Determine how you would use business strategies in order to create an advantage in your current or past place of employment. Assess how you could use your strategic plan from the course

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STRCB/581 Competency 1 Assessment and Rubric

Course Title: Strategic Planning & Implementation

Competency Assessment Title: Modified SWOT Analysis

Total Number of Points: 100

Assignment Directions

Successful businesses regularly analyze their processes to ensure they’re operating as efficiently as possible and maintaining their competitive advantages.

Although you can assess a company in many ways, a common technique is the SWOT analysis. In this assignment, you’ll practice using SWOT analysis to better

understand the factors involved in making business decisions that promote a sustainable competitive advantage.

Note: You can view sample SWOT analyses by visiting the University Library > Databases > B > Business Source Complete: SWOT Analyses.

Select and research a company from the 2020 Fortune 500 list that demonstrates a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. You may also choose

to use your current employer or a company you've worked for in the past as long as you have sufficient data to complete the assignment.

Evaluate the selected company’s sustainable competitive advantage using the SWOT analysis technique.

Write a 700- to 1000-word modified SWOT analysis that includes the following:

• An introduction with a detailed description of the company

• A SWOT analysis diagram that includes strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats

• An evaluation of how specific internal factors (strengths and/or weaknesses) support and/or promote a competitive advantage. Examples may include:

• Financial, physical, or human resources

• Access to natural resources, trademarks, patents, or copyrights

• Current processes (employee programs or software systems)

• An evaluation of how specific external factors (opportunities and/or threats) support and/or promote a competitive advantage. Examples may include:

• Market trends (new products or technology advancements)

• Economic trends (local and/or global)

• Demographics

• Regulations (political, environmental, or economic)

• A conclusion with an evaluation of how the company has retained its competitive advantage

Include in-text citations and a reference page with at least 2 sources. Note: You may include your textbook as 1 of the sources.

STRCB/581 Competency 1 Rubric Page 2 of 3

Copyright 2021 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.

Competency Assessment Rubric

Assignment/Performance Criteria

Mastery 100%

Meets Expectations 85%

Not Met 0%

1. Introduction and company description

(weight 20%)

The introduction thoroughly oriented the reader to the company’s history and presence in the marketplace and the company description thoroughly used detailed language to illustrate the company’s success and sustainable competitive advantage.

The introduction mostly oriented the reader to the company’s history and presence in the marketplace and the company description mostly used detailed language to illustrate the company’s success and sustainable competitive advantage.

The introduction somewhat oriented the reader to the company’s history and presence in the marketplace, the company description somewhat used detailed language to illustrate the company’s success and sustainable competitive advantage, or introduction and/or company description was not included.

2. SWOT analysis diagram

(weight 10%)

The diagram included all required components, was presented in a format that fully showcased the information clearly and left the viewer with no unanswered questions.

The diagram included most of the required components, was presented in a format that mostly showcased the information clearly, and the viewer was left with few unanswered questions.

The diagram included some of the required components, was presented in a format that somewhat showcased the information clearly, the viewer was left with some unanswered questions, or diagram was not included.

3. Internal factors evaluation

(weight 25%)

The evaluation thoroughly supported the SWOT Analysis Diagram and provided thorough insight into the connections between the company’s internal factors and its sustainable competitive advantages from a creative and innovative perspective.

The evaluation thoroughly supported the SWOT Analysis Diagram and provided thorough insight into the connections between the company’s internal factors and its sustainable competitive advantages.

The evaluation somewhat supported the SWOT Analysis Diagram and provided narrow insight into the connections between the company’s internal factors and its sustainable competitive advantages, or evaluation was not included.

4. External factors evaluation

(weight 25%) The evaluation thoroughly supported the SWOT Analysis Diagram and provided thorough insight into the connections between the company’s external factors and its sustainable competitive advantages from a creative and innovative perspective.

The evaluation thoroughly supported the SWOT Analysis Diagram and provided thorough insight into the connections between the company’s external factors and its sustainable competitive advantages.

The evaluation narrowly supported the SWOT Analysis Diagram and provided narrow insight into the connections between the company’s external factors and its sustainable competitive advantages or evaluation was not included.

STRCB/581 Competency 1 Rubric Page 3 of 3

Copyright 2021 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.

Assignment/Performance Criteria

Mastery 100%

Meets Expectations 85%

Not Met 0%

5. Conclusion and competitive advantage evaluation

(weight 20%)

The conclusion thoroughly summarized the company’s history and presence in the marketplace without introducing any new information and provided a thorough evaluation for how the company has retained its competitive advantage over time from a creative and innovative perspective.

The conclusion thoroughly summarized the company’s history and presence in the marketplace without introducing any new information and provided a thorough evaluation for how the company has retained its competitive advantage over time.

The conclusion narrowly summarized the company’s history and presence in the marketplace without introducing any new information and provided a narrow evaluation for how the company has retained its competitive advantage over time or conclusion was not included.

Copyright 2021 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.

STRCB/581 Competency 2 Assessment and Rubric Course Title: Strategic Planning & Implementation

Competency Assessment Title: Strategic Analysis

Total Number of Points: 100

Assignment Directions Step 1: Choose a Company In the first Competency Assessment, you completed a SWOT analysis on a successful company that demonstrated a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. Now you will shift your focus to look at a company that is failing or experiencing challenges in the area of financial performance.

Select and research a company that is having financial difficulties or is on the brink of bankruptcy. You may also choose to use your current employer or a company you've worked for in the past as long as you have sufficient data to complete the assignment.

Review “Where Can I Find a Company's Annual Report and Its SEC Filings?” from Investopedia.

You can also access specific information about a variety of businesses in the University Library by searching the following databases:

• University Library > Databases > B > Business Source Complete • University Library > How Do I > Company Information > Find Annual Reports > EDGAR (SEC Filings) • University Library > Databases > P > Plunkett Research Online

Step 2: Write an Analysis Conduct a strategic analysis of the company’s current financial operations. Determine strategies for achieving a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace and increasing financial performance.

Write a 750- to 1000-word strategic analysis. When writing your analysis, complete the following:

• Evaluate the company’s current financial plan, including charts and/or graphs showing financial data from the struggling company and make recommendations for improvement.

• Determine strategies for achieving a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace and increasing financial performance. • Create a plan to implement the strategies you selected. • Include at least 3 sources.

STRCB/581 Competency 2 Rubric Page 2 of 2

Copyright 2021 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.

Competency Assessment Rubric

Assignment/Performance Criteria Mastery 100%

Meets Expectations 85%

Not Met 0%

1. Evaluation of the company’s current financial plan and recommendations for improvement

(weight 30%)

Comprehensively evaluated the company’s current financial plan from a creative and innovative perspective, included fully relevant charts and/or graphs of company’s financial data, and made a comprehensive, creative, and innovative connection between recommendations for improvement and company’s current financial state

Partially evaluated the company’s current financial plan, included mostly relevant charts and/or graphs of company’s financial data, and made a partial connection between recommendations for improvement and company’s current financial state

Narrowly evaluated the company’s current financial plan, included some relevant charts and/or graphs of company’s financial data, and made a narrow connection between recommendations for improvement and company’s current financial state; or did not evaluate the company’s current financial plan, did not include relevant charts or graphs of company’s financial data, or did not make a connection between recommendations for improvement and company’s current financial state

2. Strategies for achieving sustainable competitive advantage

(weight 30%)

Thoroughly evaluated strategies for achieving sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace and increasing financial performance from a creative and innovative perspective

Somewhat evaluated strategies for achieving sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace and increasing financial performance

Narrowly evaluated strategies for achieving sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace and increasing financial performance or did not evaluate strategies for achieving sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace and increasing financial performance

3. Plan to implement the selected strategies

(weight 40%)

Created a thorough, creative, and innovative plan to implement strategies

Created a thorough plan to implement strategies

Created a narrow plan to implement strategies or did not create a plan to implement strategies