketing and innovative capabilities to develop driverless cars. The instability of the oil process is also seen as a key threat to Ford.

Greatest Opportunity

Ford Motors is linked with exponential growth and expansion dues to its expansive penetration in the market. The company’s recent initiative to invest in research and development to cultivate the innovation culture is one of the key potential opportunities that will help place the company in a better position in the future. The company is also better positioned to improve its financial standing by enhancing its supply chain to better innovation and operational expansion.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Ford Motors has a strength of widely accepted global recognition because of its successful marketing and advertising. The company also invests a big portion of its revenue in research and development; hence, it shows its commitment to improving its product and introducing new products. The company’s standing reputation is dues to the outstanding adaptability to the contact changing markets over the years.

One of the most renowned weaknesses of ford’s company is the product to recall in May 2016. About a million vehicles were returned to replace the faulty door latches, hence making the company incur, lose, and damage its reputation struggled to build in years. Forts are also highly dependent on the US market; hence it limits its profits. Also, it risks being overthrown from the market as experts predict more car sales will come from emerging markets such as India and China.

Strategy or Tactic

Initially, the main Ford strategy was to cost leadership to support the company’s competitiveness based on reducing prices to attract more customers. However, this strategy did not protect them from the competition; hence, the company now uses product innovation’s strategic objective strategy to gain a competitive advantage.

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Resources, Capabilities, and Core Competencies

Ford boast of a global presence and big brad image with a big network of vendors, suppliers’ ad distributors, and customer loyalty. The people mainly associate themselves with big brands like ford. The company also has a pool of skilled personnel who help drive the company to greater heights. The supply chain’s deep network is a key backbone of the strong relationship between vehicle manufacturing companies.

Sources

Enkhbayar, A. (2018). Ford Motor Company’s Financial Analysis.

Farooq, U. (2020). Ford PESTLE Analysis | PESTEL Analysis of Ford Motor Company. Marketing Tutor. Retrieved from https://www.marketingtutor.net/ford-pestle-analysis/.

Wong, M. K. (2019). An Analysis of the Effects of Operating Margin and Beta for Performance on Ford Motor Company.

Rychtyckyj, N. (2007). Intelligent systems for manufacturing at Ford Motor company. IEEE intelligent systems, 22(1), 16-19.

Wee, H. M., & Wu, S. (2009). Lean supply chain and its effect on product cost and quality: a case study on Ford Motor Company. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal.

Yang, Y. (2014). Employees management analysis at Ford motor company. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 5(10).