Sika AG (NBB: SXYA Y)
BMGT 495 - Project 2: Tool Analysis (Week 4)
NOTE: All submitted work is to be your original work (only your work). You may
not use any work from another student, the Internet or an online
clearinghouse. You are expected to understand the Academic Dishonesty and
Plagiarism Policy, and know that it is your responsibility to learn about instructor
and general academic expectations with regard to proper citation of sources as
specified in the APA Publication Manual, 6th Ed. (You are held accountable for intext citations and an associated reference list only).
Project 2 is due Sunday at 11:59 p.m. eastern time of week 4 unless otherwise changed
by the instructor.
Purpose
This project is the second of four projects. It also represents the second part of the
external environmental analysis that is part of a strategic management plan. You will
use the tools and apply concepts learned in this and previous business courses to
demonstrate an understanding of how organizations develop and manage strategies to
establish, safeguard and sustain its competitive position in the 21st century’s (rapidly
evolving/shifting/changing), uncertain hyper-competitive business environment.
Monitoring competitors’ performance is a key aspect of performing an external
environment analysis. This project provides you with the opportunity to evaluate the
competitive position of one of the organizations listed below and integrate that
information in a partial SWOT (OT), Porter's Five Forces, External Factor Evaluation
(EFE) matrix and Competitive Profile Matrices (CPM).
In this project, you are presenting a report document. The expectation is that the report
provides the level of details to help the audience grasp the main topics and to
understand and complete the External Environmental Analysis.
Analysis is the operative word. In analyzing the external environment, you are expected
to thoroughly research and take that research and break it into small parts to gain a
better understanding of what is happening in the external environment of the
business. In researching an industry, it is important to understand that every company
within an industry is different so gathering information on one company does not mean
that the collected information is relevant to other company within that industry. When
researching, parsing the material is critical to an accurate analysis. Avoid presenting
just any information as that may lead to using irrelevant information.
You will then write the report in your own words to share the external analysis. You are
expected to present information and support the ideas and reasoning using the course
material and your research. You will not lift any information from source documents
without properly citing and referencing. For the technical analysis aspect of the project,
you are required to create the technique on your own and may not use from any source
material that you happen to find. No work from a clearinghouse or similar website may
be used or cited as a credible source.
Outcomes Met With This Project
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utilize a set of useful analytical skills, tools, and techniques for analyzing a company
strategically;
integrate ideas, concepts, and theories from previously taken functional courses
including accounting, finance, market, business and human resource management;
analyze and synthesize strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) to
generate, prioritize, and implement alternative strategies in order to revise a current
plan or write a new plan and present a strategic plan
Instructions:
Step 1: Specific Company for All Four Projects
The companies that your instructor has assigned to you for Project 1 is the company
you will use for this project. The assigned company must be used for this project and in
subsequent projects in the course. Students must complete the project using the
assigned company. Deviating from the assigned company will result in a zero for the
project.
After reading the course material, you will complete the steps below.
Step 2: Course Materials and Research
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You are required to research information about the focal company and the internal
environment for this project, You are accountable for using the course materials to
support the ideas, reasoning and conclusions made. Course materials use goes
beyond defining terms but is used to explain the 'why and how' of a situation. Using one
or two in-text citations from the course materials and then relying on Internet source
material will not earn many points on the assignment. A variety of source material is
expected and what is presented must be relevant and applicable to the topic being
discussed. Avoid merely making statements but close the loop of the discussion by
explaining how something happens or why something happens, which focuses on
importance and impact. In closing the loop, you will demonstrate the ability to think
clearly and rationally showing an understanding of the logical connections between the
ideas presented from the research, the course material and the question(s) being
asked.
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Note: Your report is based on the results of the research performed and not on any
prepared documentation. What this means is that you will research and draw your own
conclusions that are supported by the research and the course material rather than the
use any source material that puts together any of the tools or techniques whether from
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the Internet, for-pay websites or any pre-prepared document, video or source
material. A zero will be earned for not doing your own analysis.
Success: The analysis is based on research and not opinion. You are not making
recommendations and you will not attempt to position the focal company in a better or
worse light than other companies within the industry merely because you are
completing an analysis on this particular company. The analysis must be based on
factual information. Any conclusions drawn have to be based on factual information
rather than leaps of faith. To ensure success, as stated above, you are expected to use
the course materials and research on the focal company's global industry and the focal
company. Opinion does not earn credit nor does using external sources when course
materials can be used. It is necessary to provide explanations (the why and how) rather
than making statements. Avoid stringing one citation after another as doing so does
not show detailed explanations.
Library Resources
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On the main navigation bar in the classroom select, Resources and then select
Library. Select Databases by Title (A - Z). Select M from the alphabet list, and then
select Mergent Online. You may also use Market Line and should be looking at the
focal company's Annual Report or 10K report. You are not depending on any one
resource to complete the analysis. It is impossible to complete a Porter’s Five Forces,
competitive analysis or OT by using only course material.
You should not be using obscure articles, GlassDoor, or Chron or similar types of
articles.
Research for Financial Analysis: Financial Research
Research for Industry Analysis CSI Market
UMGC library is available for providing resources and services. Seek library support for
excellence in your academic pursuit.
Library Support
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Extensive library resources and services are available online, 24 hours a day, seven
days a week at https://www.umgc.edu/library/index.cfm to support you in your
studies. The UMGC Library provides research assistance in creating search strategies,
selecting relevant databases, and evaluating and citing resources in a variety of formats
via its Ask a Librarian service at https://www.umgc.edu/library/libask/index.cfm.
Scholarly Research in OneSearch is allowed.
To search for only scholarly resources, you are expected to place a check mark in the
space for "Scholarly journals only" before clicking search.
Step 3: How to Set Up the Report
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The document has to be written in Word or rtf. No other format is acceptable. No pdf
files will be graded. Use 12-point font for a double-spaced report. The final product
cannot be longer than 10 pages in length, which includes all tables and matrices but
excludes the title page and reference page. Do no use an Appendix.
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Create a title page with title, your name, the course number, the instructor's name.
Step 4: Industry Analysis
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Perform a Porter's Five Forces analysis on the organization's industry and the focal
company in particular. The industry is the global industry. First, use the course
materials to identify the five forces and what components make up each force. Then,
perform an analysis of each force that clearly discusses the ‘why and how’ and
concludes with the effect of the given force on the fortunes of the industry (industry
profitability) and/or industry dynamics; that is whether the effect of the force on the
industry is weak/modest/average/moderate or strong/severe and also on the focal
company. You may not use a Porter's Five Forces analysis that is already completed
and available on the Internet. A zero will result if used as the analysis has to be the
result of your research and your own development.
Step 5: Competitive Analysis
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Perform a Competitive Analysis using the focal company’s closest three competitors
plus the selected company. Explain why these companies are competitors. Analyze
the competition's products and services explaining features, value, targets, etc. What
are the competition's strengths and weaknesses and what is the market outlook for the
competition?
Identify and discuss at least eight (8) key success factors (critical success
factors). Each industry has different key success factors so make sure the success
factors fit the industry. Review the Competitive Profile Matrix Example under week 3
Content for clarification.
Develop a Competitor Profile Matrix (CPM). Explain how you developed the
matrix. Make sure to support your reasoning.
Step 6: Partial SWOT Analysis
A SWOT analysis is a tool used to assess the strengths and weaknesses (internal
environment) and the opportunities and threats (external environment) of an
organization. You will complete a partial SWOT analysis only completing an analysis on
the OT (Opportunities and Threats). The information presented is not based on your
beliefs but on fact-based, data-driven information. The items used in the OT are factors
that are affecting or might affect the focal company or those companies within the
identified industry.
You will:
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Develop an OT table using your research to identify at least five (5) opportunities and
five (5) threats that influence the industry and the focal company. Make sure to cite the
elements within the table.
Perform an OT analysis (separate from SWOT table).
You may not use a SWOT analysis that is already completed and available on the
Internet. The OT is for the focal company and no other company. A zero will result if
used as the analysis has to be the result of your research and your own
development. NOTE: A matrix is a table. It is not an analysis.
Step 7: External Factor Evaluation (EFE) Analysis
The External Factor Evaluation (EFE) matrix will allow you to use the information from
the industry analysis and the competitive analysis to assess whether the focal company
is able to effectively take advantage of existing opportunities while minimizing the
identified external threats that will help you formulate new strategies and policies. You
will use the opportunities and threats from the OT analysis.
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Using the information gathered for the OT analysis, develop an EFE matrix using five
(5) opportunities and five (5) threats. Discuss how you developed the EFE matrix and
the outcome. Make sure to support your reasoning.
Step 8: Conclusion
Create a concluding paragraph. The Conclusion is intended to emphasize the
purpose/significance of the analysis, emphasize the significance/consequence of
findings, and indicate the wider applications that are derived from the main points of the
project’s requirements. You will draw conclusions about the findings of the external
environment analysis.
Step 9: Review the Paper
Read the paper to ensure all required elements are present.
The following are specific requirements that you will follow. Use the checklist to mark
off that you have followed each specific requirement.
Checklist
Specific Project Requirements
Proofread your paper
Read and use the grading rubric while completing the paper to ensure all
requirements are met that will lead to the highest possible grade.
Third person writing is required. Third person means that there are no words such
as “I, me, my, we, or us” (first person writing), nor is there use of “you or your”
(second person writing). If uncertain how to write in the third person, view this
link: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/first-second-and-thirdperson.
Contractions are not used in business writing, so do not use them.
Paraphrase and do not use direct quotations. Paraphrase means you do not use
more than four consecutive words from a source document. Removing quotation
marks and citing is inappropriate. Instead put a passage from a source document
into your own words and attribute the passage to the source document. There
should be no passages with quotation marks. Using more than four consecutive
words from a source document would require direct quotation marks. Changing
words from a passage does not exclude the passage from having quotation
marks. If more than four consecutive words are used from source documents, this
material will not be included in the grade.
You are expected to use the research and weekly course materials to develop the
analysis and support the reasoning. There should be a robust use of the course
material. Material used from a source document must be cited and referenced. A
reference within a reference list cannot exist without an associated in-text citation
and vice versa. Changing words from a passage does not exclude the passage from
having quotation marks.
Use in-text citations and provide a reference list that contains the reference
associated with each in-text citation.
You may not use books in completing this problem set unless part of the course
material. Also, do not use a dictionary, Wikipedia or Investopedia or similar
sources. You may not use Fern Fort University, Ibis World or any other for-fee website.
Provide the page or paragraph number in every in-text citation presented. Since the
eBook does not have page numbers, include the chapter title and topic heading. If
using a video, provide the minutes and second of the cited material.
Step 10: Submit the Report in the Assignment Folder
Submitting the project to the Assignment Folder is considered the student's final product
and therefore ready for grading by the instructor. It is incumbent upon the student to
verify the Project is the correct submission. No exceptions will be considered by the
instructor.
Self-Plagiarism: Self-plagiarism is the act of reusing significant, identical or nearly
identical portions of one's own work. You cannot re-use any portion of a paper or other
graded work that was submitted to another class even if you are retaking this
course. You also will not reuse any portion of previously submitted work in this
class. A zero will be assigned to the assignment if self-plagiarized. Faculty do not have
the discretion to accept self-plagiarized work.
NOTE: All submitted work is to be your original work. You may not use any work
from another student, the Internet or an online clearinghouse. You are expected
to understand the Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism Policy, and know that it
is your responsibility to learn about instructor and general academic
expectations with regard to proper citation of sources as specified in the
APA Publication Manual, 6th Ed. (Students are held accountable for in-text
citations and an associated reference list only).
Start DateMar 29, 2020 12:30 AMDue DateApr 12, 2020 11:59 PM
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