Introduction:

Based on the information in the case study (see Case Study Attachment 1 by accessing TaskStream from the Assessments tab and scrolling down past the Task directions), for this task, you will write an essay that discusses the necessary components for beginning the strategic planning process. You will discuss the culture, the structure of the strategic team, explain the appropriateness of the current mission and vision statements, discuss internal and external influences specific to the company in the case study, as well as explain advantages and disadvantages of the company’s current strategic plan.

Scenario:

The management at EZ-Pleeze, a chicken and beef distribution company, has tasked you with collecting and analyzing the information needed to formulate the strategic planning process for the company and provide strategic recommendations to senior executives. Using the “EZ-Pleeze Case Study” to guide your response (see Case Study Attachment 1 by accessing TaskStream from the Assessments tab and scrolling down past the Task directions), you will write an essay that contains the information (based on the task prompts below) required to show you have a firm understanding of the necessary components for beginning the strategic planning process.

Requirements:

Your submission must be your original work. No more than a combined total of 30% of the submission and no more than a 10% match to any one individual source can be directly quoted or closely paraphrased from sources, even if cited correctly. Use the Turnitin Originality Report available in Taskstream as a guide for this measure of originality.

The rubric provides detailed criteria for evaluating your submission. It is expected that you use the rubric to direct the creation of your submission. A prompt may be evaluated by more than one rubric aspect. The rubric aspect titles may contain hyperlinks to relevant portions of the course.

Write an essay (suggested length of 3-5 pages) that references “EZ-Pleeze Case Study” (see Case Study Attachment 1 by accessing TaskStream from the Assessments tab and scrolling down past the Task directions) and contains the following sections:

Company Description

• Describe the organizational culture of EZ-Pleeze. – Review Chapter 1 & Google search Competing Values Framework.For example, discussions can be found at http://www.thercfgroup.com/files/resources/an_introduction_to_the_competing_values_framework.pdf and at http://changingminds.org/explanations/culture/competing_values.htm

Organizational culture refers to the complex set of ideologies, symbols, and core values that are shared throughout the firm and that influence how the firm conducts business.Select the appropriate culture from the four cultures in the competing values framework.Use examples from the case to demonstrate how EZ-Pleeze exhibits the culture you selected.

• Discuss the appropriateness of the current mission statement for EZ-Pleeze. – Review Chapter 1
  • Identifies the company’s product or service
  • Specifies the buyer needs it seeks to satisfy
  • Identifies the customer groups or markets it is endeavoring to serve
  • Specifies its approach to pleasing customers
  • Provides the company its own identity
• Discuss the appropriateness of the current vision statement for EZ-Pleeze. – Review Chapter 1

A mission statement describes the company’s current business and purpose.

It addresses who we are, what we do, and why we are here.

The ideal mission statement sufficiently:

A vision statement should be distinctive and specific to a particular organization; avoid generic, feel-good statements. A winning vision provides organizations “where we are going and why”.An appropriate vision statement is forward looking, aspirational, and specific enough to describe just one company.The vision statement should articulate the ideal description of the organization.An effective vision stretches and challenges.An appropriate vision reflects a firm’s values and captures the heart and minds of the employees.

Strategic Decision-Making Structure

B.Describe the structure of the strategic team at EZ-Pleeze. – Review Chapters 10 – 13, especially Chapter 11.

Describe the members of the strategic team and their roles in detail.Strategy and structure have a reciprocal relationship, and if aligned properly, performance improves. Characterize the existing structure as simple, functional, or as multidivisional (see Chapter 11).

C. Internal and External Influences.

1. Discuss internal influences on the strategic decision-making process at EZ-Pleeze. – Review Chapter 3

Identify the forces, within the company's control (internal forces), that are currently driving the company and the industry. Identify the relevant internal resources and evaluate how these forces or resources affect strategic decision-making for the company. Examples might include labor costs, access to financing, access to raw materials, existing distribution, logistics, or other advantages, technology, and the company's core competency and competitive advantages.

The strategic decisions managers make about their firm's internal organization are non-routine, have ethical implications, and significantly influence the firm's ability to earn above-average returns. These decisions involve choices about the resources the firm needs to collect and how to best manage them.

2. Discuss external influences on the strategic decision-making process at EZ Pleeze. – Review Chapter 2

Identifying opportunities and threats is an important objective of studying the general environment.

An opportunity is a condition in the general environment that, if exploited effectively, helps a company reach strategic competitiveness.

A threat is a condition in the general environment that may hinder a company's efforts to achieve strategic competitiveness.

Current Strategic Plan

D. Advantages and Disadvantages. Review Chapter 4 – 9

1. Explain two advantages of the current strategic plan at EZ-Pleeze.

2. Explain two disadvantages of the current strategic plan at EZ-Pleeze.

A business-level strategy is an integrated and coordinated set of commitments and actions the firm uses to gain a competitive advantage by exploiting core competencies in specific product markets. Five business-level strategies (cost leadership, differentiation, focused cost leadership, focused differentiation, and integrated cost leadership/differentiation).

Note: For definitions of terms commonly used in the rubric, see the Rubric Terms web link included in the Evaluation Procedures section.

Note: When using sources to support ideas and elements in an assessment, the submission MUST include APA formatted in-text citations with a corresponding reference list for any direct quotes or paraphrasing. It is not necessary to list sources that were consulted if they have not been quoted or paraphrased in the text of the assessment. For tips on using APA style, please refer to the APA Handout web link included in the APA Guidelines section.