What about General Motors? In late 2008 and early 2009, nearly unfathomable problems and challenges were emerging from a crucible of technology, marketing strategy, and politics. The future of the once supreme American automobile industry was poised on the brink of bankruptcy as they pleaded their case for bridge loans before a deeply divided Congress. Bankruptcy would have devastating rippling effects from the halls of Congress to the end of the American Dream. Is the die cast, or is it time for new management? The choices now are congressional oversight or private leadership. Which will you choose? What about General Motors? Let's start with their final exam the proposed restructuring placed before Congress and--ever so much more importantly--the American people. Automobiles often exhibit deep-seeded emotive qualities without quantitative dimensions. Set aside your psychological emoticons and professionally assess the GM plan using Exhibit 1.2 as a template. What is this plan—Corporate Strategy? Business Strategy? Marketing Strategy? Explain your initial impression. Using Exhibit 1.6, assess the GM proposal. Which orientation was it (product or marketing orientation? In your opinion, which orientation should have guided their planning? Explain your reasoning. Even though the situation seemed dire, especially for the American automobile industry, and possibly still does, many believe there is a significant opportunity for the right strategy. Did the plan suggest a compelling analysis of the "4Cs."? If you disagree, what's missing?

Complete the Marketing Plan Exercises at the end of each assigned chapter. These exercises will be the building blocks for your final project, a marketing plan. You will do each exercise on the same enterprise. Your enterprise strategy may be: 1) real, emerging, or imaginary; 2) product or service oriented; and 3) for profit or non-profit. The target market may be anywhere in the life cycle from innovation to maturity. Read each Marketing Plan Exercise description in its entirety, below is a brief description of what is required.Chapter 1: Outline: New Product Marketing PlanChapter 2: Organizational mission statementChapter 3: Identify which type of business unit strategy to be used by your organization.* Marketing Plan Exercises attached Scan.pdf 

Bounded Rationality What is "bounded rationality"? Arthur suggests that decision makers conceive and nurture an "ecology of focal predictors" to deal with complexity of the unknown. Explain Arthur's ideas using the following scenario: Forecast the Dow Jones Average for the close of market trading on this day in one year from the current date. Would you put your entire life savings on your forecast? Allow a 5% margin of error to your forecast. Do you feel more confident in your forecast? Why? What if you do put your life savings on this and you are wrong?.2.  The Competitive Environment at the Industry Level You have a large sum of money to invest in an entrepreneurial venture. You are investigating possible alternatives on a systematic basis. Using Porter's Five Competitiveness factors, analyze and draw a conclusion about the relative attractiveness of each of the following industries: Computer software design and manufacturing for office applications Gasoline service stations Franchised boutique coffee shops Civilian aircraft design and manufacturing Travel planning and booking (agencies) Which one seems most attractive? Would your answer change if you represented a consortium of investors with serious funding and only two objectives: create a professionally fulfilling challenge for managers of the enterprise and a stable work environment for the employees? What do you think are the three most critical success factors for each alternative?