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As a final assignment I have to make a case study about Zara that counts for 50% of the whole module. It is very important that there is no plagiarism in my assignment because we will be controlled on plagiarism very strictly! If I do get caught on plagiarism I have to retake the whole module next summer… The guidelines for the assignment are shown below and I’m aiming for a grade around 70%. Furthermore it is important that some appendices are used and that the material of the lectures is used. I will upload parts of the lecture slides as well. Thanks a lot!
3): Final Case Study Assignment (50% of module)
The particular assignment will be based on a case study provided on BB.
Report Briefing (4000 words +/- 10%)
You are going to be a Senior Analyst in the related of the ZARA’s industry. You have been asked to do an independent strategic review report for the CEO. You have been given an initial dossier containing the case study mentioned above and related info. You are encouraged to do further secondary research up to 2012 to support your case analysis. The CEO will ask you to cover the following in the analytical report:
1. Provide an in-depth analysis of the competitive forces and strategic issues shaping the ZARA’s industry.
Advisory notes:
• Approximately 900 words excluding use of supplementary appendices
• You should use any relevant strategic models to complete your analysis including macro-frameworks, Porter’s 5 forces and Industry (ILC) theory. Please avoid listing and descriptive content. It must contain structured critical evaluation.
2. Undertake an internal strategic audit of the issues that ZARA faces using appropriate organisational & strategic models to complete your critical assessment.
Advisory notes:
• Approximately 1,100 words excluding use of supplementary appendices.
• Your strategic audit should concentrate on the internal aspects of ZARA as an organisation. This can include financial & resource appraisal, value chain linkages, leadership, power & politics, decision making and other relevant learning gained from lectures & seminars on BKEY601.
• Aspire to being critical. Do not outline any theories in an explicit fashion. Simply apply them to the context of the case.
3. The CEO is concerned about various PR crises that have impacted ZARA since 2008. Therefore, you are required to identify the external stakeholder issues that ZARA faces and critically assess their impact on the corporate reputation and brand equity of ZARA Inc
Advisory notes:
• Approximately 700 words excluding use of supplementary appendices
• This requires the critical application of organisational ethics theory, CSR concepts, stakeholder applications & reputation management concepts/metrics.
4. Based on sections 1-3, you are required to summarise the strategic options that are appropriate to ZARA and make definitive recommendations for ZARA to sustain its future position in the its industry.
Advisory notes:
• Approximately 1,300 words. No supplementary appendices should be used in this section. It is not appropriate.
• This requires the application of the strategic options approach based on one of the lectures & seminars. It is very advisable to continue attend lectures that follow after the publication of this document.
Assessment Criteria for assessment 3
Q.1. –Q.3. The quality of strategic issues (50%)
Q.4. The quality of the strategic options analysis & final recommendations (30%)
Overall presentation, structure, writing clarity and use of secondary research sources (20%)
Questions and Evaluation Explained
Quality of Strategic Issues (50%):
In Q.1. have you looked at industry level issues (not just specific to ZARA) using macro & relevant 5 forces analysis?
Q.2. Have you analysed relevant internal issues using appropriate strategic and organisational concepts & models? These should include the application of financial, value chain & organisational concepts
Q.3. Have you critically examined ZARA’s stakeholder engagement using appropriate ethical, CSR & reputation management concepts?
Quality of strategic options analysis and final recommendations (30%):
Have you used preceding issues from Q.1- Q.3. to justify a set of possible options (ideally 4-6 options)
Have you thoroughly applied the STAIR (or any related model) option model from the custom text?
How specific and well justified are your final recommendations for ZARA?
Overall presentation, structure, writing clarity and quality of secondary research sources (20%):
Have you bound/stapled your assignment properly before submission?
Report format required. Use of a proper executive summary, annotated contents & appendices. These are NOT part of the word count.
Reformulate questions into report headings
Have you both spell-checked and proof-read your work? Is it clear to the reader? Writing clarity and flow is important
Have you paragraphed & formatted your work properly? Size 12 readable font, 1.5 spacing
Have you made an effort to reinforce your analysis with some extra research?
Assessment Grading
1st (70%+):
1st Class (70%+): Implicit application of strategic & organisational theory to develop external & strategic issues
Very effective use of evidence based argument using metrics, case and other secondary sources
Demonstrates financial awareness in analysis & resource based view
Very effective application of STAIR (or any other model) and application of strategic logic
Very specific and well justified recommendations
Further Guidance
Dear students, to make sure that the readers of your papers (i.e. your seminar leaders) are not distracted by unusual presentation of your papers please follow the guidance below. Consistency in terms of the font size, double spacing etc. will ensure that it is easy for us to follow the logic and to read your papers.
Report presentation requirements:
1) The font – Times New Roman 12 or Arial 10. Other fonts can be too small, too big or too curly etc. It is easier for us to follow the content of your coursework if the font is consistent in all of your papers.
2) Double spacing or 1.5 spacing. Single spacing means that the words are too close to each other, which again makes it not always easy to read.
3) Insert page numbers.
4) In the header write “Student name: [your name]” and “BKEY601 Assignment 3” and your seminar group (day and time)
Write in the third person passive voice. Please do not use the first or second person voice. Writing in the first person is only appropriate for cover letters and reflective assignments.
Report structure requirements:
1) The title page should contain the following information:
• University of Westminster, Westminster Business School;
• Student name;
• Student ID number;
• Module title: Strategic Perspectives;
• Module code: BKEY601;
• Date;
• Seminar leaders names;
• Title of the report;
• Word count.
2) Make sure you have a Table of Contents. Microsoft Word can create a Table of Contents automatically.
3) Make sure that your headings are numbered hierarchically.
4) Make sure that you have an appropriate number of headings and subheadings. I.e. make sure that the text inside different sections does not read like essay.
5) Consider carefully the structure of the paragraphs. What is the purpose of the first (introductory) sentence if each paragraph? How long is your paragraph and why? What is the purpose of the last sentence of each paragraph? Make sure that you paragraphs are not too long.
6) Please try to avoid very long sentences. If you can please break the sentences up.
7) Your Executive Summary should contain a short but full summary of the report. In other words, you need to clearly state the purpose of the report, the structure of the report, the summary of the findings and the main conclusions. Executive summaries are usually between 300 and 500 words. Please look at any academic article if you are in doubt how to write an ES.
8) Your Introduction should include the purpose and the structure of the report. The Introduction should follow the Executive Summary, not other way around.
9) The word count does not include the title page, the table of contents, the Executive Summary, the Reference list at the end of the report, the appendices.
10) The appendices should be at the very end of the report, i.e. they should follow the Reference list.
Finally the assignment needs to contain the following learning outcomes:
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of this module, the student should be able to:
1. Analyse incomplete or conflicting data and other information to formulate effective strategic and managerial decisions
2. Collaborate effectively in a team environment to achieve goals within agreed guidelines whilst demonstrating a critical awareness of the contributions of self and of others
3. Evaluate the significance of the multiple internal and external forces, business approaches and other ‘’pressures’’ that operate on and within organisations to influence strategy formulation and strategic decision making
4. Contribute to the process of the formulation and execution of strategy whilst showing a critical understanding of the consequences of these decisions upon the functioning of a variety of types of organizations
5. Compare and contrast the role of strategy and differing perspectives of strategic activity within a variety of organizational types.
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