The company uses is Vodafone Australia
Write 500 words about the macro/micro environment and the company's competitive advantage.
Page | 1 HC3141_Assignment_Guidelines_T1_2020 HOLMES INSTITUTE FACULTY OF HIGHER EDUCATION ASSESSMENT DETAILS AND SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Trimester T1 2020 Unit Code HC3141 Unit Title International Strategic Management Assessment Type Assessment 2: Group Assignment Group Size: 4 Persons Assessment Title Strategic Company Report Purpose of the assessment (with ULO Mapping) Students are required to demonstrate theoretical and practical knowledge of strategic management in an international context. Weight 40% of the total assessments: Total Marks 40 Marks: Word limit Not more than 2000 words. Due Date The written report is due by week 10 Saturday at 11.59 pm. Submission Guidelines • Please see section “How to Self-Enrol in Groups” on Blackboard for self- enrolment in Groups. • Holmes is aware of the issues that some students are facing in forming groups for the Group Assignment. If there are extenuating circumstances which prevent you from forming a group for the Group Assignment, then please contact your Unit Coordinator. • Please make sure that all group members need to be finalised 2 weeks prior to the assessment submission date. • All work must be submitted on Blackboard by the due date along with a completed Assignment Cover Page. • The assignment must be in MS Word format, double spacing, 12-pt Arial font and 2 cm margins on all four sides of your page with appropriate section headings and page numbers. Page | 2 HC3141_Assignment_Guidelines_T1_2020 • Reference sources must be cited in the text of the report and listed appropriately at the end in a reference list using Harvard referencing style. • A minimum of ten (10) references, at least five (5) from peer-reviewed journal relevant to the unit. ASSIGNMENT SPECIFICATIONS Purpose This assignment aims at demonstrating theoretical and practical knowledge towards identifying various strategies adopted by companies in a global environment. In groups of 4, students must: Step 1: identify a company (Australian Company only) in any industry of their choice. This could be the company you are currently working in or have worked in previously, or a company you are otherwise familiar with, either through personal experience or through a literature search. Following are the industries where you can choose a company: • Agriculture • Tourism • Pharmaceutical • Health • Organic food • Wine • Sports/Events • Information Technology • Communication Note: Students are not allowed to choose fast food or retail industries for this assignment. Step 2: Your task then is to examine the environment the company has been operating and its growth strategies drawing on relevant concepts and theories taught in this unit. Step 3: Based on your examination in step 3 above, make specific recommendations on alternative growth strategies for the company. Use the following structure for your assignment: 1. Introduction – Industry and your company 2. The micro and macro-environment in which this company is operating – briefly discuss main factors 3. Company’s competitive advantage over its rivals. 4. Is this company following any Generic Strategies of Porters (Cost leadership, Focus or Differentiation)? 5. Discuss the company’s growth strategies like diversification or Integration or if the company is using Ansoff matrix to grow in their market. 6. Strategic recommendations at the functional and business level 7. Harvard referencing style to be used for at least 10 references. Quality journal articles from ProQuest database are highly recommended in getting good marks. Page | 3 HC3141_Assignment_Guidelines_T1_2020 MARKING CRITERIA Marking criteria written report Weighting Group Report Introduction 4.00% Macro/micro-environment 5.00% Company’s competitive advantage 5.00% Company’s generic strategies 7.00% Growth strategies 7.00% Recommendations 7.00% Report format, presentation and referencing 5.00% TOTAL Weight 40.0 % MARKING RUBRIC COMPANY STRATEGIC REPORT Excellent (2.5 to 3) Very Good (2.5) Good (2) Satisfactory (1.5) Unsatisfactory (0) Introduction Excellent background of company and the industry with all relevant information Detailed background of company and industry Backgroun d of company and industry lacks relevant information Brief Introduction. Unclear discussion Does not provide any background information Macro/Micro Environment Detailed explanation of Macro/Micro environment with examples Micro/macro environment explained Lacking either micro or macro environment Micro/Micro environment discussed theory but no relevance to company Unclear, irrelevant discussion Page | 4 HC3141_Assignment_Guidelines_T1_2020 Company’s competitive advantage Competitive advantage against the rivals explained well with examples Competitive advantage against the rivals explained Brief discussion of competitive advantage, lacking discussion about rivals Competitive advantage discussed theory but no relevance to the chosen company Unclear, irrelevant discussion Company’s generic strategies Generic strategies for the chosen company explained well with examples Generic strategies for the chosen company explained Generic strategies: inadequate discussion Generic strategies discussed in theory, relevance to the chosen company missing Unclear, irrelevant discussion Growth strategies Clear discussion of growth strategies with relevant examples Growth strategies discussed well Few growth strategies discussed Inadequate discussion of growth strategies Growth strategies not discussed, not aligned with the chosen company Recommendation s Appropriate recommendations , aligning the chosen strategies discussed well with examples Good, realistic Recommend - ations explained well Recommend- ations discussed adequately Theoretical discussion of Recommend - ations, not aligned with the chosen company Recommendati ons not aligned with chosen strategies Report format, presentation and referencing All the elements of academic writing met with adequate references in Harvard style from peer reviewed journal relevant to the topic Adequate references, Harvard style from peer reviewed journal relevant to the topic Few references, Harvard style followed. Most academic writing elements followed. Few elements of academic writing missing, inadequate references or mostly not peer reviewed Several spelling mistakes, academic writing elements missing, Harvard referencing not followed