MGMT1101: Individual Assignment Research & Analysis Paper MGMT1101 © Bow Valley College Page 4 Summary of the organization (8 marks) • Provide a brief overview of the organization you have chosen. • The summary should include the organizations; name, industry/market they are in, location, history and description of the organization’s products or services offered, values, and any other information about the organization you feel is important and relevant. • The summary should include the major themes which you’ll be addressing in your paper. You may not find all the information you would like, so you may need to make some assumptions based on your research. • Research must be evident throughout. Note: Although the summary is the first section of your assignment…it is recommended you write it at the end as it will be easier to complete and will contain more substance once you have already performed your research. *For the purpose of this assignment, organization is synonymous with company. Customer base (4 marks) • Describe the customers your organization serves. What type of information should be included when researching their customers? Information may include, but is not limited to, factors such as age, gender, income, ethnicity, occupation, location (do they live in urban, suburban, or rural areas?), values and interests, etc. Essentially, you’ll need to research who your company targets and provide a description of their perfect customer. Mission and core values (4 marks) • Describe the mission of the organization (purpose of the organization/ why they exist). • In addition to providing the organization’s mission, interpret the organization’s corporate culture and core values. • Your personal insights/ideas/perspectives are evident throughout. • Research must be evident throughout. • If you cannot find the organization’s mission statement you’ll need to identify their “purpose” on your own and explain, based on your research, why they exist and what you feel their mission is. Vision (4 marks) • Describe the vision of the organization. Based on your research, where do the want to be in the future? • If you cannot find the organization’s vision statement you’ll need to identify their vision on your own and explain, based on your research, where they see themselves in the future/ what they aspire to be. MGMT1101: Individual Assignment Research & Analysis Paper MGMT1101 © Bow Valley College Page 5 Corporate level strategies (6 marks) • Identify the organization’s corporate level strategy (growth, stability, or renewal)? • Justify your response and provide examples. Note: If the organization uses growth, be sure to identify which growth strategy they use. If they use renewal, which renewal strategy do they use? • Your personal insights/ideas/perspectives are evident throughout. • Research must be evident throughout. Business level strategies (6 marks) • Which business level strategy does the organization use in order to gain ‘competitive advantage’ (cost leadership, differentiation, or focus)? Justify your response. • Your personal insights/ideas/perspectives if the business strategy is effective. Why or why not? • Research must be evident throughout. SWOT Analysis (16 marks) • The SWOT Analysis will address the entire organization as well as the product or service you chose. • Full/complete sentences are required. • Your personal insights/ideas/perspectives are evident throughout. • Research must be evident throughout. Strengths (internal): • Identify strengths of the organization and of the product/ service you chose. Strengths are factors which will help the organization achieve its marketing goals and become more competitive (e.g. employee training, employee experience/ knowledge, financial resources, products/ services, etc.). Weaknesses (internal): • Identify weaknesses of the organization and of the product/ service you chose. Weaknesses are factors which will keep the organization from achieving its marketing goals and becoming more competitive (e.g. lack of employee training, lack of employee experience/ knowledge, lack of financial resources, poor quality products, etc.). Opportunities (external): • Identify opportunities for the organization and for the product/ service you chose. Opportunities are external factors which will help the organization achieve its marketing goals and become more competitive (e.g. technology, economy, competitors, social trends, legal issues, emerging target markets etc.). Threats (external): • Identify threats to the organization and to the product/ service you chose. Threats are external factors which will keep the organization from achieving its marketing goals and becoming more competitive (e.g. technology, economy, competitors, social trends, legal issues, emerging target markets etc.) MGMT1101: Individual Assignment Research & Analysis Paper MGMT1101 © Bow Valley College Page 6 Organized & Structured (2 marks) • Assignment is well organized/ structured as per assignment instructions (e.g. divided into sections, proper bolded headings are used as per instructions, etc.). Looks professional and illustrates evidence of pride taken. • The paper is the required length of 3-4 pages. Spelling, Grammar, & Sentence Structure (3 marks