Strategy Integration and Synthesis
All assignments are linked together from assessment 1 to assessment 6
Write a 3–4-page business analysis focused on the role of strategy, its relationship to different
business activities across an organization, and how these business activities inform the
formulation and implementation of strategy.
As a business professional, you are expected to have a thorough understanding of business
strategy and to be able to communicate your understanding with insight and clarity. This
assessment allows you to examine business strategy in greater depth and to practice
communicating your knowledge and insights.
Preparation
Identify at least five current scholarly or professional resources for use in this assessment.
Requirements
Write a 3–4-page analysis focused on the role of strategy, its relationship to different business
activities across an organization, and how these business activities inform the formulation and
implementation of strategy for your selected firm.
Include the following in your analysis:
•
•
•
•
Explain why strategy is important and what impacts it has on an organization.
Explain how strategy is formulated.
Explain how strategy can be effectively integrated and implemented.
Analyze how strategy informs (and how is it informed by) key activities of your firm,
including leadership, marketing, accounting, finance, and others.
Use clear headings and subheadings to organize the key points of your report.
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 five academic resources from
the Capella University Library. Use proper APA style and format for citations and
references.
• Length: The body of the business analysis must be 3–4 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.
• All papers must have abstract, introduction, conclusion
Strategy Integration and Synthesis Scoring
Guide
Criteria
Explain why strategy is
important and what impacts it
has on an organization.
Explain how strategy is
formulated.
Explain how strategy can be
effectively integrated and
implemented.
Analyze how strategy informs
(and how it is informed by) key
activities of an organization.
Proficient
Distinguished
Explains why strategy is
important and what impacts it
has on an organization.
Analyzes why strategy
is important and what
impacts it has on an
organization using
scholarly resources.
Explains how strategy is
formulated.
Analyzes how strategy
is formulated using
scholarly resources.
Analyzes how strategy informs
(and how is it informed by) key
activities of an organization.
Analyzes how strategy
informs (and how is it
informed by) key
activities of an
organization and
summarizes findings
from coursework.
Analyzes how strategy informs
(and how is it informed by) key
activities of an organization.
Analyzes how strategy
informs (and how is it
informed by) key
activities of an
organization and
summarizes findings
from coursework.
Writing is coherent,
using evidence to
support a central idea
Write coherently to support a
Writing coherently supports a
in a consistently
central idea (in appropriate APA
central idea in appropriate APA appropriate APA
format) with correct grammar,
format and with few errors of
format with correct
usage, and mechanics as expected
grammar, usage, and mechanics. grammar, usage, and
of a business professional.
mechanics as expected
of a business
professional.
Research Information
Review the following resources to further your understanding of a selected firm to use in your
coursework. Use additional resources from the Capella University Library, Internet, your text
case studies, or your own research, as needed, for completing the course assessments.
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.
Grant, R. M., and Jordan, J. (2012). Ford and the world automobile industry in 2012. Hoboken,
NJ: Wiley and Sons.
Currie, A., Larsen, P. T. (2011, Jun 7). Ambitious goals for Ford. The New York Times.
Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/business/08views.html?_r=0
Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative. (n.d). Ford Motor Company manages ethics and social
responsibility [PDF]. Retrieved from: https://danielsethics.mgt.unm.edu/pdf/ford-motorcase.pdf
Henry, J. (2015). One Ford, part two; Tweaking The master plan. Forbes. Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimhenry/2015/08/30/one-ford-part-two-tweaking-the-masterplan/#3d15b7147333
Miller, D. (2016, April 9). Dispelling 3 Ford Motor Company shareholder concerns. The Motley
Fool. Retrieved from http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/04/09/dispelling-3-fordmotor-company-concerns.aspx
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. Search for the articles by following the instructions in the Library
Guide:
•
Brown, B., & Anthony, S. D. (2011). How P&G tripled its innovation success rate.
Harvard Business Review, 89(6), 64–72.
•
Dillon, K. (2011). I think of my failures as a gift. Harvard Business Review, 89(4), 86–89.
•
Lafley, A. G., Martin, R. L., Rivkin, J. W., & Siggelkow, N. (2012). Bringing science to the
art of strategy. Harvard Business Review, 90(9), 56–66.
•
Lafley, A. G., & Tichy, N. M. (2011). The art and science of finding the right CEO.
Harvard Business Review, 89(10), 66–74.
Virgin Group
A multinational conglomerate with more than two dozen Virgin-branded companies, Virgin
operates in at least 13 regions around the globe, in seven industries (Virgin, n.d.).
It becomes apparent that Virgin’s corporate strategies include diversification and globalization,
and some argue there are opportunities for Virgin to vertically integrate companies within certain
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market segments-travel and lifestyle markets, for example. Yet, however Virgin’s corporate
strategies are labeled, the brand is the dominant resource that Richard Branson leverages to
acquire and develop new business that differentiates Virgin from the competition (Ankeny,
2012).
Branson’s philosophy toward management of Virgin companies includes keeping intact the
entrepreneurial spirit of firms acquired or merged. He defends his approach to keeping a
multitude of individual entrepreneurial companies with the Virgin brand as follows: “Often,
owning a number of individual stand-alone companies run by different people can be more
effective than having one giant company with lots of people working together” (Maxwell, 2014,
And what about making the difficult decisions concerning people heading, para. 2).
A strategic assessment of Virgin is an assessment of how well an individual Virgin company fits
the Virgin business model. Prahalad and Bettis (1986) might define the business model of Virgin
as the dominant logic that describes the rationale for Virgin’s diversification strategy.
Choose one of the following Virgin companies to conduct a comprehensive organizational
strategic assessment:
•
Virgin Atlantic.
•
Virgin Galactic.
•
Virgin Media.
•
Virgin Records.
References
Ankeny, J. (2012, June). Richard Branson on building and empire. Entrepreneur, 40(6), 30–38.
Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/223639
Maxwell, C. (2014). Sir Richard Branson. Retrieved from http://www.director.co.uk/sir-richardbranson/
Prahalad, C. K., & Bettis, A. (1986). The dominant logic: A new linkage between diversity and
performance. Strategic Management Journal, 7(6), 485–501.
Virgin. (n.d.). Find a Virgin company. Retrieved from http://www.virgin.com/company
Additional Resources
Hunter, M. (2013). Typologies and sources of entrepreneurial opportunity (II). Economics,
Management & Financial Markets, 8(4), 69–141.
Altman, W. (2009). Branson: The global brand builder. Engineering & Technology, 4(2), 80–81.
Rubin, E. N. (2013). Assessing your leadership style to achieve organizational objectives.
Global Business & Organizational Excellence, 32(6), 55–66.
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