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This session, we will be conducting a strategic analysis of Southwest Airlines. In order to be best prepared and perform well on the cases, it is highly recommended that you complete the background readings and the SLP before writing to the case.
For this case, you will be identifying the primary business strategy employed by Southwest Airlines. You will also be providing a critical analysis evaluating that strategy in the context of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats you identified in Modules 2 and 3.
Required Reading
Please refer to the required and optional readings on Strategic Choices, the theme of Module 4.
Assignment
• In a 5-6 page paper, respond to the following:
1) Which of the four generic (Porter) strategies does Southwest Airlines follow, and how do you know?
2) Integrate the strategy you’ve identifed above with the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats you identified in modules 2 and 3. Doing so should give you some specific actions the company is taking relative to their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. These actions are referred to as “strategic choices.” Do Southwest Airline’s strategic choices align with the firm’s generic strategy? If not, what are the points of disconnect? You need to think critically about this step, as no company achieves perfect alignment of its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats with its chosen strategy. It is your job to uncover the discrepancies and problems.
3) How can Southwest Airlines leverage its strengths and shore up its weaknesses by altering its strategic choices? How can the company take advantage of environmental opportunities and minimize environmental threats by altering its strategic choices? Be very specific!
4) Complete the paper by commenting on how your view of Southwest Airline’s vision and mission has changed or has been reconfirmed by this process of strategic analysis. Would you make any suggestions to revise company’s mission or vision statements, or any of its goals/objectives?
5) Consider the Case as a formal business report that you are developing for the Board of Directors and CEO as Southwest Airline’s consultant. This is a professional document. Follow the format below:
• Executive summary: a synopsis of the main points, conclusions and recommendations made in the longer report. If you have never written an executive summary before, or would like a refresher, check this website: http://www.highendfinance.com/CommercialLoans/Docs/07-4%20ES%20Guidelines.doc
• Introduction: State the main purpose of the paper (thesis statement), what you hope to accomplish, and how you will go about doing it.
• Main Body: The “meat” of the paper. Emphasize analysis, not just description. Delineate separate topics or sections with headings.
• Conclusion: Summarize your paper in light of your thesis statement.
Assignment Expectations
Your paper will be evaluated on the following seven (7) points:
• Precision – Does the paper address the question(s) or task(s)?
• Breadth – Is the full breadth of the subject, i.e., all the keys to the assignment, addressed?
• Depth – Does the paper address all elements of the topic in sufficient depth? Does it include and apply the background readings and other background resources? Are they included as references?
• Critical thinking – Are the concepts of the module applied accurately, logically, and relevantly?
• Organization – Is the paper organized in a coherent and systematic manner? Are headings included in all papers greater than 2 pages?
• Clarity – Is the writing clear and the concepts articulated properly? Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of response to the questions, or are thoughts conveyed through excessive use of quotations?
• Referencing (citations and references) – Does the paper use citations and quotation marks where appropriate? Are all references listed in the bibliography used and referred to via citation?
Please note the following tips and suggestions:
• Business school case-study assignments are meant to offer practice opportunities for future business people who are earning their MBA degrees. Consider yourself a consultant hired by the company to make these critical assessments. There are no right or wrong answers to the Case question, so long as your position is well-defended.
• Study the theoretical concepts provided you in the Background Materials section of the module, and identify main strategy concepts.
• Include a cover page and reference page, in addition to the 4-5 pages of analysis described above.
• Include headings for all papers greater than 2 pages (basically all papers).
• Cite AND reference all sources that you use in your work, including those that you do not quote but paraphrase. This means include citations and quotation marks for direct quotes of more than 5 words, and citations for that information which you have “borrowed” or paraphrased from other sources.
• Follow TUI Guidelines for Well-Written Papers.
• Submit your analysis to CourseNet by the end of this module.
Module 4 – SLP
Strategic Choices
Background
In the Module 4 SLP, you will be learning how to apply and integrate the results of your SWOT (discussed in Modules 2 & 3) with the four generic business strategies discussed in this module. As we have done in the past 3 modules, we will take you through the process step-by-step:
Note: Throughout this course, you should complete the SLP before you undertake the case analysis. Before you begin the SLP, you need to read the background materials thoroughly.
Required Reading
If you are having trouble determining how to integrate the SWOT factors with different strategies, the following two readings may help.
1) The first article includes some examples of how RBV variables can be used to leverage a cost or differentiation strategy:
Competitive Advantage (2007). Retrieved on August 15, 2011 from: http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/competitive-advantage/
2) The second reading demonstrates how a cost, differentiation, or focus strategy can help a company defend itself against Porter’s 5-Forces:
Porter’s Generic Strategies. (2007). Retrieved on August 15, 2011 from: http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/generic.shtml
Assignment
In this module, using Southwest Airlines, we will be integrating the results of our SWOT with our chosen strategy.
Keys to the Assignment
• Step 1: Create a 5×5 table with the four strategies listed across the top and the four SWOT variables along the side as follows:
Low cost Differentiation Focus Preemptive
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
• Step 2: Using your work in modules 2 and 3 as it relates to Southwest Airlines, select one element from any of the analytical models we studied that contributes to each of the four SWOT variables. For example, for Weaknesses, you may want to choose an element from Porter’s Value Chain (say, operations), while for Opportunities you may want to select something from the PEST analysis (say, socio-cultural factors). Select one for Strengths and Threats as well.
• Step 3: Enter the elements you have chosen with the corresponding SWOT variable. Below, I have shown how I have selected “Strong Competitive Rivalry” for Threats. Note that I could have also chosen high barriers to entry, high bargaining power of suppliers or customers, high substitutability (from 5-Forces analysis), or a specific political, economic, social, or technological factor (from PEST). Complete this process for all four SWOT variables.
Low cost Differentiation Focus Preemptive
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats: Strong competitive rivalry
• Step 4: This is the most challenging part. Indicate what impact each strategy might have on each SWOT factor you have chosen by offering a business action that will address the SWOT. I’ve chosen one threat: Strong competitive rivalry. Follow that factor across all four generic strategies. How would a low-cost strategy address an industry environment characterized by intense rivalry? What about a differentiation strategy? Focus? Preemptive? In other words, you are considering the same industry threat – but addressing it differently depending on the chosen strategy. See the example below.
Low cost Differentiation Focus Pre-emptive
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats: Strong competitive rivalry Undercut rivals on price through operational economies Brand loyalty attracts repeat customers Find an underserved market segment that rivals are unwilling to serve Beat rivals out of the gate, establish dominant position
Thus, the strategic action you choose to fill in a given blank should do two things: 1) offer a tactic for taking advantage of a strength or opportunity or for managing a threat or weakness, and 2) follow the basic thrust of the strategy in that column.
Assignment Expectations
Your paper will be evaluated on the following points:
• Precision – Does the paper address the question(s) or task(s)?
• Breadth – Is the full breadth of the subject, i.e., all the keys to the assignment, addressed?
• Depth – Does the paper address all elements of the topic in sufficient depth? Does it include and apply the background readings and other background resources? Are they included as references?
• Application – Are the concepts of the module appropriately applied to the subject organization?
• Organization – Is the paper organized in a coherent and systematic manner? Are headings included in all papers greater than 2 pages?
• Clarity – Is the writing clear and the concepts articulated properly? Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of response to the questions, or are thoughts conveyed through excessive use of quotations?
• Referencing (citations and references) – Does the paper use citations and quotation marks where appropriate? Are all references listed in the bibliography used and referred to via citation?
Tips and Suggestions
• Click here to access Dr. Flaschner’s recommended search engines.
• There are no right or wrong answers to this exercise, provided that your analysis is logical. That is, the factors you chose must align with the appropriate SWOT variable, and the business actions you choose must align with the proper strategy.
• Take care to prepare a professional presentation of your table. It should fit on one page and be readable. You will probably have more luck with a landscape layout than portrait layout.
• Include headings for all papers greater than 2 pages (basically all papers).
• Cite AND reference all sources that you use in your work, including those that you do not quote but paraphrase. This means include citations and quotation marks for direct quotes of more than 5 words, and citations for that information which you have “borrowed” or paraphrased from other sources.
• Follow TUI Guidelines for Well-Written Papers.
• Submit your analysis to Coursenet by the end of this module.
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