A. Directions
Step 1: Choose an Organization
Select an organization that you are familiar with.
The most successful Learners select an organization that is a public company with readily available information to meet the analysis requirements of the rubric. These successful learners do not rely solely on their personal knowledge but instead use evidence from references to support points in the touchstone.
Learners that struggle with this touchstone are those who select an organization that is small, hyper-local, non-profit, or governmental; this includes municipalities or the company they work for. We suggest you avoid organizations in these categories.
Organizations that should not be used include:
- Amazon
- Amnesty International
- US Bank
- Walmart
- Tesla
Select an organization you are familiar with or have worked for (currently or in the past). You are tasked with analyzing the organization both internally and externally using some of the tools and frameworks you have learned in this course. You are also tasked with recommending changes to the organization’s strategy and structure, in addition to considering associated ethical implications. This assignment requires you to apply SWOT analysis, PESTEL analysis, Porter’s Five Forces of Industry Analysis, Porter’s Generic Strategies, and organization design concepts related to strategy-structure fit. You will prepare a slide deck containing your analysis and recommendations that could be presented to the organization’s Board.
ASSIGNMENT: Your presentation will be 11-14 slides long, not including the title and references slides. It must include the following slides:
- Title
- Executive Summary
- Organization Background
- Internal Strengths
- Internal Weaknesses
- External Opportunities
- External Threats
- Macro Environment Analysis: PESTEL
- Micro Industry Analysis: Porter’s Five Forces
- Generic Strategy Recommendations
- Organization Design Recommendations
- Ethical Considerations
- References
If you’ve never used a presentation tool like PowerPoint or Google Slides before, don’t worry! The assignment template below will help you create slides for a basic slide presentation. Then you’ll be able to practice using the presentation technology as you put the finishing touches on your presentation.