• The case you will analyze is included in your text, specifically, "Case 30: Yahoo! Inc.: Marissa Mayer's Challenge," pages 30-1 to 30-12 (This can be found on the internet with WSJ). In preparation for your case analysis, read "Guide to Strategic Management Case Analysis" in the text, which provides valuable advice on how to analyze a business case. As you develop your analysis and recommendations, use the tools provided in your text to guide you. Also, consider the information and knowledge you are acquiring and think about how you can apply this in your current professional work.
  
• Number of pages: Your final paper must be 6–8 pages, excluding the title page and reference list.
• File format: Be sure to submit your paper in Microsoft Word format.
• Style and formatting: Use current APA style to cite and reference your sources. Also follow APA formatting guidelines for the layout of your paper. Refer to the Writing Center's APA style and formatting module on Campus for more information.
• Arial, 10 point. Font and font size
• Written communication: Written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.

Think of this as going to the Board of Directors at Yahoo. What you are really trying to do is to outline for them what the state of the business is, what the key opportunities and challenges are, what your recommended strategy is going forward and why you think that. You need to support your recommendations with solid arguments backed by information in the text as well as from your four key resources. The Board is asking you: How are we doing? What should we do next? Why?

You will want to have an organized paper. Typically I am looking for:

1. Overview/Executive Summary (What is the background and what are the critical factors in the case?)
2. Assessment of opportunities and challenges. A SWOT analysis is always good (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
3. Strategic Options. Before you simply tell the board what they should do, demonstrate the various options with the pluses and minuses for each.
4. Recommendation. From the options above, what would you recommend and why?
5. Conclusion. Briefly summarize your paper. A good presentation is always, "Tell them what you are going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them." So here, "tell them what you told them."