This postgraduate Strategy and Innovation assessment requires students to conduct a detailed strategic analysis of an allocated organisation and present the findings through a series of professionally designed information dashboards. The purpose of the analysis is to establish the organisation's current strategic position and use the resulting evidence to recommend an appropriate and justifiable innovation strategy. The work is expected to demonstrate master's-level evaluation, interpretation and synthesis rather than descriptive or checklist-based analysis. The first major analytical area concerns the organisation's external environment. Students evaluate the broader business environment, analyse the firm's industry and undertake competitor analysis, including consideration of the organisation's strategic group. Analysis should concentrate on the most consequential environmental factors and integrate general and industry-level evidence rather than simply listing factors. Competitor evaluation can examine issues such as products and services, market commonality, positioning, distinctive value propositions, first-mover advantage and breakthrough innovation. The internal analysis examines the firm's resources, capabilities and sources of competitive advantage. Appropriate analytical techniques should be used to assess competitive resources and key capabilities, with the internal value chain helping to identify factors capable of supporting competitive advantage. Students must also evaluate the organisation's business-level strategy and consider whether its resources and capabilities support its competitive positioning. Corporate-level analysis considers the firm's degree of diversification, internationalisation strategy, growth through acquisitions, mergers or organic development, and any cooperative strategies. These elements should be evaluated against the organisation's capabilities, resources and competitive context. The analysis concludes by interpreting the evidence to establish the firm's overall strategic position and recommending an innovation strategy or approach to innovation. Presentation quality is also important: the report should use an effective combination of text, charts, diagrams and other graphical forms, with professional formatting and accurate referencing. Overview word count: approximately 330 words.
Strategic Management · Strategy and Innovation · Strategic Analysis · External Environment Analysis · Industry Analysis · Competitor Analysis · Strategic Groups · Competitive Advantage · Resources and Capabilities · Internal Value Chain · Business-Level Strategy · Corporate-Level Strategy
Megaminds has supported academic requirements in strategy and innovation, strategy & innovation and related disciplines.