Analyze a business case and provide recommendations based on evidence and appropriate management concepts.

MGMT 1120 Course Project Instructions

This is a formal case study that will require you analyze a business case and provide recommendations based on evidence and appropriate management concepts.

You will be completing Parts 1 through 4 in small groups and submitting a written report. The report will include an introduction, a conclusion, and headings for each of the (4) parts. One report will be submitted for each group.

To complete this project, you will be using the Steel String: To Bottle or not to Bottle

For more instructions regarding retrieving the case study, please go to the end of this document.

Your group will act as consultants to the   case. To help this organization, you will 1) identify the major problem/decision facing the organization, 2) complete internal and external analyses that you have learned in the course to make sure you understand and can apply important information from the case that relates to solving this problem, 3) identify three feasible alternatives to solving the problem/decision, 4) recommend ONE solution to the organization, including an action containing specific steps to completion.

At the conclusion of the project, each student will submit his or her own individual reflection for Part 5, on the same day that the group project is due.

Here is a more detailed breakdown of each of the parts:

Part 1: Identify the problem that management needs to solve. What priority decision needs to be made? Make sure you describe the nature of the problem and why it is important; i.e., what impact will this decision have on the organization and other stakeholders?

Part 2: Perform some analyses to help you determine what factors are important for management to consider in making this decision:

1. SWOT analysis
2. CREST analysis (You may chose to conduct a PEST analysis instead)
3. Porter’s 5-Force Analysis
4. Stakeholder analysis

For each of these analyses, present the analyses (use a table or lists if this helps to make the information more clear). Then, write a brief paragraph after each analysis summarizing the highlights of that analysis that you think are most relevant to this decision. You will need more information about this particular industry or about environmental factors, so you will have to do some research.  You will need at least 5 (five) sources (Wikipedia and the Dictionary do not count as sources.)

Part 3: Based on your analyses, identify up to 3 (three) possible decisions you might make. In other words, what are three reasonable alternatives that management might choose to pursue to help solve this problem? (Don’t forget to consult Chapter 7 as you consider strategic options.)

For each of these three options, identify what you perceive to be the pros and cons of pursuing that particular alternative. Use the information you discovered in your analyses and course concepts to guide you, and try to list as many as you can think of. Resist the urge to make a decision too soon!!! Try to remain objective as you consider each alternative.

Part 4: Decide which is the best option for the organization and create an action plan for that option. 

(Different groups may make very different recommendations!) Why do you believe this is the best option for the organization (defend your choice)?

Develop a step-by-step action plan to carry out your decision. Your action plan should include specific steps for each of the four management functions: Planning, Leading, Organizing, and Controlling. You will want to make sure that the organization will be able to measure results and evaluate how the plan is working down the road.

This concludes the portion of the assignment that you will be working on as a group.

Part 5: Reflection (individual submissions)

A:  Reflect on and answer the following questions regarding this course project:

1. As you did the actual work of the project, what did you discover about the plan you created at the beginning of the project?
2. What did you plan for effectively?
3. What did you miss in your planning process?
4. If you could start over again, how would your project plan be different?
5. What were your strengths as an individual team member? What were your weaknesses?
6. How did your group handle situations that were “unplanned”? Was your group teamwork effective or ineffective, and why? How would you assess your individual contribution to the sense of team?
7. Did you meet your group objectives for this project (in the absence of knowing your final grade)? Did you meet your personal objectives? Did you meet your planned targets?

B:  Peer and Group Assessments

1. Complete a peer-assessment. Do not forget to include an explanation for your ratings.  Use evaluation form titled “Group Project Peer Evaluation Form” in the Course Project Documents and Instructions section on Moodle.
2. The self and peer assessments will be submitted via Moodle drop box. Your group may choose to include all assessments as appendices to the main report, or you may submit the assessments individually via the appropriate Moodle drop box (you can combine the peer and self assessments into one document).

Your group must submit an electronic version of your project report.  The report must be uploaded into the “Upload Completed Project Here” drop box located in the Course Project Drop Boxes section on Moodle.

Formatting Requirements

Use the format requirements outlined below.:

You must submit your project parts using APA format, which includes:

• 1-inch margins on all sides
• 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font
• Double spacing (I will also accept 1½ spacing)
• Indented paragraph style
• All outside sources – whether quoted, paraphrased, or summarized – must be cited using both in-text citations and a reference page entry.
• Word formatted headings are to be used, where appropriate.
• Page numbers

Appropriate parts of a report include:

• Title page, including: names of group members, name of the case, date of submission, instructor’s name, course name and section number;
• an executive summary;
• a table of contents;
• headings and subheadings throughout the body of the report
• an introduction and conclusion; and
• a reference page.

Directions for Purchase:

• For the Steel String: To Bottle or not to Bottle case:

• Go to the Ivey Publishing website at www.iveycases.com
• Log in to your existing account or click “Register” to create a new account and follow the prompts to complete the registration. If registering, choose the “Student User” role.
• Click on this link or copy into your browser: https://www.iveycases.com/CoursepackView.aspx?id=20383
• Click “Add to Cart”.
• You may choose to order in either print or digital  format.
  • To order the material in digital format, check “digital download” and click “OK”.
  • To order a printed copy for delivery, enter the print quantity required and click “OK”. Please note that shipping charges will apply.
• Go to the Shopping Cart (located at the top of the page), click “Checkout”, and complete the checkout process.
• When payment has been processed successfully, an Order Confirmation will be emailed to you immediately and you will see the Order Confirmation screen.
  • If you ordered digital copies: Click “Download your Digital Items” or go to “My Orders” to access the file.
  • If you ordered printed copies: Your order will be printed and shipped within 2 to 3 business days.

IMPORTANT: Access to downloadable files will expire 30 days from the order date, so be sure to save a copy on your computer. The downloadable file is a PDF document that can be opened using Adobe Reader.

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