INGLOT CASE
Instructions:
You have been asked to prepare a report. In doing so you should address the following aspects:
1. Outline firm-level (micro) and country-level (macro) factors contributing to the development of INGLOT’s competitive advantages and discuss their sustainability.
2. Develop INGLOT’s strategic plan for the next five years with a concrete outline of recommended geographical expansion, business model evolution and product diversification.
Do not exceed 3000 words; scripts that are excessively long (i.e. exceeding the limit by more than 10%) will not be read beyond the point of the word limit. The word limit applies to the main report only, and excludes exhibits. There is no minimum word limit.
Note carefully that this is not a project, but a case analysis, and as such the case contains all the information available to answer the issues at stake. You should NOT study sources for recent information on the company such as its Report and Accounts or its website, its competitors or its industry. You may however consult academic books or papers on general approaches to treating aspects of analysis that you consider important. Please note carefully that if you copy text from such sources you must correctly reference the source, and clearly identify copied text by means of italics or inverted commas.
Please note the following general points on case analysis:
– As noted above, the principle of a case is that it contains all the information available to answer the issues at stake.
– It is traditional to open a paper with a quick summary of past events described in the case and to outline the current situation. Then you state the issues facing the company or the managers, as appropriate. Usually these issues are explicit in the case; if not, you have to identify them.
– Most business decisions must be based on both qualitative and quantitative considerations. Most case analyses require both (but there are exceptions, e.g. in finance or in organizational behaviour). You must dig into the data, not merely quote them from the case. Be critical. Push the numbers around. If there are insufficient data, make an intelligent and justified estimate.
– Remember, all the time you are focusing on the issues you have already announced at the beginning of the discussion or text. In that way, you can reach your recommendations and leave the reader satisfied that you have built your argument and justified your conclusions.
