BUS 498-Industry and Firm Analysis
Industry and Firm Analysis
Requirements:
4.1 Industry and firm reports will be completed in teams. The industry analysis consists of researching and analyzing the pet supplements industry, while the firm analysis consists of researching and analyzing a firm in the industry. The report must be typed and not exceed 10-double spaced pages, excluding exhibits, with 1″ margins and standard fonts (i.e., 12-point). The reports will be broadly evaluated on incisive analysis, the application of appropriate concepts and frameworks, the logic of arguments (qualitative and quantitative), and presentation (professionalism, persuasion, clarity, flow, spelling, grammar, etc). Exhibits are highly recommended to enhance the text. Graphics, tables, and bullets will help to make points in the most concise way and to clarify issues discussed in the text. Exhibits should be germane to the analysis and arguments, and should be referenced as appropriate in the text. Note, however, that the point of the information presented in the exhibits must be covered in the writing of the report. Please make sure all appropriate materials are referenced, use a broad range of references, and provide current and complete references (title, source, date, etc.). More details will be forthcoming.
Full Instructions
A compelling industry analysis is not the result of mere collection of data and facts. It is students’ analysis and interpretation of the data they collect, and the plausibility of the inferences that students draw from the data that contribute to the quality of the industry analysis. Students should not provide an account of the historical evolution of the industry but rather identify relevant and recent strategic challenges affecting firms that operate in the industry. Students should define these strategic challenges not around symptoms such as declining profitability, declining sales or increasing competition but rather on the basis of the causes leading to those symptoms. When facing a trade-off between breadth and depth, students should opt for the latter– an analysis with a somewhat narrower scope that provides a deeper understanding of a major strategic challenge is preferable to very comprehensive but superficial analysis. In the firm analysis section, students should focus on a particular firm in the pet supplements Industry and propose how that firm should address the strategic challenge(s) that the group identified in the industry analysis. The students should discuss the implications of the strategic challenge(s) for the continued success of the firm. Whereas the industry analysis articulates in detail some developments in the industry that generally affect firms in the industry, the firm analysis should articulate the implications of the strategic challenge(s) from the point of view of a single firm that your team selects. Students should avoid proposing strategic recommendations around the desired outcomes such as “improve capabilities”, “compete more aggressively”, or “increase profitability” and should, instead, focus on the factors that will help the firm attain those outcomes. Again, when facing a tradeoff between breadth and depth, teams should opt for the latter – instead of listing a large number of recommendations, your team should focus on two or three items but fully support them with both qualitative and quantitative evidence.
Analytical Content:
• The students build on BUS 498 concepts and frameworks that are relevant to the analysis.
• The report analyzes, instead of describing, the industry.
• The analysis is rigorous: – no logical gaps; – no disconnect between evidence and conclusions.
Part 1/ Few questions for you to start your industry analysis:
o What’s the industry performance over the past 5-years (thinking about various indicators); (Amir)
o What’s the general environmental conditions of the industry (PESTEL)? (Selvin)
o How about the industry structural characteristics (Porter’s 5 forces and complements) (Han)
o Who are the major players in the market and how is the market share distributed? (Michael)
o What are the main drivers of the industry change and how this change reflected on the industry structure?
o Any potential opportunities and threats?
o What’s your conclusion about the attractiveness of the industry?
Part 2/ Few questions for you to start your firm analysis:
o How is the firm performed? what’s your assessment of the current strategies of the firm? How about the internal characteristics of the firm (resources and capabilities, structures and systems)? (Amir)
o Is the firm in a strong competitive position relative to its rivals? What are the firm’s sources of cost and differentiation competitive advantage? Does the firm have a sustainable competitive advantage? (Michael)
o From the assessment the focal firm’s position in its environment, what are your identified problems that the firm encounter (Support your identification with solid data)? (Han)
o What are your recommended strategies for solving the problem(s)? how about the strategic objectives and necessary tactics? (Selvin & Sara)
o Validate why your recommended strategy will work using qualitative and quantitative reasoning, cost benefit analysis, and provide timeline for implementation. (Selvin & Sara)
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