Topic: Strategic Analysis and Formulation of Company

Order Description
Course work details:
This assignment requires you to write report conducting both strategic analysis and strategic formulation for “Sainsbury”. This should be based on research and use
suitable strategic management (SM) theories / frameworks/ supplementary texts and in academic journal articles.

Please note the emphasis is on applying the SM theories and frameworks (covered in the lectures, or using your own research). Please also note that you are not
expected to discuss or critique the frameworks in the assignment, but rather to concentrate on applying them.
If you are using frameworks not covered in the lectures, please cite the source (these can be derived SM text books or academic journals).

The report has two main elements:
Part 1:
Strategic Analysis of the purpose, “Internal”, and “External environments of the organisation” that form the basis for the recommendations made in next part,
‘strategic formulation / choice’;

The first stage is strategic analysis, where the aim is to achieve an understanding of the key strategic issues, both Externally and Internally, that are likely to
influence the performance of the company into the future. The purpose of strategic analysis is not to provide answers but to help us understand the issues.

In other words, using appropriate frameworks that allow us to identify, classify, and understand the principal factors relevant to strategic decisions.

Part 2:
Strategy Formulation / Choice – Should contain recommendations and a rationale for those recommendations.
The second stage of this research will concern the development of a range of strategic options, their evaluation and the selection of the ones to be implemented.
Various models and tools that are part of strategic management theory may help you in your analysis. Additionally if there is a key issue that has received research
attention in management journals, students are encouraged to introduce this into the debate presented in their reports.

General Advice:
It is important that you do not focus on the number of tools of analysis used.
While there will be a critical mass of analysis that has to take place (facilitated by the tools of analysis), it the quality of the argument presented!

Hence it is the data/interpretation of the data that is important and not the volume of tools of analysis used by groups.

Remember, as in the real world, understanding is only achieved by interpretation of the analysis undertaken, and it is up to you to present a well justified and
logical argument for the strategic plan presented. Justification should be made by referring to the relevant literature, or additional research.

As in all decision making in business, generally there are no right and wrong solutions. Good strategic decisions are generally recognised as those where there has
been generation of several alternative strategies, consideration of the likely outcomes from adopting each alternative, and a convincing justification for why the
chosen strategy is likely to be more effective than the other alternatives.
Word limits for written assignments:

– footnotes and endnotes (irrespective of whether they have been used for the purpose of referencing or not), references (in the main text), tables and illustrations,
and if applicable the abstract, title page and contents page.

– Any material placed in the appendices and the bibliography or reference list should be excluded from the word count.