Develop a BCG Matrix for your university. Because your college does not generate profits, what would be a good surrogate for the pie slice values? How many circles do you have and how large are they? Explain.
> List three resistance to change strategies. Give an example when you would use each method or approach.
> Compare and contrast profit sharing with gain sharing as employee performance incentives.
> In order of importance in your opinion, list six advantages of a matrix organizational structure.
> What are the two major disadvantages of an SBU-type organizational structure? What are the two major advantages? At what point in a firm’s growth do you feel the advantages offset the disadvantages? Explain.
> Explain how to choose between a divisional-by-product and a divisional-by-region organizational structure.
> Explain why Chandler’s strategy-structure relationship commonly exists among firms.
> Considering avoidance, defusion, confrontation, which method of conflict resolution do you prefer most? Why? Which do you prefer least? Why?
> In stating objectives, why should terms such as increase, minimize, maximize, as soon as possible, adequate, and decrease be avoided?
> The chapter says strategy formulation focuses on effectiveness, whereas strategy implementation focuses on efficiency. Which is more important, effectiveness, or efficiency? Give an example of each concept.
> List the five labor cost-saving activities that you believe would be most effective for Best Buy. Give a rationale for each activity.
> Discuss three ways for linking performance and pay to strategies.
> Describe a conflict situation in which to resolve the problem you would use 1) Avoidance, 2) Defusion, and 3) Confrontation.
> College football coaches get paid millions, presumably because there is so much money involved in college football the need to win is paramount. However, head coaches are often fired when a season goes badly, such as Gene Chizik at Auburn University in l
> Women comprise only 6 percent of corporate board seats in Asia, compared to 17 percent in Europe and 15 percent in the USA. Why is this a problem globally for 1) companies with a low percent and 2) countries with a low percent?
> List seven guidelines to follow in developing an organizational chart.
> Discuss recent trends of firms downsizing family-friendly programs.
> Discuss recent trends among women and minorities becoming top executives in the USA.
> List the advantages and disadvantages of a functional versus a divisional organizational structure.
> List the different types of organizational structure. Diagram what you feel is the most complex of these types of structure and label your chart clearly.
> Advertising agencies are an example industry transitioning from specialist Hispanic, African American, and Asian firms to multicultural, generalist agencies. Why is this occurring? What other industries or institutions may follow suit? Why?
> What are the advantages and disadvantages of decentralizing the wage and salary function of an organization? How could this be accomplished?
> Think of a company that would operate best in your opinion in a division-by-services organizational structure. Explain your reasoning.
> What do you especially like and dislike about Halliburton’s organizational chart shown in the chapter? What would you change if anything? Why?
> Discuss the glass ceiling in the United States, giving your ideas and suggestions.
> Would the angle or degrees of the vector in a SPACE Matrix be important in generating alternative strategies? Explain.
> For the following three firms using the given factors, calculate a reasonable Stability Position (SP) coordinate to go on the SPACE Matrix axis, given what you know about the nature of those industries.
> List three limitations of the SWOT Matrix and analysis.
> List six drawbacks of using only subjective information in formulating strategies.
> Many multidivisional firms do not report revenues or profits by division or segment in their Form 10K or Annual Report. What are the pros and cons of this management practice? Discuss.
> Walt Disney’s Board of Directors consists of eight men and five women. Why should a Board not consist of all men, or all women, or all whites, or all minorities?
> Overlay a BCG Matrix with a Grand Strategy Matrix and discuss similarities in terms of format and implications.
> Why is it important to work row by row instead of column by column in preparing a QSPM?
> Rank Business Week’s “principles of good governance” from 1 to 14 (1 being most important and 14 least important) to reveal your assessment of these new rules.
> How does the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 impact boards of directors?
> Make up an example to show clearly and completely that you can develop an IE Matrix for a 3-division company, where each division has $10, $20, and $40 in revenues, and $2, $4, and $1 in profits. State other assumptions as needed. Label axes and quadrant
> List 4 limitations of a BCG Matrix.
> How are the SWOT Matrix, SPACE Matrix, BCG Matrix, IE Matrix, and Grand Strategy Matrix similar? How are they different?
> Explain why cultural factors should be an important consideration in analyzing and choosing among alternative strategies.
> Discuss the limitations of various strategy-formulation analytical techniques.
> What do you think is the appropriate role of a board of directors in strategic management? Why?
> How would you develop a set of objectives for your school of business?
> In developing a SPACE Matrix, what would you expect the SP average to be for 1) Apple, 2) Heinz, 3) Verizon, 4) Amazon, and 5) Kroger.
> Explain the steps involved in developing a QSPM.
> Given the information in the table below, develop a BCG Matrix and an IE Matrix. Divisions 1 2 3 $10 $100 $15 $50 $25 $100 0.8 Profits Sales Relative Market Share 0.2 0.5 Industry Growth Rate IFE Total Weighted Success EFE Total Weighted Success +.2
> Given the following information, develop a SPACE Matrix for the XYZ Corporation: FP = +2; SP = -6; CP = -2; IP = +4.
> Develop a 2x2x2x2x2 QSPM for an organization of your choice (i.e., two strengths, two weaknesses, two opportunities, two threats, and two strategies). Follow all the QSPM guidelines presented in the chapter.
> In an IE Matrix, do you believe it is more advantageous for a division to be located in quadrant II or IV? Why?
> Would a BCG Matrix and analysis be worth performing if you do not know the profits of each segment? Why?
> In a BCG Matrix, would the Question Mark quadrant or the Cash Cow quadrant be more desirable? Explain.
> Describe a situation where the SPACE analysis would have no vector. In other words, describe a situation where the SPACE analysis coordinate would be (0,0). What should an analyst do in this situation?
> On the competitive position (CP) axis of a SPACE Matrix, what level of capacity utilization would be necessary for you to give the firm a negative 1? Negative 7? Why?
> Why should one avoid putting double 4’s in a row in preparing a QSPM?
> What strategies are best for turbulent, high-velocity markets?
> Discuss the nature as well as the pros and cons of a “friendly merger” versus “hostile takeover” in acquiring another firm. Give an example of each.
> Give some advantages and disadvantages of cooperative versus competitive strategies.
> List 11 types of strategies. Give a hypothetical example of each strategy listed.
> What do you believe are the five most important benefits of outsourcing?
> Kroger is adding clothing to its line of products. Give two reasons why this may be a good strategy and two reasons why it may be a bad strategy.
> The number and dollar value of hostile takeovers are on the rise. Give two reasons for this trend.
> How do the levels of strategy differ in a large firm versus a small firm?
> Compare and contrast financial objectives with strategic objectives. Which type is more important in your opinion? Why?
> What conditions, externally and internally, would be desired/necessary for a firm to diversify?
> What are the pros and cons of a firm merging with a rival firm?
> Give recent examples of forward integration, backward integration, and horizontal integration.
> Consumers can purchase tennis shoes, food, cars, boats, and insurance on the Internet. Are there any products today that cannot be purchased online? What is the implication for traditional retailers?
> Give recent examples of market penetration, market development, and product development.
> Discuss how important it is for a college football or basketball team to have a good game plan for the big rival game this coming weekend. How much time and effort do you feel the coaching staff puts into developing that game plan? Why is such time and e
> List five reasons why many merger/acquisitions historically have failed.
> List six major benefits of acquiring another firm to achieve desired objectives.
> List four major benefits of forming a joint venture to achieve desired objectives.
> Could a firm simultaneously pursue focus, differentiation, and cost leadership? Should firms do that? Discuss.
> Called de-integration, there appears to be a growing trend for firms to become less backward integrated. Discuss why.
> In order of importance, list six “benefits of objectives.”
> How are for-profit firms different from nonprofit firms in terms of business? What are the implications for strategic planning?
> Define and give an example of a dividend recapitalization. List some pros and cons of doing this in a business.
> Why is it not advisable to pursue too many strategies at once?
> How does strategic management differ in profit and nonprofit organizations?
> What are the major advantages and disadvantages of an integrative strategy?
> What are the major advantages and disadvantages of diversification?
> Do you think hostile takeovers are unethical? Why or why not?
> Give recent examples of joint venture, retrenchment, divestiture, and liquidation.
> Define and give an example of a secondary buyout. Why did secondary buyouts triple in total dollar value in 2012 versus 2011?
> Give recent examples of related and unrelated diversification.
> If a company has $1 million to spend on a new strategy and is considering market development versus product development, what determining factors would be most important to consider?
> Define and give an example of reshoring. What are three reasons why reshoring is becoming more popular? What are three reasons many companies expect “never” to reshore (as Steve Jobs once told President Obama)?
> Which of the three basic functions of finance/accounting do you feel is most important in a small electronics manufacturing concern? Justify your position.
> Construct an EFE Matrix for an organization of your choice.
> As the owner of a small business, explain how you would organize a strategic-information scanning system. How would you organize such a system in a large organization?
> When someone says dividends paid are double taxed, what are they referring to?
> Explain how to conduct an external strategic-management audit.
> Could/should critical success factors in a CPM include external factors? Explain.
> List the three ways that financial ratios should be compared/utilized. Which of the three comparisons do you feel is most important? Why?
> Let’s say you work for McDonald’s and you applied Porter’s Five-Forces Model to study the fast-food industry. Would information in your analysis provide factors more readily to an EFE Matrix, a CPM, or to neither matrix? Justify your answer.
> Are you more organized than the person sitting beside you in class? If not, what problems could that present in terms of your performance and rank in the class? How analogous is this situation to rival companies?
> Distinguish between market commonality and resource similarity. Apply these concepts to two rival firms that you are familiar with.
> Even though planning is considered the foundation of management, why do you think it is commonly the task that managers neglect most?
> What are the three basic objectives of a competitive intelligence program?
> Explain why prioritizing the relative importance of strengths and weaknesses to include in an IFE Matrix is an important strategic-management activity.
> If you and a partner were going to visit a foreign country where you have never been before, how much planning would you do ahead of time? What benefit would you expect that planning to provide?
> Compare and contrast the duties and responsibilities of a CIO with a CTO in a large firm.
