Please advise if you are able to help with a edit and resubmission of a Startegy report. Here are the question and directions. I have attached the case study. Please advise if you can help.Case:...

Strategy 2 Coursework Re-sit
Modular Executive MBA
June 2012
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Sendra Dorcé
A ‘STRATEGIC ASSET’

Strategic assets may be defined as those assets which: help the firm sustain profitable business.
Basic principles of Barney’s Resource Based View (RBV) provide the firm with an effective
model for analyzing its strengths and weaknesses while taking into account their resources.
These resources are defined as all assets, capabilities, organizational processes, firm attributes,
information and knowledge and the manner in which they are combined distinguishes them from
one another. RBV concludes that firm’s resources are strategic assets only if they are Valuable,
Rare, Inimitable and Non-substitutable (VRIN) making it a useful analytic tool.
1. Are combined with entry assets
2. Categories:
o Tangible
o System
o Knowledge
o Relational
o Cultural
3. Difficult to copy assets are:
o Created over time (time compression diseconomies)
o Interconnected and specific to context
o Complex
Comment [u1]: You have correctly defined the
strategic asset, which satisfies one of the lecturer’s
requirements.
Comment [u2]: You have CORRECTLY mentioned
the fact that an asset to be Strategic, must satisfy
the four properties of VRIN. You may show these
properties in bulleted manner, and write 1 liner
description of each properties.
o Causally ambiguous
o Tacit
What can be realigned to create new strategic assets? Convert something value destroying into
something value adding, by changing something within the organization. One can only change
what is within one’s control. Restructuring can shuffle assets around.
It is the links between assets that give you competitive advantage. Tangible assets are least
sustainable, then clockwise through to cultural as the strongest assets. (Cultural assets are most
likely to be in the paradigm). This ties in with the paradigm, the mindset of the organization.
STRATEGIC ASSET OF HOBSONS BEFORE COLLABORATION
1. Location (Tangible): When Hobsons’ launched in 1974 Adrian Bridgewater knew his
brand would gain credibility due to their Cambridge location.
2. Logo (System): Making reference to Cambridge in their logo was clearly a strategic
move and asset.
Comment [u3]: You have correctly listed-out the
strategic assets.
To score extra marks, you may write the
classification of assets too. Let me do this for you.
Your professor was repeatedly emphasizing on
listing, and this time you have made a proper list
with proper headings. Good Job!
Your professor, also wanted point-to-point answers,
instead of long descriptive answers. If you wish you
may try to reduce the description of some of the
assets. Otherwise, it seems fine.
3. Market Reputation (Relational): This town had a stellar reputation for education and
brought value to the firm. Rare because it was set up as a non-profit, providing it a softer
entry to market without the added pressures of selling.
4. Rights (Tangible): Inimitable because of its association and the book patents provided
protection therefore rendering them inimitable and non-substitutable.
5. Key Management (Intellect/knowledge): Managing director Chris Lechter rose through
the ranks, he proved his talents was valuable, rare, inimitable and clearly non
substitutable. He understood the business of selling. Accountability and performance was
critical to sustain the company as a leader in the educational publishing industry and he
excelled at those. Chris inspired and created a buzz in his sales team by celebrating their
achievements and openly attributing the company’s success to theirs.
6. Core Values (Cultural): Senior managers intuitively understood that human capital is
strategically important. The sales team was perceived as “walking on water” and became
valuable and rare, non-substitutable, and inimitable talent pool.
7. Training & Development (System & Cultural): With course information now
available on the internet, selling became instrumental to Hobson. They were a bridge
between education and careers for young people. Chris’s sense of independence, passion
for selling, closing the deal and achieving targets permeated the team whilst injecting the
system with ideas of cooperation, professionalism, trust, reputation and brand which
created cultural and relational assets for the organization. Staying connected with them
was crucial, an idea he reinforced by having glass walls in his office to oversee the sales
floor. The cultural assets expanded as these ideals were transferred by his sales team to
Comment [u4]: As told before, You may reduce
some description of Point number 7 and 8, by
summarizing them a little bit. This will help you
score extra marks, as your professor has do not like
descriptive answers.
customers. The rare and inimitable sales machine built customer rapport with customers
whilst striving to comprehend and meet their needs. .
8. Competitive Tangible Assets (Tangible): Hobson’s educational publications were also
tangible assets. Developed on the idea that they were a British brand with unique beliefs
associated with the highest standard of education, they had created value for the
organization. These items established a competitive advantage because they were
valuable whilst generating profits, non-substitutable because the information was unique,
inimitable based on patent law and rare because of their dominance in a market space
where few competitors existed. Providing advertising allowed to widen increase their
visibility and relationships whilst adding to their knowledge assets. The new London
location proved a valuable tangible asset to their portfolio. Going public created more
cash flow and brought more visibility for their brand facilitating...