Task:
Choose one company from the following list. For this company, explain how successful you think it is and discuss the strategic reasons behind that success. Your explanation should include something about the contribution of leadership to the company. Go on to suggest strategies and/or actions for ensuring success in the future.
1. Jaguar Land Rover Automotive plc
2. FedEx Corporation
3. Hertz Global Holdings Inc

Notes:
a. Word limit = 3,600 words. See page 3 of this brief for an explanation.
b. Tables with sentences (rather than data) WILL be included in the word count
c. No appendices are permitted.
d. You should read the guidance on page 2 of this brief and the marking scheme at the end of this brief to understand how you should approach the assignment.
e. The assignment represents 100% of the module mark.

Guidance
To tackle the question you need to carry out a full strategic analysis of the company and the business environment. But we only want to read the really important outputs of that analysis. You have to judge what outputs from the analysis (i.e. your conclusions) are most important and present these to us in a clear, academically rigorous manner.
We want you to tell us how you think the company has been able to compete successfully and justify your answer with analysis based on topic areas taught as part of this module. “Success” could be evaluated in terms of measures such as growth, profitability, market share and so on. But how has the company achieved this position which may have taken several years? It could be explained using analysis based on one or more of the following strategic management topic areas:
• Strategic capabilities leading to competitive advantage
• A clear business strategy consistent with strategic capabilities
• Development strategies based on strategic capabilities leading to growth
• Methods of strategic development supporting the growth strategy
• A well-managed international strategy
• An effective innovation strategy
• Good leadership

So, your assignment should contain the following numbered sections (5cm spacing between each):
1. Company data which can be used to evaluate its success concluding with your thoughts about whether or not the company can be described as “successful”.
2. An outline of 6 to10 business reasons behind the success stated in a simple, straightforward way with a brief (4/5 sentences) explanation of each reason. Avoid strategy “jargon”; no analysis is required – this is a test of your broad business knowledge and understanding.
3. A detailed analysis of the company’s strategic capabilities based around the Value Chain and VRIN tools. Your interpretation of the analysis must clearly show how the company has been able to build competitive advantage.
4. A detailed analysis and interpretation based on one further topic area from the list of topics at the top of this page.
5. An evaluation of the contribution of leadership to the company’s success, basing this on appropriate theory. A wide range of topics will be acceptable, including leadership, management, organisational culture and decision-making.
6. An explanation of any external and/or internal factors that might make it difficult for the company to be successful in the future (cite sources) and suggestions as to how the company can best deal with these.
Please remember that:
• ALL sections should cite sources of research data and theories/concepts on which your analysis is based. The only exception to this is the suggestions you make in Section 6; these should be YOUR original ideas and therefore citations are not expected. All cited sources should be listed in APA format in the References section at the end of your assignment
• Cutting and pasting material directly from sources without citation is plagiarism
• Cutting and pasting material directly from sources with citation is poor scholarship
• Short extracts from cited sources are permissible – use quotation marks
• You should use your own words wherever possible

Mapping to Programme Goals and Objectives:

This assessment will contribute directly to the following Undergraduate programme goals and objectives:

1. Knowledgeable about the theory and practice of international business and management
Objectives:
Students will be able to:

x 1. Acquire knowledge of functional areas of business and management.
2. Acquire knowledge of specialist areas of business.
x 3. Apply their knowledge to business and management contexts.
x 4. Conduct contemporary research into business and management.

2. Skilful in the use of professional and managerial techniques and processes
Objectives:
Students will be able to:

1. Provide evidence of self reflection as a means of informing personal development planning.
2. Demonstrate effective interpersonal communication skills and the ability to work in a team.
x 3. Demonstrate critical thinking skills
x 4. Demonstrate problem solving skills.

3. Aware of ethical issues impacting on business and professional practice
Objectives:
Students will be able to:

1. Identify an ethical dilemma in a business situation
2. Suggest ethical solutions to this dilemma

4. Employable as graduates
Objectives:
Students will be able to:

1. In the context of securing graduate employment demonstrate the skills of self presentation.

Achievement of Goal 1 Objective 4 and Goal 2 Objective 3 are measured throughout the assignment. The other Goals and Objectives are measured primarily in certain sections – these are shown on the feedback sheet below.