Step 1: Please read: Harvard Business Publishing Coursepack, Case - McDonald's Corporation (Rothaermel, 2017). Step 2: In your team discuss the case questions. Then, utilizing the case data, perform the required analysis by choosing appropriate strategic management tool or tools you have covered so far. Step 3: Please develop the case report (1-2 pages, Times New Roman, 12 font, single spaced) in formal business language, and with section headings, written paragraphs, and charts/tables, as appropriate. Please ensure that the report reads as "a consistent whole" and not as "a set of rather disjointed, howsoever well-executed, sections". Name the file as Case Report 2_Walmart Team (for example) and submit the report as an assignment file on Canvas. CASE Questions: Does McDonald’s possess any core competence(s) at the time of the case? Explain. (For this question, please remember to use the following definition of core competence). (Hint: This is the heart of the case, where significant assessment must be done through RBV, core competences and VRIO Analysis, performed on a set of very specific, identified resources/capabilities). Core competences: (i) allow a firm to differentiate its products/services from its rivals, (ii) are learned by the organization over many decades, often through failure, (iii) are unique strengths that lie deep within the firm, and find their expression through products and services, and (iv) eventually can lose their ability to yield a competitive advantage, unless nourished and refined. Follow this question :Does McDonald’s possess any core competence(s) at the time of the case? Explain. (For this question, please remember to use the following definition of core competence). (Hint: This is the heart of the case, where significant assessment must be done through RBV, core competences and VRIO Analysis, performed on a set of very specific, identified resources/capabilities).Core competences: (i) allow a firm to differentiate its products/services from its rivals, (ii) are learned by the organization over many decades, often through failure, (iii) are unique strengths that lie deep within the firm, and find their expression through products and services, and (iv) eventually can lose their ability to yield a competitive advantage, unless nourished and refined.

Assignment 3: Project Proposal – Execution, Control, and Closure Due Week 10 and worth 150 pointsNote: This is the third of three assignments which, as a whole, will cover all aspects of the project life cycle relevant to your selected project.Now, it is time for you to discuss your project’s challenges (e.g., risks); performance management plan (e.g., earned value management); and proposed plan for closing the project when it is done.Write a four to six page paper, in which you define the execution, control, and closure aspects of your chosen project. In your paper you must:Provide a brief summary of your chosen project.Identify and discuss your project’s greatest challenges (at least three) and provide a recommendation for addressing each of the challenges.Examine how you manage your project performance via earned value management. Identify at least three key EVM metrics you will use for your project.Discuss your plan to properly close your project when it is over.Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar websites do not qualify as quality resources.Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:Typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are: Develop a process for measuring the progress of a project, providing oversight, coordinating project closure, and determining project effectiveness.Click here to view the grading rubric for this assignment.

Recall the example of J.C. Penney described in Week 1. In August 2012, Ron Johnson, the J.C. Penney chief operating officer, was reviewing the changes he had made to the company’s business model and brand. Specifically, he introduced a new pricing model known as “fair and square,” which was a change from the former high cash flow pricing approach where frequent sales resulted in discounted pricing off the day-to-day list prices. The fair-and-square model attempted to simplify pricing to resemble everyday low pricing. In addition, the new strategy involved a new store layout, the introduction of well-known brand names, and the creation of J.C. Penney-specific clothing lines by well-known designers (Ofek & Avery, 2012).For this Discussion, you need only consider the information in the case to respond to the following questions. If you research and find more recent information, do not assume that what J.C. Penney has done is necessarily correct. Be certain to defend your recommendations.By Day 3Post your response to the following questions:Describe the components of the J.C. Penney new business model.Then, evaluate the business model’s overall effectiveness in the following ways:How did all of the components work together?What components, if any, are missing?Explain the relationship between J.C. Penney’s marketing/business model and its pricing strategy. Offer lessons learned about the relationship between marketing/business models and an organization’s pricing strategy.Explain whether J.C. Penney’s brand is similar to other retail brands (e.g., Target and Apple) where Johnson has had success in terms of its marketing/business model and its pricing strategy. Explain why or why not.